Claiming Victimhood: Victims of the “Transgender Agenda”

Transgender people have received substantial attention in recent years, with gender identity becoming a focal point of online debate. Transgender identities are central in discussions relating to sex-segregated spaces and activities, such as public toilets, prisons and sports participation. The introduction of ‘gender neutral’ spaces has received criticism focused on a perceived increased risk of sexual violence against women and children. However, little is known about the implications these constructions have for who is able to claim a ‘victim status’. These issues are examined in this chapter in which I provide a critical analysis of the techniques used by individuals to align themselves with a ‘victim status’. These claims are presented and contextualized within varying notions of victimization, from being victims of political correctness to victims of a more aggressive minority community. This feeds into an inherently transphobic discourse that is difficult to challenge without facing accusation of perpetuating an individual’s ‘victimhood’. Transphobic rhetoric is most commonly expressed through constructing transgender people as ‘unnatural’, ‘sinful’ or as experiencing a ‘mental health issue’. This chapter argues that the denial of transphobia and simultaneous claims of victimization made by the dominant, cisgender majority are intrinsically linked.