Author: bomp123

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Media and Arts

I am supporting charities that acknowledge the importance of single sex provision for women

Women need their protections in law upheld. I have a teenage daughter and I want her and her friends to have freedom to do what they want, safely. 

I’ve written to venues about the importance of single sex facilities for women, I’ve joined campaigns to support women’s causes, I am supporting charities that acknowledge the importance of single sex provision for women, I am talking about this to my friends and colleagues. 

I am cautious and have not spoken up much; where I have politely stated my opinion on twitter I’ve had some responses with implied violent threats.

CJC, Middle-aged mother and manager in the arts

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Media and Arts

I refuse to be told that black is white

As a writer, I refuse to be told that black is white. The truth is important to me, the safety and dignity of women is even more important to me. Combined together, I would go to prison to defend them.

I’ve basically gambled my career on it.

I’ve lost two major jobs, I’ve been sued, I’ve been visited by the police. Various forms of harassment that have continues over the last two years.

Graham Linehan, Comedy writer

Categories
Media and Arts

I’m tired of being frightened into silence

I care because I’m watching women’s rights get eroded away. I want to maintain sex-based protections. I’m tired of being frightened into silence.

I have posted on sites.

I’ve been called a terf and threatened.

S, Disgruntled black woman

Categories
Healthcare Media and Arts

I can see women’s safe spaces being eliminated

I can see women’s safe spaces being eliminated, loss of legal rights and opportunities, abuse of children.

I’ve talked to lots of people, given money.

I’m terrified of raising concerns officially at work – a Stonewall-captured organisation.

Nicola, #WarInWomen #CisIsASlur

Categories
Healthcare Media and Arts

Something is very very wrong

Women been oppressed as a class throughout time and across the globe because of our biological sex. The hard won rights that have been fought for by generations of women are at serious risk of being completely eroded overnight by manipulating reality through language.

I care about this because I care about all women and I also care about all the young gay boys and lesbians who feel transitioning is a way out of homosexuality. I care about the young women who hate their bodies and are being encouraged to mutilate them.

I care about all the children who are now being told that they have some magical essence of gender that exists on a spectrum between GI Joe and Barbie. Will my nephews be told they might be girls if they wear pink??

I cannot and do not talk about this issue with anyone other than those closest too me, namely my mum and sister. I do not engage online as I would lose my job I am certain. Maybe not overnight, but it would happen eventually.

4 years ago I moved from London to a small rural town where I run a community arts and entertainment venue

This issue is so contentious and comes from such a conservative starting point but is masked as liberalism that I know my view would be considered hateful, improper and bigoted despite everything else I hold dear and am active and vocal about demonstrating the opposite.

It’s just incredibly dangerous and in a world where I’m setting up an anonymous twitter account and shaking doing it simply to state that biological sex is real and to ‘like’ a tweet without fear of losing my job, something is very very wrong!

I dare not speak out.  But, things are changing in my work and I fear that soon I will have to and I genuinely don’t know what will happen then.

Woman

Categories
Media and Arts

I begin to realise I am quite prepared to chain myself to the railings for this cause

I care about this because I am a woman & I have a daughter. I am horrified at how the rights & safety of women & girls are under threat when there is still such an issue with male violence towards women & girls.

When I see women I have admired for years, journalists, campaigners, feminists, being silenced, bullied, threatened it scares me.

I haven’t raised my voice yet, I’ve shared a few things online then immediately deleted it as I’m scared of the reaction. But I’m starting to feel ashamed of my silence. As things get more absurd I begin to realise I am quite prepared to chain myself to the railings for this cause.

I am mentally preparing myself for the fight. I am reading the science, trying to seek out people who feel the same as me. It’s extremely comforting to realise there are more of us out there then the trans lobby would have you believe. Thank god for the bravery of woman’s place UK & the Labour Women’s Declaration, they give me strength & inspire me to speak out.

Sara, Woman, Mother of girl

Categories
Media and Arts

Everyone I’ve spoken to, without exception, has been fully in support

Women need to be able to name ourselves. We need the ability to describe ourselves, differentiated from men. I’ve been a feminist all of my adult life, I’ve campaigned on many causes from reproductive rights to fighting sex stereotypes.

I’ve never seen feminism so threatened; the very word ‘woman’ has been rendered meaningless by the take-over of language by gender ideology.

If a man can be a woman then we cannot organise, we cannot fight for our sex based rights, and we cannot protect ourselves from the threat of male violence and oppression.

I’ve talked to friends and family, I’ve discussed the issue in depth on social media. I’ve written to politicians, MPs, and organised with other feminists. I’ve responded to the consultation on sex ed in schools and govt consultations on the GRA and other relevant issues. I’ve signed petitions. I’ve contributed to crowdfunders.

Everyone I’ve spoken to, without exception, has been fully in support. But everyone has also been too scared to say so in public or on social media.

A.M., Writer, author

Categories
Media and Arts

If the meaning of “woman” is being changed that affects me

I care because I’m a woman, and if the meaning of “woman” is being changed, that affects me. It affects me politically, legally, professionally, and perhaps most importantly, personally. It affects how I define myself, how I’m allowed to see myself. I care because I don’t like the implication that being a woman is a choice, and that modifying one’s body is sufficient to be considered the same as a female person.

I care because I see people (mostly women) making what seem to me like valid, reasonable points, raising thought-out concerns, providing solid evidence to back themselves up, and are met with more vitriol and silencing than feels warranted.

I care because the consequences of the changes that currently seem to be on the table are vast and potentially worldwide, and such changes need scrutiny and debate.

I have done almost nothing to raise my voice. My perception is that very few people I know professionally would agree, and that a decent number would be actively against, and I’m scared. I’m also worried that I’ve got this wrong, and that maybe I’m not open-minded enough or not understanding enough.

However, I quietly follow and read a lot from GC (gender critical) voices, and have written to my MP expressing my concerns both with the proposed changes, and about the tone of the debate. I’m preparing to start speaking quietly with a few friends.

kt

Categories
Parent

I want my daughter to play in sport that is fair

This matters to me as I don’t want women and girls to be silenced and I want my daughter not to be called a cis. I want my daughter to play in sport that is fair. I want the same for other girls. I don’t believe you can change sex at any point. I don’t want men to be able just to say that they are women same as me. I hate institutional capture where people seem to have lost the power to use their brains.

I emailed the BBC about their use of assigned at birth. I wrote to MSP and MP.

Claire B

Categories
Media and Arts

My agent is a trans woman who I love and respect and I felt our relationship may have been damaged

I care because I can see where self ID will lead in terms of the erasure of women as a sex class and the threat to our basic rights even under the law.

I have engaged in what I thought was debate on Twitter.

I have been piled on by abusive people. Gay Star News contacted my agent for a comment and made me out to be a terrible transphobe. My agent is a trans woman who I love and respect and I felt our relationship may have been damaged. 

People also contacted a theatre where I had worked to put pressure on them and an actress that I follow – a woman with Down’s Syndrome who I admire. She doesn’t even know me. I had to contact people and ask them to delete stuff about me. I took the offending tweet down immediately I discovered it had caused trouble but they took screen shots and taunted me with spreading it.

I had to spend a long time blocking all the responses. I was left very shaken and fearing for my good name and my integrity. I am not the things I was being called. It was horrible and could have been damaging to my work.

Jan, Actor