The Gender Dissidents SurveyI care because I know females are oppressed, suffer violence and are a long way from equality because of their biological sex and now males tell us we can’t talk about out experiences because it’s transphobic.
I have tweeted (using a pseudonym), spoken (carefully) to people in real life, shared pieces on Facebook.
I’ve lost friends after I’ve spoken up. I don’t dare to be much more vocal about it because I am a media freelancer and would lose work.
Flo, Adult human female
I care about this issue because women, especially lesbians, are being erased. I’m a lesbian feminist with a degree in Women’s Studies. In the 90’s I ran a women only night in the Gay Village in Manchester. I had to fight to keep it women only (one night out of 7 nights on the top floor of a club that was mainly male on the other two floors). This is not what I fought for, this is not what I marched for. It’s corruption and misogyny and it terrifies me.
I’ve spoken out with friends and anyone who knows me will know my position. I also donate and try and bring the issue out into the conversation in my sad attempt to get friends and family to take notice. But that’s it because I work in media and currently looking for a job. I will not get hired. It’s f*cking insane.
Friends for decades are gone. I don’t miss them.
Donna C
This matters to me because I am extremely worried that young women in particular are being led down a medical path that includes surgery and hormones. Lots of adolescent girls go through a phase of being unhappy about their bodies or anxious about their sexuality, and instead of being helped to come to terms with that, they are being told that they are “really” boys and that they should irreversibly mutilate their bodies. I find that absolutely shocking.
I am also hugely concerned at the idea that men, simply by claiming to identify as women, should be allowed into women’s refuges or prisons, into women’s changing rooms or toilets, or to compete in women’s sports. It feels like the biggest attack on women’s rights I have seen in my lifetime. It’s horrifying.
I’ve written articles, I’ve donated to crowdfunders, I have spoken out on social media (though not much in real life), I’ve written to my MP, I’ve written submissions to public consultations (e.g. on the proposed GRA changes), I’ve attended a trial of a woman prosecuted for wrongthink and I’m involved in one of the campaigning groups for women’s rights.
I’ve had people be a bit rude to and about me on social media, but no actual threats. I am self-employed so it’s possible I’ve lost work, but I can’t be sure.
Hannah, Writer
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
The Gender Dissidents Survey