Why is Mumsnet so GC?

Sorry to make another post but want to add this point.

However as individuals, or because of outside maligning of FWR, it evolved to be one of the few places you could discuss issues around the encroachment of trans ideology, the big turning point (IMO) was the consultation on proposals to change the GRA so that self ID etc., would become legal.

I think this real and imminent threat of having a law that was already intrusive of women's lives and rights, really ramped up the level of participation, and as sense that we had to be on our guard.

And showed, whether you call it the Hive Mind, or just the natural tendancy to share with other women info that might be of use, the level of research and digging out obscure documents that so called reporters and researchers never bothered with.

And even if it came from the individual threat we all felt, it also should that by working collectively we could stand up to the rainbow coalition that was networking to undermine not just women's rights, but the reality of being a woman.

The term 'radical feminism' was already tainted by transphobia and long considered nigh-unsalvageable prior to 20 years ago. It was one of the most crushing disappointments to come of age to - discovering the raging bigotry espoused by so many brilliant authors and activists who otherwise spoke such sense.

ah diddums, did the women not centre men to your satisfaction?

The term 'radical feminism' was already tainted by transphobia and long considered nigh-unsalvageable prior to 20 years ago. It was one of the most crushing disappointments to come of age to - discovering the raging bigotry espoused by so many brilliant authors and activists who otherwise spoke such sense.

I agree that the extended 4-letter acronym is actively unhelpful and should be discarded. It is not an accurate description of the majority of people it is applied to nowadays.

Reading through has been so interesting and really nice to here how and why women came to find the FWR board a sanctuary.

I was a long time reader of the forum, because at one it was possible on fb to have discussion posts about being gender critical, but slowly more and more women felt unable to speak freely or genuinely felt we weren't doing our "be kind" duty.

One reason might by the upsurge in social media being monitored and what seems the unlimited energy of TRAs to dig out where people work and report them. And then later employers checking social media of those applying for jobs.

I am happy to say I am not on facebook under my real name, and this maybe why I didn't feel I had to tone down opinions or comments.

But that in fact came about because in the early days of social media it was quite common (even part of a training course I did!) that if you worked for a charity, voluntary group and wanted to be on social media please dont use your real name. And that was done from a position that employers didn't want an employee not to feel able to be able to post honestly. But on the other hand they had more important things to do than deal with people saying that because an employee had said something or other on social media it mean the employing group was saying that.

Shows had times and attitudes change.

So for me FWR became somewhere from having been a reader I felt I could continue to discuss in a way that other platforms had made impossible.

I presume it’s certain circles because I don’t think I know a single person in RL who believes TWAW and no one is afraid to state that. And that’s from my 80 year old mum, down to my 19 year old son and his friends and pretty much everyone I come into contact with at work or friendship groups, even my very left leaning psychotherapist sister is GC.

I work for a private US owned company and pronouns on emails, rainbow lanyards etc don’t exist at all in our office.

I read a lot of the threads on here and wonder if I live in a parallel universe as most of the captured BS others have to deal with just doesn’t exist in my world.

I am thankful for MN for showing me a real insight into what has been happening and giving my the knowledge to do my own research which has been a real eye opening education.

The climate has changed dramatically in the last year. Now it's only the BBC and Guardian still clinging to the "don't mention facts and reality / TWAW " line. The Telegraph and Mail have joined the Times in openly reporting the court cases, the silencing of women, the gaslighting of children, the batshit in the NHS, universities etc. There are countless discussions and criticism about using the phrase "gender critical" below the line with the consensus being that it's misleading and should be "sex realist". Lots of criticism of calling sex offenders women and demands for honest reporting. Along with horror at the gaslighting of children in schools and the NHS.
Since much of the press starting doing their job properly, there's a significant change. Just look at the comments under the article about the lesbian Newcastle supporter hounded out of the club by the boys:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/02/football-fan-banned-gender-critical-posts-permier-league/

"I would be far too scared to be openly GC irl for fear of being labelled a phobic bigot. Is it a case of this is only true in certain circles?"

The climate has changed a lot in the past 12 month. I think more people are feeling more confident about their thoughts absolutely not being transphobic and so are more willing to speak truth to power.

A partner works across big city firms and was working in a shared area with a DEI director last week. The director was reflecting on how a colleague had said that she didn't want to put pronouns on her zoom title or email signature as she didn't want to be defined by gendered ideas. The DEI person was blown away by this and her world had been rocked by this. Well done that woman for speaking out!

It was?! Geezo.

Isn't it simply because it's an anonymous forum?

I'm GC but I only state it here and to my own close family members. My DSis and DBiL say the same. None of us would dare to say it in public because we need to keep our jobs. DH might be a bit more outspoken because he is self employed and would be less likely to suffer consequences.

