Transmisia:
It's Hate, Not Fear
For several years, anti-trans sentiments or actions have been referred to as “transphobia”. However, transphobia means “to be fearful of transgender people,” which isn’t an accurate way to talk about oppression.1
Here’s why:
- In medical language, phobias are anxiety disorders. So, saying “transphobia” is unfair to people who have actual phobias.
- Even if someone has fears related to trans and nonbinary people — like fear of the unknown or a changing world — it isn’t a phobia.
- “Transphobia” sounds like an individual condition; “transphobia” downplays systems and institutions that harm trans and nonbinary people.
To correct this error, transphobia is now referred to as Transmisia.
The “misia” in transmisia means “hatred.”2 This is a helpful word because it highlights the prejudice at the root of beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and systems that hurt or deny the existence of trans and nonbinary people.
