At a look, the Harry Potter collection would look like in a wholesome place. The profitable Wizarding World franchise has a 3rd Fantastic Beasts movie coming, a TBS sport present, an ongoing Broadway play, two theme parks, a possible live-action streaming collection, and, most notably to players, a highly-anticipated return to the AAA gaming world with Avalanche Software’s Hogwarts Legacy. However, the franchise has, sadly, remained within the ever-present shadow of a bigger dialog: creator JK Rowling’s public help of anti-transgender rhetoric, in addition to her help for the individuals and teams that unfold it, all expressed on social media, her web site, and in her activism. This has not been an remoted incident, however a continued stance for Rowling courting all the best way again to 2018 and persevering with into March 2022–at the time of writing–when she tweeted out misinformation round an upcoming vote in Scotland on gender identification points, amongst quite a few different tweets focused at trans individuals.While the dialog round trans points could circuitously have an effect on most outdoors of the trans group, Rowling doubling down on trans points has pressured the subject to the forefront of many individuals’s minds in relation to the continued Harry Potter franchise. It has required many people to consider whether or not we are able to nonetheless help the Harry Potter franchise in gentle of Rowling’s discriminatory phrases and actions. What does supporting Rowling even imply? Furthermore, is supporting the Harry Potter franchise, which has grown past books written by a single writer, nonetheless worthwhile given there are writers, producers, filmmakers, and builders who additionally contribute to the franchise, and plenty of of them instantly oppose Rowling’s positions? Some of you may additionally be questioning if Rowling’s phrases are dangerous in any respect, given the extraordinary politicization and seeming contradictory info being mentioned round trans points.That’s what I need to unpack, as a lot as I can. The objective of this text is to not present an entire timeline of all the pieces Rowling has ever mentioned about trans individuals, however to the touch upon a number of the most essential notes in Rowling’s connection to those points, in addition to present the bigger context round transgender rights that Rowling’s phrases sit within–specifically within the United States and the United Kingdom, and to analyze what all this implies for these of us nonetheless excited for Harry Potter works like Hogwarts Legacy. The goal is to not offer you a solution about the way to really feel, however to provide the instruments wanted to think about the questions your self. There are not any straightforward solutions to be discovered right here, outdoors of the need to help and defend these most susceptible to hurt.The course of the discourseRowling’s phrases have garnered her the help of “gender critical feminists” (GCF)*, who’re generally referred to as “trans-exclusionary radical feminists” or TERFs. GCFs are a small however vocal motion outlined by their opposition to what they time period as “gender ideology,” the denial of trans and nonbinary individuals’s identities, opposition to laws supporting trans individuals, and arguing that trans ladies, particularly, are merely males coopting womanhood so as to invade “women-only spaces” reminiscent of loos, resulting in what they consider is the erosion of cisgender** ladies’s security and rights. However, GCF’s actions should not solely misinformed about trans points, however additionally they wield misinformation and rhetoric with an explicitly vitriolic and damaging intention, and achieve this in direction of all the trans group, which itself is taken into account to be probably the most marginalized communities proper now.Given the complexity inherent inside discussing gender points and the misinformation unfold in regards to the transgender group, coupled with the present politicized discourse surrounding trans points and assaults on trans rights throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and world wide, the discourse surrounding GCF and Rowling has typically remained intensely polarized and opaque to the larger public. If Rowling’s sentiments on trans persons are introduced up, individuals outdoors of the trans group can discover themselves uncertain the way to clarify why her phrases are harmful–with some arguing that Rowling is barely “defending women” or “raising questions” about transgender points, inadvertently downplaying the very actual unfavourable affect they’ve.The intricacy inside these conversations is usually to the advantage of these spreading misinformation, because the complexities can be utilized to forestall an overt protection of or primary discussions surrounding the marginalized trans group. People as an alternative are pressured to sift via the rhetoric, in addition to weed out misinformation, earlier than with the ability to genuinely have interaction with the problems and really feel in a position to decide to a viewpoint. This could also be the place most of you at the moment studying this end up within the dialogue on transgender points: uncertain of what to consider or how finest to strategy these matters out of concern over what’s right. Or, probably, given the politicized discourse surrounding these matters fueled by fear-mongering misinformation, somebody could even discover themselves