Tag: gay rights

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Healthcare Parent

We must give children who may grow up to be gay the time to decide for themselves their own path

I fear many children are being exposed to ideas and views that would have constituted child sexual abuse just a few years ago. The drive to normalise medical treatment using hormones on children is experimenting on children for the warped ideology of adults with little understanding of the long term side affects. We must give children who may grow up to be gay the time to decide for themselves their own path. Children are not able to make informed decisions on serious life changing treatments.

I’ve spoken to people, posted on FB and Twitter.

I have been called TERF and other such nonsense on twitter.

Jo, So afraid for my daughters having to wade through the lies to get to the truths we all knew to be true just a while ago

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Others

I resent that there are no female toilets in some theatres

This matters to me because I feel like women are being erased. I resent that there are no female toilets in some theatres. I resent that some trans women are trying to push women out of Female only sports. Most of all I resent that this is a battle we have to fight.

I’m on Twitter, I’ve written to my MP, talked to friends about why I feel this is an important case.

Some people think this means I hate gay people. They just don’t get the argument.

Lynne, Adult human female, feminist,  boomer, retired but not dead

Categories
Lesbians

I cannot remember an attack on women like this

I care because I am a lesbian and as such I have supported and contributed to Stonewall campaigns over the years. I am appalled and astounded by both the decisions made and the behaviour demonstrated by Ruth Hunt and her cronies and the terrible way in which this has impacted on women – lesbians in particular. I feel utterly and truly shafted by Ruth Hunt, Stonewall and The Labour Party – particular the soggy shower of female MPs we currently see before us. I have actively subsequently supported AWP, SFW, MMN and all if the various groups who have fought against the GR Act. 

I’ve spoken socially and professionally, posted on social media, attended meetings and actions and donated money

I have been a radical feminist for 45 years and I cannot remember an attack on women like this. As a result of my views I have been abused on social media to the point of feeling depressed, called a Terf many times and not often supported by friends, colleagues and even family, who will privately pledge support but are too scared to speak out. I am not in London and feel generally vulnerable as I have no outspoken like minded supporters where I do live. This is why the GC meetings and actions were so important to me when I could get to them. I will continue to fight this nonsense for my daughter and all the women who come after me ✊🏼

Maggie Moon , Radical lesbian feminist, activist and gobshite

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Healthcare Others

I struggled with my discomfort and thought I was being intolerant and bigoted

I care because I’m a woman and a lesbian. After the T crept onto the end of LGB, I struggled with my discomfort and thought I was being intolerant and bigoted, but thankfully radical feminism and attendance at a meeting of WPUK in Sheffield, where I heard Michele Moore speak with passion and compassion, changed all that.

I care because definitions matter. Sex matters. Being same SEX attracted matters. I care because gender needs to be eradicated as far as possible, not cemented in an ideology that constrains us all and forces us into rigid stereotyped roles. I care because adolescence is hard enough, but telling children their discomfort is because they’ve been born in the wrong body is homophobic at root and conversion therapy at worse.

Many of my friends, including my partner, would have been ‘transed’ as teenagers if they’d grown up now. I care because women’s oppression is because of our sexed bodies and it’s not something we can identify out of.

I’ve attended WPUK meetings, spoke about the Labour Women’s Declaration at the meeting in Leeds in November 2019 and I attended the WPUK conference last October. I have leafleted for Women’s Place UK. I spoke to a small and partially very hostile local Labour Party women’s forum on this issue. I have raised the issue at a Labour Party-run Women’s Development Programme.

I have peak transed a number of friends who thought they supported self ID through discussion and argument, in real life and online.

I am a founder member of Labour Women’s Declaration and remain part of that working group, writing social media posts as part of that group and on my own Twitter and FB accounts in order to raise awareness and share information.

I have met with my local MP about the GRA reforms and written to government ministers, the Labour leadership and other bodies about this issue. I’m part of a local Resisters group; we petitioned our local council and spoke at a council meeting about same sex facilities. I attended a Resisters residential gathering in September 2019, and am a member of a number of secret online forums. I am part of my local feminist network and am setting up a local group of gender critical women in the Labour Party across my city to support getting motions through CLPs (on hold currently because of Covid 19). I have had face-to-face discussions with someone I know who moderates a national Labour Party forum about ‘my problem with trans women’ but whose mind I have yet to change.

I’ve had tweets reported to and removed from Twitter and for which I’ve refused to apologise, so have had to serve out my suspended sentence. I’ve had posts either not shared or removed from national Labour Party forums with no explanation, and I’ve got into protracted arguments with trans activists on Twitter and FB on this issue, including Morgan Oger. But the worst consequence was a spat within my local CLP FB Forum on which a local Labour Councillor less than half my age (who consequently signed the Trans Labour Pledge) told me to f*ck off out of the LP, called me a transphobe and a bigot, set her mum and her partner on me and the result was that I left the forum and I no longer engage at all with local LP politics; I put what energies I have into the national LWD campaign because I am frightened of this becoming too personal. I admire those women who do put themselves out there locally and receive a great deal of trouble for their trouble.

Flabuless, a socialist realist, I worked in higher education for most of my working life and lament the ‘safe space’ it has become in order that no one’s feelings get hurt or brains get challenged

Categories
Healthcare Others

When archeologists uncover the bones of someone dead for thousands of years, their natal sex is easily discovered

I care about this issue because biology matters.  This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that when archeologists uncover the bones of someone dead for thousands of years, their natal sex is easily discovered.  This matters to me also because I am terrified for my grandchildren, that they may be exposed to the warped views of the ‘Gender’ army.

