Tag: work

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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

I disagree with the dogma of Stonewall

It matters to me because the real work of the Equality Act is incomplete. Removing sex as a protected characteristic undoes the historical work of feminists and activists. I believe all groups of women (including trans women) have the right to freedom of conscience and freedom of association.

I disagree with the dogma of Stonewall and find their campaign slogan troubling (acceptance without exception and ‘no-debate’), on a personal and professional level.

I don’t believe any charity should be unaccountable or beyond critique and intellectual scrutiny and academics should feel able to engage in that critique without risking their professional status and livelihood. 

I have written to the head of equality for my trade union and raised concerns about the behaviour and tactics of high-profile trans-activists. I have communicated that concern to regional officials and my local branch president. I have spoken to my (former) MP. I have spoken to work colleagues I know I could talk to without retribution, but speaking openly is a high-risk strategy and I have not yet done so.

I would be subjected to targeted harassment and probably lose my job.

JC, University lecturer, trade union activist, mum to two daughters, not on twitter – got hounded off

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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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Others

I worry that people don’t really listen

I care about women.

I have discussed with family and friends.

I worry that people don’t really listen, or misinterpret what I say. Its easy to assume the worst about people that don’t agree with you.

AJC, Woman, mother, worker

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Academics and researchers

They even started to tell me that my personal experience (frustration as a woman in tech) is not representative

As a female educator in technology I am very aware of the challenges girls/women confront on a daily basis, and really appreciate the awards/support some organisations provide to give girls recognition in this area. However, it is frustrating to see some times those opportunities have been giving to transwomen.

I have discussed with friends.

I feel some of my friends do not agree with my views and they even started to tell me that my personal experience (frustration as a woman in tech) is not representative. I was very shocked. I will never discuss this online as I am very scared – my workplace is very left leaning so I won’t even dare to talk about it at all at work. This is very worrying that I cannot even discuss this openly. Thanks for providing this platform!

GirlinTech, Female educator in tech , Sorry but no…

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Academics and researchers

As a young child, I was told that I could not participate in the sports that I loved because they were ‘not for girls’

I can’t begin to do justice to the importance of feminism and womanhood in my life. As a young child, I was told that I could not participate in the sports that I loved because they were ‘not for girls’. I have been overjoyed to see the strides made by women’s sport in the past 25 years, and that – on the whole – there are far more opportunities for girls to participate in sport than when I was growing up.

It breaks my heart to see these strides undermined simply to appease a small group of biological males who seek to ‘affirm their self-appointed gender’ by taking the hard-earned place of women in sport. I am devastated that women’s sporting history is being rewritten by people like Lauren Hubbard and Rachel McKinnon.

Girls and women are subject to all manner of abuse – mostly at the hands of men – and they fully deserve (and need) single-sex spaces in which to thrive and feel safe. Every woman knows what it is to feel unsafe and vulnerable, and no-one has the right to dismiss our concerns.

The idea that biological males can simply announce themselves female and enter women’s safe spaces is obscene. I have never felt more strongly about anything in my life.

It is a topic that I discuss with my partner and trusted friends on a daily basis. While I have engaged with some of the public debates on Twitter, I don’t feel that what I do is enough. I am in the difficult position of knowing that if I speak up, I will most likely lose my job – a prospect that I cannot afford to risk at the minute.

My work colleagues have extremely strong views on the ‘transgender’ issue, and regularly use offensive terms such as ‘TERF’ to publicly bully those with genuine concerns into silence. While I have never directly received such abuse, I know that if I were to be more vocal, I would be their next target.

K

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Academics and researchers

I am a competitive rower and I am concerned about possible future changes that would remove the level playing field for women in sport

This matters to me because I am a competitive rower and I am concerned about possible future changes that would remove the level playing field for women in sport. I have seen the physiological advantages of males over females in my sport and want to make sure women retain the right to compete against women.

I have begun speaking to friends about the issues surrounding transgender rights and activism, and the implications for women’s sport and women’s spaces in society.

However due to my field of work (academia) I am too scared of the professional implications to speak out more publicly.

R, Researcher

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Academics and researchers

I saw a TRA threaten a 15 year old girl with rape & choking her with his ‘girl-dick’ because she said girls don’t have a penis

I care because my daughter is a butch lesbian & I saw a TRA (trans rights activist) threaten a 15 year old girl with rape & choking her with his ‘girl-dick’ because she said girls don’t have a penis. I don’t want my daughter, that 15 year old or any other woman or girl to be forced or coerced to accept penis or be threatened with rape.

I care also as the victim of rape, both as a child and adult. I know abusive men when I see them & they want easy access to women & girls.

I started to tweet under my own name & was quietly warned by a friend at work to be careful. I was all of a sudden required to attend diversity training in person, not the usual online kind.

I questioned why sex was absent from the protected characteristics & stated why it was important. The equality lead assured us sex & gender were the same thing and they ‘just want to pee.’

I opened an anonymous twitter account and shut my own down so I can continue to tweet but I have to be careful still. I attended WPUK (Woman’s Place UK) Conference in London & heard you (among others) speak. I completed the GRA (Gender Recognition Act) consultation response. I speak 1-2-1 with other women at work about the issues to sow the seeds & raise awareness. I cross out any survey ‘gender option and hand-write SEX-FEMALE. I financially supported your claim (and will continue to) FairCop, Safe Schools Alliance (thank God for them!) and others.

I had to close my professional account. I was made to attend two equality training sessions within a few weeks, probably because I spoke out at the first & this was followed by an online diversity module 80% of which related to trans issues & which couldn’t be passed unless you answered with gender ID language (calling a trans identified man a woman for example.)

My workload & responsibilities have been doubled, making research & writing impossible & most of my targets also impossible without working a 60-80 week. I know they want me out & I’m looking but its almost impossible with this workload.

Students have nominated me for awards but these were not even put forward for consideration until a savvy student noticed & complained.

Needless to say, only that nomination went through. It is now untenable & I’m so grateful we are working remotely.

Anonymous Academic

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Academics and researchers

I am being given labels which I don’t want to use

It’s important to me because as a female I feel as if I’m being erased. I am being given labels which I don’t want to use (such as cis), my identity as I know it is being forced to become something else.

I now have to tell people my pronouns, I am female, you can see it. I don’t need to tell it to you. I’m not invisible. I am also an Asian person, I can’t change the way I look and neither can I change the way that I look female. (This is not to say that a person cannot change to being trans) – but being female is an innate quality of me. Don’t take it away from me by making me use other descriptors.

I’ve talked about it to colleagues. I’m too scared to do it publicly. There will be a backlash. I see how other people are treated for talking up. By talking up it suggests that you’re transphobic (I can’t say whether I am or not because I grew up in a system and a community where LGBT was not accepted. I’ve tried to be inclusive and be aware of my innate bias)

I’m cautious. If I speak up, I probably would be shunned from my networks and disciplined within my workplace.

Eggy, A person who believes in women’s rights