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this post was submitted on 24 Aug 2025
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Asklemmy
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Are there any self-identities which you would consider invalid? Transracial identity? Otherkin? Insincere trans identity, such as the recent case of Liebich, a transphobic neo-Nazi who legally identified as a trans woman seemingly just to avoid men's prison? Which of these should be contested and which should be validated?
I personally think transracial identity is particularly interesting when one considers that race is a fluid social concept rather than an objective concept like genetics (see how in the US and Europe different peoples have historically changed from being considered 'black' to being considered 'white' over time, see how a person can be considered a race in one society and a different race in another society, such as "mixed-race" people or people with ancestry from the edges of continents). Unfortunately most of the examples of transracialism I'm aware of are cases where deception or fame played a large part in compounding criticism, such as Dolezal and Korla Pandit, leading to claims of their transracial identity being exploitation.
I just want to be clear. Blahaj lemmy does not allow invalidating of other folks identities.
The comment alluded to Transracial identities as a (very cherry-picked and extreme) example. I do really, genuinely wonder whether we should uncritically accept the validity of people who identify as transracial, especially people who benefit from whiteness but self-identify as a member of a marginalized race. What is the instances stance on transracial identities? Another question- do you have racially marginalized mods, and how do they feel about the subject?
The instance stance is that we don't allow people to undermine other folks identities. Transmeds think they're doing the "right thing" for trans folk because they think that they're protecting the "real" trans folk. People who want to undermine non binary identities, people who want to undermine therian identities etc, people who want to undermine neopronoun users, will always have a reason for it, often based around acceptability in the eyes of broader cishet society.
Just because you think there is a good reason to undermine those specific identities doesn't make it ok. You and I, and anyone else is not the arbiter of anyones identities except their own, and the moment you feel that you do get to have an opinion on the validity of someone elses identity, is the moment you have put yourself above them.
There are absolutely trolls who will misuse this kind of acceptance. But even that doesn't make it ok for you or I to install ourselves as arbitrators of other folks identity. The answer to the trolls doesn't change just because they're trolling by bad faith use of identity. The answer still remains that you remove them when they're trolling becomes apparent. But on this instance, that removal is done in a way that doesn't empower folk looking for excuses to invalidate others.
Basically I don't think otherkin or transracial identities are related to being transgender.
I wrote more extensively on my thoughts on otherkin identities in this comment.
I wrote more about transracial identities in this comment.
And in general, it is a good idea to respect people's self-identity even if you feel skepticism about its validity - I don't have to know someone has 100% figured themselves out and has the self-awareness to back up their identity claims. This goes for cis people as well as trans people. Whatever skepticism I feel can remain private so I don't cause that person any distress, and so I remain polite and respectful.
I do believe non-binary, gender-fluid, and agender people are natural variations and are "valid" as much as binary-gendered people, the science and evidence does not really contradict these identities and only seems to affirm their existence.
In cases of the neo-Nazi who identified as a woman, I know this is a major controversy but if there are reasons to believe they are earnest in their identity it should be respected, even if they are despicable. How we know if someone is being earnest is harder, it's a way trolls exploit this respect of self-identity. So we look at a troll's other behavior to help us gauge, and we judge them for their other behavior, not their identity.
All bodies contain the ability to differentiate into what we know as male and female, to varying degrees and in various mixtures. Transgender is just a medical variation in how this normally plays out and spans times and cultures, whereas these other things don't really have a similar basis.
Identities don’t really need to be either validated or contested, especially if the person didn’t ask for it. Validation will likely win you more friends, though.
Obv use their preferred names and pronouns to be respectful, as with any person. But beyond that, there’s really no need to get involved in their identity at all. It’s a deeply personal thing and it’s unlikely they’ll change it for anyone other than themselves.