Brianna Wu
Here’s what sane transsexual public policy looks like. And I think most people, outside the two political cults, already agree with this. 1. Trans women can live as women. But we are not female. These two truths are not contradictory. They are both essential. Trans women deserve civil rights, social recognition, and bodily autonomy - but pretending sex doesn’t exist helps no one. It doesn’t help us live fulfilling lives. It doesn’t protect women. You can affirm trans people without dismantling the category of “female.” 2. Medical transition should be available - but it must have high standards. Informed consent alone is not enough for permanent medical intervention. We need real safeguards, especially for young people and those with comorbidities. This isn’t “gatekeeping.” It’s clinical responsibility. Screening for trauma, dissociation, autism, and asking whether transition is the right path? That’s compassion - not cruelty. The answer to bad gatekeeping isn’t none. It’s better gatekeeping. 3. Transsexual children deserve support - not ideology. Children questioning their gender need space, respect, and time. Social transition can help - but it must be guided, not rushed. We shouldn’t treat every child who says “I’m trans” like they’re on a conveyor belt toward medicalization. Doubt is healthy. Parents must be involved. Schools should support kids without hiding critical information from families. 4. Women’s spaces matter. So does transsexual access to civil society. There are places where sex still matters - prisons, rape shelters, locker rooms, competitive sports. It’s not bigotry to say that. But it’s also bigoted to eliminate trans women from public life entirely. The answer isn’t “everyone in” or “no one in.” It’s case-by-case, based on risk, need, and respect. We can protect women and include trans women - if we’re honest about what the stakes actually are. 5. Not everyone who says they’re trans is a transsexual. And we need to stop pretending they are. The “trans umbrella” now includes people who are socially male, often aggressive, and sometimes openly misogynistic. People who do not try to pass, do not integrate, and do not behave as women in any meaningful way are not entitled to women’s spaces. That affects how all trans women are perceived. Saying that isn’t bigotry. It’s honesty. 6. We cannot build healthcare policy on Twitter. The research supporting trans healthcare is generally garbage - and so is the “evidence” used to justify banning it. Everyone is overstating the quality of their evidence. And almost everyone is producing ideologically driven work designed to reach a predetermined outcome. The methodology is frequently very poor. Policy must be built on real data, not vibes. We need high-quality research, long-term outcomes, and space for scientific disagreement. Trans people deserve better evidence - because these are life-altering decisions, and we deserve to make them with clarity. Yes. I’m in the middle. Not because I’m afraid to take a side. But because the truth is the middle. Because being trans taught me complexity, not dogma. Because I believe in trans people, in medical integrity, in women’s rights, and in children’s safety. I know this position isn’t popular. I know I’ll be screamed at from both sides. But someone has to say it. And it might as well be someone who’s actually lived it.