Aibu to not understand all the trans stuff...?

[cansomeoneexplain]

I've NC for this.

Apologies first off if this thread sounds dumb, ignorant or goady. I genuinely don't mean to come across that way.

I read a lot of 'trans' topics on here mainly in the feminism boards. I do feel like I've missed something entirely.

On MN there appears to be a growing number of concern for trans women 'taking' the rights of women as their own.

I don't use Twitter but a lot of links get referenced to that regards transgender people trying to 'erase' females etc. I have clicked on the links referenced on MN to Twitter and even google and the guardian and find that it appears on the surface to be true.

However I feel like I've missed something fundamental. A few years ago I hardly ever saw six topics on MN - maybe I wasn't reading the right threads at the time? I don't really socialise much outside of work but when I do, none of my social circle ever mentions such things regarding trans issues. I watch the news but I don't really see anything there pertaining to trans people taking away women's rights.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm only made aware of it via mumsnet (apart from the male transgender weightlifter who competed in a women's event).

So can I ask the more enlightened of you, has this always been an issue or has it only recently just come about?

Why does it seem to be such a strong theme on MN but hardly anywhere else I look? Like I said I don't use Twitter at all unless someone post a link to something specific.

How can trans people possibly 'take away the rights of women'? How can that even be legal? Have new laws been passed that I'm not aware of?

I hope I don't come across as goady but I really would appreciate someone taking the time to fill me in especially as I can't seem to log on to MN these days without seeing similar threads re trans issues over and over. Also I don't understand how all these abbreviations have come about like TERF, TRA, etc. I'd genuinely never heard of them til a month or so ago. No one talks about this stuff irl.

Is it something kids are being taught in schools, the whole trans/non binary thing? I don't know what half of it means. I feel like I'm in some parallel universe reading some of the threads on here. I go to work and these issues aren't mentioned at all. I take care of my kids outside of work. What have I missed?

Sorry that was long. I'd appreciate genuine replies to this post, I'm not looking for a bun fight, just honest answers.

Thanks all in advance

Also, I would feel happier if transsexuals post op were allowed access to woman's places but a no penis rule. Is this a bad solution to the problem?

Apparently that kind of thinking is human rights abuse:

www.thestar.com/life/2017/06/16/trans-community-speaks-out-against-body-blitz-women-only-spa.html

@DailyWTFMoments are you saying that potentially a person could be sacked for wanting to protect their rights?  I only read up on doxxing today. Not fully aware of how it works.

@buckeejit but surely even in light of hormone treatment etc they'd still have a different build/ body mass than a biological female?

I'm not sure that anyone should have to mutilate their bodies to 'prove' gender because gender is actually just made up social constructs.

And dear god, children certainly shouldn't face that as their future.

Some people need to be accountable for the harm done to these children, by the way. Altered, sterilized, brain-fucked ... all for the vanity-vindication of a bunch of angry anarcho-misogynists.

If you rarely post why name change? For one who hasn't understood the multitude of threads already posted you've shown a remarkable grasp of the issue in under 50 posts.

So forgive me if I think you're not genuine, but merely posting to up the ante - it's a spectacularly bad strategy and one that could damage the cause, for want of a better word. Or is that what you want?

Yes I know JJ has had a roasting, but she is not the person to take this on as a cross party issue.

Thankful that someone else posted about this! I was starting to think I was dense!

I'm shocked people would peddle this shit on to children. Who would put their kid through that? Kids should be able to play with and do what they like without having labels attached and unnecessary treatments

Because @titchy I've been reading the trans threads on and off for a few weeks as well as other non trans threads. But the trans ones are becoming more and more apparent and I don't know where it's come from so I wanted to know. But I thought it makes me sound thick for asking (so thanks for that!!!) or like I'm trying to be deliberately goady when in actual fact I wanted someone to come along and fill in the gaps as I don't do much social media. And despite you're condemnation of me as a thick person I am quick on the uptake.

HTH

are you saying that potentially a person could be sacked for wanting to protect their rights?

The view of TRAs is that trans-women are women and so those women who you describe as "protecting their rights" are in fact excluding certain women (trans-women) who are most in need of protection and support.

Words have taken on new meanings - the term "woman" no longer refers to a person with XX chromosomes (and female genitals).
Similarly, the charity stonewall has recently published an amended definition of Homosexuality which no longer refers to attraction to the opposite sex, but equates sexuality with gender.

I think the world has gone mad.

I don't understand how someone can just come along and change scientific definitions of a male and female. Does anatomy count for nothing? I feel so confused by it all. And angry too.

Anatomy is considered secondary to feelings - the definition of gender is entirely based on a persons thoughts and beliefs; science is no longer a factor.

I'm so disheartened. No one feels 'female' or 'male'. You just ARE those things.

Thanks for explaining where these issues have arisen from. The majority of posters have been helpful and informative.

Just read a very interesting article on doxxing. Much food for thought.

Though I did think gender critical meant something different.

And keep name-changing, seriously.

I was thinking about 'Orthodoxxy' next.

@LugeRunner my first experience of Mumsnet feminist chat too!

@buckeejit female hormones don't reduce men's leg length or lung capacity etc. They don't turn men into women.

Males should compete against males, females should compete against females, that is what sex segregation is about.

This is a goady disingeous thread and should be deleted by HQ - we see you.

Yeah, I’m with you girlscout.

Why would you report? Did I miss something? For not understanding where all the trans stuff has come from? If I have to explain that to mnhq that I didn't understand something so asked a question then I absolutely will. I've never posted re trans issues before but have read a few threads recently. And I didn't understand what had happened to make them become so frequent.

I'm just a normal women, a real one who works and has a family and only sees trans discussions on MN. What exactly is there to report?

@GirlScout72 what does we see you mean?

This is the flip side on MN. It can be completely batshit extreme. You can't just ask a question and get answers without someone being absolutely paranoid you're putting on a front. This is the offputting thing about MN. What the actual...?

It's ok I've used MN for years on and off and got nothing to hide. MN will see that.

GirlScout72 even if the OP is time wasting - this is a thread in AIBU not FWR and others will be reading it and learning about what's going on for the first time.

The rest of us have read your warnings and It's up to us if we are happy to still engage.

You are troll hunting, which I may remind you is banned on MN. Asking questions is not.

Shouting troll might put other people off who have genuine questions. Give it a rest FFS.

cansomeoneexplain please ignore girlscout. She is allowing paranoia to get the better of her.

bridgetbishop
I agree. Even if the OP is timewasting, this thread has been an opportunity to share thr issurs surrounding the rise in trans threads in an accessibke way that doesn't require loads of knowledge about the issue (some on feminism do require quite a bit of backgroynd to follow i think).

It also is much less heated than some in the feminism section because this thread is offering a summary of the issues vs the feminism boards ones where it's debating gender critical views and other thibhs linked to it.