Tag: children

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Healthcare Others

I pointed out that the Labour Party Rule Book does not refer to the Equality Act

This matters to me because it is not possible to change sex, and because women and girls suffer in various ways if men are allowed in spaces where they are vulnerable, undressed or asleep. The Equality Act 2010 provides protection for women but the law is widely misquoted and misinterpreted due to the systematic policy capture by extremist transactivists. 

Many trans people do not support the demands of transactivists for the legalisation of  ‘self-ID’ ‘gender identity’.  I’m appalled by the silencing of many academics who support the retention of existing sex-based rights for women, and by the suspension and banning from social media platforms of gender critical people  – mainly women. Safeguarding of children is also threatened by trans ‘affirmation.

I have proposed two GC (gender critical) resolutions in my Labour Party CLP.  I organised Defend Women’s Rights meetings locally. I attended several Womens Place UK meetings.  I’m active in Labour Womens Declaration Working Group. I constantly post openly on Facebook and Twitter. I am an admin of several secret GC facebook groups. 

I have emailed my MP with detail several times, as well as lobbying Labour Party NEC members and MPs. I pointed out that the Labour Party Rule Book does not refer to the Equality Act (!) and incorrectly references the protected characteristics. (Unchanged in 2020 edition) 

I am writing my story “Musing on the sex and gender morass: how my life changed on 18th Nov 2017”  (when I found out about transactivist demands for Self-ID  

I have lost two dear friends as a consequence of my views on sex and gender. Very painful… And I think probably many other less close friends and acquaintances will have distanced themselves. Hard to know. Most people I think say nothing, knowing that it’s ‘toxic’ 

I have repeatedly been called ‘bigoted’ ‘hateful’  ‘transphobic’ – none of which are true.  I left the Labour Party because of this in 2018 and then decided to rejoin in 2019 – but was rejected as a member because I ‘mis-gendered’ a young man who identifies as a woman, and had been elected as a women’s office in the party. (and because I’m a supporter of Palestinian rights) Currently awaiting appeal hearing 8 months later. It’s been my choice to proritise this issue, but that has come at a very significant cost.

Diane Jones, Socialist feminist, retired researcher. Art music literature for sanity retention

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Healthcare Others

I am a lesbian and object to being told that same-sex attraction is no longer “valid” and is transphobic.

I care because children and young people are being lied to by being told they can change sex. I care that female victims of abuse in refuges and prisons are being further abused by men claiming they are women.  I care because I am a lesbian and object to being told that same-sex attraction is no longer “valid” and is transphobic. I care because young lesbians are being told they are really boys. I care because of the tragic stories of young detransitioners.

I use my real name on Twitter to publicise the issue and history of transgender politics. I have attended meetings and demonstrations. I have supported crowdfunders. I have demonstrated with other lesbians at Prides. I have, with others, organised the 2019 Lesbian Strength march in Leeds. I have talked to friends who knew nothing about the issue. I responded to both the Westminster and Scottish governments’ GRA consultations.

I was suspended from Twitter for asking a question about DNA at a crime scene.

I have lost friends.

I have been asked not to discuss the issue at family gatherings.

I avoid talking about the issue on my Facebook which is mainly family and old friends and restrict my discussion of this to private groups.

Dr Lesley “Ancient Dyke” Semmens , Radical Feminist, Retired Academic

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Academics and researchers

I carry out small acts of resistance

I care about women’s rights and am also very concerned that we’re carrying out medical experiments on vulnerable kids. The post-truth/thought control side of this is very disturbing to me as someone with a background in 20th-century totalitarian movements.

I applied to graduate school to research the issues of gender transition and kids (starting fall 2020); I am writing online and speaking to people one-on-one in my real life — colleagues, friends, strangers! — about 50-60 such people; and I carry out small acts of resistance like reshelving “gender handbooks” that tell kids that if they’re uncomfortable with gender stereotypes they might be born in the wrong body and moving them to the highest reaches of the Adult Fantasy section, where they belong.

