Tag: single sex spaces

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Others

I have to take a thousand different precautions to keep myself safe – but these are useless if men are free to use women’s spaces

It matters to me because as a woman I have to take a thousand different precautions to keep myself safe – but these are useless if men are free to use women’s spaces. Before lockdown, I hadn’t been to my nearest city, less than an hour away, for several months, because the last time I went there was a man in the public toilets in the central library. I don’t know where else to go to the loo safely!

It matters to me because women’s opportunities are precious. We’ve fought hard to get them.

It matters to me because as a girl, me and two of my friends campaigned to be able to do woodwork at secondary school. We won, and the three of us excelled at it, carrying on with it for 5 years and passing an exam in it. Moreover, two years later, instead of girls doing cookery and boys doing woodwork, everyone had a term each of cookery, woodwork and metalwork. I’m really proud we helped bring about that change. But if we did that today, we might well be told we were really boys and be pressured into transitioning. I never wanted to be a boy – but what aboout my parents? Did my father really want a son?

I was vocal on twitter until my anonymous account was closed. While I was there I tried to engage with people who were open to discussion – not easy on twitter, and it did get quite stressful.

I have joined the local ReSisters group.

I have started having conversations with “woke” family members  – it took me months to build up the courage and find the words to do that.

My twitter account was closed.

Sue, Low paid, invisible yet apparently essential

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Healthcare Others

I also care about ‘the wrong type of trans’

I care about this issue because this affects all of us.  From women being allowed single sex spaces and the fight against misogyny for that, to children being medically transed by woke parents.  Child safeguarding is a massive concern within this agenda.  I also care about ‘the wrong type of trans’, these people just want to get on with things and contribute to society in a normal way.

I have lost several twitter accounts due to speaking out about women’s rights.  I have supported small independent rad fem businesses.  I have donated to crowd funders and spread awareness of the issues we face.

I’ve experienced TRA pile ons, dealt with furries, MAPs and a whole load of inbetweens, trying to normalise their behaviour. 

V, Terf

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Healthcare Others

I have four nieces whose rights to their boundaries I will defend to the death

This matters to me because women’s rights have been hard fought for over a long period of time and have only been legally recognised for a very short period of time. Sex-based rights are crucial if women are to overcome the systemic barriers to equity that still exist in UK society and are particularly important for girls and young women who need single-sex spaces for reasons of safety, privacy and dignity. #

I don’t have children, but I have four nieces whose rights to their boundaries I will defend to the death. I also care about this issue because I am a lesbian, a same-sex attracted women. I object strongly to the idea that any male can self-identify as a woman and simply announce they are now a lesbian because of their heterosexual attraction to females. I am also infuriated by the deliberate conflation of sex and gender in official documents and by public bodies and organisations, in particular the Blood Transfusion Service and the NHS where an individual’s sex matters more than any specious idea of masculine or feminine.

I have signed a number of petitions; completed consultations on gender self-identification and reform of the Gender Recognition Act; donated to campaigns for women’s rights; and attended meetings organised by pro-women’s rights groups. I have written to my MP asking that she take account of women’s voices before committing to any vote on reform of the GRA. I have also written to my MSPs asking that they too take account of dissenting voices when it comes to the proposed introduction of gender self-identification in Scotland and followed up on their responses. I have also shared links to consultations on social media, asking people to take part in the consultation to get as wide a range of voices heard as possible.

I have been the subject of some anger and negative responses from friends on Facebook in particular and been accused of homophobia, transphobia and bigotry from people I considered good friends. That led me to make a conscious decision not to discuss the subject on Facebook, which I have stuck to now for around a year. However, the revelation this week that the Scottish Government is sticking to its redefinition of the word woman in the Gender Representation on Public Boards Act is making me rethink that decision, which I now consider a bit cowardly.

Frances Traynor, still believes that language matters and that words have meaning

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Healthcare Self employed / entrepreneurs

There can be no equality; there can be no ‘MeToo’ movement, if we cannot talk about sex

I care about this issue because I know how much women have had to fight for the rights they currently hold and I can see how easily they are being eroded. Single sex spaces and the ability to define women as a sex class are both integral to being able to fight against and record male violence.

