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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

UK radical feminists; what to do?

940 replies

RealRoseCritic · 29/07/2026 15:19

So there was a question earlier today in one of my groups about TERFs in the UK, why are they so strong there, etc. Let me elaborate on something.

There is something special in mainstream British feminism that is quite different from European feminism(s), but since the English speaking internet concerns mostly the Anglosphere and not Europe, due to us having separate, isolated debates in each country/language, you won't likely ever hear how the UK is substantially different.
It is important to understand the logic of British feminism. Unlike European feminism, which is mostly inclusive and focused on stuff like equal pay, care, safe design of public space and general equity, in the UK it was always about "separate but equal".

British centres of power were always men-only, and many British feminists didn't react the way European women did (aka pushed their way into male spaces, so that these became co-ed spaces), but created their own, separate spaces, which they then aggressively policed the same way British men did with theirs. Add some Victorian prudishness and bioessentialism, that was abandoned in Europe after WWII for obvious reasons, but not in the UK, and voilà, here come British second-wave radfems and the TERFs.

I am from the Czech Republic where I currently live; I lived in Norway, Poland and the Netherlands, I speak fluently multiple European languages and understand few others; I don't say that to brag, but to show my ability to do the comparative analysis, since I study the topic closely.

Out of EU member states, only in Bulgaria and Hungary are trans rights worse than in the UK at the moment, with Hungary being expected to get substantially better soon, and in neither of those two countries are trans people, and especially trans women, as demonised as in the UK.

In all EU member states transphobia comes exclusively from far right places; it is unheard of that liberals or anyone non-far right would say what is absolutely the mainstream in the UK, including Hungary and Bulgaria.
If you are saying the stuff JKR is saying, you are 100 % aligned with far right politics.

We had an attempt by a group of our far right senators to enact a bill proposal similar to what is in the UK, but the proposal was killed within a week before it could have been even voted upon in the Chamber of Deputies. Just for instance.
Scandinavian feminism is focused mostly on fair share of care and chores, German feminism focuses mostly on equal pay, Kita for everyone and the like, Polish feminism is mostly about access to abortion, Czech feminism is mostly about equal pay and safety from domestic violence - I could go on, but all in all, men are welcome to participate and the goal is to create equity for everyone, regardless of their gender. Together.
We don't get British obsession with separate spaces for women, women here are absolutely fine with the way things are, mostly because cultures in the Continent are far less prudish and overall we treat men and women as one people rather than different species.

Moreover, because of civil law rather than common law, we have different approach to legal texts and their interpretations; this makes it different too.
Not just regarding trans rights, but also regarding women's rights, I am often amazed by how much backward the UK is in so many ways compared to the EU (again, including places like Hungary, this needs to be stressed). I often see women in English-speaking debates saying things like "ugh, men" on things that actually concern problems that are specifically British and that stem mostly from both societies' tendency to separate already boys from girls, treating them differently and sexualising women in contexts we don't really see as sexual at all.

We can't really get this across the Channel, because we just don't have the power to do so. For instance Czech debate on feminism is quite isolated; it's interesting, but no more than 15 million people would ever be able to participate in it (CZ/SK) due to the language barrier, the same goes for Scandinavia (17 million), Benelux (28 million), Poland (38 million), or even DACH (95 million). It is nothing compared to half a billion people of the US, UK, CA, AU, NZ and IE that are giving tone to the worldwide debate in English.

So, if you are a British trans woman, you would do yourself a great favour if you moved to mainland Europe. You will be welcomed and cherished (for the most part).

OP posts:
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19
TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 30/07/2026 10:44

Gretel346 · 30/07/2026 10:23

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Sal & Rupe gave it their best shot &….🦗 all except for the SUPREME COURT who told Helen Joyce to her face that she was an AMATEUR who had no business pontificating on issues she had no expertise in. 😚

And you think the monumental legal quagmire, mass confusion not to mention enormous economic costs that's been the 'fruit' of this wowser dunny clown show is somehow going to 'inspire' foreign governments?

