So what are your silver linings in the gender wars?

The revival of grass roots feminism of all political stripes. I go to FILIA or a WPUK meeting and it reminds me of the Women’s Liberation conferences I went to in the late 1970s.

It has given me a good understanding of how modern politics works, especially how big corporations work with small groups of committed activists. I used to see these two groups as always on opposite sides of a political divide but now see what can be achieved when the two work hand in glove. It is frightening.

Oh, and Ben Cooper, of course.

It’s the first time in a long time that I’ve felt political or feminist

Its helped me broaden my lazy left=good, right=bad, binary thinking

Ive clarified my thoughts on free speech

1. Introduced me to some amazing thinkers and content creators
2. Had me thinking meaningfully about feminism again and re-engaging with the second-wavers, after years of lazily being a third wave choice feminist
3. Brought me a new and increasingly close and wonderful friendship with a woman who I initially bonded with over gender madness
4. Watching Little OJ being exposed as a misogynistic bully and flailing was v funny

Wish I had written this, you express how I feel too, but much more eloquently!

Like many, a complete turn around from getting news from BBC/Guardian to binning both as completely anti-women.
Finding this board when I was in a very low place, after reading and agreeing with JKR's essay but none my go-to sources supported her and worse, said she was wrong. I knew she wasn't and felt alone and scared till I found this site.
So, being here and feeling part of this community and having had my eyes opened are the huge positives for me

OP - mine are similar to yours. I’ve discovered all sorts of interesting people, authors and podcasts that definitely wouldn’t have been on my radar before. Douglas Murray is a particularly surprising favourite these days even though once upon a time his politics would have made me stop listening!

I’ve abandoned The Guardian and BBC news website and have taken out a subscription to The Times.

And after seeing the way the BBC and Guardian have behaved in all this I don’t take anything I read at face value.

I’m not British and to be completely honest, I had some misconceptions about British women (I thought you lot were mostly uptight, boring and Mumsnet was for prissy fuddy-duddies).

I have been thoroughly disabused of such erroneous notions and now look at the world around me in a more positive light. Still not a joiner or ‘woman’s woman’ but MNFWR women are funny, smart, wise, learned, incisive, thoughtful, compassionate and courageous. Love ya!!!

It’s given me a fire in my belly over something I feel passionately about - a feeling I don’t think I have felt since I joined CND as a 15 year old in the 1980’s 😂

Enabled me to connect with feminism/women’s rights and feel part of a shared tribe of amazing women - even been to a few conferences and events - something I would never have done before. So liberating to feel free to speak in those spaces unlike the button upped, gentle gentle approach I feel I have to take to get people to question gender woo in my professional life.

This board on Mumsnet 🙂

I contributed (badly) to Boiled's book!

Oh and I have learned a lot about myself and my courage and the fact that I’m no longer willing to appease or lie. I’m not sure what the consequences of that will be when I return to the UK, but I was out on Twitter and in various (semi) public online spaces in my profession and I’m not going back in any boxes. I will find out where that leads me in due course, but I am not going to be silenced, come what may.

I have come to appreciate the strength and courage of women.

I will soon be returning to the UK and intend to become much more active in campaigning for women’s rights.

Like others, some of my political beliefs and assumptions have been turned on their heads. Norman Tebbit? Who knew? Though I suspect there is a big wedge between Conservatives then and now (big and small c).

This is great to read. I’m in a particularly cynical phase right now so I appreciate a positive thread.

😆 at least it was good dream sex!

I said on another thread earlier i wanted to go to bed with Helen Joyce! (It was a bad choice of words I admit as we were taking about audio books as a cure for insomnia!)

For me it’s seeing women my age (50 something) who have just gone with the flow for years not wanting to rock the boat now standing up and saying ‘this is bullshit and I’m not having my rights eroded’

Women who for years have stayed silent are finding their voice and it’s a brilliant thing

Probably not what you mean, and apologies for lowering the tone, but I had a sex dream about Kathleen Stock. It was really good😳 I am not even remotely not-straight, this was quite an interesting experience for me😅 Wouldn't have known her name if it weren't for the trans rights debate.

😁
Upsides

Have met some wonderful people on here, even if only online

Oh and

I published a book! Wasn't expecting that to happen - truly radicalised by Mumsnet!

it’s made me more open minded and questioning. And less tribal -I used to discount stories in newspapers if I didn’t agree with their slant. Now I realize that you an agree with people on some things but not others and that’s fine.

Pronouns in a bio or email signature is a helpful short cut to indicate that the owner doesn't care about women or hasn't really thought it through

Addiction to FWR on Mumsnet.
Liberated me from my slavish loyalty to the Guardian and Beeb.
Realised that kindness needs to be considered and not conferred over liberally and that sometimes a strong boundary is kindness itself.
Strengthened my bond with friends who have come to similar realisations.
Sharpened my wits.
Refused to be intimidated by screechy tras.
For starters.....

Realising how brave JK Rowling is compared to her wimpy contemporaries (looking at you pair of spineless misogynists Gaiman and Pullman)

Glinner: just a hero( I’ve never seen Father Ted)
Mr Menno : brilliant

The glow of self justification that my innate mistrust of the two early adopters I came across in person as a young woman was totally justified and was not me being a prig.

bugger my boots, though, I’m clutching at straws here in the midst of ruin and disaster.

The humour and intelligence on these boards and on gender critical twitter is incredible - no longer need bbc radio 4 or channel 4 luvvie establishment for amusement as they're all so timid and eager to avoid actually thinking about anything the trans movement.

As PP have said, realising how dim some politicians of all stripes are even if they sound awfully clever. David Lammy with his cervix nonsense, Greens with their mindless slogans, Libdems with their 'everything should be mixed sex', SNP with their GRA bullshit etc etc. None of you are worthy of my vote.

Norman Tebbit wasn't the bad man I thought. In fact everything I thought I knew about politics has been turned upside down and shaken about.