There can be no equality; there can be no ‘MeToo’ movement, if we cannot talk about sex and protect single sex spaces. As a parent, I also care about this issue because equating biological sex with gender stereotypes is regressive and endangers all our children. Children should be able to play with and wear what they want, without being told their age appropriate child development means they are ‘trans’. Further, I am appalled that an untested medical pathway is being promoted as a solution to ever younger people, despite having poor outcomes.

I have written to organisations that have elided sex and gender. I have contacted groups that have jeopardised safeguarding including the NSPCC and Girlguiding. I have completed the GRA consultations. I have contributed to crowd funders and signed petitions. I have joined feminist groups and attended events. I have leafleted. I have also discussed this issue with family, friends and colleagues. I have changed our household purchasing habits in response to companies’ capitulating to trans rights activists and sacrificing women’s rights to placate bullying campaigns.

I have had some awkward conversations with friends and received some hectoring on social media. However, generally, in real life, I find most people agree with the need to maintain the definition of woman and to protect single sex spaces.

MM, Writer, Editor, Feminist

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Healthcare Others

I see it as child abuse

I care because I see it as child abuse- telling children they are born in the wrong body is wrong  and committing them to a life of medication and ill health to promote an ideology based on fantasy, queer theory and profit is hideously wrong!

I also see an erosion of women’s sex based rights that have been hard fought for over time – if a man can simply declare himself a woman it undermines us essentially;  be it in sport, in refuges or any single sex space that is segregated and held for the safety of girls and women . I am aghast that this ideology has taken such hold. Largely autogynephils who are essentially fetishests proclaiming themselves as women. The entire trans umbrella is now a wide apron allowing far too many to stand under in the name of progressive gender politics but is nothing of the kind- it is instead regressive, abusive  and based mostly on narcissist fantasy fuelled by big pharma and bodies with vested interest.

I have written, joined groups, attempted to bring it up at local labour meetings and more.

Yes. I have been shunned by local Labour largely and treated like a pariah for my views.

Shernaz D, Concerned grandmother and woman

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Healthcare Others

I have a niece who insists everyone refer to them as “they” and they want to get a double mastectomy- they are 17

I care about this issue because gender ideology seems so obviously harmful, with more children and young adults wishing to become permanently medicalized and feeling they have to change their name simply because they don’t want to confirm to rigid sexist stereotypes.

I have a niece who insists everyone refer to them as “they” and they want to get a double mastectomy – they are 17. Other than that, they remind me so much of virtually all of my friends when I was 17. Edgy, into the latest cool look, playing around with image, being provocative in all sorts of ways. The most we did was tattoos, piercings and food-colouring hair.

Double mastectomy?? New name?? Abusing people for using normal pronouns? It’s like a generation has no new ways left to be shocking and this is it.

Ultimately, I care about protecting women’s spaces from this absurdity.

I’ve donated a lot to crowdfunders who aim to protect women’s spaces. Donated to to eg yours Maya, Posie Parker’s, Jennifer James… Many more, but I mentioned JJ because I remember the Labour keep All Women Shortlists female Only campaign was a turning point for me.

Women are excluded from politics, not because they stick some lippy on, but because they are of the sex who fall pregnant, and everything that comes with that.

Unfortunately the JJ campaign seems to be completely stuck in the mud, but that’s where trying to come up against the Labour Party will get you I suppose.

I have replied to more petitions than I can list here.

I have tentatively raised concerns (WRT women’s spaces) with friends and have, to my relief, found many agree with me. My brother is too woke at the moment, but my Dad has been diamond.

Well, my brother said I was “like a racist” because I thought Transwomen shouldn’t be in women’s sports or prisons, and appears to have typecasted me as a bigot, despite myself being very lefty and liberal, so our relationship has soured a bit.

I got “ghosted” by a Canadian friend who works at the BBC, after I stated I wasn’t 101% supportive of R McKinnon (winning women’s world records). I actually thought they might be different.

