The Gender Dissidents SurveyI care about this issue because I am concerned that women are losing long fought rights and the small advances achieved by the feminist movement are being threatened.
I have questioned the lack of consultation by The Women’s Equality Party on changes to gender equality law. My local group was not asked for a response
I no longer feel comfortable being a member of WEP
H, Life long feminist
I care because women as a sex class are fundamentally different to men and the language used recently erases these differences.
The reason women face sexism is due to us having the majority of the reproductive burden and to suggest men could claim to be a woman and face the same thing minimises it.
Finally, I worry for the long term effects that this ideology will have on children as no enough research has been done in this area.
I have spoken to some friends and family regarding these issues, particularly the effects on children. I follow many gender critical people/organisations/communities to stay up to date and educated on the topic.
When speaking to one family member about the topic, I barely scratched the surface before they started calling me a “TERF” and saying they were disappointed in me. I haven’t touched on the topic with my family since.
L
This matters to me because my eldest son was very gender non conforming. He had an all-female friendship group at school; hated sport; did four dance classes a week; wore bright colours and nail varnish; and dressed-up as female characters on World Book Day and the Golden Jubilee – he made a lovely princess!
We always told him there’s no right way to be a boy and celebrated his confidence. His two best family friends were ‘trad’ boys and they are still his best friends today. He is now 16, wears mainly black and navy and alongside his one remaining dance class, he does weight training and plans to take up American football! He’s had a girlfriend, has a diverse friendship group and loves his life as a teen boy. He is horrified when he reads about gender non conforming kids like him being told they are the really the opposite sex. When I read about Mermaids CEO Susie Green’s child, who sounded just like my son as a toddler, my heart breaks. I firmly believe that you don’t really get to know yourself until after puberty.
If an adult wishes to transition, I hope they get the best care and support but children need to be allowed to grow up without being manipulated into fulfilling someone else’s idea of what is normal.
I have written to my MP and various Labour leadership candidates; signed petitions; attended Women’s Place UK and argued gently with friends (either young women or older men in the tech industry) although most of my friendship group and their children agree with me.
A friend from my MA course challenged me about liking ‘transphobic’ tweets. We had a brief, polite discussion and she unfollowed me.
Vee, Teacher
Why so I care: so many reasons! Because it poses a seismic threat to women and children. Because it is so blatantly misogynistic. But also because it is so crazy and baseless! The sheer madness of it – I’ve never seen anything like it!
What have I done? Mainly stuff on social media such as Twitter and Facebook. Also Instagram.stories which are great because I see the same ppl looking at them – people I wouldn’t expect to be interested!
Have i faced any consequences? Yes loads. A very close friend and his husband no longer speak to me. One of my daughters is angry with me about it and refuses to talk to me about it. Other ppl.have called me mad and obsessed.
Keren, Angry old feminist
This issue is deeply important to me for many reasons.
I learned about Self ID and was panic stricken as I have been made a victim of sexual violence by men repeatedly, and single sex spaces are vital to my ability to access public services.
I like with chronic pain and C-PTSD as a result of the abuse I have suffered, and single sex spaces help me in managing my physical and mental health when out in public. I also am a lesbian woman, and was horrified to learn about the new ‘Woke Homophobia’, whereby gender ideology and trans activists insist that men can be lesbians, and that lesbians are same ‘gender’ attracted not same sex attracted. This erases homosexuality, and makes the discrimination lesbians face impossible to address. I am also concerned as a primary school teacher, that child psychology and development is being ignored in favour of lobby groups who have their own aims and dismiss developmental psychology and basic child safeguarding. And finally, due to sexual violence, I had a period of time where I experienced gender dysphoria and I understand how horrid it feels to feel trapped in your own body, but I know that this condition can be managed and recovered from, and I know that the basis for my dysphoria was sexual violence and my wish to not be a woman and escape sexual violence. Were I 15 years younger, I would be half way through my transition by now and it would have been a catastrophic mistake. I am deeply concerned for young lesbians and children who are being sent down an experimental and physically and psychologically dangerous path, as guinea pigs.
I have led direct action protests, I have spoken to friends and family, I have written to my MP, I have been vocal on social media, I have written an article, I have even shared information with dates!
I have had a Twitter ban, for a tweet that explains queer theory, which was bizarre. I have also had difficult conversations with friends who misunderstand the issues, many however, now support me due to their own observations. The most negative consequences have been during direct action protests where I have been intimidated, spat at, screamed at in my face by trans activists. I was also followed by a trans identified male, and was very unsettled. I am mostly concerned about being harassed by previous abusers, and by male trans activists. I feel frightened attending talks, in case someone is intimidated or violent.
Sofia, lesbian radical feminist activist
As a women and a teacher, I can’t accept to see how gender roles and sexist stereotypes are becoming more and more normalized. It makes me sick just thinking about what is happening and how people don’t realise the implications for society of this silent change.
