January 6 — and Transphobia — Make Some People Feel Empowered

Trump turned around the accusation of fakeness at the media and (as it became increasingly apparent) at anyone who criticizes him. No facts sway him; you can’t point to facts to prove that the report is real or that the criticism has weight. He even prejudges elections—before they’re held!—as fraudulent. Similarly, transphobes turn the accusation of fakeness against trans people qua trans. Peter Boghossian comes right out and says: “<a href="https://tuckerlieberman.medium.com/richard-dawkins-peter-boghossian-25f745df7a1e?sk=915bd7a88b9cc66c6276f778a7ee7107" rel="noopener">I translate the word ‘trans’ in my head as ‘fake.’</a>” If someone prejudges you (your vote, your gender, etc.) as fake, they’ve cut off dialogue. They won’t listen to your rebuttal defending your realness, a rebuttal they’ll surely also call fake. <a href="https://tuckerlieberman.medium.com/january-6-transphobia-621ba66d568a">Website</a>