actively hostile in direction of trans rights discussions, believing trans points to be instantly at odds with wider ladies’s rights and even youngsters’s security. Ironically, whereas Rowling’s statements have been controversial of their platforming of a lot of this misinformation, additionally they present a singular start line to start slicing via the discourse.Gender vital feministsAfter a number of months of extra oblique hints of anti-trans views, in June 2020 Rowling printed an essay that instantly mirrored prevailing views and arguments of the gender-critical motion, thus garnering her a popularity as an anti-transgender affect. While the essay contained quite a few misinformative statements which have been completely debunked, there are just a few noteworthy matters.First and foremost, Rowling pointed towards the idea of “rapid onset gender dysphoria” (ROGD), which postulates that there was a sudden inflow in younger women instantly figuring out as transgender, seeing it as trendy attributable to trans influencers on social media or in widespread tradition. This is a concept given scientific backing from a analysis examine by controversial former Brown University assistant professor Lisa Litman. However, Litman’s analysis strategies (reminiscent of solely surveying mother and father from on-line boards already explicitly involved with speedy onset gender dysphoria) have been instantly questioned by fellow researchers upon publication. While ROGD has been credibly debunked in quite a few research after the very fact, many distinguished GCFs regularly cite Litman’s work, reminiscent of within the 2020 guide Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters by Abigail Shrier.Shrier’s guide, alongside Rowling’s essay and different GCFs discourse, use ROGD to tell their subsequent concern: the detransitioner narrative. The argument is that many younger women who expertise ROGD will pursue surgical intervention, reminiscent of breast reductions, solely to later be taught they don’t seem to be transgender and remorse making irreversible adjustments to their physique, resulting in melancholy and even suicidal ideas. While this may occur, it’s not widespread. First, youngsters are not often if ever given surgical procedures till they’re of the age to consent, usually 18 or older, and infrequently these surgical procedures require physician and therapist authorization and one 12 months of consideration earlier than being carried out. Most youngsters under the age of consent are usually given entry to a therapist or, if they’re close to puberty, generally prescribed protected puberty-blocking medicine with their physician’s oversight that merely delay their puberty lengthy sufficient for them to think about if surgical procedure is the fitting path for them. Additionally, the National Center for Transgender Equality discovered that solely 0.4% of trans individuals detransitioned attributable to believing transition wasn’t proper for them, with most by no means having had surgical intervention; a number of different research have discovered comparable outcomes. In reality, most detransitions have been attributable to trans individuals dealing with discrimination, not an absence of want to transition. While work must be carried out to forestall transition remorse, doing so would require higher and extra educated gender-affirming care so docs can higher assess the right path for trans sufferers. Indeed, this might additionally assist the over 90% of trans individuals who discover their lives improved each mentally and bodily after transitioning. Many GCFs disingenuously body detransitions as crucial problem in trans-related well being care, presenting it as lively and intentional little one abuse, and utilizing it to justify the removing of all entry to trans well being care.While GCFs will typically publicly state they solely consider “some” trans ladies will goal cisgender ladies, their language implicates all trans ladies, typically solely discussing trans ladies in such contexts. It subtly frames all trans ladies as sexual predators and nothing else.While these narratives primarily handled adolescent youngsters assigned feminine at beginning, Rowling and GCFs additionally targeted on a special framing of transgender ladies: these assigned male at beginning. In her essay, Rowling argued,”When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman–and, as I’ve said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones–then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth.”The argument made by Rowling and GCFs is that trans ladies, who they regularly body and misgender as “men appropriating womanhood,” will use their standing of being seen as ladies so as to “invade” ladies’s areas reminiscent of restrooms or ladies’s prisons so as to assault and harass cisgender ladies.GCFs additionally argue that trans ladies try and strain lesbians into having intercourse with them. A BBC article citing a gender-critical group offered this as widespread, even if the examine on which it was based mostly was solely in a position to conclude “ultimately, it has been difficult to determine the true scale of the problem…” Despite that, the article framed the subject solely round trans ladies’s potential to sexually assault cisgender lesbians. The article itself led to widespread outcry towards the BBC, together with a protest led by trans activists.While GCFs will typically publicly state they solely consider “some” trans ladies will goal cisgender ladies, their language implicates all trans ladies, typically solely discussing trans ladies in such contexts. It subtly frames all trans ladies as sexual predators and nothing else.The energy of rhetoricWhile there are various extra arguments utilized by GCFs, these narratives highlighted and unfold by Rowling herself underscore the 2 greatest themes in all discourse surrounding trans individuals from these teams: that transgender childen, particularly “young girls,” are victims of kid abuse and trans ladies are merely male sexual predators. On high of that, additionally they typically ignore nonbinary identities, merely referring to nonbinary individuals based mostly on their assigned beginning genders. While these narratives have the impact of infantilizing and ignoring the company of transgender males in their very own well being care, the ramifications for transgender ladies are sometimes instantly harmful.GCFs typically unfold misinformation about trans ladies not as a result of they’re actively conscious it is misinformation, however as a result of they genuinely consider it to be true. Many GCFs, who are sometimes ladies, will cite a traumatic historical past with misogyny and even sexual assault. Rowling herself features a story in her essay about having confronted abuse by an ex-husband. You’d be hard-pressed to search out any girl, trans or in any other case, who has not felt the concern of harassment or assault in our world in the present day. Many GCFs are mother and father nervous about their transgender youngsters and fall into these areas in search of help and affirmation that their little one is not actually transgender. Then, by connecting their histories of trauma or parental worries with seeing trans ladies as sexual predators and little one abusers, it creates an emotionally highly effective want to lash out towards trans ladies, who they see as instantly inflicting hurt.This is bolstered additional by the tendency of gender-critical teams to type deeply insular communities and echo chambers in on-line areas and in teams just like the LGB Alliance. Reporter Caelon Conrad infiltrated these communities to check how they typically create cult-like areas, typically regularly ramping up their rhetoric towards trans ladies to vitriolic ranges, and regularly specializing in trans individuals as their largest concern. Rowling herself showcases this precise radicalization pipeline, along with her tweets regularly turning into increasingly targeted upon transgender points to the exclusion of a lot else.Eventually, this hyperbolic echo chamber results in real-world ramifications. Individually, GCFs will incessantly harass and assault trans ladies on-line and in actual life. For instance, one trans girl at an anti-trans LGB Alliance convention was harassed, referred to as a “mentally ill pervert,” and bodily surrounded only for being in that house. GCF Maya Forstater was accused of, amongst different issues, harassing and misgendering trans individuals in her office Slack, resulting in her not being rehired and a subsequent appeals case that grew to become a rallying name for GCFs together with Rowling herself. Further, many distinguished GCFs have labored to doxx trans individuals and our allies, lots of whom have been platformed by Rowling herself.However, the issue escalated to a political stage. The LGB Alliance efficiently campaigned for the removing of LGBTQ office group Stonewall from the BBC, hurting not solely trans protections however protections for homosexual, lesbian, and bisexual of us as effectively. GCF teams helped to fund a UK court docket case, Tavistock v Bell, that led to the denial of entry to puberty blockers and gender-affirming take care of trans children. Rowling and different GCFs have regularly campaigned towards gender-affirming legal guidelines in each the US and the UK if additionally they defend trans individuals, such because the Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF) sending a quick to the US Supreme Court arguing towards office protections for trans ladies, that if eliminated would additionally erode office protections for all ladies. Further, a number of pointers tried to be enacted within the US and the UK would require gender certificates, which are sometimes onerous to accumulate, for trans individuals to make use of a public restroom. That would make many trans individuals really feel unwelcome in public areas, in addition to trigger many cisgender however extra masculine or butch-presenting ladies to additionally face the identical ire as their transgender counterparts, regardless of not being the goal of the ire.This rhetoric brought on by the echo chamber can develop into so heightened that it might probably result in literal dying threats, or worse. In 2018, Australian GCF Shelia Jeffrey described trans ladies to UK parliament as “parasites,” language that frames trans individuals as subhuman. One of the UK’s most distinguished gender-critical voices, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (who goes by the alias Posie Parker), referred to as for males with weapons to enter ladies’s loos to guard cisgender ladies from trans individuals. One gender-critical feminist who was platformed by the BBC, Lily Cade, even went on to name for the lynching of all trans ladies. The stakes for GCFs have been made so excessive that they may lash out at something that seems to help trans