This mythology offers a bargain: we can secure our third-gendering by agreeing to see trans lesbians as basically men. If that weren’t bad enough, the next logical step of this process is the concession that we aren’t really women either.

As a mostly transhet fairy, trans lesbians have been among the most important people to my life. Trans lesbians are brilliant, varied, brave, and special. Kinship with them should be a source of pride, not shame.