I have lost friends who are gender activists.

Eliza, USA

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Academics and researchers Healthcare

I have never seen such brutal silencing of women’s voices, just for stating basic scientific facts

I care about the issue because things escalated very rapidly under my nose. I have been active in feminist spaces for years but I have never seen such brutal silencing of women’s voices, just for stating basic scientific facts.

I am not from the UK – I live in the US, but I came from another country and I’m still very active in social media in my native language (sorry about my English BTW – it’s not my first language). A few months ago a huge fight broke in my Facebook group – one of the triggers was you and your tribunal hearing but there were others. Some of us decided to finally speak up. All hell broke loose. I lost many friends and became a much hated figure but it only made me care about the issue more.

I mostly fear for the future of children who may be pushed to undergo irreversible, profound medical procedure before they’re old enough to know better because doctors and parents are afraid to speak up – transitioning children should  become illegal. I fear for girls and women whose spaces are taken away from them, and I fear about us losing the ability to have a peaceful, logical discussion about the issue. I care about the language to describe ourselves being taken away from us.

I have set up a website in my native language (the only one that I know of) where I collect materials, make facts and stories accessible and write about the issue freely.

I also continue to be active on Facebook and Twitter (although I had to start using a pseudo-name on Twitter). Some friends and I are preparing to start lobbying with politicians to make underage transition illegal and to preserve sex base rights in my home country.

My friends and I are also in touch with organizations in Canada and the UK hoping to make our voices heard.

I have lost friends, but so far that is it. I have a secure job and my employers and co-workers don’t speak my native language and are not aware of my “extracurricular activities”.

The Trash Patrol/Sayeret Zevel, Academic, immigrant, radical feminist who’s sick of crap, USA

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Academics and researchers Healthcare

I’ve been horrified by the levels of groupthink and bullying I’ve seen

I’ve never been happy with masculine gender roles & had a ‘trans’ phase in my teens; I mostly kept it to myself, and it passed. It’s a sad experience to have, but men who have it aren’t women, and can’t speak as or for women – and they can’t literally change sex.

I’m alarmed that these basic truths are now being denied, particularly on the Left – it seems like a betrayal of the gains of feminism. I’ve also been horrified by the levels of groupthink and bullying I’ve seen, and the ‘cancelling’ of good socialists by their former allies and friends (e.g. Laura Pidcock).

I’ve done very little, least of all under my own name – a reply to the odd consultation, a few conversations on blogs and Twitter, a few (very difficult) conversations with my children.

I’ve removed identifying details on Twitter after a TRA (trans rights activist) made threatening noises (“I’m surprised that someone in your position”, etc). Even so, most of my friends and contacts – on social media, IRL, at work – don’t know my views on this, and for now I’m keeping it that way.

To date, two people have broken with me on social media; they’re both people I’d known for 20 years, and one I had counted as a friend IRL (in real life). If I were more open with my views I’m sure I’d lose many more contacts and friends, and I’m concerned that there might be consequences for my job.

A P

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Academics and researchers Healthcare Parent survivor

I am concerned that my gender non-conforming son will grow to hate his beautiful healthy body

I, like too many women, have experienced grooming, rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence and am fearful of allowing men into women’s spaces.

I am concerned that my gender non-conforming son will grow to hate his beautiful healthy body because of the narrative that gender trumps sex.

I have created anonymous social media accounts to voice my concerns and engage in discussion. I have discussed with my children their right to retain their own spaces and their right to express themselves (i.e. their gender) in any way they choose without this altering their sex. I have contacted my children’s schools to discuss their policy re self identifying students.

I felt compelled to step down from an important task force at work re women in STEM when headed by self-ID trans woman and no opportunity or environment for objection.

I have lost friends and been ostracised from left wing, feminist, and social justice groups of which I was previously an active member. I have had to develop new and anonymous social media accounts because changes in work policy have made clear that I will lose my job for refusing to share women’s only spaces i.e. toilets with trans women.

