Tag: women's rights

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Public Sector

I have joined the equality committee of my union to try to make a difference.

I am worried about the effect of transgender ideology on women’s rights. For example, “gender” replacing “sex” on official forms, equality law being misrepresented with “gender Identity” cited as a protected characteristic when it is not and “sex” omitted, former women’s toilets being made “gender neutral” while the men’s is left as it is and the overall misogyny of a movement that insists on labelling women “cis” and calling us “transphobic” for wanting to talk to other women about our bodies.

I have posted on social media (Twitter) anonymously. I am afraid to use my real name because of the hatred and harassment by trans activists I have seen. I have stated concerns in a “feminist” group on Facebook but was thrown out by a man for refusing to state “TWAW”. I have discussed the issues with friends in real life. I have stated concerns about the lack of women’s toilets in a union meeting. I have joined the equality committee of my union to try to make a difference.

I have been removed from an online “feminist” group and been shouted down at a trade union meeting. I have been verbally abused on social media which confirms that my decision to remain anonymous is the correct one.

Sarah B., Feminist who believes that any form of feminism that centres male people is not feminism

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Others

I once was a TRA, and considered myself a trans man/non binary

This matters to me because I can’t unsee the truth, that this is a bigger threat to women, homosexuals and free speech than I had ever imagined possible. I had no idea how quickly and easily all our legal rights could be taken away, and how much hated and indifference society and men feel towards women.

I once was a TRA, and considered myself a trans man/non binary. But deep down I knew the rhetoric I was trying to convince myself was progressive and forward thinking was the most regressive sexism and entirely because of trauma.

I now consider much of the gender movement a cult, promoting an entirely nonsensical agenda which is applicable to pretty much anyone who isn’t a walking stereotype, and conveying transition as a wonderful, liberating journey, rather than a serious medical undertaking with many risks, and irreversible and unknown consequences.

The thing I find the most unbelievable, other than the most insane misogyny I’ve ever seen, is the attack on free speech. The complete complicity of the media, government, NHS, the police and many public figures who are not only parroting rhetoric they themselves cannot explain, but aggressively denounce groups like a Woman’s Place UK and LGB Alliance as hateful. That anyone could watch the videos or read the website of the former and view it as bigoted hate makes me feel like I’m living under Stasi dictatorship, where something is so obviously wrong, yet everyone is publicly paying tribute to the ideology in the face of all evidence, reason, and plain sanity.

I am active on social media ‘under an alias’ and speak about it with trusted friends and colleagues.

I’ve had aggressive responses online. But in person no, only because I keep it completely secret most of the time.

CJ, GC women’s rights activist, CJ_liberte

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Men

The transactivist movement fails a basic test of morality

The erosion of women’s rights should matter to everyone. Firstly, anything which restricts and diminishes the potential of half of humanity is, self-evidently, a massive setback for all. More drastically, hard as it may be to imagine, the erosion of women’s rights should matter to everyone because the ideology driving these attacks is not based on reality. 

Any time adherence to an ideology is prized more highly than adherence to the truth, bad things – some times truly terrible things – follow.

Further, the transactivist movement fails a basic test of morality-  considering the consequences of one’s actions for others.  Theirs is not a demand for fair treatment. This is not zero sum. As many women have highlighted, what could be more misogynistic than the erasure of women as a category? 

Sadly, I have done not nearly enough to raise my voice, though I am working towards it. I am full of admiration for those who have.  I’ve lost friends already by refusing to go along with what I know is wrong. 

I’ve been excluded from groups and have lost friends as a result of speaking out against the erasure of women as a category.

Will W, musician, educator, coder, Spain

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Lesbians

I’ve seen young lesbians trying to turn themselves into men where I work

I care about this issue because I’ve realised that women and girls are losing their rights to men. Also, because of controlled speech – everyone is losing their right to freely use correct biological pronouns when addressing others – freedom to tell the truth.

I care because I know lots of adult lesbians who wished they were a boy when their breasts started growing, grew out of it, and now are perfectly okay with turning out to be lesbians. I care because I’ve seen young lesbians trying to turn themselves into men where I work – a twenty year old has grown hair on her face and had her breasts removed. She looks like a girl with a hairy face and no breasts. Social contagion is destroying young people’s bodies.

No baby is born in the wrong body. I think it’s stemming from homophobia- it’s better to pretend to be the opposite sex than to be a lesbian.

Transgender women – men pretending to be women and demanding rights that destroy women’s rights is a different kettle of fish. A fetish. Autogynephilia. It stems from misogyny from jealousy.  They see women as subservient sex objects, so they mimic badly and play out their fetishes all day. I don’t want to share female places with them.

I have joined social media ( which is a big move for me ), tried to learn more about the issue, and started to speak out to friends and colleagues and family. I’ve spoken up in online groups and been kicked out of them. Where I live it’s a very small community so that’s made it hard to meet people. I’m fairly new to speaking up, but feel I must on this issue. It’s a start.

I’ve been made to leave online social groups because of saying, politely, that LGB should drop the rest of the alphabet as they’ve nothing in common with transgender people. Where I live, that’s difficult.

Doc, Enough is enough

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Others

Gender isn’t an accurate substitute for what it’s like living in a female body

I care because women’s rights exist on the basis of sex. Gender isn’t an accurate substitute for what it’s like living in a female body.

I have been vocal online as myself and with a sock account.

I have lost so many friends and professional contacts that I barely have any left.

Germaine F, Female human being, USA

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Others

I have been met with disbelief, e.g. “that would never happen” type responses to things that have already occurred

I believe that this is part of a major rollback against women’s rights and I’m concerned for my safety and that of all women and girls if single sex spaces are lost.

