The Misuse of Gender Pronouns in Transgender Politics

What pronouns are appropriate to call a "transgender person” ("TP”), and this term means someone whose gender identity differs from the biological one at birth?

Photo: REX/Shutterstock

Consider the following 4 (illustrative) situations in which it is not appropriate to use the conventional gender pronoun (like "he” or "she”) to describe a TP. And to insist doing so would constitute a "misuse” of gender pronouns in "transgender politics,” with serious social and cultural consequences (leading to new forms of "reverse oppression” against conventional persons).

Although this essay uses gender pronouns in English for illustration, the argument also applies to all other languages with gender pronouns.

1st Situation -- Politics of Gender Denial

The first situation to consider here concerns what I call the "politics of gender denial,” which refers to a situation in which a TP misuses a gender pronoun to deny the previous one linked to biological body parts at birth.

Let us start with a "transgender man” ("TM”), whose gender identity does not match the biological body parts (at birth). In other words, a TM is "biologically” a "female,” but "psychologically” a "male,” and this fact does not change even if a TM receives "medical assistance” and "hormone injection,” since a TM will still get a "period” with the original female sexual organs at birth.

Can a TM be called a "man” in the conventional usage? No, because a TM is not "biologically” a "man” and cannot be described as a "man” in the conventional usage, which requires both "biological” and "psychological” criteria.

Can a TM be called a "woman” in the conventional usage? No, because a TM is not "psychologically” a "woman” and cannot be described as a "woman” in the conventional usage, which requires both "biological” and "psychological” criteria.

Can a TM be called both a "woman” and a "man” in the "counter-conventional” usage? Yes, because a TM is "psychologically” a "man” and "biologically” a "woman,” in the non-conventional sense.

The same argument applies to a "transgender woman” ("TW”), except that the noun "man” is now changed into "woman” and that the adverb "psychologically” is now changed into "biologically” (meaning that a TW is "biologically” a "man” but "psychologically” a "woman,” in the non-conventional sense).

And to make things more complicated, the same argument also applies to many other alternative gender identities (like "non-binary gender,” "agender,” "genderfluid,” "bigender,” "androgyne,” and so on), except that the words like "male,” "female,” "man,” "woman,” and so on are often not used in the conventional usage (which requires both "biological” and "psychological” criteria).

The challenge here, however, is how to invent "new” gender pronouns to describe all these non-conventional gender identities -- but "not” in the conventional ("he” vs. "she”) dichotomy (which requires both "biological” and "psychological” criteria).

2nd Situation -- Politics of Sexual Predation

The second situation to consider here concerns what I call the "politics of sexual predation,” which refers to a situation in which a TP misuses gender pronoun for potential sexual predation. A good case in point is a recent viral video on YouTube about a conventional (cisgender) man who "angrily” confronted a big muscular TP who went into a women's public toilet by claiming that "she” was a "female” (because the man wanted to protect his daughter inside the public toilet from potential sexual predation by this TW).

Can a TW be allowed to enter a woman's public toilet just because "she” wants, simply by claiming that "she” is a "female” without any "evidence,” when it is quite clear in the viral video that "she” was a big muscular "male” in appearance (with masculine tattoos over the body) and spoke with a heavy masculine voice? No, because this TW claims to be "psychologically” a "woman” but is "biologically” a "man.”

The challenge here, however, is how to come up with "financial resources” to build "new” toilets (or facilities) for alternative gender identities which do not match the conventional ("he” vs. "she”) dichotomy (which requires both "biological” and "psychological” criteria).

3rd Situation -- Politics of Gender Exploitation

The third situation to consider here concerns what I call the "politics of gender exploitation,” which refers to a situation in which a TP misuses gender pronoun for potential gender exploitation. A good case in point is a recent public outcry against "transgender athletes' bogus wins in women's sports” (in wrestling, ice hockey, bicycling, the pole vault, weight lifting, and so on) reported by Phil Mushnich in New York Post on May 6, 2023.

Can a TW be allowed to compete in women's sports, because "she” wants, simply by claiming that "she” is a "female” but is "physically stronger” as a "biological” male? No, because this violates the principle of a "level-playing field” in sports, such that no competitor enjoys an "unfair advantage” over others.

The challenge here, however, is how to organize "new” sports competitions for alternative gender identities which do not match the conventional ("he” vs. "she”) dichotomy (which requires both "biological” and "psychological” criteria).

