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Original poster

Are feminists getting played?

836 replies

Maniak · 26/07/2019 14:20

It makes me sad that feminists are spending so much time banging on about bathrooms in a world that has women still working for no pay, old women still more likely to be poor, surrogacy, underfunded maternity care, and poor support for carers. And other stuff.

Yes, the trans thing is annoying, but have you noticed how it always fires up before major elections? It's like Afghanistan in the 80s when the US provided just enough weapons to keep the war going so Russia would use all it's energy and get weak.

I feel like feminism is getting distracted with the trans stuff. At most, it should take up 10 percent of our feminist attention. But I rarely see feminism these days that isn't all about trans. Seriously. Do you think we're getting played here? Is trans really such a big deal?

OP posts:
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SuperLoudPoppingAction · 26/07/2019 14:35

Unless and until women can go back to arguing for our sex-based rights, nothing we work for will genuinely benefit us.

See the UN Women announcement that they are now about gender equality for all.

I spend my days supporting women in all sorts of ways.
My campaigning energy is generally expended in the direction of trying to preserve a feminist analysis in public policy because I need it to do the rest of my work.

Datun · 26/07/2019 14:35

The problem with old women, poor women and funding for women is it's meaningless unless you can define the cohort you're talking about, and why they need your attention.

The public consultation has not yet had its results published. Therefore, it is still live, in terms of what the government intend to do. Hence the urgency and preoccupation with the issue. As there are still people to influence.

And, importantly, a byproduct of learning about the trans issue is that it's creating new feminists. You can't learn about it without being comprehensively informed of the misogyny behind it.

It's eye opening to a lot of women who hadn't quite realised.

Original poster
Maniak · 26/07/2019 14:33

"However, if this isn't resolved it will be catastrophic for us - we won't even be able to talk about "women's rights" at all or assert our own boundaries in respect to our bodies. "

Well, one way would just be to roll over on the semantic stuff, and just be womb-bearers or whatever. Don't get me wrong, I hate all that language, but it is just words.

OP posts:
ArranUpsideDown · 26/07/2019 14:33

RosaFreedman1983 's summary of the origins of Human Rights and how Women's Rights came into being is succinct and invaluable:

IfIShouldFallFromGraceWithGod · 26/07/2019 14:31

Anything about women and for women is meaningless that should be

ArranUpsideDown · 26/07/2019 14:30

It is a big deal, and an existential threat to women's rights.

Particularly those examples where Human Rights are being used to undermine women's rights and Children's Rights. And, in a surprisingly short timeframe, remove women's legal protections.

IfIShouldFallFromGraceWithGod · 26/07/2019 14:30

Until it is sorted its everything
Unless woman has a definition that excludes men a tying for and about women is meaningless

Original poster
Maniak · 26/07/2019 14:30

"There are hundreds of threads in FWR exploring this issue from different angles"

I know. That's my point. Wink

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GCAcademic · 26/07/2019 14:27

I do think there is a concerted attempt to distract us with the trans stuff, and it's part of a much larger agenda to roll back women's rights. There is a very obvious overlap between TRA and MRA agendas. However, if this isn't resolved it will be catastrophic for us - we won't even be able to talk about "women's rights" at all or assert our own boundaries in respect to our bodies. It is a big deal, and an existential threat to women's rights.

ErrolTheDragon · 26/07/2019 14:26

I'm inclined to think it's a big deal and we're being played.

boatyardblues · 26/07/2019 14:23

Is trans really such a big deal?

Oh, I dunno - there are hundreds of threads in FWR exploring this issue from different angles. How about you go off and do some reading in your own time, rather than expecting us to explain it for the millionth time. 🙄