The Gender Dissidents SurveyI care because the erosion of sex based rights will have serious implications for women and gay people.
I have spoken out at work (teacher). I have had to change my twitter account to be vocal and anonymous. I have discussed with friends. Most agree.
I have been accused of being unempathic at work. Shamed on social media as ‘transphobic and even racist’.
The littlest Homo, Gay, not queer
I care because I want my daughter to have a safer life than I have had. I want her to be able to be confident in raising her safety concerns and not worried about being declared a bigot because she is fearful
I have spoken to friends. I regularly voice my concerns at work as the topic comes up scarily regularly for an infants school.
I have been reprimanded at work for stepping out of my role to complain that they had changed the protected characteristics in the schools equality policy.
I escalated to governors and they eventually agreed the law had not ‘changed yet’ – my work is now more heavily scrutinised and one of my colleagues no longer speaks to me. I have lost friends and a fb account. I use twitter anonymously. I am fearful of making connections with anyone as I can’t afford to be ‘outed’ and lose my career.
Phyliss
This matters because objective reality is important. Women’s rights are being undermined by postmodern misogyny. Woke ideology is sweeping the youth of the middle classes and has captured a lot of government bodies.
I’ve written blog posts (Redline Marxist blog in NZ), I’m in Speak Up For Women, NZ, held public events including touring Meghan Murphy, interviewed Meghan for Redline.
My employer tried to sack me and I left after a mediated settlement. I am a nurse working in sexual health, contraception.
Cassandra (pseudonym), Fighting the new misogyny
I care about the protection of womens sex based rights and the right to discuss our issues openly and without fear of reprisal.
I have four daughters and am frankly terrified that they are growing up in a world where they cannot even call themselves “girls” or “women” without accusations of being exclusionary or intolerant.
I have joined twitter and am using it to educate and research and gain solidarity and strength from likeminded campaigners.
I plan to attend some real life womens rights meetings once they are able to start up again. I’m a natural introvert and find it very challenging to speak up but I’m working hard to find my voice.
KatieA
I am primarily concerned about safety of women in single sexed spaces e.g. Refuges, toilets. Secondly I am concerned about women’s sports. Women’s sports exist to provide a level playing field and allowing trans women with women to compete distorts this level playing field. It will have a negative impact on the careers and livelihoods of women athletes which is already underfunded and under resourced compared to mens sports.
I have talked with family and friends when the topic arises but not done anything practically.
I care because just today a trans women came out at work. However they won’t be dressing as a woman all the time as it “wouldn’t be practical in their job”. It has made me so unaccountably angry. Putting on femalehood like a costume and then taking it off when it isn’t practical.
An acknowledgement that women have it worse but doing nothing about it and just taking the “good” bits.
I am concerned about consequences at work if I was to be more vocal, particularly as my twitter account is mainly used for work, but not exclusively.
I would be fired
Anna
I care because I was silenced in a work meeting by managers. It was Trans awareness training within an NHS hospital. My manager came to sit by me and told me not to speak or I’d risk dismissal.
I have shared factual information on the Equality Act regarding sex and gender.
I have had threats of dismissal.
A
This matters to me personally, as a gay man, and professionally as a social worker. I see the erosion of women’s rights and LGB people’s rights happening before our very eyes, and do not want the country to be taking such a regressive step.
I have raised my voice at work with certain colleagues, though they have largely been in agreement and supportive.
I have been called a TERF on social media and blocked by various people online. My main fear is a complaint to Social Work England, the regulator. While I find it ludicrous that someone would complain when a social worker raises legitimate concerns about women’s rights, LGB rights and child safeguarding, I have seen it happen already to a social work academic.
BF, Social Worker
Any issue where debate is stifled is frightening. This one in particular feels so cultural and of its time and yet it has real long term consequences for the lives of women and men. I’m also deeply uncomfortable with the medicalisation and (invasive) treatment of something that feels like it is more about social factors -trauma, inequality, mental distress.
Such a lot of campaigning effort and big money is being put into protecting the gender identities of a sub group of vulnerable people – but I suspect that the reason many of these people adopt these identities is because they suffer wider deprivations/exclusions.
