PEER COMMENTARY Pretenders to the Throne Talia Mae Bettcher Published online: 23 April 2008 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008 Dreger writes: As I believe I have shown here, this book [TMWWBQ] isn’t simply pro- or anti-gay or pro- or anti-trans....It’s significantly more complicated than it at first appears, and much more complicated than its cover and its title would lead one to believe. Most importantly for this discussion TMWWBQ is not the book many people assumed it to be—particularly after the phenomenal backlash it received... Dreger draws this conclusion at the end of Part 3 of her article; it is the conclusion I dispute here. In particular, I show why TMWWBQ is significantly anti-trans. I prefer the term ‘‘transphobic’’ to the terms ‘‘anti-trans,’’ however, because while the latter reduces the issue to mere pro/con positions, the former suggests deep misrepresentation. Dreger points out ways Bailey appears pro-trans. For example, Bailey (2003) is supportive of transsexual surgery as a strategy for promoting happiness among transwomen (p. 209). However, this does not establish the book is not transphobic. The fact a man endorses a woman’s right to vote does not show he is not sexist. Indeed, such a man may hold deeply sexist views about women—views so misogynist his recognition of women’s right to vote simply pales in comparison. As I shall show, Bailey’s book is deeply transphobic. Dreger admits several respects in which TMWWBQ is likely to disturb. Since she underplays these points, I discuss some in greater detail. Consider Bailey’s contention that gay men tend to be feminine and promiscuous (Bailey, 2003, Chaps. 4–5). In his own admission, Bailey is undertaking to show prevailing stereotypes about gay men are literally true (p. 76). As Dreger notes, Bailey answers charges of homo- phobia with counter accusations of ‘‘femiphobia’’ (Bailey, 2003, pp. xi, 59). Yet, Dreger does not observe why one might feel this is an inadequate response. Consider the stereotype that Asian men are especially feminine. Imagine a scientist aiming to show the stereotype is true. Does it make it any less racist if the scientist should then speak against femiphobia? Certainly outrage at such a project is to be expected. Such considerations are relevant to Bailey’s contention that ‘‘homosexual transsexuals’’ may be especially suited for sex-work (Bailey, 2003, p. 185). Dreger fails to mention that transwoman as sex-worker (or as sexually promiscuous) is a common stereotype. In alleging this stereotype is true (and probably grounded in biology), Bailey is engaged in an enterprise similar to his project of attempting to establish the veracity of stereotypes about gay men. Consider the analo- gous stereotype of the Black whore which has plagued Black women (Collins, 2000, pp. 81–84). Imagine a scientist attempting to show Black women are naturally constituted for sex-work (on the grounds they are naturally sexually aggressive). Surely, sex-positivity on the part of the scientist would not erase the racism of the enterprise. Nor would his opposition to segregation or Japanese internment undermine the racism in the following comment (insert name and race): Although _______ is so feminine in some respects, even in some behavioral respects, [his/]her ability to enjoy emotionally meaningless sex appears _______ -typical. In this sense, ______ might be especially well suited to prostitution. (Bailey, 2003, p. 185, certain words omitted) To be sure, Bailey happily flies in the face of ‘‘political correctness’’ (Bailey, 2003, pp. x–xi). Yet, while the view T. M. Bettcher (&) Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Letters, California State University, Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032-8114, USA e-mail: tbettch@exchange.calstatela.edu 123 Arch Sex Behav (2008) 37:430–433 DOI 10.1007/s10508-008-9326-0