Trans people do not fit into the patriarchal gender and sex binary, which means it’s impossible for us as a class to reinforce the patriarchal gender and sex binary.
Could an individual trans person intentionally try to conform to or uphold the gender binary? Yeah, of course, and the patriarchy might use them as a token “good trans”, but they won’t actually ever be accepted by the patriarchy. Furthermore, this post is about systemic qualities of gender and sex and how trans people as a class do not fit into the patriarchal gender and sex binary. The existence of trans people is counter to the entire structure of the patriarchal concept of binary genders and sexes.
This is because patriarchal gender and sex binaries can only exist in context to cisgender, gender-conforming men and women. The patriarchal framework of gender and sex is one in which these concepts are linked. Under the patriarchy, “man = male” and “woman = female”. Anyone insisting that these binaries exist and are inherently linked is supporting the patriarchy. Trans people do not believe gender and sex are inherently linked.
Furthermore, you cannot be transgender and uphold the patriarchal gender and sex binary, because the patriarchal gender and sex binary does not recognize transgender people even exist. Every single trans person exists outside the patriarchal structure of the gender and sex binary. None of us fit inside it.
In the eyes of the patriarchy, a trans woman is a male who is failing to be a gender conforming man, and a trans man is a female who is failing to be a gender-conforming woman. And the same thing goes for nonbinary people – a male nonbinary person is just a man failing to conform to manhood, and a female nonbinary person is just a woman failing to conform to womanhood. The patriarchy views trans people as freaks who are deviating from societal norms. The patriarchy says you are either a failed man, or a failed woman, and you should just stop trying to be something you aren’t.
Therefore… No trans person in existence has EVER been part of the structure of the patriarchal gender and sex binary. Plus, MANY of us are gender nonconforming and many of us are not of a binary sex, meaning many of us do not identify as man or woman, male or female anyway. How on Earth can we be upholding a system we don’t belong in and don’t identify with?
Trans people don’t believe you have to be female to be a woman. Trans people don’t believe you have to be male to be a man. Trans people don’t believe that gender or sex are unchangeable things. Trans people literally do not believe in the gender and sex binary, and the patriarchy does not believe we exist.



