As a women in my early 50s, I have been experiencing menopausal symptoms for several years - ranging from sleep disturbances to fairly severe hot flashes. I was told by a trans-woman who takes no hormones and has undergone no gender affirming care that (s)he, too, experiences menopausal symptoms. When I asked for clarification about what exactly that meant, (s)he said that (s)he was also experiencing hot flashes which proved that (s)he was female.

After a little more questioning, it turned out that this individual has hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). I realize that not all women experience severe menopausal symptoms. However, for those of us who do, hot flashes are not simply excessive sweating. It also involves things like tingling like your body has gone to sleep, panic, etc.

The same individual also informed me that (s)he had experienced PMS symptoms when (s)he was younger and went on to describe abdominal cramps from G.I. distress.

Again, not everybody gets the same PMS symptoms, but PMS is not only about cramps and, if you don’t have a uterus, you don’t get uterine cramping. G.I. cramps are not the same thing. I’ve asked myself why it even matters.

What I’ve come to is a realization that women’s experiences of our own bodies are being claimed as their own by people who have not experienced them and I am being told as a woman that I need to, once again, sit down and shut up. If I question any of this, then I’m a TERF and probably was never a feminist to start. I will tell you, I was, and I am. I marched in take back the night marches in college, and have always been actively feminist. I’m also deeply progressive.

There is no home for progressive women to defend our experiences as women without being viewed as bigots or right wing zealots. We either accept anyone who identifies themselves as a woman as a sister or we’re not welcome at the table anymore.

Menopause Is Not a Metaphor