When my trans friends ask me to call them by their preferred pronouns I do it to protect them from a reality which is hurting them, not because I believe that this is their actual gender.
It feels like a society-wide avoidant strategy which obscures the real issues of poverty, inequality, social disconnection and mental distress by landing on one coping strategy of many and fetishising it. Which hides the pain, and devalues the suffering of countless others.
I am a social worker and I know that people have lost their registration from saying what I think. Fortunately for me, when I worked in children’s social care I did not have any cases where there was a safeguarding concern related to gender identity, otherwise I would have been forced to be more vocal, but at that point I would have sought professional support before doing so.
M, Social worker
I care about the security and sex based rights of women and children and feel that they are being eroded, particularly in work (I work at a University). When our women’s network tried to publish a new menopause policy it was insisted that it contained a paragraph that stated that trans men/women non binary people also suffered with the effects of the menopause. Trans women apparently suffered with ‘psuedo’ symptoms (and this must be recognised within the policy) even when they were born male (and it stated that as fact). I didn’t agree with that. When I complained (during the drafting process) that I did not want to be called ‘cis’ (a female member of staff kept addressing me as that) I was listened to but frowned upon. I definately feel like I am the one that is looked at as ‘the bigot’ in the room when I challenge the way trans women are being slowly entered into policies and other rules that are meant to protect women.
The University /student union introduced a non mandatory trans awareness training course but when I took a closer look at the details, the trainer had blocked me on social media (maybe through a blocking app – many people use these now) so I had no way of knowing any more about the company or the person who was delivering the training. Needless to say I did not attend. I didn’t feel that I could approach the Organisational Development team with my concerns.
I am the women’s officer on our Unison committee. I have tried to raise the issue of gender neutral toilets and how these facilities can be bad for women, nothing is said directly, but again I feel like I am considered ‘the bigot’ in the room for daring to address this. I am usually snapped at (usually by the women on the committee) when I dare to bring it up. I share some articles on twitter (or more often ‘like’ things) but I know there is no way that I could portray my real feelings on any social media post.
I know I would be reprimanded I work if I did this too often.
My University uses Twitter a lot for communication and it would only be a matter of time before someone reported me for any tweets that were considered unsavoury or of having the ‘wrong’ opinion (this is the environment that has been created within the University by trans students).
I am thinking about setting up an anonymous account so that I can be more open about my views.
I have spoken to one female senior member of staff in work about how I feel, she agrees with my view (that there are only 2 sexes) but has also told me that she has to be very careful in her position as she would be reprimanded for not being ‘inclusive’.
I have female friends who are still members of the Labour party and they have a real battle on their hands within the local branches. I left the party this year after my female MP signed the trans rights pledge denouncing A Woman’s Place and LGB Alliance (both of which I support). If you try to address these opinions with her she says trans rights are non negotiable and the conversation is shut down. This is a women with two teenage daughters. I am in my late 40’s and have voted Labour all my life – that will change going forward unless they drastically change their opinion on women’s rights. Being looked upon as a bigot or someone who is not progressive is very, very hurtful. I have stood by gay people all my life and was brought up to treat everyone with respect.
I believe there are women at work who do not approve of my opinions, they don’t say so publicly but my voice has been shut down in certain situations (Unison Committee meetings). It’s nothing in particular or you can put your finger on but I know by the way people react to me (mainly women) I am considered ‘the bigot’. I haven’t pushed issues any further other than Twitter and the Unison Committee but I know that I would be ostrocised at work if I pushed the subject further.Trans students have pushed for a trans policy over the past two years and it has just been introduced on campuses. In my opinion their ‘feelings and opinions’ have trumped everything else and arguing against it will automatically be closed down.
Nia, Wales
I care because I am concerned about the safeguarding of young girls, because I know vulnerable autistic young girls and because my own son thought he was Trans when he was confused about his feelings towards other boys, and people suggested Mermaids to me. I thankfully held off in case he just needed time to work out who he was.
I have had quiet conversations with friends with autistic daughters to warn them to be ultra aware of what they are up to online and what they are hearing at school. I have had frank conversations with my own kids. I have spoken with likeminded friends online privately and on a couple of occasions posted publicly.
S, Mum of teenager
The Gender Dissidents Survey