My body is not selfish.

One thing that I face as both a fat person and a trans person is the accusation that I am "selfish."

Being fat, I am selfish because I allegedly consume more food than thinner people (FEAR my 2000-calorie-a-day diet.) Being trans, I am selfish because I allegedly would like other people to pay for my "cosmetic" surgeries. (This is what I am accused of if I want my surgery covered by my medical insurance, as are my trans brothers and sisters in any country where this kind of thing applies.)

I'm not going to be nice: That's bullshit. I'm not selfish.

Firstly, yes. Okay. I eat more than a thin person of my height. Not because I'm a glutton; my fat body is not a living testament to my greed, contrary to what the assholes say. Because I have more body mass and I need more calories to sustain it. We're not talking huge quantities more. We're talking a few hundred more per day, or the equivalent of a single Famous Star burger at Carl's Jr.

Secondly, I get why you think transsexual surgeries are cosmetic. Because they're not "life-saving," right? Just like going to the doctor and getting a cast for your leg isn't life-saving (c'mon, it'll eventually heal on its own). Just like taking medication for your chronic pain isn't life-saving. Surgery to correct a serious birth defect is sometimes life-saving, but sometimes not. Laser eye surgery? Puh-lease.

I ain't saying that being trans is like having a broken leg or chronic pain or even a medically accepted birth defect. I AM saying that living in a body that doesn't fit my identity has a very real, detrimental effect to my well-being. I am saying that for me, having breasts, and for other trans people, vaginas or penises or whathaveyou, is traumatic on a daily basis, and it ain't because I'm too fucking sensitive, it's because I have to actually look at/touch my body periodically to maintain my hygiene and health.

Okey?

Being fat doesn't make me selfish, either. Even if you account that being fat causes me to eat more. Nobody slams bodybuilders for their 6000-calorie-a-day diets (that's 3x my daily consumption, FYI) - in fact, they frequently get praised for their dedication to their bodies. Plus their bodies are bigger than non-bodybuilders, so they take up more space and require bigger clothes. In fact, any body operating on testosterone is going to be naturally bigger and have a faster metabolism than a comparable estrogen-fueled body. Oh my god, men are selfish! We must put them on estrogen treatments IMMEDIATELY to reduce their food consumption so that there will be more food available for the poor, starving wimminz!

RIGHT.

You get what I'm saying? It's not okay to say I'm selfish for needing more seating space that a thinner person could be using. It's not okay to say I'm selfish for eating more food.

But when it comes down to it, it's not my greed you're really against, is it? It's my nonconformity. It's my being fat or trans that really bugs at you and gets stuck in your craw. Otherwise there'd be a lot more hate (and I ain't saying there isn't hate, just that there's less of it) against people who get benign tumors removed and people who "bulk up" to unrealistic proportions for movie roles.