I am glad to see this being addressed not only by a trans-woman but a trans-woman of color, as she is uniquely qualified to comment on the topic. The comparisons being drawn between Rachel Dolezal and Caitlyn Jenner are infuriating.
It has bothered me that the arguments against this comparison have focused on the permanence vs. impermanence of the cosmetic changes we trans-women make compared to Dolezal's. Yes, Rachel Dolezal can go home and wash off all of the outward signs of being a black woman, while we could not reverse the affects of long-term estrogen treatments and various surgeries. But really that's beside the point. This focuses too much on the cosmetic aspects, and not on the fact that comparing our experiences to Rachel Dolezal is to imply that we are transgender by choice.
Through her life experiences, Rachel Dolezal developed an affinity for black culture and changed her outward presentation to more fully integrate into that culture (I won't make judgement here on the ethics of her actions). Being transgender is not a preference we develop. It is a persistent experience that pervades our fundamental sense of being from our earliest memories. We were very literally born this way.
When I was conceived I had the potential to develop as either male or female. Even with my XY chromosomes there was still a chance I could develop physically according to the female mold, given the existence of AIS and similar conditions. And as I've posted before, there is good evidence that gender dysphoria is the result of a similar mutation. There was zero chance that a random mutation could have resulted in me being born black, mentally or physically. To compare Rachel Dolezal to Caitlyn Jenner or any other transgender person is to compare apples to oranges.
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