How many gender critical feminists are actually 'out'

I’m out to some friends and likeminded colleagues. I had an interesting conversation with a colleague last week, she would describe herself as a feminist but is very much on the ‘be kind and inclusive’ road. She did however acknowledge concerns about sport. I was careful in what I said but hopefully it will encourage her to dig a little deeper into the issues.

I work in education so also have to be careful what I say.

Only to close friends and family. All but one have same views. Job at risk if I was more open.

I so want to out myself but the response I get from anyone if I so much as dip a toe in stops me. It’s interesting as everyone expects me to be the opposite as I’m generally a feminist lefty vegan so I think most people expect me to nod and go along with this as they don’t realise it’s the opposite of feminism!

I have even started a conversation about it with ‘Im a terf’ and my friends have laughed and said ‘don’t be ridiculous, of course you’re not’ when I’m trying to clearly tell them I am! I’ve also raised points against surrogacy but a close family member is going through that at the moment so that’s added a lot of complications.

Just love your DD's youtube channel! I am happy to say that i have also introduced it to a few like-minded friends who love it as well.

I'm out. Self employed so won't lose my job. My waiting list means that if clients don't like my views they can go elsewhere and I will just move on.

I've offended a few people but I'm old and wise enough not to care.

All my friends are as GC as me but we're mostly middle aged to elderly so well beyond the latest fashionable social contagion.

Fully out as gc. And so are all my friends, who range from 32 to 90 in age.
I could hardly not be out, after appearing in DD’s spoof transgender musical on YouTube!

I don't say anything I disagree with but I also don't raise it in a work environment. Socially I'm more outspoken but even then it's usually more reactive than pro-active. I'm mostly fairly easy going. When I do raise it socially and feel like arguing against someone or something, I take a measured approach and begin with small points or a good intro argument. For example, a conversation came up with a couple of students, younger than I, so I led with something like: "My issue with the trans movement is it is rooted in gender stereotypes. In my day we campaigned on the basis that people shouldn't be defined by their sex, if a girl wanted to be a mechanic we said that's okay - girls can be mechanics. Now you have people teaching that if you don't conform to gender stereotypes you're trans. You get a ten year old girl coming home from school saying 'I have a boy brain' because she's into cars and she's been told that means she's on a spectrum'.

It's the sort of opening thing that immediately puts you in a reasonable position, gives you a moral footing so you can't just be cast as a bigot and forces them to be the one to start shooting down your position rather than you trying to disprove some tautology like "transwomen are women because I define women to include them."

You will find more people agreeing with you than you think. The majority of the species just wants status quo and regular meals. But you will get into real debates sometimes. To which I will give you two pieces of advice:

1. Remember that most people in any group are just wanting to group cohesion and often will wait to see which of two arguing people ends up on top / best for the group. Do a good job, people will stop arguing against you and accept you holding the position you do.
2. In any debate, try to be the one that doesn't look like a screaming tomato.

I’m out with friends & family. Most agree, some don’t (mainly teenagers), some won’t discuss it. It hasn’t been a problem - although it does always feel like I’m teetering on an edge when I first raise it. It hasn’t come up at work, no pronouns or EDI training, so I haven’t mentioned it there.

I am in rl and FB. Have lost some friends over it, one was upsetting, but she’s so firmly in the “Be Kind” camp that she can’t even hear anything against gender ideology. She’s a middle aged lesbian who has suffered at the hands of men, but prefers to prioritise men, which I can’t get my head round.

I’m anonymous on Twitter, as that seems quite a dangerous place to be open about who you are and clear that humans can’t change sex.

Ish.

I will quietly raise a few points with people to see how they react, I only go full TERF if I know they’re sympathetic. I don’t talk about it in groups unless I know everyone there feels the same way, else the virtue signalling kicks in. Likewise FB as I don’t want a virtue signalling pile on (again…) so I operate a specific friends list for GC content. I have a GC Twitter account which is separate to my “me” one.

But I’m completely out with those I know and trust. In fact, they probably wish I’d shut up about it

Not me. I work for a Canadian company and would be concerned that I'd lose my job unfortunately.

I don't really have a social media presence. But I am vocal about it day to day life. I will pull my punches if I come up against the whole - my friend has daughter who has transitioned and it was the best thing for their family - schtick. I'll nod along sympathetically, I realise these are traumatized families and I don't think it would be helped by me talking about osteoporosis or stunted lungs at that point.

I am out only to a few likeminded people. Not on social media as my social media is populated by woke be kind types.

I have just joined twitter as well so i can follow things more closely. I credit MN and the wonderful women on the FWR board for educating me completely.

I tend to start most actual real life conversations where I'm about to discuss women with "I'm a terf" never had an issue. But then I'm very scary in person.

Like you I have nothing to lose. No employer so no threat there. (I suspect that if I was still working I still would have been vocal. And dealt with the fallout of it happened).

I am, though I kept quiet for four years.
I lost a few friends, one made a tiktok about me, but a few months on it's fine, for everyone that wanted nothing to do with anymore, two more got in touch.
I also couldn't lose my job as I don't work, or my home.