L C, PhD in STEM (medical sciences)

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Academics and researchers Healthcare Men

I feel that free speech is being stifled in academic environments

This matters to me because I’m scared that the TRA movement is aggressively and perniciously invading the basic human rights of women and children. It further matters to me because I feel that free speech is being stifled, notably in academic environments.

I have spoken up on social media, at work and within my union.

I’ve been threatened and bullied on social media so have almost been forced to make anonymous account. I’ve been threatened and bullied at work.

A man who supports women, terrified academic

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Academics and researchers Healthcare

I am concerned about the erosion of women’s rights to single sex spaces

I am concerned about the erosion of women’s rights to single sex spaces, and about gender non-conforming children and young people being directed to hormones and surgery.

I have expressed gender critical views on social media and discussed the issue with friends and family.

I was anonymously reported to my employer for alleged transphobia.

Kate, Adult human female

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Academics and researchers Healthcare

The promotion of absurdities by policy makers is a gift to political ‘anti-elite’ extremists

I recognise and agree with the concerns of feminists and parents of ‘GNC’ (gender non-conforming) children, but the greater concern for me is the abandonment of the most fundamental principles of rational analysis, normal considerations of responsible policy- making, standards of debate, consistency in ethical judgements and simple recognition of banal facts, in favour of respect for the subjective claims of one particular group (with no rationale given for privileging this group).

Consistent principles, grounded in objectivity and rational enquiry are what project minorities and the powerless from the whims of those with power. Meanwhile, the promotion of absurdities by policy makers is a gift to political ‘anti-elite’ extremists and populists. (It’s extraordinary that this needs to be said in the 21st century.)

I have donated to crowdfunders, signed petitions and written responses to UK and Scottish government consultations. I’ve had very carefully chosen conversations privately. I’m silent on social media, beyond liberal use of the like button.

I’ve mostly acted anonymously. My employer is very proud of its trans-friendly policies, I have a family to support and I don’t think the risk-return calculation merits raising my (obscure) voice.

D, University employee

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Academics and researchers Healthcare

I have an abhorrence of totalitarian belief systems and dogma

Because I am a feminist and have an abhorrence of totalitarian belief systems and dogma.  I felt I could not stand by in silence while other women were bullied and persecuted simply for stating facts and for refusing to sign up to an ideological system. I am also deeply troubled by the developmental harms and confusion being caused to children, especially gender non-conforming children, by the way this ideology has infiltrated schools and other educational spaces.   

I have been a signatory to several letters in the mainstream press. I have taken motions to my union at local and national level. I have organized a major feminist conference at my university. I have co-authored a blog on an educational website. I have written to my MP. I have submitted responses to government consultations. I have written letters to university vice-chancellors, editors and other senior academics to protest the treatment of feminist scholars within their institutions. 

I have spoken to the staff and headteacher at the school where I am a governor about their PSHE resources. I have attended several demonstrations and events by WPUK. I  was a founding signatory of the Labour Women’s Declaration. I have shared resources, material and opinions with women in my academic and social networks. I have written to the organizers of an event where a feminist was attacked for distributing material.  I have co-authored pieces in the press. I have used feminist materials in my teaching.  I have joined a local activists’ network …..   

I have been asked to step down from an international editorial board because of my feminist views (after publishing a piece on academic freedom on sex and gender).

SeveraI people in my academic network, some of whom were close friends, no longer speak to me.   I am no longer welcome in some of these network events.

I have had student activists post my name on lists of dangerous “TERFS”, calling on all trans students to avoid my classes because they are unsafe.  I have had defamatory posters, showing my photo and calling me a fascist, displayed on the walls of my workplace. I have been referred to on social media as a bigot and a transphobe – although I am not even on social media myself (partly because I do not have the stomach for all the bullying).   I have been named in defamatory articles by student journalists.   I have been insulted by fellow activists in my union branch.

J, University lecturer