Munroe Bergdorf On Identity, Autonomy And Empowerment
As MUNROE BERGDORF releases her debut book, Transitional, the writer, activist and model shares a personal essay about the universal importance of feeling empowered to be yourself
Looking back throughout my life, I can see how my autonomy was taken away from me at a very early age, particularly as someone who has multiple marginalized aspects to their identity. Whether it be my sexuality, gender expression or racial identity, I was encouraged to assimilate within an environment of silence; I was encouraged to adhere to the rules and standards of my surroundings.
Growing up under Section 28 – a homophobic piece of legislation introduced in 1988 that forbode the “promotion of homosexuality” in schools and by local authorities in Britain – I didn’t have access to a community or visible role models that made me feel I could make decisions for myself, about my own existence as a young queer person. When you exist in an environment where you are made to feel ‘less than’; where your ability to speak openly about your lived experiences is diminished, it’s more likely your decision-making power will be taken away. When people are encouraged and empowered to be themselves, it’s much more difficult to remove that autonomy.
“The importance of bodily autonomy is an issue that unites us all, whether it’s related to reproductive rights, access to healthcare, self-identification or choices around religious dress
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Bodily autonomy ultimately boils down to the fact that it’s your body, and you should be able to make decisions about it, not the state. We are increasingly seeing legislation across the world that takes that autonomy away, especially from marginalized people. But the importance of bodily autonomy is an issue that unites us all, whether it’s related to reproductive rights, access to healthcare, self-identification or choices around religious dress. Even though the challenges that people are facing may differ, the methodology may change, and the oppression may look different, what we’re fighting for are the same things: the authority to make decisions about our own existence, rather than having to follow processes laid out by people who don't have that lived experience.
It’s extremely concerning how little trans people are actually consulted over matters that impact us, and, when we are consulted, it’s concerning how much that consultation is ignored. It’s an issue with power, and we can’t talk about power without talking about patriarchy. The lives of marginalized groups are gatekept predominately by cisgender, straight white men, who are often unaffected by the legislation they propose others live under, yet they are still considered an authority on making life-altering decisions.
Racism is different from misogyny, which is different from homophobia, which is different from transphobia, but when people take our power away because of who we are; when they challenge our right to be who we are, it is an infringement on our being. As humans, we need to recognize that oppression is oppression, and when we see that happening, we need to ensure that we fight for other people as if we’re fighting for ourselves.
It’s extremely distressing to have your own lived reality turned into a hypothetical idea, and to be demonized for it. It has massive implications, too. We’re seeing elevated levels of transgender hostility and hate crimes in England and Wales, with 2,630 anti-trans attacks being reported by the Home Office in 2020/21, a number that is extremely high considering trans people make up just 0.5 per cent of the population and which, in reality, will be significantly higher given that 88 per cent of trans people do not report the crimes they experience, according to the Government Equalities Office. Furthermore, statistics also reveal that 48 per cent of trans people are dissatisfied with the police response to hate-crime reporting.
Issues with accessing healthcare also continue to affect the community, with a minimum five-year wait for a first appointment at a gender-identity clinic. As of May 2022, the NHS Gender Identity Clinic was offering first appointments to people who were referred in January 2018, a wait that has since increased and extends to nine years in Ireland. Similarly, trans people often struggle to find steady employment, with one in three UK employers admitting that they would be less likely to hire a transgender employee and 43 per cent unsure if they would employ a transgender member of staff.
“The trans community wants to have the power to feel proud of who we are and of the lives we lead. This is a matter of dignity. While our community is becoming more and more visible, the support isn’t there for us to live freely and without fear
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The trans community wants to have the power to feel proud of who we are and of the lives we lead. This is a matter of dignity. While our community is becoming more and more visible, the support isn’t there for us to live freely and without fear. We have a target on our backs. We need to counter the anti-trans hostility that is prevalent, and we need funding for services, organizations and spaces that offer vital support. We need a government that leads with empathy and tangible solutions. We need to ensure that we are creating a society that is a safe place for trans people to come out in and to live in.
In my book, Transitional, I talk about the trajectory of the gay community; how in the 1980s we experienced similar moral panics, politically stoked culture wars and systemic oppressions that the trans community is being exposed to today. However, by the 1990s we started to see a shift, which began with visibility and the humanizing of gay people. I think we are beginning to see that with regards to the trans community, too, despite staunchly anti-trans media platforms and ongoing persecutions. We are seeing the beginnings of change.
What gives me hope that real, meaningful progress is possible is that we’ve seen all this happen before. We’ve seen how far we’ve come from the sparks of diversity, inclusion and representation, so that far more of us can feel visible, heard and empowered in our identities. I didn’t have that when I was growing up, so seeing that change starting to happen in my lifetime is huge. Time changes perspectives; perspectives change reality, and I have every hope that we will see the same progress for the trans community. That’s what I’m hoping for, that’s what I’m fighting for, and that’s what I know we’re going to get.
Transitional by Munroe Bergdorf is published by Bloomsbury Tonic on February 16, 2023; Bergdorf will discuss Transitional at the Southbank Centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on February 12