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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Insistent on they/them

106 replies

chipmugs · 16/01/2024 15:54

Name changed.

I play a team contact sport. It's a women's team and we enter in the women's league. Two players on our team that I know of are transwomen. One post-operative and one I don't know as she hasn't been around very long. Some other players are, I think, calling themselves non-binary but are obviously at least to me female.

Another player, a female, recently announced at the end of training that they'd noticed people misgendering others at practice and saying we mustn't do this, it will be called out as we are an inclusive club. During training and practice we should all be "they/them". I'm almost certain she meant that someone has said "she" referring to non-binary players. I don't think anyone has referred to the trans players as "he", I'm fairly sure of that.

I don't want to be policed in this way. It's a women's league. The transwomen are spoken about with female pronouns. If you are a female with issues surrounding being described with female pronouns then maybe this isn't the club for you. I am considering saying I want to be referred to only as she/her to see what would happen if I did.

What would you do in this situation?

Please don't tell me I shouldn't accept a place on a team with trans women because there aren't many opportunities for me to play sport and although I'm not keen on it I'm cowardly and not ready to lose something I love.

OP posts:
chipmugs · 16/01/2024 16:03

By that, I mean males in a women's team. I can't play anywhere else, and even if I could I'd likely not be allowed as a terf

OP posts:
chipmugs · 16/01/2024 16:02

If I take a stand over that, I won't ever get to play. I don't like it but that's that

OP posts:
fedupandstuck · 16/01/2024 16:01

If the concern is "misgendering" then enforcing "they/them" for everyone is going to "misgender" everyone who doesn't claim a "non-binary" identity whilst also demanding "they/them" pronouns. Which is the women and the transwomen. I'm surprised that the organisers would risk upsetting the transwomen by refusing to use "she/her" for them.

Honestly, this kind of controlling behaviour would make me think it wasn't the sort of place I'd want to spend my time, but I can appreciate that if it's the only group you can join then you're in a difficult spot.

AnnaSewell · 16/01/2024 16:00

It's a contact sport. I would be more worried that the men on your team may injure other women, and that any games you win are won unfairly.

Surely that's what really matters?

chipmugs · 16/01/2024 15:59

Yeah, I don't like it. I want to push it, to see how MY desire to have specific - and correct!! - pronouns goes down

OP posts:
TallulahBetty · 16/01/2024 15:57

So EVERYONE has to accept being they/them? BIG NO