"A man who was raped in a hostel tells of his ordeal"

"...because we as biological women are forcibly reduced to our female body parts. It doesn't matter how we identify or what we call ourselves. I want it to stop, but it shows no sign of stopping. Until the magical day when it does, we need safe spaces for biologically female people. Women."

Yes.

That’s a really interesting and helpful post SomeDyke thank you. I am sorry you have lost friends to this though.

As regards the difference between a straight transman and a lesbian. To me as a dyke it's the difference between a woman who loves other women and womens bodies (including her own), and someone who doesn't. It's a woman who rejects conventional femininity, and someone who doesn't it's just not for them because they're not a woman. Butch for me means saying there are many ways to be a woman, but trans says to me there are very few, and if your interests or appearance vary too much, well, you're obviously not actually a woman at all. Butch says you're willing to be out and obviously a dyke, trans says to me you want to try and hide with the menz and throw women under the bus. Based on some personal experience of lesbians that I have lost to this madness. Rejection of lesbianism and of womanhood, rather than butches who embrace both. It really is a yawning gulf from my old bulldyke perspective............

My main concern with this situation though is the collection of crime statistics. If male bodied perpetrators are recorded as female or women and female bodied victims of violent crime are recorded as male or men, the very new progress that's been made on specificly gendered data collection will be wiped out before we've even been able to analyse it properly

^ this ^ wrappedupinmyselflikeaspool

have no doubt that, in raping a person who protested that he was trans, the rapist got the same extra kick that he would have done by raping a lesbian. But it was still driven by his view of female biology.

YY.

I have so much sympathy for this woman, what an awful awful thing to have happened.

I saw her in the chronicle (not sure if it's the same link, I'm too lazy to check) urging people (women) to come forward if they've been raped. She was saying 'you WILL be believed' and it made me so sad and angry because it's just not true.

I also don't particularly see a trans element, beyond the fact that the victim seems to have seen his trans status as protection. It shows me the depth of his delusion - the idea that his internal 'identity as a man' would be relevant to the rapist. It makes no more sense than a lesbian expecting to be safe from rape because she isn't attracted to men. (And we all know how that goes.)

I have no doubt that, in raping a person who protested that he was trans, the rapist got the same extra kick that he would have done by raping a lesbian. But it was still driven by his view of female biology.

The other thing I wondered was whether this young woman was targeted precisely because she was trans - perhaps the rapist got an extra thrill from singling her out and demonstrating to her that as a biological female she stood no chance against an expression of male power.

While i'm sorry she was raped it also implies that she thinks those of us females who are not trans are asking to be raped. Maybe that's a leap but that's how it feels to me

I agree. I don't think it is a leap. The point is that it's not 'but I am trans', but 'what the f*ck are you doing? I do not want (consent) to have sex with you!'.

Regarding being thrown to the lions, I don't blame vulnerable young women for trying to opt out of femininity, but I do blame grown and mature adults of both sexes for encouraging transitioning as a way of doing this, rather than trying to dismantle the reasons why femininity might make them feel vulnerable and uncomfortable, if that makes sense.

The butch lesbian/transman comparison is interesting. Why on earth would you say actually I am a man, when you can live as a lesbian woman and dress how you wish, have women not won that right? It is homophobic as well as anti-woman.

Exactly. As if a woman's own agency determines whether she is raped.

You have hit it perfectly. Like Smarties and others, I couldn't previously articulate what exactly was bothering me. It's very close to the reason why I find the term 'cis' offensive.

My pic was intended to highlight YetAnotherSpartacus'S quote.

Yes, I think I feel the same. I've come back to this link many times throughout the night and I feel desperately sad for him but this (see pic) strikes a chord with me in a way that I cannot articulate. It does give an under current of being thrown to the lions, and I've no doubt that he doesn't intend for this, but that's the feeling I get too.

Exactly. As if a woman's own agency determines whether she is raped.

And TRAs will have you believe that transmen magically acquire male privilege. It's so tiring. And such an insult.

Reminds me of the account of fit who said after her rape that she told the rapist 'but i'm trans' as if the rapist should just not rape her because she didn't identify as a woman. While i'm sorry she was raped it also implies that she thinks those of us females who are not trans are asking to be raped. Maybe that's a leap but that's how it feels to me.

I feel like that too Smarties.

I don't know if it's characteristic of every forum, but I, for one, read the words of the women on these boards and also have an overwhelming feeling of #proudtowalkwithyou

There are women on this board that I want to meet in RL and shake their hands. You write so eloquently and patiently and with such brutal honesty, it's a crime that our politicians aren't hearing you. It's an honour reading your words and learning from you all, even if some of those words are painful and heartbreaking to write. to you all.

#proudtowalkwithyou

Yes I vaguely remember that too!

Ereshkigal

Yes, I remember that, but it was lack of evidence.

If I recall correctly, the accused man came on here, or someone claiming to be him, and said there was far more to it than was reported.

m.bedfordshire-news.co.uk/sentence-overturned-for-bedford-man-who-called-transgender-woman-a-geezer/story-30109059-detail/story.html

It would be in breach of the Equalities Act, i think. Not sure.

Right so I'm the scenario of attacking a trans-person, it is going to be very difficult to prove that it's not because their trans, right?

Although, having said that, I'm guessing that some kind of verbal assertion would have to be made in order for it to be considered a hate crime. Name calling or something.

And if you happen to call them a man? It's the truth, it's refutable, but it's a hate crime, right? Or has that not yet been tested.

It's a protected characteristic. Being female isn't.

It is, under sex so males are also included, but not considered worthy of being a hate crime.

I feel thrown to the lions, rather than sympathy for the FtT.

It's a feeling I often get from FtTs.