“Beyond Personhood” with Talia Mae Bettcher

Meet Talia Bettcher, the amazing philosopher who gave us canonical essays like “Trapped in the Wrong Theory” and “Evil Deceivers and Make-Believers,” and has now published a paradigm-shifting book about trans philosophy. Talia tells me about why personhood may be overrated, why the existential WTF lead her to this realisation, and how it’s really all about relationships. We also discuss three of Talia’s highly influential concepts: reality enforcement, the wrong body account, and the beyond the binary model.

CW: transphobia, violence, abuse, sexual abuse, sexual abuse while unconscious (from 28 mins)

References:
Beyond Personhood: An Essay in Trans Philosophy (University of Minnesota Press, 2025)
Bettcher, Talia Mae. “Trapped in the Wrong Theory: Rethinking Trans Oppression and Resistance” (Signs 39.2, 2014)
Merryleggs, the Magical Pony
Bettcher, Talie Mae. “Evil Deceivers and Make-Believers: On Transphobic Violence and the Politics of Illusion” (Hypatia 22.3, 2007)
Gwen Araujo
The existential WTF
Reality enforcement
Interpersonal spatiality
María Lugones
Marilyn Frye
John Locke
Peter Singer
Phoria
Gloria Anzaldúa’s Borderlands/La Frontera
Jay Prosser’s Second Skins  

Questions you should be able to respond to after listening:

1.      What is reality enforcement and how does it express transphobia?
2.      What is personhood? Why is it generally perceived as a positive concept?
3.      Why does Talia put a focus on relationships instead?
4.      Talia speaks about two ways of viewing transness: the “beyond the binary” model and the “wrong body” account. What are these and why is Talia critical of both of them?
5.      How can you show up to support trans rights?