The prisons point, or rather a particular case - Tara Hudson - was what first flicked a switch for me in realising how significant this issue is for women.
Tara was sent to a male prison, and there was a huge petition and mass outcry, because Tara has long blond hair and big breast implants, wears long nails, high heels and a lot of makeup, and in some highly posed still photos almost passes. The petition made points about how Tara ‘lives her life as a woman’, has had surgery etc, and how awful it is for her in the male prison estate. On the face of it, my response was, yes this person seems incredibly vulnerable and at risk in the male estate.
Then more details came to light about Tara - Tara has a fully functioning penis, referred to on an adult sex worker website as a ‘seven inch surprise’ that Tara enjoys revealing to people who might not expect it, and their reactions to it, and Tara was in prison for an incredibly violent assault on male bar staff that left the victim with significant facial/dental injuries. Suddenly it was all too clear that Tara is a male-bodied person, with the strength, socialisation and entitlement that comes from being a male, and no matter what cosmetic alterations had been made Tara was not ‘living as a woman’ whilst making a living from using a penis and committing violent offences in a male pattern. This was not someone I could support entering the female prison estate, however vulnerable they were in the male estate. Clearly a violent male person presents a risk to women in an enclosed environment, that is an obvious no-brainer to me, long hair and implants or not. So, third spaces, designated vulnerable prisoner units etc seems the obvious answer, right?
Until, the answer came back from the trans rights activists - no, we must be housed in with women in the female estate, in order to validate our identities. Then it clicks. When offered an option that solves the concerns raised - safety of the transwoman in the male prison estate - separate accommodation - it’s apparently not acceptable, because ‘validation’. Well the safety and well-being of female prisoners should not be up for compromise to ‘validate’ anybody.
This case helped me understand the meaninglessness of the phrase ‘as a woman’, because as it was used about Tara it meant ‘looking like a pornified stereotype of a woman’ - it was all male gaze stuff, it wasn’t anything to do with what a woman actually is.
Anyway this has probably run it’s course now, the OP isn’t answering many questions, rather responding to posts with vaguely related waffle but not actually addressing the points raised. It has been certainly been enlightening, and you have clarified a few things for me OP, probably not in the way you intended though, sadly.
My last thing to say is, OP, despite the contempt you have shown to us, and how offensive you have been (calling us ridiculous for needing a female healthcare professional for intimate procedures was a particular highlight), I still feel a huge amount of sympathy for you, I wish you well. I don’t hate you, or want to deny you any right that someone born with the same body as you also has. I disagree with most of your views on the nature of sex and gender, and the FWR door is always open should you wish to read, listen and learn more about why that is. Go well, as they say.