Who's up for a self-ID day of activism?

I don’t think you would have to go topless in the men’s pond to make an impact. Just going into it would cause enough of an uproar.

Agreed.

BTW tfl is very litigious over the use of the 'roundel' tube logo. I reckon they would not like your version. Sorry!

I have asked to join. My photo shows me in a navy dress

I think the op’s original intent with donning feminine attire and self-IDing as a man, a la Danielle Muscato (who was taken seriously enough to be housed in a women’s refuge) is much better than deliberate parody.

I agree with you there.
We only need to look like ourselves, declare that we are men and Bob's your Auntie.

mamaryllis EXACTLY, and thank you for articulating it so well. I’m struggling with it too, for the same reasons. It has the potential to do a LOT of damage to our cause if done incorrectly. Which is also why I think it should be coordinated and not just a free-for-all of everyone running about doing mad things.

I like your point about feminine attire (but not sexy) too.

It really does run the risk of blowing up if not thought about properly. It’s great that people are keen to do things but it’s easy to get swept away with fun ideas without considering the real implications. This is serious, and I don’t think it should be understated that it could really harm things too.

I have requested to join, my profile is a very pretty GR bitch....

I'll hold your coats.

I really want to like this but it needs to be done very carefully, so that SEX is foregrounded and not gender, thereby accidentally cementing gendered stereotypes and playing into the transagenda. My concerns are based on events like ‘walk a mile in her shoes’ where men who ordinarily inhabit the manliest of gender stereotypes decide that what will really help women and children who have experienced male violence is for them to go full womanface, pull on a miniskirt and pink tights with their heels, trowel on the blue eyeshadow and a giant wig, and mince up and down the high street, hoiking their balloon bosoms or perhaps giving their fingers a lick and rubbing their fake nipples to the delight of their equally attired mates. Society at large deems this a Jolly Good Thing.

Gender performance has a horrible habit of backfiring. Particularly in these very marginal days when gender is so close to replacing sex as the primary protected characteristic.
While I have a wee grin at the manspreading and checking out of packages and hurr-hurring a la Beavis and Butthead, I think we need to be absolutely clear that we do NOT stray into errrrrr.... manface?
In theory I understand the desire to draw attention to the cause by performing gender to the point of parody, (and the idea of topless women in the men’s pond is brilliantly subversive and almost too tempting) but it is too subtle for the majority to grasp.
I’m still wrestling with the idea - I think the op’s original intent with donning feminine attire and self-IDing as a man, a la Danielle Muscato (who was taken seriously enough to be housed in a women’s refuge) is much better than deliberate parody.
I really WANT to parody gender stereotypes. Loudly and obnoxiously. But I don’t think it is the route to be taken seriously.

Why am I so conflicted about this? Any idea? I just think about how well it goes down when men do the same thing at ‘Walk a Mile’ - they aren’t doing it to make a political point about how awful it is that women are reduced to stupid stereotypes - they are gleefully enjoying reducing women to stupid stereotypes. To social approval.
I’m concerned that the political point would be lost amongst the hurr-hurring - how can we make sure it’s not?

@YesItsADebate I think the swim attire you suggested is perfect. I think that would get the point across far better than going naked. Topless swimming would allow the message to be diluted.

@YesItsADebate
I'm a professional photographer. I've also gone back to uni to earn my paper stripes and I'd LOVE to cover this in an official photographic capacity. Both as a participant and as a documenter.

If you're happy to chat, I'd be happy to DM?

how can dinosaur FB refusenicks keep in touch?

Excellent. How will you try to check that we are safe to join the group?

Positively Like the idea of the front of the shirt but not the back. We shouldn’t target individuals

Well done, OP. I do think we need to actively plan and co-ordinate rather than everyone individually doing things. I also think we need to make sure it’s nationwide and not just London.

Also, for whoever hasn’t been reading the original swim thread, I think it should NOT be topless. It would seriously undermine credibility.

So...organisation. First thing: is there a way we can all manage to post together privately about this? There is the secret FB group, which I know some of you are part of. We could DM legit others with that group and then start to organise on there?

Perhaps start with maybe two/three coordinators for each region, who can feed into each other so we know it’s all happening at the same time, and then feed down to other helpers/women who just wish to show?

Yes! I went to the Ladies Pond for the first time a few months back just before their review of policy. A group of us went there specifically because it was Women only. I'll get my tits out in the men's pond with glee.

What bout tee shirts with something s simple as i am a self identifying man on the front and a photo of one of the self identifying 'women' on the back such as the TIM that won the female weight lifting competition, the Tim that won the female fitness comp in jail, there are so many to chose from.

And father's day, yes. Good point. Being a single mum and all.

I'm thinking of self identifying and next time there's a queue in the ladies.