I was one of the transactivists on the channel 4 documentary, I regret what I did — this is why

i was a bit of a vegan warrior, but I would never have shouted abuse or been threatening to a middle-aged woman. Just not in me.

I'd have probably caught her and given a lecture and a leaflet. Which is fair enough if any of this lot want to do that.

I’m sure most of us were awful gits - but my mum would have murdered any of us is we donned a balaclava and threatened anyone.

My sister even got told off for beating up a boy in the year above her at school for picking on her (when his mum dragged him to our front door for an apology and was confronted by my sister - half his size with glasses - ‘what??? Her?????’).

Oh yeah, I'm sure I was a smug little shit in all kinds of ways at 20, and I'm also sure that I was having a lot more fun than this Bets person is. Balaclavas and threatening people, though? No, because that's not fun, not unless you're a very specific and usually male sort of person.

do they disappear in a puff of smoke?

A puff of logic

I’m not entirely sure I’d be revealing my identity to Esther for a cosy pint down the dog and duck.

I’m sure most of us have done daft shit when we were young. I’ve done some right on placard holding, snogged several unsuitable young men and was probably a bit of an earnest twat over some issues. Mea culpa.

However, I never wore a balaclava and threatened anyone. I have always been quite aware that intimidating people is wrong

I’d love to think Esther has has a Damascene conversion and now realised that intimidating women is wrong. But deeds not words. Esther doesn’t get any virtue cookies from me for saying sorry they intimidated women. You are as you do.

I really want someone who thinks discussion threatens their existence to actually explain that.

I've never understood how being gender critical threatens someone's existence. If I say "transwomen are not women; they are transwomen" do they disappear in a puff of smoke?

I'd hate the stomas that so many people live with when they have ileostomies or colostomies to make such a mistake.

Me too - my stoma is 14 years old, I can't be having with 'the teenage years' kicking off on top of everything else...

There were quite a variety of views in the comments considering its the guardian.
I really want someone who thinks discussion threatens their existence to actually explain that.

Oh, The Guardian.

Great news though for 20-year-old randomers with blogs - it's dead easy to get your wisdom up on an international news site - and quickly too. Hurrah!

Consummate use of 'find and replace' too - top journalisting.

Anyway, Esther writes 'the chance to dismantle the truly foolish ideas of many transphobes, humiliating them reasonably in the public square, is one that should be pursued and relished'. Absolutely. The Guardian should now publish articles by the speakers at the meeting Esther violently threatened - how odd, they never have - and then Esther can do so. Can't wait!

Still reading the thread, but the weirdness of “I may be a transwoman but I’m still bigger than most women “.... what ? Just WHAT? How could being a transwoman possibly make you anything else? A gender identity change can’t make someone shorter, or narrow their shoulders. The whole TWAW thing seems to have sucked an awful lot of young people into believing that changing sex is possible.

Since he see transwomen as women but isn't really surprising that he feels he has to clarify that certain *women will be bigger than other ^women.

*transwomen/men
^real ones. The cunty kind.

on the other hand, I did notice the lack of antagonism from their side,

I suspect that's because the pre-moderation would not have allowed antagonistic comments through. Sympathetic subeditors would be aware that's not a good look for the transactivist cause.

For a while the claim was that the neovagina somehow knows that it's meant to be a vagina (sentient body cavity?) and therefore the skin lining it changes from keratinized to non-keratinized mucus membrane.

Thank goodness the body sentience kicks in - I'd hate the stomas that so many people live with when they have ileostomies or colostomies to make such a mistake.

Lately I’ve started to think that studying biological science to A level ought to be compulsory.

Why was science dropped as a core subject schools were judged on in SATs? I think at this point it’s clear that being scientifically illiterate is every bit as damaging as being illiterate or financially illiterate.

The guardian know this already but don't care.

Woops 406 comments actually, and the most liked are GC favourable or 'let's actually debate this'. #nodebate clearly not a good look.

I may be a trans woman, but I’m still bigger than most women and I’m still scary when I’m wearing a balaclava and shouting at you.

No shit Sherlock.

I only just saw the article now. I note that the comments stayed open for 3 hours, yet generated 409 comments in that time. Bearing in mind it was premoderated, there would have been a hell of a lot more comments. This in itself would be a message to the Guardian.

In terms of likes (which is the only option to those wishing to express an opinion not limited by moderation constraints or timing constraints) the likes are currently vastly GC favourable.

Guardian picks were I think a bit skewed to TWAW views (or how lovely they were to do a nice apology... let's ignore their initial violent intimation...) , but those GC ones had many many more likes.

Schools are facilitating this??? What heads know the real issues to be making decisions like this? In loco parentis overstepping their mark!

This is why Mermaids want to get at the kids young - indoctrinate them and they will grow up thinking the same.

This is what they're doing - going into schools and indoctrinating children about gender before they're old enough to understand about sex.

Lately I’ve started to think that studying biological science to A level ought to be compulsory.

For a while the claim was that the neovagina somehow knows that it's meant to be a vagina (sentient body cavity?) and therefore the skin lining it changes from keratinized to non-keratinized mucus membrane.

I've seen people say that hormone treatment induces cell changes so that they literally change sex.
I took a screen shot.

"The whole TWAW thing seems to have sucked an awful lot of young people into believing that changing sex is possible."

Read comments of lgbt (and sadly most "feminism") accounts on instagram, and you get a LOT of that. So many actually think surgery + HRT = sex change.

Sure that other social media places are even worse. This is why Mermaids want to get at the kids young - indoctrinate them and they will grow up thinking the same.

Still reading the thread, but the weirdness of “I may be a transwoman but I’m still bigger than most women “.... what ? Just WHAT? How could being a transwoman possibly make you anything else? A gender identity change can’t make someone shorter, or narrow their shoulders. The whole TWAW thing seems to have sucked an awful lot of young people into believing that changing sex is possible.

....but its ok for terf to be chucked out there every other word...so aggressive and paranoid