Abstract

Gender dysphoria is typically construed as a medical concept. This understanding of gender dysphoria reflects how cisgender people interpret trans experience. This essay proposes an alternative concept of gender dysphoria for critical theory: on this account gender dysphoria is alienation from cisgender forms of life. If the medicalized concept of gender dysphoria tacitly takes for granted, identifies with, and thereby reinforces cisgender patriarchal society, a critical theory of gender dysphoria instead approaches the issue from the perspective of trans people, their lived experiences and social situation, to offer a critique of society. While the medicalized concept of gender dysphoria refers to a ‘distress’ by living in the ‘wrong-body,’ the critical concept of gender dysphoria refers to an alienation as a result of living in the ‘wrong (cisgender patriarchal) society.’ The critical concept of gender dysphoria may become a tool capable of describing the necessary facets of the trans experience to form a political coalition. The paper concludes by claiming that trans subjects are the gendered analogue of Marx’s concept of the proletariat.