The Gender Dissidents SurveyI am a trans widow and now have a trans identifying son.
I have told my story in detail and will share it as much as possible. I have spoken out to friends, associates and anyone how show an interest in engaging.
I have been cut out of my son’s life, I have been cast as a terf, a bigot, unstable, dramatic, selfish and mentally ill.
Jennifer K, Mother, feminist, survivor, force to be reckoned with, Ireland
This matters to me because I am a lesbian, and have been harrassed by trans activists before I even know what a terf was. When I was younger(around 18yo) I was a vocal feminist and lbgt activists on tumblr, and supporting trans people, but a lot of trans messaged me saying I was transphobic because I asked trans people questions to better understand and help them. After that, I faced more and more issues with harassment based on my sex and sexual orientation, so I stopped being an activist for social issues for a while, trying to understand where I was wrong.
Last year, I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t wrong, and made another blog, going back to being a feminist and lgbt activist. Without the T this time.
I also care because when I was young, I fell in love with my female best friend, and I tried being more masculine to woo her, so I know that being a lesbian can be confusing and I want to help young lesbians to not hate and change themselves.
I created a new tumblr, a twitter account, I try to donate when I can, and to speak up when it doesn’t put me in danger. I plan to volunteer at a women’s shelter at the end of the pandemic.
I have been harrassed online (death threats, pictures of dead and abused animals, threats of men saying they would hurt children if I keep speaking my mind…) and I have lost some friends over it. It’s still something I can’t talk to some of my friends because I know they would disapprove without letting me explain my experiences.
Lavande, Lesbian working in publishing, France
I may have limited exposure and knowledge of all the aspects of feminism, but as a female born woman who completely embraces her physiology and sexuality as a woman and developing my own personal relationship and identity as a woman I would like to be able to keep that word for myself. I feel protective about it and it feels like if I don’t change what that word means, then I’m excluding people and therefore a bigot or transphobe or someone hateful. Why does celebrating or embracing my womanhood now feel like its a threat to other peoples rights?
I have commented on posts and replied to comments on facebook and twitter.
I am holding my breath because I feel I will be attacked harshly for speaking up.
Ida, USA
The current state of trans- orthodoxy is directly at odds with my feminist ideals and with L&G rights. From an intellectual perspective, there is an inherent regressiveness to ideas that mark “femininity” as what makes one “female”; this, in turn, has real-world practical implications that are incredibly damaging to those marginalized on the basis of sex: women and girls. Also, from a philosophical/academic perspective, I cannot stand the incoherent nature of current trans- orthodoxy. Ultimately, I think that it currently is hurting EVERYONE.
I should also note that I believe that this new orthodoxy is creating a culture of authoritarianism on the left that will be hard to overcome.
I have made posts on social media, primarily in replies, on topics related to trans- issues, usually speaking about verifiable statistics (including contributing to corrections on homicide claims), conflicts between trans- orthodoxy and queer theory, and the shift in rhetoric and ideology within trans- communities in the last 20 years.
I’ve lost all of my income from one sector of my freelance work, accounting for the bulk of my income. I’ve been vilified in that community as a bigot and a transphobe. I’ve lost some friends – including very good ones – for my so-called ‘hate’.
A, former academic, freelance writer, male, USA
I care about this issue because I feel that, as a 23 year old woman, I am being silenced. I have gone from being in a large friendship group of LGBTQ people to a close knit group of women. I felt like I had to adapt to their space, their feelings, their activism but I felt a lack of support. Despite being in that space with so-called friends, I never really felt as though I was heard. My feelings of vulnerability did not match theirs and I am tired of defending my feelings. I want to feel safe as a woman.
I have started writing about womanhood and eco-feminism as I believe in using my words as power. Although, I would love to do more. I just haven’t found the right group of women yet.
I have been accused of “changing”, implying I crossed over to the dark side…but if “changing” means finding my voice then, yes, I have changed. I hope many other women change too.
S.Yule, Young woman finally using her voice
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
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
This matters to me for many reasons. Because women are being erased and redefined, reduced to their bodily functions, recategorised as a sub section of their own classification, having their rights removed and their ability to stand up for and protect themselves reduced. Because I worry for especially young women who are learning who they are and taking drastic actions which they live to regret. Because I’m seeing an increase in homophobia. Because there are troubling safeguarding issues for my daughters.
Because the males who are impinging on women’s protected spaces are affecting vulnerable women and certain religions and because asking why there’s a male in your safe space isn’t protecting women it could get you arrested for a hate crime. Because I’m dismayed that decent people who think they’re being liberal and welcoming are unaware of the cost to women. Because I see so much aggression and vile comments aimed at level-headed women just trying to raise awareness of the issue.
I’ve not done much. Discussed it some with family. Chat in private groups of like-minded women. I was sharing stuff on Twitter but I’ve dialled back on that because I’m freelance and I’m working currently with a third sector organisation and they are notoriously ‘woke’.
A year ago I was right there on the Trans Women are Women side of the fence, but then I started to see how simply raising legitimate concerns and questions about how we could accommodate male bodied people into women’s and girls’ safe spaces got you instantly labelled as a TERF.
And I started to see male bodied people using their self ID to access and beat women out of female specific awards and sports and scholarships that were there to redress the male focused opportunity and privilege, and then I started to see rape crisis centres have their funding cut for trying to protect traumatised women from sharing a safe space with a male bodied (ergo more physically powerful) person, and Jessica Yaniv and male bodied people who self ID abusing vulnerable women in prison. (Obv, not all Trans people.) And again when women tried to raise legitimate concerns about these things – whilst still trying to find a way to support trans people and help them to find a way to live their lives as they want to, safely and free from abuse and incorporated and welcomed – still being shouted at and labelled transphobic. And then I saw lesbians being called bigots for being same sex attracted. And then I saw people trying to pretend that actual biology ergo science was not a tested, provable thing which is a very dangerous route to take. Then I’m afraid my position shifted somewhat.
I started out just asking simple questions about safeguarding and was called transphobic and a TERF very quickly. I saw the same pattern repeated again and again with pleasant, caring women who showed concern for trans women and wanted them to live safe happy lives but not at the expense of women feeling safe and secure because of opportunistic men taking advantage of self ID, being threatened and called bigots and then I realised there was something very wrong with the TRA movement.
Shiv, Woman, mother, freelancer, feminist
Women’s sex based rights and what’s happening to confused children, which in my opinion is abuse in plain sight.
I’ve spoken out on social media, spoken out to friends at work. Written to my MP (who I know disagrees with me), raised it with other MPs when I’ve seen unfair things happen.
I’ve been called a terf, bigot, right winged, old out of touch woman, all the usual stuff.
Julie Evans, Feminist, a real one, who knows what a woman is.
The Gender Dissidents Survey