Two questions about the phrase "gender critical"

I'm fine with gender critical. Maybe it's because I remember when the usual word was 'terf', which was an insult and a threat. At that time, people wanted to be called gender critical. TRAs used to say 'gender critical is a euphemism for terf'.

Gender critical is appropriate because it means a) critical of gender stereotypes and b) critical of genderism. All feminists should be against gender stereotypes, and obviously in my opinion, they should reject genderism as well! Since it's based on gender stereotypes.

The problem we have now is that 'gender critical' is being used for anyone who opposes genderism, including social conservatives who're fine with gender stereotypes, so long as they attach to the conventional sex. But I'm not sure what we can do about that.

I'm not a 'gender abolitionist' because gender is about social roles associated with sex, and sometimes you need to differentiate between women and men, like in sport, or crime statistics, or changing rooms.

And shouldn't it be up to individuals how they want to dress themselves, free of that societal pressure and limited commercial choices.

Woah I think that's a little extreme. More like there are just t-shirts, jeans, jumpers etc in various sizes and styles. Surely you can't ignore how aggressively gendered fashion is? Utility for boys and men, aesthetics for women and girls.

But what people tend to do can't be separated from society's expectations of gender. Ie what feminists mean by the patriarchy. Gender is the mechanism by which women are oppressed, even in Liberal societies.

Senua they tend towards these 'genders' because of our highly gendered world/society/culture no? I fail to see how you can be truly 'left to your own devices' in such a toxic context.

That's not really a common definition, to be fair. If anything, I suppose it's closer to the libfem definition of gender as a self-conception, or the conservative definition of gender as a sex binary of the mind, rather than the GC definition of gender as a sexist imposition. I wouldn't count the first two as being genuinely progressive.

Biological realist?

What is gender if not stereotyping?

Interesting discussion. It does feel as though there isn't a great word to describe our beliefs.

I am interested to know what the difference is between being a gender abolitionist and a person who wants to abolish gender stereotypes?

To my mind gender is the set of stereotypical expectations put upon people on the basis of their sex. So if you abolish the stereotypes the whole idea of gender goes as well.

I think my issue is with trying to make people fit the stereotypes. People should be accepted for who they are regardless of how feminine or masculine they are.

It doesnt describe me, yet I apparently am this, but Im not in many ways.

I don't see why gender-critical and abolitionist are incompatible. If someone says they're GC, I understand they mean they want to abolish gender. What else would it mean? It's the foil to gender-affirmative.

AFAIK the phrase began because people who agreed with feminists but didn't want to be called feminists wanted a name. I agree that using the term 'gender' is a mistake.

I don't have a problem with gender critical if the implication is it involves critical thinking.

Would not refer to myself as GC but don't care about being grouped that way.

Using the phrase GC makes it sound like believing in science and knowing what a man and woman is, is some obscure belief. It's not. I'm just a regular person who knows what male and female is, that doesn't need a label.

Feminism is by default critical of gender

this

ive never used ‘gender critical’ to describe myself and rarely type the words unless its to ask for a definition of it depending on the thread

If the Genderists like using the term, I try & avoid using it.

I prefer to say something like "non-believer" or "realist".

I also never call them "TRAs" now, only "Genderists" or Gender Extremists, which I feel is a better definition of that they are.

Except TERF, I'll take that & run with the TERFery so it can't be the slur they want it to be.

You are absolutely right OP, that words are important & allowing the terms we use for ourselves be guided by Genderists is putting us at a disadvantage.

I just identify with 'thrawn'.

I don't identify with any label.

I just want sex based equality of access for females and safeguarding for children not to be radically subordinated to the inner feelings of special males.

I've stopped using it as far as possible. Feminism is by default critical of gender. Also I've spoken to several people online who misunderstood 'critical' to mean 'essential' in the same way that people out of the loop misunderstand 'trans woman' to be a woman who identifies as a man.
I think the language we use needs to be clear and unambiguous enough to be understood by as many people as possible.