I'm sure it will but not in the way you think.

This is a good example of why nobody wants to be around the zombies.

WrongKindOfFeminist · 30/07/2026 10:40

Gretel346 · 30/07/2026 10:23

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Sal & Rupe gave it their best shot &….🦗 all except for the SUPREME COURT who told Helen Joyce to her face that she was an AMATEUR who had no business pontificating on issues she had no expertise in. 😚

And you think the monumental legal quagmire, mass confusion not to mention enormous economic costs that's been the 'fruit' of this wowser dunny clown show is somehow going to 'inspire' foreign governments?

I'm sure it will but not in the way you think.

Take a breath. Maybe a short walk in the fresh air.

PrettyDamnCosmic · 30/07/2026 10:38

Gretel346 · 30/07/2026 10:04

"One builder told The Telegraph" aka The Daily Rupert

😂

"I suppose when you downunder left is right and right is left, which explains why Gretel doesn't recognise which side the fascism is coming from. Hint it's the side your shilling for."

I don't hear any complaints…except from The Daily R.

Do you think it's fair that the fastest women's time in ParkRun, Aus is held by a male.

No its not. The fastest female parkrun time in Australia is held by Caitlin Adams who is a cis female.

No its not. The fastest female parkrun time in Australia is held by Caitlin Adams who is a cis female.

Are you sure about that mate?

FlirtsWithRhinos · 30/07/2026 10:37

And yet, female people still exist, and being female still has consequences whatever the Australian courts may say and even if the Australian media doesn't like to acknowledge it.

Legislating that sexism and sexist/sexual abuse can't happen to female bodied people because of our female bodies because female bodied people do not in fact exist, and even if they did exist no one would be able to tell who they are anyway, sadly doesn't mean that sexism and sexist/sexual abuse will no longer be happening to female bodied people because of our female bodies in areas where such laws have jurisdiction.

So sexism and sexist/sexual abuse will continue to happen to female bodied people because of our female bodies even in Australia.

It's just that female bodied people facing sexism and sexist/sexual abuse because of our female bodies in Australia can no longer trust the law to protect them.

Well done Australia!

BridgetYourFortyDaysAreUp · 30/07/2026 10:30

Gretel346 · 30/07/2026 10:23

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Sal & Rupe gave it their best shot &….🦗 all except for the SUPREME COURT who told Helen Joyce to her face that she was an AMATEUR who had no business pontificating on issues she had no expertise in. 😚

And you think the monumental legal quagmire, mass confusion not to mention enormous economic costs that's been the 'fruit' of this wowser dunny clown show is somehow going to 'inspire' foreign governments?

I'm sure it will but not in the way you think.

Over-the-top hyperbole and maniacal laughter.

I rest my case.

TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 30/07/2026 10:25

No its not. The fastest female parkrun time in Australia is held by Caitlin Adams who is a cis female.

First no such thing as a 'cis' woman, we're just women.
Second I was going by a post from someone in Australia, I didn't fact check them, my mistake. I fact checked yours and you're wrong with the name but the fastest is a woman in Aus, it seems it's the UK that had 3 female records that were held by males, until ParkRun stopped all 'gender' records, so now who knows.
You seem to have responded to a post you could correct, any chance you going to respond to any of the many that you can't?

Gretel346 · 30/07/2026 10:23

BridgetYourFortyDaysAreUp · 30/07/2026 10:08

There seem to be a lot of "Australian" activists on FWR at the moment, trying to "school" UK women about what they should or shouldn't be doing with regard to enforcing the law, and keeping men out of female single -sex spaces. There was one on my Ignore the Supreme Court thread, arguing that forcing people to obey the law would somehow not work to ensure that people would obey the law???? Current holding forth on another thread they started. And now we have "Gretel."

It seems to me that activists (both in Australia and outwith) are starting to get scared. They see the momentum building here in the UK, and even in the US, and they are wondering when it will filter down to Australia.

