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Notes -
Yeah, I think there's a strangely small sliver the trans debate is often fought over in practice.
I'm sure there are illiberal trans-exclusionists, but many "TERF-y" people seem to be liberals who just don't want trans people in certain sex-segregated spaces, and maybe have doubts about children transitioning. Even Rowling's original essay-length critique was more about malingering men using trans-inclusive policies to evil ends, and not trans people themselves. (Who knows if that's still her position, or if years of arguing with TRA's online and associating with TERFs has hardened her even against ordinary trans people.)
Even if there's a vast "metaphysicial" gulf between TRAs and TERFs, it seems like in practice the debate over how trans people should be treated really only hangs on a small handful of battlefields. Otherwise, Rowling's position isn't really miles away from trans tolerance in most domains.
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