“Transdissive”: Naming a Dangerous Kind of Dismissal
Image generated with the help of AI I’ve been thinking a lot about how we describe political leaders who, while not overtly hostile to trans people, repeatedly sideline our concerns in favour of a “safer” middle ground. The word transphobic doesn’t quite fit. It implies a visceral rejection, a fear, or even hatred of trans people. That’s not what we’re seeing in certain corners of the Democratic Party right now. What we’re seeing is something subtler, but no less dangerous. And I think it deserves its own word, I propose: “ transdissive” — a combination of transgender, diss and dismissive . Defining “Transdissive” To be transdissive is to minimize, sideline, or deprioritize trans people and our needs — not necessarily out of animosity, but as a calculated political choice. It’s the posture of a politician who says, implicitly or explicitly: “You matter, but not enough to risk alienating voters who don’t understand you. So for ...
