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I also run the Ask Rick Grimes blog for The Walking Dead

23 Feb 2012
03:07pm

alias-pseudonym:

[TW otherkin hate]

snatchflaps:

The whole concept of “Otherkin” is asinine and insulting:

  • It insults queer people, specifically trans* folks who struggle with their gender identity and often face intense hatred and discrimination from society. Trying to legitimize your “species dysphoria”, and likening those feelings many…

mmm.  okay, lets completely ignore otherkin for a moment to take a look at the things that you are saying, and how they would logically apply to the trans people you are allegedly defending.

1. identity is determined solely by genetics because science.  okay, i think you’ll find that in most cases trans folks have genetics that indicate the incorrect gender.

2. identity is only valid when it has a BIOLOGICAL BASIS.  okay what’s the biological basis for transness?  is it that they can have their brains scanned and they look like the opposite gender?  last i checked, you don’t need to get a brain scan to ‘diagnose’ trans.  i think you’ll find that the definition of trans is entirely based in the feelings of trans people about their bodies, particularly genitals and secondary sex traits, and gender.  if the brain scan contradicts a person’s own claims about their trans status, the brain scan is wrong.  it is not a biological basis, it is only an interesting fact.

so, basically, TRANS HAS NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH SCIENCE, AND CLAIMING THAT IT DOES IS HURTFUL.

science is about finding out how the material world works.  identity is about how individual people feel about themselves, and these feelings cannot be objectively proven by an outsider; they are inherently deeply personal and subjective.

i put a bunch of line breaks there so you can see that i am not comparing trans to otherkin in any way, because i am not trans and don’t have any basis for comparing those things.

now, phantom limbs.  first, it is possible to have phantom pain and sensation that never existed.  this is a real, medical thing that happens to people.  second, maybe you haven’t noticed but otherkin have actually been trying to avoid the term, though i suspect more to avoid giving ammunition to people like you rather than to avoid offending amputees.

finally, you’re biggest beef is apparently that it insults science?  but it is an identity.  it is about personal feelings.  it is inherently personal and subjective and cannot be objectively studied or measured.  it has nothing to do with science; science is for studying things external to ourselves.

 we do not need studies on otherkin.  we need stories.  we need our entire culture to be exposed to lots and lots of completely unscientific anecdotes about the personally experiences of people who identify as cats and monsters and elves and space aliens.  then, people will start to be able to see how you can identify as something that you ‘obviously’ aren’t, or something that hasn’t been proven to exist.

I agree with the above and would comment, but just about everything I thought myself is explained. However it doesn’t really get into the discrimination aspect.

As far as discrimination goes, it’s evident there is a lot more trans hate in the public eye, I feel this may be because people with species dysphoria aren’t well known by many people - I don’t think the general public even knows this exists. I think only time will tell if discrimination against these people is just as bad.

But it isn’t only about the general public’s view, but personal experiences. Who knows? Someone with species dysphoria who is very vocal about it may be experiencing a lot of hate and discrimination right now, and someone with gender dysphoria may have a lot of love and support from the people around them. Vice versa. 

Overall I don’t think you can lump a whole group into this. I think it really comes down to individuals. 

#otherkin  
  1. beneathmywillowtree reblogged this from velizaraptor
  2. jewelfox reblogged this from snatchflaps and added:
    Remember: Before Teh Sciences said...didn’t. Unless you’ve had your
  3. apiphile reblogged this from velizaraptor and added:
    HDU I AM TOTALLY A CAT-FAERY-DRAGON-TENTACLE-BEAST-BIPEDAL-WOLF-MANTA-RAY AND I’M PINK
  4. humainsvolants reblogged this from swanblood
  5. dogmanstar reblogged this from velizaraptor and added:
    I don’t particularly care for otherkin, but this whole thing about them not being “real” whatever and making life harder...
  6. velizaraptor reblogged this from amantes-amentes
  7. spirit-b0ard reblogged this from swanblood and added:
    Honestly, the entire stance on those of a non-human identity contradicting the laws of science is silly. This is an...
  8. swanblood reblogged this from monsterunderthestairs and added:
    Listen to those people above. To be mocking these things, they would have to not be serious. They are serious. They are...
  9. assholebeak reblogged this from snatchflaps and added:
    Deleting everything...post except my point...goddamn...
  10. arudem reblogged this from snatchflaps and added:
    snatchflaps (I’m
  11. budgiehugs reblogged this from gunugy and added:
    (also just a teeny tiny thing to add: dysphoria isn’t solely for trans* people it’s not a thing that only belongs to...
  12. gunugy reblogged this from scarlipped
  13. seventhevilex reblogged this from scarlipped and added:
    my two cents: in all honesty, I agree with snatchflaps that the idea of being a species other than your biological human...
  14. dearjimmoriarty reblogged this from scarlipped and added:
    WHAT IS UP WITH OTHERKIN HATE THIS WEEK JEEZUS I applaud this response for being so restrained. I probably would have...
  15. nowtheresaspoilerforyou reblogged this from scarlipped
  16. fisto reblogged this from scarlipped
  17. candlebud reblogged this from equiuszahhak
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