individuals, whatever the collateral harm that will harm broader ladies and LGBTQ rights as effectively.Unfortunately, this hyperbolic heightening of gender-critical rhetoric and assaults is deliberately stoked and weaponized by broader right-wing actions to justify assaults not solely towards trans individuals, however different marginalized teams as effectively. For instance, the Heritage Foundation, which has campaigned towards abortion rights for ladies within the United States, platformed a number of gender-critical feminists in 2019. Fox News has additionally carried out the identical. Fox News proprietor Rupert Murdoch himself championed gender-critical feminists within the UK and US. Similarly, the Heritage Foundation and US-based evangelical-right authorized agency Alliance Defending Freedom, which has an extended file of opposing ladies’s and LGBT rights, had sturdy ties to the Bell v Tavistock case within the UK. JK Rowling in March 2022 tweeted help for Caroline Farrow, the director of CitzenGo, which campaigns not solely towards trans rights, however homosexual marriage and abortion rights as effectively. Anti-transgender payments have cropped up across the US that use rhetoric just like these originating in gender-critical areas, such because the just lately proposed Texas and Idaho legal guidelines that labeled mother and father in search of trans-affirming care for his or her youngsters as “child abusers” and even threaten felony prices, regardless of in search of knowledgeable medical take care of one’s little one being the direct reverse of kid abuse. Even extra dangerously, Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene just lately referred to as for violence towards trans individuals, citing gender-critical rhetoric as justification. The alt-right terrorist group The Proud Boys have fought alongside GCFs at rallies towards trans individuals, resulting in the stabbing of a number of individuals.The purpose gender-critical rhetoric has proved so efficient by right-wing teams is that it frames the discussions as trans ladies versus ladies, using the language of those actions to advertise division to bolster their arguments. This is a long-standing tactic of weaponizing inner divisions inside feminist actions to help continued marginalization. White suffragettes within the 1800s of the United States have been typically supported by white supremacists in search of to perpetuate slavery, framing white ladies’s proper to vote as endangered by black ladies’s enfranchisement. Many white suffragettes would even deny that black ladies have been even actually women–rhetoric all too acquainted to many trans ladies in the present day. Further, this hyperlink between racism and gender-critical rhetoric nonetheless exists, exemplified by gender-critical feminists holding “I <3 JK Rowling'' banners clashing with Black Lives Matter protesters during the George Floyd protests in the summer of 2020. Some gender-critical groups also wield anti-Semitic rhetoric and conspiracy theories as well, further tying them to white nationalist movements.By framing trans people as a danger to women's rights, right-wing movements create a moral panic that asks you to "consider the kids" or worry about dangerous "little one groomers," echoing prevailing homophobic narratives of the 1980s and '90s, that justifies political and bodily violence.All that is carried out in hopes of bolstering right-wing actions. In an article in The Guardian, famed thinker Judith Butler pointed to quite a few fascist and totalitarian actions world wide, reminiscent of in Poland and Germany, citing gender-critical arguments to help their politics. If you need to be taught extra about this type of radicalization and co-opting of gender-critical rhetoric by the right-wing, I did a long-form evaluation of it on my YouTube channel.
The false bodyThis framing of trans ladies versus ladies is a false one. While GCFs could consider that trans ladies are simply males who can't perceive womanhood, the other is true. The dialog surrounding what it means to be a lady and trans ladies's entry to it's a complicated one which I encourage you to additional examine with movies like these, probably the most overt method GCFs deny trans ladies's womanhood is to argue that trans ladies can by no means face the identical ranges of misogyny that cisgender ladies face.Yet, that is categorically false. While one's womanhood should not be outlined solely via the oppression one faces, trans ladies typically face comparable assaults to our security. Trans ladies are 4 instances extra more likely to be the sufferer of a violent crime and infrequently face discrimination in well being care and housing. Numerous research have discovered that one in three trans persons are victims of sexual assault and as much as 50% have confronted home abuse. Even extra concerningly, transgender ladies of coloration proceed to be probably the most at-risk teams for being victims of violence or homicide.These points should not unrelated to the identical techniques that cisgender ladies like Rowling face, however are as an alternative instantly associated. The complete intent of gender-critical rhetoric is to border the difficulty as trans individuals versus ladies, positioning misogyny because the singular concern that ladies face, with out recognizing the intersection of how trans ladies face each transphobia and misogyny, and that the latter presents itself in a different way from