A Critical Lens: Exploring Gender Identity in Leslie Feinberg's Works

This essay provides a critical analysis of Leslie Feinberg's works, focusing on the themes of gender identity, transgender activism, and the fundamental rights of individuals to define themselves and make decisions about their bodies. It examines Feinberg's arguments in pieces such as "Transgender Liberation: A movement whose time has come," "Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue," "Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman," and "Stone Butch Blues," highlighting the author's advocacy for the acceptance and dignity of transgender individuals, as well as the broader concept of human rights beyond gender identity. The essay further explores Feinberg's comparison of sex-reassignment surgeries with other personal choices, emphasizing the importance of individual autonomy and freedom. It concludes that Feinberg's work is significant for highlighting social causes and establishing an understanding of the fundamental rights and freedoms that every individual should experience.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF LESLIE FEINBERG’S WORKS

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Discussion and Analysis..................................................................................................................3
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
Self-concept can be regarded as a form of an understanding or knowledge with respect to
oneself. The concept can be described as an outcome of the perception, beliefs, attitudes and
opinions of an individual (L. McDowell). These acknowledgements are extensively diverted
towards oneself and in the development of an understanding of oneself, and one’s behaviour. The
mental pictures of the individual perceptions of the abilities, behaviour and the unique
characteristics an individual may possess can be considered a part of the overall self-definition or
self-concept. This paper focuses on the arguments of Leslie Feinberg, with regards to the
concepts of gender identity. Leslie Feinberg was a known communist and an American
transgender activist, who is also the author of the 1992 “Transgender Liberation: A movement
whose time has come.” It is to be mentioned in this regards that the novel extensively discusses
the women’s movement and the Trans movement.
Discussion and Analysis
While women’s movement has a variety of reforms for the political campaigns, such as
sexual harassment, domestic violence, reproductive rights and more, the Trans movement
focuses primarily on the fundamental rights of the transgender individuals (Cahill, Sean R., et al.,
100). The rudimentary rights of the transgender people may include basic housing facilities,
employment, healthcare, education and so on. The 1992 piece by Feinberg aims at educating and
drawing the attention of the readers to the major persisting issue in the society regarding the
rights and perception of transgender individuals. Furthermore, it may be stated in this context
that the author states in hir work in order to raise awareness regarding the oppression that has

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been prevalent in the society, but has never been formally acknowledged (A. D. Fisher et al.,
1210).
It may be mentioned in this regards that several jurisdictions often enforce that the
transgender activism may often by aimed at seeking to permit certain changes to documents
concerning the identification of the person, in order to conform the current gender identity of the
transgender individual. Drawing attention to the societal norms and the importance of
conforming to the social regulations, Feinberg states that the objective of the pamphlet was to
generate or develop an understanding of the concept and defying the boundaries of gender,
which has been created by the society. In addition to the aforementioned piece of work by
Feinberg, “Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink or Blue” published in 1998, discusses the passionate
acceptance of transgender individuals into the society without being feared or suspected, with the
respect and dignity that they each deserve (M. Galvan, 327). The author advocates the
fundamental human rights of an individual before considering their sexual orientation or gender
identity.
Published in the year 1996, by Leslie Feinberg, Transgender Warriors: Making History
from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman aims at developing awareness among people that every
individual has the right to determine and define oneselves. Furthermore, making decisions about
one’s own body is also to be regarded as a fundamental right possessed by every individual.
Feinberg was biologically born as a woman at birth, however, later deciding to conform to hir
gender identity of hir choice. In one of hir works, s/he states that both the movements, regarding
feminism and the Trans movement as well had a consequential impact on hir. S/he discusses that
she felt that both the movements felt appropriate in terms of relating to her gender identity. In
addition to that, Feinberg argues that the movements do not only define the rights of women or