4th Situation -- Politics of Attention Seeking

The fourth situation to consider here concerns what I call the "politics of attention seeking,” which refers to a situation in which a TP misuses gender pronoun for potential attention seeking. A good case in point is a recent trend for "TPs” as "attention seekers,” as seen in many different videos online like "Trans People Are Attention Seekers,” "'I am Trans for Attention' -- Okay,” "Attention Seeking Trans-Sensationalists,” "Trans Person Shows Up to Matt Walsh Event, Watch What Happens,” and so on.

Can a TP insist others to use the gender pronoun that "he” or "she” wants? No, because "truthfulness” is an important function of language communication, so a TP runs the risk of behaving like a "dictator” (or an "authoritarian”) if forcing or coercing others to call "him” or "her,” just for attention seeking.

The challenge here, however, is how to legally tolerate attention-seeking individuals (without being bullied or coerced by them) for alternative gender identities which do not match the conventional ("he” vs. "she”) dichotomy (which requires both "biological” and "psychological” criteria).

Conclusion: Social and Cultural Consequences of the Misuse of Gender Pronouns in Transgender Politics

The use of gender pronouns in transgender politics has been abused, for the 4 reasons (in situations) as explained above. Although there can be many other situations to consider, these 4 case studies here are deemed sufficient to illustrate their misuse for transgender politics, which is a historical legacy of the broader "anything goes” intellectual landscape in the "postmodern condition,” which was already debunked in my 2-volume work titled "The Future of Human Civilization” (published in 1999).

There are 2 profound social and cultural consequences.

In regard to the cultural consequence, the argument here in this essay is written in the English language and therefore uses gender pronouns in English for illustration, but the logic of the argument also applies to all other languages with gender pronouns in different cultures around the world.

In regard to the social consequence, the misuse of gender pronouns in transgender politics reveals the urgent need both to invent "new” gender pronouns and to organize or arrange "new” social institutions for alternative gender identities, but they cannot be pushed into the conventional ("he” vs. "she”) dichotomy, which would end up violating the rights of "conventional” ("cisgender”) males and females (based on both "biological” and "psychological” criteria). For instance, new toilets, new sports categories, and so on can be set up, so that alternative gender identities feel comfortable to be with their own kinds, just as conventional gender identities prefer to be with theirs. By the same logic, just as there has been the conventional distinction of "men's sports” (from "women's sports”), there can likewise be the alternative (non-conventional) distinction of "sports for TPs” (from "sports for conventional persons”), which can be further classified into "sports for TWs,” "sports for TMs,” "sports for non-binary gender persons,” "sports for bigender persons,” and so on. And the same logic also applies to "new” public toilets for "TPs.”

What is at stake here in political philosophy is that "similar cases are treated similarly” but that "different cases are treated differently.” When put into practice, this means that equal treatment in social justice does not automatically extend to differences or unequals, because different or unequal cases require new or alternative considerations.

In the current context of transgender politics, this entails that "TPs” differs from "conventional (or cisgender) persons” like "he” or "she” (which requires both "biological” and "psychological” criteria) -- and to call or treat a TP like "he” or "she” is a "categorical mistake,” with profound social and cultural consequences leading to new forms of "reverse oppression” against conventional persons (as already discussed in detail in my 2002 work titled "The Future of Capitalism and Democracy” and my 2004 work titled "Beyond Democracy to Post-Democracy”).

About the author:

Dr. Peter Baofu is an American visionary and author of 180 scholarly books and numerous articles (as of July, 2023) to provide 146 visions (theories) of the human future in relation to the mind, nature, society, and culture -- and had been in 133 countries around the world (as of October, 2023) for his global research on humanity, besides knowing 10 languages with different degrees of fluency. His books are listed in top university libraries and national libraries around the world (including the Library of Congress in Washington, D. C.). He was interviewed on television and radio as well as by newspapers around the world about his original ideas and visions of the human future (search for "Peter Baofu” on YouTube). He was a U. S. Fulbright Scholar in the Far East and had taught as a professor at different universities in Western Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, South Asia, North America, and Southeast Asia. He received more than 5 academic degrees, including a Ph. D. from the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), was a summa cum laude graduate, and was awarded the Delta Sigma Pi Scholarship Key for being at the top of the class in the College of Business Administration, with another student.