Gatekeeping

Gatekeeping

(verb, -s, -ed | gatekeeper, noun referring to a person)

The practice of limiting access to services, resources, or terms. This is often based on assumptions that there is a way people should behave or present themselves in order to deserve what they’re seeking. Gatekeeping commonly occurs under the pretense of “protecting” transgender people from themselves. This results in extra bureaucracy to prove that trans people are really sure of their own identity before providing transition treatment. This is despite that a cisgender person could reasonably expect to receive the same treatment without hassle.

People can also act as gatekeepers by requiring that trans people look or act a certain way before referring to them as trans. An example of which is seen in the transmedicalist and parts of the transsexual communities which require trans people to pursue medical interventions and identify in a binary way.

e.g. This specific primary care doctor was known for gatekeeping trans folks. They required trans people to socially presented in their target gender for at least a year. This requirement led to many trans people avoiding becoming their patient. Few people would go out of their way to have a gatekeeper as a doctor.

Further reading to gain expanded context:

Unpacking Transmedical Gatekeeping in Feminist Circles | The Intersection

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