To them I say: your fear is palpable and it's showing. Enjoy your last few days in the stolen sunshine because your imaginary world is closing down. Rapidly. And it's women in the UK leading the charge.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Sal & Rupe gave it their best shot &….🦗 all except for the SUPREME COURT who told Helen Joyce to her face that she was an AMATEUR who had no business pontificating on issues she had no expertise in. 😚

And you think the monumental legal quagmire, mass confusion not to mention enormous economic costs that's been the 'fruit' of this wowser dunny clown show is somehow going to 'inspire' foreign governments?

I'm sure it will but not in the way you think.

ProfessorBinturong · 30/07/2026 10:23

WrongKindOfFeminist · 30/07/2026 09:55

We just know they wouldn't work for a Scottish accent.

Imagine being assaulted and having to conjure up the correct RP to call for help.

At an even volume, with a clear pause between each word.

FlirtsWithRhinos · 30/07/2026 10:15

Has anyone explained yet why it's reasonable that the half of humanity that is female should have no name, no rights based on our sex to counteract the social risks and consequences of our sex, indeed no legal or socially recognised existence at all?

Has anyone explained yet why the history of female people's oppression and fight for respect and equality should be appropriated and applied to men to whom in reality none of it would have happened simply because those men now claim the word "woman" means them too?

No, thought not.

In case it needs pointing out to the hard of thinking, the issue with TWAW is not at heart what risks trans women may or not pose to women, it is that accepting TW as women erases female people is society and law and replaces it with a version of womanhood defined by sexist beliefs about innately gendered personalities that is imposed upon all female people regardless of who we in reality know ourselves to be.

Australians apparently can have names for people from different parts of Australia or the classes they do not have (Ocker) yet somehow cannot find it in themselves to respect the female half of humanity enough to allow us a name ourselves. It's either very very odd, or very very very sexist.

Keeptoiletssafe · 30/07/2026 10:13

Gretel346 · 30/07/2026 10:10

Lol. I have quoted Amnesty, a court report, and academic reports on cardiac arrests and pathogens in toilets. I can quote the Guardian and Mirror (two more left wing publications over here) on toilets and voyeurism if you like. Facts, coroners reports, data, court reports, statistics, legislation, regulations is what I use in my research. I have collated more on toilet incidents than you’ve had barbecues. You may be shocked to learn your views don’t align with the Communist Party over here too.

And none of that conveniently addresses your claim about broad single private spaces in toilets sentiment in Australia.

Again, there is no broad grass roots activism or lobbying on single sex spaces in toilets from women only fringe actors & right wing media in AUSTRALIA.

And please don't waste my time on more irrelevant obfuscation.

😂No worries, I am not doing this for you mate. No facts or statistics will change your mind. I doing this to show you have no credible response other than insults to anyone else who is interested in toilet design and safety.

Imdunfer · 30/07/2026 10:12

TeenToTwenties · 30/07/2026 10:09

If this is directed at me, you misunderstood.
It is Greta who seems to not have thought this through.

Sorry, read in a hurry.

GreyskySexRealistsky · 30/07/2026 10:12

And please don't waste my time on more irrelevant obfuscation.

Hear hear!

Gretel346 · 30/07/2026 10:10

Keeptoiletssafe · 30/07/2026 09:34

Lol. I have quoted Amnesty, a court report, and academic reports on cardiac arrests and pathogens in toilets. I can quote the Guardian and Mirror (two more left wing publications over here) on toilets and voyeurism if you like. Facts, coroners reports, data, court reports, statistics, legislation, regulations is what I use in my research. I have collated more on toilet incidents than you’ve had barbecues. You may be shocked to learn your views don’t align with the Communist Party over here too.

