Author: Maya Forstater

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Education Parent

I worry that we cannot speak our minds without being called bigots.

As a mother to three daughters and a teacher, this really worries me.  I worry about the girls’ safety when using public toilets and changing rooms. I worry about competitive sport – will they be competing in fair competitions? I worry that we cannot speak our minds without being called bigots.

Mostly I worry about my middle daughter who is a “Tom boy”. If she is gay – will she be convinced that she was “born in the wrong body”? Will she want to transition? How will I possibly handle that? Will she be taken away from me? This terrifies me. 

What have you done? Very little. I’m too scared to.

The bravest thing I have done is share something on Facebook saying “Happy International Women’s Day all you adult human females” alongside a Team GB montage of amazing sports women.

I have begun to boycott products and services that I feel do not support women. Nike, Flora, Audible, Always.

I like pages and stories on Facebook. I have donated to LGB Alliance.

I rant to my husband but don’t say much to anyone else in case I am branded a bigot or get into trouble at work. I have not been brave enough to speak up.

PP, Mother of sporty girls

Categories
Education

I was forced out of a voluntary role as domestic violence safeguarding coordinator

I care because I understand, through my own experience, that women are oppressed, harmed and killed for being female.

I have posted on social media, written to MPs, renounced my membership of the Labour Party, been to events, spoken out in real life.

I was forced out of a voluntary role as domestic violence safeguarding coordinator for my church because I tweeted about DV, its impact on women and girls, and why we must fight for our right to name ourselves and our oppression. I was doxxed and was dragged in front of the Diocesan safeguarding team so they could “assess my suitability” for the role. I resigned.

Vicky Miller, Teacher and trade unionist

Categories
Education

Trans’ no longer seems to mean ‘transsexual’ but anyone who ‘cross-dresses’

I care because I am concerned that changes to the GRA could result in predatory males having easier access to hurt women and girls. I am concerned because ‘Trans’  no longer seems to mean ‘transsexual’ but anyone who ‘cross-dresses’. I am concerned because women can no longer say ‘woman is adult human female’ without being accused of transphobic and biological sex classes are now up for debate. The whole gender identity issue is full of men hating on women and women being forced out of their jobs for speaking about their sex based oppression.

I have donated to crowd funders. Tales to friends. Communicated on Twitter in a Locked account.

I refused to deliver LGBTQ sessions in my place of work which conflate sex and gender. I discuss the issues with work colleagues

I have had arguments with others and have blocked people on Twitter and FB.

Categories
Education Healthcare

I know what a social construction is and what material reality is

There are males on lesbian dating apps who reply with aggression when they are politely told that they don’t belong there (that’s happened to me twice).

A woman I know personally was banned from a lesbian dating app for telling a male person that they did not belong there.

I am concerned about the physical and emotion safety of female prisoners who are already very vulnerable, if male violent or sexual offenders are housed in female prisons.

I need to teach the small children in my care that they are correct to be wary of men and I cannot do that if the words we use to describe them are taken away.

We (women, females) cannot organise properly to defend our rights if the words we use are taken and redefined.

The children in the primary school I taught at were taught that you can be born in the wrong body, and it is not true and it’s harmful. A teenage lesbian I know has been convinced that she is a boy and is going to start undergoing serious medical interventions which will cause potentially permanent changes to her body, because of stereotypes. The idea that your personality tracks your sex or your sex tracks your personality are fundamentally regressive positions. I know what a social construction is and what material reality is and I wont pretend not to.

I have spoken to some friends in real life and I lost a couple. I have posted occasionally on social media but not under my real name as I am scared of professional consequences.

LD

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Others

Tacitits

I care: because trans women are women. Trans men are men.

I have followed and amplified trans voices on social media and supported a non binary colleague at work.

Have you experienced any consequences? No, but I fear right-wing GC bigots like you who are misogynist and homophobic.

Categories
Education

The root of all my oppression is biology

I care about this because the root of all my oppression is biology – not how I identify or present myself.

What have you done? Very little. I am too concerned about what could happen to me professionally.

Any consequences? No.

Rubatron, Mother & teacher,

Categories
Education Men

If this one falls I don’t think there is any hope of holding any other lines

To me the distinction between male and female is truth that is so real and profound it is embedded within us at biological level going back millions of years. If a truth that substantial can be overturned we give permission for any ideology with the appropriate power to dictate truth.

Losing the concept of Truth being rooted to a large extent in empirical observation and the valuing of the scientific method is profoundly dangerous. If this one falls I don’t think there is any hope of holding any other lines. We then risk the  dismantling of everything to then be reconstructed in accordance with whatever is the prevailing ideology with the power to do so.

I have had a brief period on Twitter engaging with the discussion (Wow that really did make a difference!!!)

