The words that have been pulled over your eyes

That was especially patronising.

You are still trying to present a 'women vs trans' conflict. Most feminists don't hold virulently anti-trans views and obfuscatory laundering of the labels doesn't change the harm they cause.

The gender gingerbread man.

Has Butterfly linked to the forum where people threatened to put him in an oven?

That would be a no.

Oh yes. That is huge or was. Is it still?

Anime too.

So much anime.

If I remember correctly the male tweeter that posted those pics of JK Rowling as a gotcha (an abusive act in my opinion) liked some of that warrior live action role play. Arrows, I think. I noticed because I have done archery lessons before myself.

It really seems to be a commonality.

There's some Whovian nutcases out there in political circles too. They've been known to stalk these quarters.

You can be whoever you want. I don't have to lie to be myself. It's wonderful. Less wonderful when the Supreme Court and EHRC decides that I have to start lying again, though. No concession that allows trans people to transition and exist in dignity will ever be enough.

Do you remember the political advisor who had an elf fantasy life ? And swords ! So many seem to be into immersive sword dramas.

There was even that one who took his sword into the female toilets for a selfie. Nothing intimidating or threatening there apparently. Nothing to see.

But swords and war dramas seem common.

Just on the theme @Helleofabore raised about swords and acting and some prominent male trans people. Some of these males see themselves (and no doubt get validation in their groups as) as fantasy warrior maidens, while the rest of us simply see them as male nerds who like live action role play, like the many other men who don’t identify as women to do it.

Yes, I think you might be onto something.

Thank you for such a wonderful demonstration of trying to pull the words over our eyes.

"I don't have to lie to be myself. It's wonderful."

What is behind the words: A man is claiming to be a woman and everyone else has to lie and agree that they see the man as a woman. That lie has to extend not just to what they have to say but also to what they have to allow him to do. It's wonderful for that man, but not everyone else.

"No concession that allows trans people to transition and exist in dignity will ever be enough"

What is behind the words: A man believes that something inside him makes him more like a woman than other men, and that inner feeling somehow justifies treating him as if he actually is fenale-bodied. He expects women to accept his presence and potentially even touch where they would not accept another man, whether that is in physical spaces, protected roles or women-only opportunities. The man believes his conception of womanhood has more authority than that of actual women and he is angry that others do not agree to this and do not accede to accomodating his expectation. He believes women saying no to the pretence that he is not a man offends his dignity.

I can imagine someone who immerses themselves so fully in having to believe in philosophical belief that rejects material reality would also be someone who enjoys enacting fantasies. Maybe like drama groups, or fantasy medieval enactments, or even historically accurate dramatisations. It would be entirely consistent.

And I believe the scripted drama post technique has been used before with similar lack lustre reviews.

It's special isn't it?

Quite how you get to the point where you centre yourself quite this much is beyond me, unless you have a mentality that you are the only human and everyone else is actually a robot.

It's staggering and off the scale in terms of a total lack of empathy for anyone ever. To place yourself in history as being on a par as the persecuted in Nazi Germany is a grandiose victim complex.

But I suppose if you lie enough to yourself and no one challenges you about the fact you are male but you want the fantasy of being a woman there are no limits.

I had a think about this and wondered about living in a fantasy world:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy-prone_personality
Fantasy-prone personality (FPP) is a disposition or personality trait in which a person experiences a lifelong, extensive, and deep involvement in fantasy. This disposition is an attempt, at least in part, to better describe "overactive imagination" or "living in a dream world". An individual with this trait (termed a fantasizer) may have difficulty differentiating between fantasy and reality and may experience hallucinations, as well as self-suggested psychosomatic symptoms.

And

Besides identifying this trait, Wilson and Barber reported a number of childhood antecedents that likely laid the foundation for fantasy proneness in later life, such as, "a parent, grandparent, teacher, or friend who encouraged the reading of fairy tales, reinforced the child's ... fantasies, and treated the child's dolls and stuffed animals in ways that encouraged the child to believe that they were alive."

And

People with Type 1 FPP will often confuse or mix their fantasies with their real memories. They also report out-of-body experiences, and other similar experiences that are interpreted by some fantasizers as psychic (parapsychological) or mystical. However, those with Type 2 have perfect ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy.

A paracosm is an extremely detailed and structured fantasy world often created by extreme or compulsive fantasizers.

Wilson and Barber listed numerous characteristics in their pioneer study, which have been clarified and amplified in later studies. These characteristics include some or many of the following experiences:

excellent hypnotic subject (most but not all fantasizers)
having imaginary friends in childhood
fantasizing often as child
having an actual fantasy identity
experiencing imagined sensations as real
having vivid sensory perceptions
receiving sexual satisfaction without physical stimulation

And

A high number of female fantasizers—60% of the women asked in the Wilson-Barber study—reported that they have had a false pregnancy (pseudocyesis) at least once. They believed that they were pregnant, and they had many of the symptoms. In addition to amenorrhea (stoppage of menstruation), they typically experienced at least four of the following: breast changes, abdominal enlargement, morning sickness, cravings, and "fetal" movements. Two of the subjects went for abortions, following which they were told that no fetus had been found. All of the other false pregnancies terminated quickly when negative results were received from pregnancy tests.

And

For example, one subject in Barrett's study said her parents' standard response to her requests for expensive toys was, "You could take this (household object) and with a little imagination, it would look just like (an expensive gift)."

• Exposure to abuse, physical or sexual, such that fantasizing provides a coping or escape mechanism.
• Exposure to severe loneliness and isolation, such that fantasizing provides a coping or escape mechanism from the boredom.

And

Several studies have reported that dissociation and fantasy proneness are highly correlated. This suggests the possibility that the dissociated selves are merely fantasies, for example, being a coping response to trauma. However, a lengthy review of the evidence concludes that there is strong empirical support for the hypothesis that dissociation is caused primarily and directly by exposure to trauma, and that fantasy is of secondary importance.

I have many questions and thoughts that stem from this, and many that relate to the indulgence of such fantasies.

But honestly I think reading that, I'm seeing many themes that make me go "hmm that rings a fair few bells".

You can be whoever you want. I don't have to lie to be myself. It's wonderful. Less wonderful when the Supreme Court and EHRC decides that I have to start lying again, though. No concession that allows trans people to transition and exist in dignity will ever be enough.

Oh, did you work with Nicola Murray?

Hm, I'm not sure many would have thought she was the kindest, nicest, most sensitive, supportive person that they have ever met.

Hyperbolic understatement of the year award winner is to be announced soon. Good luck I think that you have a good chance of winning it this year.

My “trans”clients are NOT SAFE to be around. They are guilty of some of most heinous crimes that you can imagine. Maybe my problem with your lovely warm world view of trans people is that we don’t mix with the same groups, or maybe we do.

I have worked with clients that everyone thought were the kindest, nicest, most sensitive, supportive people that they have ever met. Meanwhile they have being abusing their own children for years, allowed others to abuse their children.

So maybe appearances are not always what they seem!

You're literally saying that you need multiple, extensive lies to tolerate yourself.

And I should want to be like you??