Basically what I’m getting from this study is this whole mindset, and I will say gay folks are predominant in this thinking, that trans men are basically women and trans women are men. It’s been a real struggle in the LGBTQ center of Hollywood in some social meetings to get gay men and lesbians on board with the ideology that trans men are men and trans women are women, when their whole foundation for existence is based on acceptance of the binary. I’m gay, therefore I’m attracted to men, period. If I’m attracted to a trans man, who was a women, I can’t be gay.
Accordingly, having a cis-male state they would not date a trans female, goes along the same lines previously stated. If I’m attracted to a trans-female, I must be gay, because she was a man before she became a women.
The article does go on to state those educated are more open to dating trans men and women, but still there is a huge gap in awareness and acceptance.
The one thing that wasn’t stated, and here is where social media comes in, is when a cis woman or cis man sees a photo of a trans woman or trans man, without an awareness of those people in the picture being trans. I would say there would be a much broader spectrum of people who would initially say yes to dating the person in the photo.
I am aware that what society perceives trans people to be and what people see walk out that door are two different realities. I’m convinced we are on our way to a greater alignment between those two realities, but it will take a number of successful trans-cis relationships integrated into our social framework to break down that wall.
Alicia
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