I've been watching the TRA/GC debate for a couple of years now and have noticed that recently a new term has entered frequent usage when dismissing GC concerns: "transphobic dogwhistle". I find it infuriating! It seems to be used any time someone expresses a specific concern (e.g. transwomen prisoners assaulting fellow inmates) that others have also expressed. The implication I guess is of bigots repeating other bigots / "signalling" themselves to each other... rather than multiple people pointing out the same thing perhaps being a sign of genuine concerns?
It seems the conversations go like this: a GC commenter is asked what specific rights they fear women could lose if self-ID comes about. They mention specific things, but those are dismissed because they are "dogwhistles".
Can we pick apart where this term originated and how to challenge it when it is used?