Just here to agree. I have a hard time making sense of a trans-exclusionary version of feminism when it’s clear to me that my visible gender markers - not my relatively invisible sex - have the biggest impact on how I am treated. And sure, having a uterus comes with a unique set of physical challenges. But so does gender-affirming care. You could choose to focus on these physical differences, but exclusion by sex characteristics is part of the fundamental underpinnings that make patriarchy work. A different perspective is rhe struggle we share: our rights to bodily autonomy as women. Trans women challenge the assumptions regarding gender that are used to discriminate against cis women, and if cis women truly seek equality, I think our trans sisters (and brothers!) are a huge asset in dismantling these assumptions. Trans women do the work of challenging gender norms through their existence while managing the discrimination all women face, plus the additional discrimination and danger associated with being trans. I cannot understand the logic of someone who claims to be a feminist, but who won’t stand for a fellow woman on the front lines because they don’t share every experience she has in exactly the same way. Sowing and encouraging division only weakens us.

I see a similar question come up sometimes about white women not practicing intersectional feminism, and I have a similar reaction - not everyone in this movement can or should be expected to have the exact same experience. For those who want to dismiss the overlapping effects of racial discrimination on gender discrimination, and ignore the existence of trans women - I would ask, why? What is at the root of that? If it is a fear your exact situation will not be cared for, or will get lost in the crowd, know that those fears are what create division and allow the same systems that harm you to continue. Let go of your fear. There is room for us all.