But I don’t care about anyone’s politics. I care about the reality of safe toilet design. I will also listen to everyone’s views to see if they can come up with anything novel that no one else has come up with. Things that have been tried with mixed sex designs: weighted floors (doors won’t close if it’s too heavy signifying 2 users - no good for parents and children and fat shaming), glass walls (men masturbate), alarms that respond to ‘help me’ ‘stop it’ (too expensive and difficult to respond to, misused, mistaken for visual cameras, people don’t like automatic sound surveillance, people afraid to fart in case it sets off the alarm). If you think you can beat everyone else in the world at creating a safe mixed sex public toilet, tell me your ideas. The nearest is the Portland Toilet in America which I wouldn’t fancy using unless desperate because of voyeurism.

Here’s some toilet humour to brighten your night in Australia:

Lol. I have quoted Amnesty, a court report, and academic reports on cardiac arrests and pathogens in toilets. I can quote the Guardian and Mirror (two more left wing publications over here) on toilets and voyeurism if you like. Facts, coroners reports, data, court reports, statistics, legislation, regulations is what I use in my research. I have collated more on toilet incidents than you’ve had barbecues. You may be shocked to learn your views don’t align with the Communist Party over here too.

And none of that conveniently addresses your claim about broad single private spaces in toilets sentiment in Australia.

Again, there is no broad grass roots activism or lobbying on single sex spaces in toilets from women only fringe actors & right wing media in AUSTRALIA.

And please don't waste my time on more irrelevant obfuscation.

Keeptoiletssafe · 30/07/2026 10:09

GreyskySexRealistsky · 30/07/2026 10:05

Oh, has the OP not come back to engage?

#sarcasm

He’s off designing toilets.

TeenToTwenties · 30/07/2026 10:09

Imdunfer · 30/07/2026 10:00

You need us to explain why women and men compete separately in sports?

Just how ignorant of physiology are you?

If this is directed at me, you misunderstood.
It is Greta who seems to not have thought this through.

BridgetYourFortyDaysAreUp · 30/07/2026 10:08

There seem to be a lot of "Australian" activists on FWR at the moment, trying to "school" UK women about what they should or shouldn't be doing with regard to enforcing the law, and keeping men out of female single -sex spaces. There was one on my Ignore the Supreme Court thread, arguing that forcing people to obey the law would somehow not work to ensure that people would obey the law???? Current holding forth on another thread they started. And now we have "Gretel."

It seems to me that activists (both in Australia and outwith) are starting to get scared. They see the momentum building here in the UK, and even in the US, and they are wondering when it will filter down to Australia.

To them I say: your fear is palpable and it's showing. Enjoy your last few days in the stolen sunshine because your imaginary world is closing down. Rapidly. And it's women in the UK leading the charge.

GreyskySexRealistsky · 30/07/2026 10:05

Oh, has the OP not come back to engage?

#sarcasm

Gretel346 · 30/07/2026 10:04

TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 30/07/2026 09:32

Oh look an actual Australian who doesn't have the same opinion as you @Gretel346

On Australia’s change to 50% mixed sex toilets:
One builder told The Telegraph that the “bloody pointless” change “is the last thing this industry needs”.
“We’re trying to keep things simple, cheap, and functional and some clown from Canberra comes in with feel-good rubbish like this,” he said."

I suppose when you downunder left is right and right is left, which explains why Gretel doesn't recognise which side the fascism is coming from. Hint it's the side your shilling for.

Do you think it's fair that the fastest women's time in ParkRun, Aus is held by a male.

Edited

"One builder told The Telegraph" aka The Daily Rupert

😂

"I suppose when you downunder left is right and right is left, which explains why Gretel doesn't recognise which side the fascism is coming from. Hint it's the side your shilling for."

I don't hear any complaints…except from The Daily R.

Do you think it's fair that the fastest women's time in ParkRun, Aus is held by a male.

No its not. The fastest female parkrun time in Australia is held by Caitlin Adams who is a cis female.

Keeptoiletssafe · 30/07/2026 10:02

WrongKindOfFeminist · 30/07/2026 09:55

We just know they wouldn't work for a Scottish accent.

Imagine being assaulted and having to conjure up the correct RP to call for help.

😅Schools can personalise them as the tech was originally for the American Market I believe, specially for ‘gender neutral’ restrooms (enclosed, not open stalls). I bet there wasn’t an ‘excuse me, I don’t suppose you have any loo paper in there you could pass me?’ prompt. Can’t do that without a floor gap.

