How to respond to this...

27 replies

Motheroffeminists · 28/04/2019 22:01

..."I believe, after some thought, that transwomen are women and transmen are men. I don't think you can change sex, it's just that gender identity doesn't always match with biological sex for all people. In addition to this, I believe in equality for all oppressed groups, and I don't think you further the rights of one group by undermining the rights of another. Men kill, rape and abuse women every day and don't need to ID as women in order to access women's safe spaces. Karen White was a failure of the prison service to segregate a sex offender from other inmates in that prison. The trans debate involves some horrible discussions around the issues and these seem to be based on women worrying that self ID will lead to more violence against women. As I said before, men don't need self ID to access women's safe spaces and commit crimes, they'll do it anyway."

I'm at a loss as to how to respond to this. I had asked someone their opinion on trans issues and women's rights. The bit that had me was about furthering the rights of one group by undermining another unless they meant that trans rights should not trump women's rights although I interpreted it the opposite way. Their thoughts seem confused and contradictory and to follow popular opinion rather than be based on critical thought. There was something about what it feels like to be a man or a woman too but as this board has shown repeatedly, no one can answer that. As a woman, I just feel like me. I've never been anyone else so I can't possibly know what it's like to be someone else whether that's another woman or a man.

OP posts:

ByGrabtharsHammarWhatASaving · 28/04/2019 22:35

men don't need self ID to access women's safe spaces and commit crimes

Yes they do, that literally the point of the Karen White case. No sex offender in a male prison will ever be able to gain access to a woman's prison unless he IDs as female. You can't just walk in on a whim! Does he (I'm assuming its a he) think we should just have all our prisons mixed sex then, and just separately segregate the sex offenders?

Maybe it's true of toilets and changing rooms that a dangerous man will go in without needing an excuse, but previously women were "allowed" to recognise that he was male and therefore likely a threat, and shout for help/ leave. Now we have to pretend like we can't see them, pretend they're actually female, and risk being accused of a hate crime if we call for help or try to leave. Not only has the ability of men to enter our spaces increased, our ability to protect ourselves has decreased.

Your friend doesn't sound like they've given this anymore than the most superficial though.

AnyOldPrion · 28/04/2019 22:30

”men don't need self ID to access women's safe spaces and commit crimes, they'll do it anyway”

Men don’t need to join the priesthood or train as teachers. They don’t need to volunteer as scoutmasters. Yet they still do. Predatory men will go to enormous lengths to secure easy access to their chosen victims.

Beyond that, there is the issue that the more men there are in women’s spaces, the more socially acceptable it becomes for men to push those boundaries without being called out, the less women will be able to object or prove that nefarious reasons were at play when a man invades a single sex space that women rely on.

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