Passing

Why is it that only those (trans)women who pass, and usually pass naturally most if not almost all the time, are the only ones who think the term passing is irrelevant and should not be used by transwomen? Isn't it the same privilege they argue ciswomen have and use over transwomen to distinguish between the two?

Passing has two parts, personal and public, which is obvious and known, so I'm not covering new ground (there's no new ground on transgender issues anymore anyway), but I get tired of hearing the public transwomen acting like men and determining the issues and defining the solutions or answers.

And I get tired of this rhetoric. Yes I agree with her points, but no I don't agree with the last sentence, "I think an important step is to drop “passing” from our collective vocabulary." It's arguing about the word and then saying it's useless and irrelevant today.

No it's not either of the two. Many transwomen face the moment of personal acceptance where they see who they are, know it's true and real, and know it's right. But not all transwomen have the public acceptance where they can get through life outside their home without being questioned, feeling embarrassed, or risking harrassment or even violence against them.

Those who pass, rarely know this life, and only in a few moments where they're outed or exposed in public, but their passing always gets them through any problems. It's the very thing, passing, they argue doesn't matter, when it's the very thing that allows them their freedom.

And that's the real issue here, passing is freedom. Don't take it away from those who struggle for it, for any reason. Don't take away the right for any transwoman to get that moment when she realizes she can and does get through life safely, she passes. She has her freedom too.