Echoing the phrase “babae ka, hindi babae ‘lang’,” National Women’s Month is more than just a celebration of women’s contributions to society; it is a platform to surface critical issues they continue to endure. From pay gaps to gender-based violence, women bear the brunt of a society ruled by patriarchy. This is why women-led movements clamor for gender equality, calling for protection against abuse and discrimination.
Yet, despite feminism’s years of progress, not all who rally for equal rights uphold its principles in full. Transphobia remains prevalent even within feminist spaces that should, in theory, be fighting for all women.
Year after year, trans women face discrimination not just from the patriarchal system but also from the supposed feminists who continue to deny their identities. In particular, trans exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs) consider trans women a “threat” to the rights of cisgender women. They argue that trans-rights activists’ focus on gender identity undermines sex-based rights, as if equality were a finite resource that must be hoarded rather than shared.
But when will trans women be “woman enough” to deserve safety, dignity, and rights? They, too, experience gender-based violence, workplace inequality, and healthcare discrimination. They, too, need feminism.
Since 2010, over 50 transgender or gender nonbinary individuals have been killed in the Philippines, though the actual count may be higher. Moreover, the country ranked eighth globally in the number of transgender people murdered in 2023. The killing of Jennifer Laude by US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, followed by his absolute pardon, laid bare the government’s disregard for trans lives; and the deaths of other victims like Mary Jo Añonuevo and Jessa Remiendo serve as further tragic reminders of the dangers trans women endure daily.
Beyond physical violence, trans women struggle with systemic discrimination and are often denied the right to express their gender identity. Despite the Philippines’ reputation as one of the most LGBT-friendly countries in Southeast Asia, legal protections are gravely limited, with misgendering only punishable under specific contexts of the Safe Spaces Act or RA 11313. Meanwhile, the SOGIE Bill is still marred by arguments and a plethora of misperceptions, even from legislators. But one unyielding truth remains: trans women’s rights are not up for debate; they are a matter of survival. Every delay in legal protection perpetuates systemic violence, discrimination, and erasure experienced by both cisgender and trans women.
In 2019, transgender students at Tarlac State University were barred from wearing dresses for their graduation, forced to choose between their identity and a milestone meant to celebrate years of hard work. That same year, Gretchen Diez was arrested, humiliated, and treated like a criminal for using a women’s restroom. Trans women in the workforce are denied jobs or forced to present themselves as their assigned sex at birth just to be hired. These are not isolated cases—they are part of the same fight for bodily autonomy and safety that feminism has always stood for.
A movement built on fighting oppression should never be selective about whose struggles it recognizes. Contrary to what TERFs and transphobes believe, including trans women doesn’t diminish anyone’s struggles. In fact, it actually strengthens the fight against the same patriarchal system that dictates how all women should look, act, and exist. By refusing to stand with trans women, fellow women act like another gatekeeping institution, deciding who is “woman enough” to deserve rights.
The exclusion of trans women is not only hypocritical but also dangerous. Feminism should not be about deciding who is worthy of protection; it should be about dismantling the structures that harm women—cis and trans alike. It should be about promoting their voices and lived experiences so they are not pushed to the periphery. Above all, it should be about ensuring that no one has to fear for their life simply for existing.
If feminism is to mean anything, it must stand with trans women unequivocally and unapologetically. Because until all women are free, none of us truly are.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s March 2025 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSMarch2025.
