Deck 15: How Not to Talk About, and To, Trans Women

Question 1

Sophie-Grace Chappell says that there is a difference between announcing "I am a woman" and actually being a woman. In your essay, explain how Chappell describes the difference between these two things. Then consider: are there any situations where announcing that you are some thing makes you become that thing? What is the relationship between pronouncements and having some identity?

Answer 1

Explore the distinction between declaring some identity and having that identity marker.
Either argue that there are situations where declaring some identity confers that identity upon oneself.
Or, argue that declaring some identity is never in itself an identity conferring act.

Question 2

Sophie-Grace Chappell sets up an analogy between adoptive parents and trans people. What do you think about this analogy? Are there similarities that Chappell gets obviously right? Are there dissimilarities that she does not discuss?

Answer 2

Evaluate Chappell's analogy between trans people and adoptive parents.
Outline and discuss any similarities that the author believes Chappell gets obviously right and explain whether there are any dissimilarities that Chappell overlooks.

Question 3

This essay makes at least two moves. The first is where Sophie-Grace Chappell makes a case for understanding trans women as women and where she gives some reasons why trans women are actually women. The second part is where she makes a case for how everyone else should talk about and to trans women. How important do you think that it is to have the first part of this conversation in the public sphere? Someone might say that the only thing that matters is that trans women be treated respectfully and well-it doesn't matter how people answer the "but are they men really?" question. What do you think about a position like this? What might Chappell say about this position?

Answer 3

Discuss the relationship between believing trans people about the nature of their identity and treating them well in the public sphere.
Explore whether or not it is important that we take certain beliefs and claims to be true if we are to relate properly to the group that defends these claims.
Identify how Chappell might respond to the person who agrees that it is important to talk to and about trans women respectfully, but who is not concerned with whether or not "trans women are men really."

Question 4

What does Chappell think that we should say about the statement "Trans women are men really."

A) No, not at all
B) No in every respect that concerns third parties
C) Yes in some respects; but no in others
D) Yes, in every relevant respect
E) We should not dignify it with a response

Question 5

Chappell believes that gender-roles necessarily involve oppression, and that in a perfect world, we would not have gender-roles anymore.

Question 6

Which common view among trans women does Chappell push back against?

A) The lived experience view
B) The body dysmorphia view
C) The gender as social construct view
D) The reactionary view
E) The mistake-at-the-hospital view

Question 7

How does Chappell describe the experience of being a trans woman?

A) It's a desire to be delighted by a new lived experience
B) It's body dysmorphia of a profound kind
C) It's a sense of comfort within a third kind of gender-role
D) It's an urge to react against the gender binary
E) All of the above

Question 8

Chappell asserts that you cannot say ""I identify as a woman" unless ________:

A) You are already a woman in some sense
B) You were raised and socialized as a woman
C) You were mistaken for male at the hospital
D) You have had gender-reassignment surgery
E) You advocate for women's rights

Question 9

What does Chappell say about the case where someone approaches an adoptive parent to shout, "You're not a real parent!"

A) That statement is importantly false
B) The person delivering the statement should be incarcerated
C) That statement is true but the delivery is cruel
D) The adoptive parent should be patient with the stranger
E) A third party should intervene on the adoptive parent's behalf

Question 10

Chappell affirms that the existence of adoptive parents does what to our understanding of what it means to be a parent?

A) It destroys our understanding
B) It muddles our understanding
C) It extends our understanding
D) It reconstructs our understanding
E) None of the above

Question 11

Which two things set the schema of what parenthood is?

A) Biology and sociology
B) Psychology and sociology
C) Cultural values and norms
D) Contracts and agreements
E) Psychology and legal systems

Question 12

Chappell makes a number of statements about adoptive parents. Which of the following is NOT one of her positions?

A) Adoptive parents may need a phrase for talking about parents who aren't adoptive parents
B) There is not just one way to be a good adoptive parent
C) Adoptive parents should insist that all biological parents call themselves bio-parents
D) Adoptive parents are parents for most purposes
E) Adoptive parents are not, typically and as such, a threat to other parents

Question 13

Chappell affirms that "there's no reason at all why anyone should be confused about any of the semantic-logical ins and outs of 'trans woman/ man' any more than they are with 'adoptive parent.'"