Imdunfer · 30/07/2026 10:00

TeenToTwenties · 30/07/2026 09:32

@Gretel346 You never did answer my question as to why we have separate facilities / events for men and women in the first place?

You need us to explain why women and men compete separately in sports?

Just how ignorant of physiology are you?

SecretSquid · 30/07/2026 10:00

TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 30/07/2026 07:37

It sounds like someone steeped in Queer Theory, nothing like letting them speak to show how QT, and all it's subsidiaries (GI, 'trans'), are absolute shite.

Edited

Well, I just read your post wrong.
Ar first glance, I saw:
"It sounds like someone stepped in Queer Theory."
And I thought to myself, now that's something you wouldn't want all over your shoes.

WrongKindOfFeminist · 30/07/2026 09:55

ProfessorBinturong · 30/07/2026 09:40

alarms that respond to ‘help me’ ‘stop it’

Clearly an idea dreamt up by someone who's never tried to use a voice recognition system. My voicemail one can barely tell yes from no, never mind decipher anything more complex.

We just know they wouldn't work for a Scottish accent.

Imagine being assaulted and having to conjure up the correct RP to call for help.

Keeptoiletssafe · 30/07/2026 09:53

ProfessorBinturong · 30/07/2026 09:16

While you're here, @Keeptoiletssafe, I have a UK-based question. I know your info on single sex toilet design includes a specified maximum size for the top and bottom of door gaps, but I don't remember seeing a minimum. Is there one?

I've been spending a lot of time in motorway service stations the past few weeks, and it occurred to me that many of them now have much smaller gaps than they used to - not really enough to fulfil most of the functions that they should. They prevent the damp corner problem and let sound through, but give minimal ventilation and no meaningful visibility if someone collapses.

No there is not a minimum for single sex public toilets. Mixed sex toilets (universal/accessible/gender-neutral) have to be floor to ceiling in privacy and in rooms rather than cubicles. In Approved Document T (for England) it states 1.22 The layout when entering, exiting and using a toilet room or cubicle should cater for the safety,
privacy and dignity of users. Cubicle doors should only open into single-sex toilet accommodation.
Now since we know since FWS that single-sex washrooms are single sex washrooms, it follows that a 150mm for health and safety can return. Voyeurism is overwhelmingly a male crime on females. There are no females in prison for voyeurism (up to May 25). Oh that gives me an excuse for a ‘left-wing’ article.https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/27/secret-spy-cameras-voyeurism-uk
You see, going into a single sex toilet washroom and filming over the cubicle is so 2000 when you can set up a camera in a hidden compartment.

Back to measurements. In the past few years the Department for Education had a maximum 5mm floor-door gap set in their floor to ceiling designs as many of them led onto a mixed sex environment. The designs were all about privacy. I think privacy was mentioned 5 times in the toilet section, whereas safety wasn’t mentioned in this section at all. The 5mm was set as the gap that would prevent a mobile phone camera being used. This year, the DfE have changed the designs to single sex suites. They have the option of full height design but you can have door gaps above and below the door. This, as I keep saying, is better for cleaning, ventilation, supervision and prevention of misuse.

‘Every time I took a shower I thought: is he watching me?’ – the terrifying rise of secret cameras

Anyone can buy a tiny spy camera and hide it in a mirror, fake smoke alarm or public toilet. But why would they? As cases of voyeurism against women soar in the UK, victims say it’s too easy for men to get away with it

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/may/27/secret-spy-cameras-voyeurism-uk

Shedmistress · 30/07/2026 09:47

Im a roasted peanut EuroTerf just in case anyone is buying.

ProfessorBinturong · 30/07/2026 09:40

alarms that respond to ‘help me’ ‘stop it’

Clearly an idea dreamt up by someone who's never tried to use a voice recognition system. My voicemail one can barely tell yes from no, never mind decipher anything more complex.