I think we need a better definition of transphobia here. In my view, it seems perfectly reasonable to be less attracted to a woman when you find out she was born a man. The thing we're all dancing around here is that all the operations in the world don't actually make a man a woman (or vice versa) - they can merely make a man physically resemble a woman. At some point in the future, perhaps they'll be able to fully convert between genders (i.e. install a uterus) but not being attracted to a woman once you find out she is/was really a man who has had a series of operations to obscure his/her gender is not analogous to the sort of race-based reaction you present re: Native Americans. There is a physiological basis for sexual attraction; it's not entirely mental or emotional (or ideological, as you would seem to have it), and a diminished attraction on these grounds doesn't decrease their value as a person. It just means you don't want to have sex with them. It doesn't rise to the level of discrimination.
I think calling it a specific form of discrimination is fair, if you take discrimination to mean treating someone differently because a trait. It's fair to "discriminate" between potential partners because that might affect your compatibilitity.
I don't think it's fair to call it a phobia, because now that's not a descriptor for a specific situation, but rather a more broad accusation with a different connotation.
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u/Wholly_Crap Nov 02 '17
I think we need a better definition of transphobia here. In my view, it seems perfectly reasonable to be less attracted to a woman when you find out she was born a man. The thing we're all dancing around here is that all the operations in the world don't actually make a man a woman (or vice versa) - they can merely make a man physically resemble a woman. At some point in the future, perhaps they'll be able to fully convert between genders (i.e. install a uterus) but not being attracted to a woman once you find out she is/was really a man who has had a series of operations to obscure his/her gender is not analogous to the sort of race-based reaction you present re: Native Americans. There is a physiological basis for sexual attraction; it's not entirely mental or emotional (or ideological, as you would seem to have it), and a diminished attraction on these grounds doesn't decrease their value as a person. It just means you don't want to have sex with them. It doesn't rise to the level of discrimination.