I have only felt brave enough to make few anonymous posts online and tentatively mention the issues at work. I have filled out government consultations online and signed petitions too.

I haven’t been negatively affected but I have been met with disbelief, e.g. “that would never happen” type responses to things that have already occurred.

Jiggery Wokery, Politically homeless left-winger

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Others

While there is a significant overlap between the two, they are not the same

I care about this because I believe strongly in both trans rights and women’s rights but while there is a significant overlap between the two, they are not the same. I want properly written laws which are properly thoughtful to the needs of biological women, trans women and trans men  not coopting women’s rights without thought to differences or equal consideration to trans men.

I have taken part in surveys and spoken to friends in person.

There have been no consequences because I have only spoken to people I feel safe with.

M

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Parent

I have never felt more passionate on any other issue than this

I care because I have a daughter and the thought that she may grow up in a world where she will enjoy less protections than I have, terrifies me.

I feel I would be letting her down if I don’t do something to stop this erosion of women’s rights.

I have never felt more passionate on any other issue than this.

I have spoken up on social media, both under my own name and a pseudonym. I have attended several women’s events and pledged money where needed/where I can. I have spoken to most of my real life friends and family to bring them up to speed on the situation. I have written to my MP several times and I think the next step will be seeing him in person.

One long standing friend called me a transphobe a few years ago and we haven’t spoken since. I’ll never forgive her I don’t think!

We have a non binary person in my team at work and I’m terrified of there being consequences at work if I’m too outspoken about this.

Marisa C, Concerned parent

Categories
Private sector

I was interviewed by my employer’s HR department after a colleague reported me to them for breaching social media policy

I care because we fought for women’s rights for too long to simply give them up to any man who says he’s a woman.  Womanhood is not a costume, it’s a biological state, and we would be wrong if we ignored that reality.

I have shared posts on Facebook, I have tweeted, I have attended feminist events, I have spoken out to friends and colleagues in real life. I have contributed to fund raisers and emailed parliamentary candidates. I still don’t feel as though I have done enough.

I was interviewed by my employer’s HR department after a colleague (I cannot say friend) reported me to them for breaching social media policy. My crime was to share a Standing For Women post on facebook and have a constructive discussion about it. My employer took no action, but it was not a fun experience, and this has prevented me from being as vocal as I would like to be. I am not proud of myself for that.

A, Barnsley feminist

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Healthcare Others

I have a trans-identifying man (transwoman) in my extended family who is aggressive towards women

. The majority of our family are convinced our relative is only ‘lashing out’ because he is ‘oppressed’. (I used to be happy to use his preferred pronouns, but since his harassment of me and violent threats made to other women, I no longer extend him that courtesy.) This has been easy for him to achieve because there is so much propaganda that he can access from lobbying groups, from newspapers, from television companies.

He is over 6 foot tall, young and healthy, and I and some others of the women in my family are scared of his aggression. Currently, I feel unable to report the harassment from him to the police, as I’ve read reports of how police treat women who report these aggressive men.

I also know that his immediate family would be likely to seek revenge whether or not the police took it seriously.

I’ve had to stop speaking publicly in my real name on social media about many issues because I fear that the harassment from him will escalate into direct violence against me and my children. Even when I ‘liked’ a post about women’s rights on Facebook, that resulted in a day or two of abusive messages.

I’m branded as ‘transphobic’ because I fear this individual who happens to call himself trans. He was aggressive towards women before he started telling people he was trans, so I consider this fear to be rational. There’s nothing ‘phobic’ about it.

But I have to keep speaking up for reality because it’s the lies and propaganda about gender, trans people and ‘terfs’ that has created the atmosphere where this young man is able to get away with his abusive behaviour.

I have been able to contribute to the governments GRA consultation and have written to my MP as I don’t fear that confidentiality would be broken.

I also don’t fear that this description of my current situation will be able to be traced back to me because there are probably thousands of us in very similar circumstances.

I have a FB account in my own name that I now barely use, but I have anonymous accounts on other social media where I can share and like reasonable views without being further harassed.

The things I did to publicly speak up were so innocuous that I was surprised that the TW in my family became so abusive towards me so quickly. I shared a newspaper article from the Morning Star written by a transwoman (but apparently, not the right sort of transwoman) and I liked a Woman’s Place UK post on Facebook that wasn’t even about the gender/trans issue, but I was still told this was ‘bigotry’ because they are ‘all terfs.’ My first response was to try to reassure him that he didn’t have to agree with the other transwoman whose article I posted, but there was room was respectful discussion. That led to abusive and threatening messages not just left to me, but also to other women in my family, who were told to break all contact with me if they didn’t want to be called ‘transphobes.’

Before this happened, before he told his family that he’s a ‘woman’, he’d already been aggressive towards women and had been told not to return to his university, so I am wary that the likelihood of his harassment of me escalating is high.

The negative consequences of this are that some of my family no longer speak to me. I don’t know how much that is because they are scared of this abusive person in our family or how much they agree with him that I’m a horrible person for thinking that Women’s Place UK are not evil and for thinking that trans people are allowed diversity of thought.

Other negative consequences are that I am nervous when at home because I don’t know if he will just turn up at my doorstep or how violent he will feel justified to be. He often posts things on social media glorifying violence against the police and fascists. (He considers me to be a fascist.) This has affected my mental health to some extent. I’m sure he’d like me to be more adversely impacted than I am, but I will survive. I have to, because I need to do what I can to protect my daughter, my niece, and other women. I might keep a tactical silence in certain places, but I will not be broken.

AnonForSafety, I might be forced into anonymity for my immediate safety, but I have to keep speaking up for the safety of half of the population