I have raised the issue with various people and publicly in my social networks. I share documents and try to make people educated about what is happening. I live in the United Kingdom, but I’m Spanish so I mostly do it with/for my Spanish friends and followers
I have been insulted and lost friends in real life.
Lucía, Secondary Teacher
I’m a woman with a daughter. The world is already difficult enough in terms of inequality.
It concerns me that my daughter will be made to feel as though she’s ‘wrong’ if she doesn’t conform to the gender stereotypes charities like Mermaids seem to use as a sign someone is trans. I was a tomboy but I’m still female. I don’t wear sexy short skirts but I’m still female.
I believe women have the right to single sex spaces. It is patently unsafe to allow men who self id as women into women’s toilets, prisons, hospital wards, refuges, changing rooms. If a third space is needed, it should not replace female space
I worry about young lesbians being told they’re wrong for not accepting male genitals in a sex partner.
I am concerned about women’s sports. It’s already subject to inequality. Allowing male bodied people to compete as women will wipe out female sport.
I am concerned that women are being ignored and erased.
I haven’t experienced any negative consequences, because I am careful with the people I voice my opinion to.
I am a teacher and I know I could lose my job if I was ‘too vocal’.
I was sexually assaulted by a boy at my school while I was asleep. In late 2017 I read the LGBT Youth Scotland guidance, which recommends that boys who identify as transgender be allowed to share sleeping accommodation with girls on residential trips, and anyone complaining should be reminded of “equality, inclusion and respect”.
After my experiences I would have found it incredibly distressing to have to share a bedroom with someone I perceived to be a boy.
I really could not believe that this guidance had been endorsed by so many children’s organisations and not one of them had considered or even noticed the potential impact of this on girls.
I wrote a Children’s Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) of the LGBT Youth Scotland transgender schools guidance. I used a very comprehensive template developed by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland. In the accompanying guidance to the template, CYPCS mentioned that they offered support and assistance to those writing CRIA’s using their template, so I took them up on this. I was working with Women and Girls in Scotland and when we published the CRIA we got some press attention, and CYPCS wrote to the Scottish Government regarding the guidance. The Scottish Government are now working on a replacement, in part I think due to the CRIA and the intervention of CYPCS. I’m now working with For Women Scotland, focusing on children and education.
This has been very personal and sometimes traumatic for me.
I feel so completely and utterly betrayed that no publicly funded or third sector organisation in Scotland has ever spoken in defence of the interests of girls in relation to the issue of transgender inclusion in schools (or anywhere else), including those organisations who are funded to represent women and girls and the issues that affect them.
This is despite the Scottish Government now acknowledging that these ‘inclusive’ policies do indeed risk excluding girls. My family have been incredibly supportive, as have some of my friends, but I think the biggest toll has been on my mental health.
When I heard Shirley-Anne Somerville’s speech where she announced the replacement of the guidance I cried for a long time.
I am desperately worried that my daughters will grow up with fewer rights than I had; and that our rights, when lost, will be incredibly difficult to regain.
I have written to and met with my MP; met with my children’s schools; helped a friend to meet with her school; talked to friends that I think will be receptive.
I feel very anxious about taking all of these actions as I am not naturally comfortable in these situations – but I do it because I must, and because no-one else seems to be doing it.
Doing this survey has made me realise that although I am anxious, I haven’t experienced any truly negative reactions although some of my friends disagree to some extent with me. I am cautious though re my employment, although I have raised tangential issues a few times when possible. I work in further education.
I haven’t experienced any consequences, although I don’t speak up as much as I feel I should.
I care because I do not want women’s hard won rights to be given away because of the current trendy identity politics and to accommodate perverted men.
I have joined a women’s group, written letters to MSPs and MP, met MSPs and MP, talked to people at work, got training video changed at work from gender to sex in “protected characteristics” , talked to HR manager about using the term gender instead of sex, talked to friends and family, filled in GRA consultation, posted on twitter, distributed leaflets and talked to shoppers, written to M and S written to Weatherspoon’s, written to local councils, written to schools, refused to attend a further Stonewall training at work
I have been laughed at at work for objecting to being referred to as cis and then teased for days after.
The HR manager was also highly amused during our conversation about why sex and not gender should be on a feedback form about diversity training, Mind you – he’s a bit scared of me now!! So – win!
I am ostracised by some team members who believe “Trans Women are Women”. Needless to say they are woke beardy dude bros. I have had to work with trans boys and refer to them as he and vice versa. I tried to speak to team members /teaching staff about how I felt about this but was shut down. I couldn’t push as fear about losing job. Not the child’s fault of course but it really got to me psychologically -especially the young trans boys who were on testosterone and wearing binders and EACH and EVERY one of them was on the spectrum. I could not say or do anything except affirm. I am supposed to be a support worker – its so incongruous. to have to work like that. I have fallen out with my bestie over the trans issue which was horrible but now she agrees with me on most of it.
Mabel Frances, Reawakened radical feminist
The Gender Dissidents Survey