I have written to my MP to ask that she is raises her voice in ensuring there is no change to women’s rights to safe spaces and that the GRA legislation should not be passed without a great deal more consultation.  I have completed the Scottish Governments consultation on changes to the Gender rights Act.  This is particularly important as I live in Scotland.  I have also taken part in a demonstration against the proposed bill.

I have not spoken in a public arena about my views.

Donella, Granny, great granny, lesbian

Categories
Lesbians

I’m increasingly being marginalised within the LBGT community in favour of heterosexual men

I care about this issue as a woman who has experienced male violence physical, emotional and sexual and feel that single sex access to spaces and services is essential for my well being.

And as a lesbian this matters to me because my sexuality is being rebranded as a gender preference and I’m increasingly being marginalised within the LBGT community in favour of heterosexual men who when they identify as women claim a lesbian sexuality. This issue matters to me because if you can compel people to believe we can change sex what else can you compel people to believe.

I’ve attended meetings, signed petitions, written to companies and my local authority. I’ve also taken it up with my former political party and and other political reps. I’m active on social media and even though I’m poor by anybodies standard living on disability social security I contribute to crowd funders when I can.

I often have negative interactions on social media from being called a vagina fetishist to being told I should be raped for my views. I’ve also encountered aggressive protesters when attending meetings.

Toni Morris, I am woman hear me Roar

Categories
survivor

I am a survivor of severe, organised abuse in childhood

First and foremost, I am a survivor of severe, organised abuse in childhood.

Secondly, I have worked for decades for women and vulnerable people, including as a human rights lawyer for victims of violence, as a writing teacher with mothers in prison and the community and in groups campaigning on consent.

Thirdly, I am a bisexual woman and was on the ‘gay scene’ for years.

Fourth, I am a parent and work often in education and concerned with safeguarding. I care deeply about this issue because whilst I think every consenting adult is free to have their own beliefs and make choices about their body, the TWAW lobby is infringing the human rights of others, with harmful implications and it is constantly threatening and seeking to close down freedom of speech.

I have spoken about this issue on social media and in real life for the past three or more years. I have written countless posts and emails and I have kept a diary on this issue to process my own thoughts before formulating my own speech in what can be a fast paced and abuse-oriented environment on social media.

I have been called a “terf” many times. I have been ostracized by a group of women campaigning with me on abortion rights (though remained good friends with others). On social media I have been told directly that I am “fascist scum” or I have been patronized as an abuse survivor who is somehow biased, disregarding my qualifications as a human rights lawyer and background supporting people. Other negative consequences include the mental health toll of constantly being “gaslit” implying that I am the person in the wrong. A tactic used by those who want to reframe reality the world over and I know that, yet still so sad and wearing!

Anna Morvern, Writer, speaker, teacheryer, translator

Categories
Healthcare Self employed / entrepreneurs

How can anyone not care about that?

I care about this issue because it erodes women’s sex-based rights and causes harm to people who will end up regretting medical transition. Gender identity ideology is incoherent and implicitly relies on, and promotes, regressive sexist stereotypes. Legislating that people must regard male people as female or vice versa is profoundly illiberal and undermines freedom of conscience.

The way in which gender identity ideology has been promoted has resulted in a stifling of normal and essential debate in clinical and political arenas. This has meant that in discussions about serious medical treatment for children, political aims have superseded good medical practice, which is extraordinary. How can anyone not care about that?

I have written to a small political party I used to be a member of, sadly with little effect, and written to other politicians. I’ve donated to gender critical projects. I’ve set out my arguments on Twitter. I decided to do this under my own first name and profile photo, which scared me as I’d seen the abuse that other women had received. But as the views of gender critical people are so routinely misrepresented, I felt I had to do this.

People who know me know that I am not a right wing fundamentalist: I supported gay marriage, raised money for refugees, and am an environmentalist. I wanted my followers to see that someone with similar views to them on other things was gender critical, in the hope they’d listen to the arguments.

When I decided to speak up, I gave up my business account on Twitter. I suffer from anxiety and I knew that I couldn’t handle it if I started getting abuse on there, I wouldn’t be able to defend myself properly.

It’s not as difficult to argue back from a personal account. I think I was right to do so, having seen what happened to Jess de Waal (an embroidery artist who was targeted after speaking up). If I wasn’t financially secure I probably would not have spoken up, I’ve certainly lost sales over it.

The debate has affected my mental health but it would have done so even if I’d remained silent – the disingenuousness of many who smear gender critical women has really astonished me. It’s made me despair because the scientific community has gone along with all this, I’ve lost a lot of the faith I had in people and in democratic checks and balances.  I’ve lost one or two friends over it but not many.

Sheena, Ireland

Categories
Lesbians

I’m a lesbian and I see the way things are affecting us

I care because not only am I woman, I’m a lesbian, and I see the way things are affecting us. Yeah, retaliation sucks, but it’s the right thing. It’s hard work but necessary work.

The biggest thing I’ve done is join online discussions (since I’m not in the means to travel right now). I’m also planning on starting underground organizations.

Oh yeah! I’ve had people threaten to doxx me, I’ve been banned from online groups, I’ve had my personal profiles screenshotted and posted to other groups I was not in. I’ve also received rape threats and murder wishes.

Peach, lesbian, 23, Georgia USA, YPJ supporter. Twitter: 7layerburrithoe, USA

Categories
Lesbians

I’ve already been labelled a terf for daring to say that I won’t date a TIM

As a lesbian, I’ve already been labelled a terf for daring to say that I won’t date a TIM {trans identifying male), let alone sleep with one, because I am not attracted to male genitalia or masculine posturing.

I have started to have discussions with close friends and speak up a little more on Facebook.

I’ve been defriended by a friend, and labelled transphobic.

Stephanie, Historian, writer, USA