I have not had consequences, because I have been very cautious. It is a combination of cowardice and the practical reality that it is not my core focus in life (maybe it should be in light of my answer earlier). I don’t want to lose that which I can do and am doing in my own field to die in a ditch over trans issues where I am such a small player that I will not meaningfully make any difference there either. Paying towards crowd fund challenges is a safe and real way I can make a difference.

AG, C of E priest. School chaplain (heading for retirement).

Categories
Education

I will always fight for women’s rights

I will always fight for women’s rights

I have joined communities on social medias and spoke up.

I have been blocked and threathened.

Preside Kedavra, Psychologist graduate, writer,

Categories
Academics and researchers Healthcare

Feelings and opinions’ have trumped everything else

I care about the security and sex based rights of women and children and feel that they are being eroded, particularly in work (I work at a University). When our women’s network tried to publish a new menopause policy it was insisted that it contained a paragraph that stated that trans men/women non binary people also suffered with the effects of the menopause. Trans women apparently suffered with ‘psuedo’ symptoms (and this must be recognised within the policy) even when they were born male (and it stated that as fact). I didn’t agree with that. When I complained (during the drafting process) that I did not want to be called ‘cis’ (a female member of staff kept addressing me as that) I was listened to but frowned upon. I definately feel like I am the one that is looked at as ‘the bigot’ in the room when I challenge the way trans women are being slowly entered into policies and other rules that are meant to protect women.

The University /student union introduced a  non mandatory trans awareness training course but when I took a closer look at the details,  the trainer had blocked me on social media (maybe through a blocking app – many people use these now)  so I had no way of knowing any more about the company or the person who was delivering the training. Needless to say I did not attend. I didn’t feel that I could approach the Organisational Development team with my concerns.

I am the women’s officer on our Unison committee. I have tried to raise the issue of gender neutral toilets and how these facilities can be bad for women, nothing is said directly, but again I feel like I am considered ‘the bigot’ in the room for daring to address this. I am usually snapped at (usually by the women on the committee) when I dare to bring it up.  I share some articles on twitter (or more often ‘like’ things) but I know there is no way that I could portray my real feelings on any social media post.

I know I  would be reprimanded I work if I did this too often. 

My University uses Twitter a lot for communication and it would only be a matter of time before someone reported me for any tweets that were considered unsavoury or of having the ‘wrong’ opinion (this is the environment that has been created within the University by trans students).

I am thinking about setting up  an anonymous account so that I can be more open about my views.

I have spoken to one female senior member of staff in work about how I feel, she agrees with my view (that there are only 2 sexes)  but has also told me that she has to be very careful in her position as she would be reprimanded for not being ‘inclusive’.  

I have female friends who are still members of the Labour party and they have a real battle on their hands within the local branches. I left the party this year after my female MP signed the trans rights pledge denouncing A Woman’s Place and LGB Alliance (both of which I support). If you try to address these opinions with her she says trans rights are non negotiable and the conversation is shut down. This is a women with two teenage daughters.  I am in my  late 40’s and have voted Labour all my life – that will change going forward unless they drastically change their opinion on women’s rights. Being looked upon as a bigot or someone who is not progressive is very, very hurtful. I have stood by gay people all my life and was brought up to treat everyone with respect.

I believe there are women at work who do not approve of my opinions, they don’t say so publicly but my voice has been shut down in certain situations (Unison Committee meetings). It’s nothing in particular or you can put your finger on but I know by the way people react to me (mainly women)  I am considered ‘the bigot’.  I haven’t pushed issues any further other than Twitter and the Unison Committee but I know that I would be ostrocised at work if I pushed the subject further.Trans students have pushed for a trans policy over the past two years and it has just been introduced on campuses. In my opinion their ‘feelings and opinions’ have trumped everything else and arguing against it will automatically be closed down.

Nia, Wales

Categories
Education Healthcare

A woman is a material reality

I know that women are punished for being women, not for pretending to be women. A woman is a material reality. Our oppression is sex-based and we need to be able to speak about it. I’m also extremely worried about the loss of single sex spaces and how that endangers women. I am disgusted that female sports are being overtaken by men and I worry a LOT about gender non-conforming children being told they’re in the wrong bodies. That is the very opposite of safeguarding. I have been terrified at the way women have been harassed, threatened, doxxed, taken to court, sacked, slandered and physically attacked for believing in the reality of biological sex, and that prevents me from saying more.

I have very occasionally tweeted about it and I have ‘liked’ tweets by others who have spoken out.

I have been roasted by acquaintances on social media. I’ve had to leave online groups. I’ve received abuse on Twitter from lots of people including a man holding a baseball bat who boasted he liked to kill TERFs.

Kath, Teacher