The dictionary definition of woman is a hate crime now. AIBU or is this political correctness gone mad.

[DJLippy]

Feminists across the UK have "defaced" statues by dressing them in T-shirts containing the dictionary definition of the word woman .More details here.
makemorenoisemanc.wixsite.com/mysite/mmnblog/a-womans-place-is-in-the-resisters-midnight-t-shirt-protest-sparks-outrage

Trans rights groups are calling this a hate crime. I hate to sound like such an old fogie but this it sounds like political correctness gone mad! How is this offensive? What's so offensive about the word woman I don't understand!

*Woman = noun
black, retarded, gay (other words mentioned above) = adjectives. Adjectives far easier to get wrong or to use incorrectly. Nouns are much harder. *

Retarded aside those words used as adjectives, unless coupled with an offensive notion are not in themselves offensive

A gay couple

A black man

Those words as nouns however...

Trans rights groups not liking the definition of woman as an adult human female shows that they actually agree that trans people are not women.

Trans rights groups not liking the definition of woman as an adult human female shows that they actually agree that trans people are not women.

You are trying to bring logic into it.

They skew the stats but aren't representative of the majority of men.

Nor are women earning £50k. You're completely missing the point of class analysis. It doesn't work at the individual level.

Crazy PC world and what is worse is the feminists are wiping themselves out by following this fad and jumping on the trans train, and they are too stupid to see it.

If you check out the Feminism board on here you’ll see that most feminists are really NOT on board with jumping on the trans train and wiping out women’s rights.

On mumsnet yes, but in the rest of the world that is not the case. Twitter is full of it.

Don't blame feminists for this! Real feminists are pushing back against this bullshit.

I've only seen the feminism movement grow from strength to strength in recent times

Something else women are being blamed for?

Its weird dangermousesSidekick how women are blamed for everything

People think its an exaggeration but it really isnt

It does happen in other aspects of life such as politics but even then its not as overt

I think a small minority of feminists (like the ones on Tumblr) do cause the rest to get tarnished with the same brush from what I've seen.

But on the flipside I do also think that many things get blamed on the patriarchy which are also largely the result of women's choices. Like the earnings gap which I'm still undecided on. I've met a lot of women who really enjoyed motherhood and embraced maternity leave, which undoubtedly affects women's long term prospects and earnings in many cases through absence from the workplace.

The social turn taken against women in recent years is deeply concerning. These few examples show why: the number of female victims of domestic violence, the many women murdered by their partners, or by stalkers; to an extent that necessitates the implication of Clare's Law. The revelation in the wake of #MeToo as to just how many of us have been victims of rape, sexual assault or harrassment. Doubly shocking was the backlash against that movement, the denial, victim-blaming and bizarre determination to keep the status quo exactly as it is is. Even more bizarrely is that these objections are often voiced by women. Who benefits, exactly?

A conference of trauma therapists addressed the question of what, globally, statistically and historically, has been the biggest overall killer of women. The answer to that question is men. Yes, there are legions of kind, good men out there; the sort who protected me from the unwanted ministrations of the abusive brand of man also out there. But by looking at them, we can't tell who they are and must therefore treat them all with suspicion. Men are not the ones looking over their shoulder when out alone after dark. Women are.

The TRA approach is just another building-block in this most recent misogynistic backlash. It hasn't suddenly sprung up out of the ether. Transwomen want protection from similar discrimination, exclusion and sometimes violence encountered because of their marginalized group. I sympathize. But when their 'right' of inclusion flies in the face of every girl and woman's rights to bodily autonomy and protected spaces, it's appropriate to question whose right trumps whose. On a related point, I don't object to being called cisgender in the correct context of debate, but 'cervix-haver' is repulsive and grossly offensive.

When it comes to the question of whose rights should be protected at the expense of whose, the statistics above give the answer. Women are the ones who are most at threat from men. Legitimizing shared spaces - particularly medical and toileting ones - puts us at additional risk of the harm too many males already inflict. The basis of that harm is purely biological: the superior strength which puts women in a disadvantaged position to transwomen and men. I see it as my personal human right never to become a victim of rape again. And in the face of the injustices continually suffered by women, the idea that it's feminists now being typecast as part of the majority, oppressor-class is the most frightening irony of all.

Like the earnings gap which I'm still undecided on. I've met a lot of women who really enjoyed motherhood and embraced maternity leave, which undoubtedly affects women's long term prospects and earnings in many cases through absence from the workplace.

That's the point though. Only women can be mothers. Men could take paternity leave leaving both parents with an equal career 'hit'. But they don't... why not?

Women are mothers... mothers are the ones who rear children
Men are fathers ... fathers are the ones who go out and earn

That is socialisation. We know this becaise of the growing number of UK men who are SAHPs and women who are main breadwinners. It is possible to go against gender stereotypes, always .

So why don't we? Oh yes, cos women choose to stay at home!

But think abut how those parents are spoken about, reported in media... It is rarely wholly positive for the woman and the man is hailed as a total hero!

There are plenty of countries where such gendered child rearing does not occur! It is not all about choice!

It's one of those things* that no man can understand because, well, he isn't a woman and has absolutely zero experience of the social pressure women feel to be the primary care giver!

*and yes, I do acknowledge that there are male instances of similar socialised behaviour! It would be ridiculous not to! But this thread is about the expereinces of women, so we are talking about women!

Only women can be mothers.
Mencouldtake paternity leave leaving both parents with an equal career 'hit'. But they don't... why not?

Most of the women I know enjoyed spending time with their newborn despite it also being hard work.

The flipside is that men often work 30-40 years straight without more than two weeks off at any time.

Doughnut, why don't you start your own thread about the shitty end of toxic masculinity. It would seem a far better idea than to continually attempt to me-rail this one about a different subject.

Because maternity leave as we all know is one long bloody holiday...

tell

Absolutely

There is nothing about recuperating from child birth or it benefitting the child

And obviously doesnt take into account those women who have a short a maternity leave beacuse they can't afford it or those who decide to take a shorter maternity leave for various other reasons

Thats why some feminists argue that a societal change is needed not just to encourage more men to take paternity leave

Is there 'man', under the same scruitany by the transactivists, I think not. This is why biological women are so upset.

Meant is the word man

Because maternity leave as we all know is one long bloody holiday...

It's a break from sitting at one's desk, even if hard work. After decades of being in an office without even a few weeks escape a change can be welcome (that's pretty much what my sister said).

It's not a competition. I'm just trying to give the other side of the coin. I'd have loved to have taken paternity leave as I detest corporate environments.

In that respect feminism is a good thing for men like me.

I'd have loved to have taken paternity leave as I detest corporate environments

Yes that’s why we have children. To have a year long holiday from work.

So why didn’t you take paternity leave?