I haven’t raised the issue with my child’s school or at work at all. I know how risky it can be.

Ophelia Forte, Mum, feminist, gender free

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Education

I have seen badly drafted laws passed, with negative consequences

I care because I see an undermining of the very concept of truth. Certain truths have become unspeakable because groups of activists have deemed them hateful or distressing. I care because I have seen badly drafted laws passed, with negative consequences. Even worse, I’ve seen interested parties covertly undermining the laws that help to keep women and girls safe. I have two daughters. I do not want them to have fewer legal protections than I have had, and I do not want them to be silenced from speaking the truth.

I have shared my concerns with friends and family, and had very positive discussions with each of them. I have introduced several people to WPUK (Woman’s Place UK) and brought my daughter and a friend to the Women’s lib 2020 conference. I have challenged my daughter’s school about their mixed-sex toilets, supported safe schools alliance, and contributed to many crowdfunders.

There have been no negative consequences so far, possibly as a result of not being on social media. I am concerned as to potential reactions of my colleagues, should this issue be discussed at work.

Diana, Teacher

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Self employed / entrepreneurs

I could not work out how it was supposed to be ok for an adult male to bash an adult female in the boxing ring

Fairness and safety are the main reasons for my involvement in the issue. Fallon Fox was my entry point to the debate and I could not work out how it was supposed to be ok for an adult male to bash an adult female in the boxing ring. Not fair nor safe for most female sports. Nor is it safe to allow men into women’s single sex spaces like prisons or hospital wards. It certainly is not fair to allow men to take political spaces reserved for women when we have such shockingly low political representation anyway.

I support all the fabulous GC women on Twitter and occasionally on Mumsnet. Support entails sharing information, writing comments, meeting radical feminists in my locality for meetings and talks, attending two WPUK meetings as well as their awesome conference. I did lobby my MP several years ago about the objectification of women in the British press and think the huge underlying problem of male violence against women is why we are pushing back so damn hard.

I am an early career researcher and have remained semi anonymous as Universities seem particularly susceptible to the GenderWoo. Totally dreadful bullying of current female academics just makes me think I will never get employed in an already difficult competitive field if my views are widely known. That said it is obvious to those that do know me who I am online and I lock my account when applying for jobs.

KB

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Healthcare Parent

The next argument would be let them decide when they can have sex

This matters because I have very young children. Trans rights activists want to indoctrinate my perfectly healthy children into thinking they can change/choose their gender. Dysphoria is a mental illness. People aren’t born in the wrong body. Particularly, if they do not present DSD. Stonewall are coming after the kids. I’ll give you crazy. this whole thing – erasing single sex spaces, teaching kids session 4 of proud trust BS is a front to reach the kids and lower the age of consent.

It’s a systematic procedure to allow child sexual abuse. GI just promoted children to look intensely at their body. In ways, it densensitises the way they feel. Distant and overly sexual. If an under 8 is taught to enjoy their bodies as per WHO suggestion then the next argument would be let them decide when they can have sex.

I speak about it to as many people willing to listen. I’ve signed petitions. I’m raising posts to put on Asian forums as Asians tend to comply a lot and have faith in schools. They need to know about these ideologies.

Negative consequences? Yes, that I’m a bigot. Transphobic. Why does it bother me that a “few” are in a predicament. Does it really harm me? How many “ trannys” have I actually come across. Arguments within the family (English side).

H P, Woman, daughter, sister and mother. Then wife, Hinalks

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Healthcare Voluntary sector

I have watched too many abused women and their children walk out of services …because they are no longer being treated as single sex spaces

I care because I have spent more than 20 years providing advocacy and support for victims of male violence and for the last few years have watched too many abused women and their children walk out of services other women fought tooth and nail to have provided for them, safe spaces away from men and the risk of abuse

They are walking out because they are no longer being treated as single sex spaces and the main services providers for some reason want to pretend this is OK women are being made to feel unsafe and uncomfortable by the services meant to help them.

I have where ever possible challenged the TWAW rhetoric and the women shouldn’t be scared of other women nonsence.

I’ve been threatened with violence both online and in real life.

T