On the surface it might seem somewhat strange that transsexuals and transgendered individuals would band together to create a trans feminism offshoot of the feminist movement, but many of the ideals and goals of the two groups are actually very similar. One of the strongest similarities is the belief that traditional gender roles should be broken down and even abolished, creating an equality between the sexes that even today, after the feminist movement has accomplished so much, still does not exist.

Transexuality and transgendered persons understand full to well the meaning of gender roles and the part they play in society. By breaking down such gender roles they seek not only to liberate women but to liberate trans gendered individuals so they can better fit themselves into society at large. Society so often wants to keep trans gendered individuals down, and they seek to bring freedom for themselves through the movement of trans feminism.

All that said, there is some opposition to the trans feminism movement among feminists themselves. Some women see the goals of transgendered people separate from the goals of women, and do not think there should be a shared struggle together. One leading feminist who shares such views is Janice Raymond, a professor of Women’s Studies at the University of Massachusetts.

Thus, even as they are struggling to be accepted by society at large, followers of the trans feminism movement must also fight to be accepted by what would be considered mainstream feminism. This is an important battle in and of itself and one which will greatly advance their cause.

One of the biggest battlegrounds of the trans feminism movement has been in the famous feminist Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. In the early 1990’s a transsexual woman was forced to leave the event. This lead to a policy of the music festival that only “womyn-born-womyn” would be allowed to partake in the music festival, and started a fire bed of controversy.

For those supporting the trans feminist cause, such acts as that of the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival fosters a spirit of transphobia (fear of transgendered people) among the feminist movement. They see many of the goals of feminists and transgendered people closely aligned, and feel that women should support women, even if they were not born as a woman in the fullest physical and biological sense.

Much of the heart of transgender issues is the idea that gender is not purely a physical or biological state of being. Many people believe that although on the outside they might appear men they are in reality women, and vice versa. Thus it is their view that by cutting out transsexuals and transgendered people from the feminist movement, feminists are working to reinforce traditional notions of gender rather than combating them in the name of women’s liberation.

One recent controversy was the 2007 film “The Gendercator,” a brief 20-minute work that discusses the issue of the feminine body and efforts done to change and alter body types, including those done by transsexuals and transgendered persons. Many in the trans feminism movement saw it as an attack on transsexuals and transgendered individuals and have blasted the film.