raptortooth asked: But as a cis female (I assume), the movement IS targeted towards you, more than it is to me anyway. As a woman, you are a candidate for needing the service. As a non-binary, I don't exist. I don't deserve recognition. It's not oppression, it's frustrating.
I am a cis woman. However, as a lesbian, barring something like rape, it’s a service that I’m unlike to ever require. Consequently, while the service is targeted towards me by virtue of my being cis, it is not aimed towards me on account of my lesbianism. You don’t see PSAs discussion lesbian access to abortion, because as a general rule, it isn’t necessary.
Is that exclusionary or in some way oppressive towards me?
No, because I accept that not every fight must include me, and that it is possible to advocate for a service that I am unlikely to ever use, without attempting to center the discussion around myself.
So, you’re right. It’s frustrating not to be included, but let’s speak frankly: How many non-binary and/or trans* individuals access the service every year? I would argue that the number is fairly low—about the same or perhaps a bit less than the number of lesbians who access the service (and generally for the same reason!)
That being said, is it appropriate for us to get offended or frustrated because we’re not being considered in the argument? Personally, I don’t think so. We’re not really the target demographic here. Lesbians are rendered just as invisible (we’re lumped under cis women, certainly, but our particular experiences are completely disregarded)—and yet, it doesn’t seem as though the lesbian community is attempting to rearrange the debate in the same way that certain subsets of the trans* community is? And I can’t help but wonder just why that is.