how a cis white girl would expertise the identical factor. This is not to say that the misogyny that Rowling and different GCFs like her have confronted is not official or should not be fought towards, nevertheless it's essential to acknowledge that trans individuals, like myself, have additionally been sexually assaulted, face greater levels of assault usually, and now have added transphobic harassment and assaults on our rights and bodily our bodies for being trans. The framing should not be "trans women versus women," however how all women–trans and cis–should come collectively to push again towards the identical marginalization that impacts us all.Another problem inherent with this framing was additionally highlighted by the BBC. When criticized by the trans group for its aforementioned article in addition to accusations that the examine didn't meet the BBC's personal pointers about utilizing surveys as sources for claims in protection, as it's self-selected, the BBC in contrast the state of affairs to flat-Earthers, arguing that "…it might be appropriate to interview a flat earther. And if a lot of people believed in flat Earth we'd need to address it more."The problem right here is that flat Earth is a transparent bunk conspiracy concept, so to put it alongside precise scientific proof frames each as equally official. It's this very strategy that contributed to the rising recognition of the flat Earth movement–if everybody is aware of the sky is blue however just a few argue it is pink, you do not give either side a platform or argue that the sky is purple to appease everybody. The identical goes for GCFs. By persistently platforming GCFs in opposition to trans individuals, it frames them as having equally legitimate views of trans points, regardless of the confirmed hurt and misinformation GCFs push.Sadly, nonetheless, whereas many cisgender ladies and LGBTQ individuals stand in allyship with trans individuals, GCFs like Rowling discover themselves additional radicalized into their beliefs, using their platforms for continued hatred and bigotry in direction of the transgender group. While their vitriol typically stems from an comprehensible however unlucky intersection of trauma, concern, and misinformation, the best way it has been weaponized and wielded by not solely themselves, however by bigger totalitarian actions, sadly makes their hurt inexcusable. GCFs could also be a direct menace to trans individuals, however their actions harm us all.Returning to HogwartsI'm positive most of you're questioning why all this dry details about trans individuals is showing on a gaming web site of all locations. Certainly, whereas transgender points are topical world wide, it is a topic, together with many others in our anxiety-filled world, that many individuals attempt to escape from, with video games being a main outlet to take action. Yet, whereas lots of our friends can ignore it with out private consequence, for a lot of transgender individuals, it is a dialog we will not keep away from.I'm a nerd at first, and gaming is one among my greatest passions. Yet, as a trans particular person, I've been pressured to be taught all the pieces you see on this article. The above is not the product of analysis that I did particularly for this text; it was analysis I had carried out over the course of the previous few years for my very own security. The fixed stream of misinformation and focused assaults on the trans group power me, and plenty of within the trans group, to consistently be able to analysis, perceive and push again towards narratives used towards us. Honestly, I want I by no means needed to be taught a single a part of any of this, that my time and power might stay targeted solely on being a large nerd. That a lot should be mentioned simply to deconstruct the narratives surrounding trans individuals is regularly exhausting and demanding.It can't be ignored that JK Rowling has positioned herself on the head of this lively hate and discriminatory motion, to the purpose that her title has develop into synonymous with anti-trans hate. Gender-critical teams have paid for "I <3 JK Rowling" adverts to be displayed in Canada, used to dog-whistle help for anti-trans actions and to make trans individuals really feel uncomfortable in public areas close by. One of the individuals who put the indicators up was unsurprisingly arrested for being antagonistic to trans individuals and trying to punch somebody. I've seen quite a few feedback on my work for GameSpot and elsewhere be focused by transphobes with statements of "I stand with JK Rowling'' alongside active misgendering, transphobic language, and hate directed at me and trans people in general–all used to give plausible deniability that they were "simply standing up for an writer" or "defending the rights of ladies," apparently ignoring the irony that they were actively attacking a writer and a woman in the process. This occurs to many public-facing trans women. Rowling, along with many other celebrities who face backlash, has wielded cancel culture narratives to dismiss trans people and our allies (who have legitimate criticisms and grievances against their rhetoric) as merely being misogynistic harassers. While Rowling has received said harassment, and that is categorically wrong, it should not be used as an excuse to dismiss all criticisms of Rowling's statements. Two wrongs, especially when one of them has vastly larger implications for a whole