I tend to assume that most people in RL are secretly GC. Most of us do quite instinctively understand biological reality. Whether we are brave enough to admit that in public is a different question entirely. Emperor's new clothes, isn't it?!

The issue online is that only the TWAW lie is allowed to be propagated. The vast majority is shut down/deleted, newspapers edit their comment sections so you get the idea that everybody believes the nonsense.

This is a uniquely online/media/middle class phenomenon. Any discussion in any other circle and the whole subject is laughed at pretty quickly.

Women are going to have to stop being so afraid. MN is pretty good, Ovarit is better, X has other issues, but where this actually ends is in the real world. Over the dining room table, at the school gates, on the floor of parliament, in the office, etc.

Sure there will be the deluded morons and the TRAs, and the pornsick men who will fight, but you don't have to be stupid about this. Think about your words, think about your audience. The TRAs did when they infiltrated.

Push back, but push back smart.

I find the label 'Terf' very sneaky and disingenuous. The vast majority of people know perfectly well that TWAM and that people can't change sex. 20 years ago literally everyone knew that. Most of those people are not radical feminists. Many of them aren't feminists at all. You have to give the TRAs a bit of credit on this one - it's a great bit of spin, convincing people that the most common, mainstream and obviously factual view is somehow radical,and only held by rabidly extreme feminists.

Yesterday this thread was in chat or somewhere as visible, and got a lot of interest, what a surprise (not!) that it's been moved to this board, really annoys me, even after all the progress in being able to talk about this (being GC), it still gets shunted away from the main gaze

Might just be the circles you move in OP. Most people I know are in touch with reality so don't think men can be women just by wishing it so.

I don’t see myself as a radical feminist. I don’t really see myself as a GC anything.

I do think any ideology or belief which cannot be questioned or debated is dangerous.

I do believe that data that is accurate is very important.

I do think that safeguarding for kids is really important.

And I find it strange that one of the few places that I can openly voice the above, is on Mumsnet. And sometimes one to one with other people. But not at work or openly on any forum and never on social media.

Similarly, on the estate where I live, in the midst of considerable social deprivation, gender ideology smacks of disingenuous, fanciful indulgence.

Agreed. This is in line with Rob Henderson's definition of a luxury belief. It captures that the ideology is contrived from ideas and opinions that confer status on the rich at very little cost, while taking a toll on poorer people. Only the affluent have the time and luxury of spare cognitive capacity to learn strange vocabulary because ordinary people the activities of day to day survival that consume their time, cognitive, and emotional resources.

In his Dictionary of Accepted Ideas, Gustave Flaubert alphabetised some of the cliches and platitudes common among the French bourgeoisie during the 19th century. His aim, in his own words, was “the historical glorification of everything generally approved”. Under “Bandits”, he wrote: “Always Fierce.” Under “Materialism”: “Utter the word with horror, stressing each syllable.” Under “Tights”: “Sexually exciting.” And under “Woman”: “Person of sex. One of Adam’s Ribs.”

Were Flaubert to revive his Dictionary for the UK today, he might keep the bit about materialism. But presumably the “Woman” entry would now read: “Can have a penis. If one is a Labour MP, utter this sentiment with great conviction in interviews.”

https://unherd.com/2022/05/stella-creasys-bourgeois-feminism/?=frlh

If Mumsnet (FWR) wasn't GC then there would be no home for sensible women.

Because MN hasn't throttled what the actual public think about the stupidity of gender idealogy.

Twitter is now a lot more GC than TRA.

Once normal people actually hear about this bullshit they recognise it as bullshit. which is why the TRAs worked so hard on "no debate", because they can't win any debates.

The whole thing relies on a denial of reality that your average punter can knock over with a sneeze.

terryleather,
Queer trans ideology is misogyny... Quite.

MN is GC because it is likely representative of the population at large. Considering the sum of my lived experience as a woman, and that of most of my peers, I struggle to see how anyone can overlook the reality of sex.

Likewise, in my professional role, working in a diverse community, being anything but GC makes absolutely no sense. Similarly, on the estate where I live, in the midst of considerable social deprivation, gender ideology smacks of disingenuous, fanciful indulgence.

That sounds like 'not Marxism' not 'neo-Marxism'.

Well, the English Revolution executed a King, established an alternative head of state (Lord Protector), enabled the flourishing of radical religious sects and flirted with ideas of extending the suffrage, albeit not to women. So it was something of a diversion from the norm!

That's an interesting point. I wonder if that was an diversion from the usual course of events?

Great thread and good to be reminded that the majority of the population are gc and know that sex can't be changed.