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Trans-inclusive Feminism in Japan

"Beyond Binary" Tomorrow Girls Troop & Tsukuru Fors TALK 04 November 2023 Studio 203 Artist talk for solo exhibition by Ben Cuevas, Non-Binary Code

In 2018, Ochanomizu Women’s University announced that it would start accepting transgender women students. They became the first women’s university in Japan to do so.

This decision was based on the university’s mission to “exist as a place for all women who wish to learn to realize their sincere dreams.” It attracted attention as a groundbreaking initiative and led to several other women’s universities to announce similar efforts. However, ever since this movement was reported in the news, discriminatory discourse against transgender individuals has increased, especially on social media. In June 2023, Attorney Shun Nakaoka, who is a transgender woman, received death threats. Discrimination against the transgender community remains a serious issue.

“Recognizing transgender rights threatens the safety of [cisgender] women”

“Transgender women cannot possibly understand the struggles of [cisgender] women because they were born male physically”

These kinds of discriminatory comments based on misunderstandings of and prejudice against transgender individuals are coming not only from those who are conservative but also from “feminists” who usually post in support of women’s rights, which complicates the issue.

Does respecting the existence of transgender people really come at the cost of sacrificing the rights and safety of cisgender women? Given these recent discriminatory tendencies, we decided to learn about the transgender community and to take action that facilitates solidarity rather than division.

When we take a close look at the challenges that transgender individuals face, we can see that they have a lot in common with the social issues that feminists have been discussing.

For example, there is domestic violence and sexual assault. Many women have spoken out about these issues and have taken action for the right to live safely. Similar to cisgender women, transgender individuals are more likely to be victims of sexual assault and other kinds of violence.

In addition, there are many cisgender women who struggle with the femininity that society imposes on and expects of them. Similarly, many transgender people struggle with the gap between what society expects of them based on their gender assigned at birth and their own gender identity. Recently, poverty among women has increasingly been discussed. Research shows that transgender individuals are also more vulnerable to poverty due to a variety of factors.

The right for bodily autonomy has long been an important theme for feminism. It also remains a major issue for the transgender community.

Discussing the discrimination that transgender individuals face does not make the discrimination that cisgender women face nonexistent or less important. There are also types of discrimination that transgender people face that cisgender women do not, simply because they are cisgender. Most social systems are built on the assumption that everyone is cisgender. This makes it difficult for transgender people to access services such as healthcare and welfare. In everyday life, cisgender individuals are less likely to be questioned or demanded to supply proof of their gender identity compared to transgender individuals.

Acknowledging that there is privilege that comes with being cisgender does not deprive cisgender women of their right to speak out about gender inequality. Rather, we can work in solidarity against the common source of various types of discrimination by considering diverse perspectives.

We feel that intersectional perspectives are becoming increasingly more important in feminism today.

data

  • transgender women: 57.0%

  • transgender men: 51.9%

(from Tokyo Shinbun “38% of LGBT individuals have experienced sexual assault; Takarazuka professor surveys 10,000 people”)

  • LGBT individuals are 4 times more likely to be victims of violence (including sexual assault) compared to straight cisgender individuals

  • lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women are more than 5 times more likely to be victims of violence (including sexual assault) compared to straight cisgender women

(from the 2017 national crime survey conducted by the US Bureau of Justice Statistics)

Percentage of those with annual salary under 2,000,000 yen

  • transgender men: 37.1%

  • transgender women: 45.7%

  • straight cisgender women: 23.6%

Percentage of those who have less than 10,000 yen in their bank account

  • transgender individuals: 20.5%

  • straight cisgender individuals: 9.1%

(from NPO Nijiiro Diversity “Survey on LGBTQ work and life, niji VOICE 2022”)

Online Talk “Let’s Learn about Transgender”

Tomorrow Girls Troop and Tsukuru Fors invited Japan-based fashion model Yu Ishizuka and YouTuber Sota Kimoto (Kanataimu.), who are both transgender, to participate in an online discussion. (Japanese only)