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transgender individuals and must not be perceived as such (Reisner, L. Sari, et al., 243). Instead,
it is to be considered as a rudimentary right for every individual to be able to make decisions
about one’s body.
Another of Feinberg’s classics, Stone Butch Blues, published in 1993, emphasizes on a
novelized version on the life the author. The experiences gained by the author as a butch lesbian
is discussed in the novel. However, the version in the novel has been simplified and made
appealing, such that every individual may be able to relate to the prime character, Jess. It may be
noted from the piece of work by Feinberg that the character suffers from regular complexities
which are common among several people, irrespective of their gender identities and orientations.
It is to be mentioned in this regards that the author makes people belonging from other gender
identities to be able to relate to the suffering, the inequality and the injustice that the protagonist
of the book experiences (Wood, Wendy, and A. Eagly, 461). The author describes the right to
express oneself, both in a regular context as well as their sexual expressions. Furthermore,
gender expression and its identifying its significance in embracing the identity fluidity is what
brings out the actual objective of the novel. It may be stated that the disregard and neglect for the
feelings of transgender individuals or other individuals who decide to confer to regulations,
beyond the societal norms have been prevalent since a significant period of time (A. Oakley).
In addition to the aforementioned analysis, it may be identified from the works of the
author that despite identifying the feelings of the protagonist, the novel aims at recognizing the
diversion from societal norms regarding sexual preferences as well as the preferences and the
choices made by an individual to one’s body. The novel discusses the identification or the
conference to a particular orientation. Regardless, other works of the author have discussed that
the individuals who could not identify to a particular orientation had experienced discrimination

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as well (Bauer, J. Edgar, 3). Many individuals had decided to undergo surgery and intake
artificial hormonal therapy. It may be stated in this context that the author advocates the rights of
such individuals as well. The arguments presented by the author, though not validated by social
reforms, can be taken up for thorough consideration.
Feinberg mentions that many individuals who wish to make changes to their bodies are at
their own will to perform such activities. The choice for making such decisions lies with oneself.
Moreover, the author states piercings and tattooing one’s body to be a part of one’s will.
Furthermore, the author makes a comparison between the decisions of sex-reassignment
surgeries and other actions decided by transgender individuals, with the regular choices that
people make, such as bleaching one’s hair, body-building, dieting, liposuction and so on (Siegel,
P. Derek). Feinberg argues that if these actions are never questioned and are regarded as personal
decisions, the question arises whether why decisions made with respect to one’s body is
considered immoral and often questioned. Hence, it may be concluded that the concept behind
Feinberg’s discussion of Trans movements and women’s movement brings to light, not the
gender roles and gender identity, but also the basic human rights that any individual is liable to
experience and enjoy (M. Stone).
Conclusion
The study provides a reflection of the concept and a thorough understanding of gender
identity and its relationship with making decisions regarding one’s own body. Several works by
Leslie Feinberg have been discussed in this context, in order to effectively evaluate the point of
view of the author. The opinions of Feinberg may hence, be concluded as significant for
highlighting the social causes, but also for establishing an understanding of the fundamental

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rights that every individual is liable to experience. Furthermore, it is to be noted from the literary
works of Feinberg that the fundamental rights also refer to freedom. The definition of freedom
though is a variable concept and may be presented to various individuals as a different notion.
Furthermore, the emphasis on the fundamental human rights of the people, regardless of the
gender identity is discussed in detail in this study.

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References
Bauer, J. Edgar. "Gender Identity." The Wiley‐Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory (2017):
1-3.
Cahill, Sean R., et al. "Inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in stage 3 meaningful
use guidelines: A huge step forward for LGBT health." LGBT health 3.2 (2016): 100-102.
Fisher, A. D., et al. "Gender identity, gender assignment and reassignment in individuals with
disorders of sex development: a major of dilemma." Journal of endocrinological
investigation39.11 (2016): 1207-1224.
Galvan, Margaret. "Gender Theory: Femininities and Masculinities." A Companion to Literary
Theory (2018): 325-335.
McDowell, Linda. Gender, identity and place: Understanding feminist geographies. John Wiley
& Sons, 2018.
Oakley, Ann. Sex, gender and society. Routledge, 2016.
Reisner, Sari L., et al. "Gender minority social stress in adolescence: disparities in adolescent
bullying and substance use by gender identity." The Journal of Sex Research 52.3 (2015): 243-
256.
Siegel, Derek P. "Transgender, Transexual, and Gender Variant Individuals." (2015).
Stone, Martha E. "Leslie Feinberg Beheld a World without Gender." The Gay & Lesbian Review
Worldwide 22.2 (2015): 7.
Wood, Wendy, and Alice H. Eagly. "Two traditions of research on gender identity." Sex Roles
73.11-12 (2015): 461-473.