community, don't make a right. It also ignores how trans people themselves are more likely to be victims of harassment both online and off, often with less emotional, physical, and financial support than Rowling has to push back against it.All of this finally brings us back to the Harry Potter franchise and Hogwarts Legacy. Rowling is not directly involved in the game, and although WB Interactive's president failed to condemn Rowling's words, the developers inside the company have worked to let you create a transgender character in the game. However, it's still difficult for any trans person to look at any element of the Harry Potter franchise and not see the harm that continues to be perpetuated by the woman who created it. I used to adore listening to Harry Potter audiobooks as comfort, but now I can't turn them on without being reminded of a woman who has actively argued against the reality of my existence and championed harm towards my community.There is nothing at all wrong with having a desire to play Hogwarts Legacy; it looks to be a passion project finally delivering the wizarding RPG many, including myself, would have been clamoring for just a few short years ago. There are some who argue that Harry Potter can be decoupled from Rowling. There even seems to be a push within the franchise to lock Rowling out of her own legacy, exemplified by her lack of appearance in the recent HBO Max reunion special. Some even point to authors like horror icon HP Lovecraft, whose work has entered literary canon and gone on to inspire hundreds of works despite Lovecraft's undeniable history of overt racism (and dear heavens, don't look up the name of his cat).Yet, the difference between Lovecraft and Rowling is that supporting Harry Potter can't currently be separated from supporting Rowling herself, despite some people's desire to uncouple the two. Rowling still sits at the head of the franchise, benefiting not only financially from every sale, but through its popularity. The more relevant Harry Potter remains, the more platform Rowling is given to perpetuate anti-transgender language. Further, while the books have finished, Rowling still works on Harry Potter, penning the scripts for the continuing Fantastic Beast franchise. Harry Potter is not only intrinsically linked with but supports the platform of a woman that used to inspire love who now uses her words to inspire hate. On top of that, Rowling herself has used the continued popularity of the franchise as evidence that people support her views, despite this not being the case.As a result, I can't in good conscience support this game, no matter how well I wish the developers in their own personal endeavors. By buying the game, I'm not just supporting them, I'm supporting Harry Potter, which supports Rowling herself.I wrote out this entire dissection of Rowling's words for two reasons. One, I wanted to take this opportunity provided by a game like Hogwarts Legacy to cut through the endless waves of misinformation against trans people and educate about the truth behind the damage Rowling, and more importantly, the larger gender-critical movement and right-wing groups, have caused. Secondly, I did it because I wanted to give you a chance to come to your own conclusions.You're not a bad person if you want to play Hogwarts Legacy. Many trans people themselves are planning to buy the game despite their justified anger towards Rowling. Yet, the important thing is not to condemn the game or renounce your love of Harry Potter; it's to wrestle with the complexity of it and decide for yourself. Trans people don't get to ignore the pain the franchise has become intrinsically linked to, and those who wish to care for them shouldn't get to do so, either. Many will ignore this article and others like it in order to turn a blind eye to the harm done or seek absolution for their choice in buying the game. Some will even (and already have) proudly proclaim their forth-coming purchase in order to express their disdain for having to think about trans people at all. You don't get to defend Rowling or Harry Potter and not understand what that actually means to a trans person, or the ramification it has for all of us, not just trans people.So supporting Hogwarts Legacy, a game about fighting magical fantasy bigots, isn't wrong, but ignoring its legacy within actual bigotry would be.If you would like to help support transgender causes, please consider donating to the National Center for Transgender Equality or the Transgender Law Center. Further, if you wish to support transgender & nonbinary creators as well as continue to educate yourself on trans issues, below is a list of excellent creators working to help trans people (and who are also giant nerds, too).* While some will prefer the use of the word "TERF" to explain the ideology herein mentioned, this text will primarily use the time period "gender critical feminists". This isn't carried out as a concession to "gender critical feminists", who typically take into account the descriptive time period of TERF to be a slur, however as an alternative carried out so as to be sure that if gender vital feminists want to use that title to explain themselves, that it's accurately related to everything of their views, quite then be obfuscated behind the "controversial and divisive" time period reminiscent of TERF.** 'Cisgender' means an individual whose gender identification aligns with their gender assigned at beginning, ie non-transgender.