ABSTRACT
We consider the importance of gender feels (first introduced in Chapter 2). Calling them “feels” evokes mainstream dismissals of trans subjectivity, but we argue that the correct response to gender feels is to take them seriously. Taking gender feels seriously means trusting one another’s self-reports about gender feels, even when those self-reports don’t match our own subjective responses to gendered phenomena. It also means assuming that others have good reasons for their gender feels: we should avoid treating reports of gender feels as born of confusion, or as cynical attempts to manipulate the sex/gender system for their own material advantage. We should take gender feels seriously not because they are gender feels, but because we should take each other’s subjectivity seriously by default, in general. We consider common reasons for overriding this default presumption in the case of trans people’s gender feels and find them wanting.
