To think JK Rowling is a fabulous human being

[TheAdventuresoftheWishingChair]

I just came across her book, 'Very Good Lives' which is all about overcoming adversity. I think it's so important that successful women talk about the times they've failed and how success is about pushing past that. I'm reading it just at a time I need to hear that message. I can definitely recommend buying a copy if you are in need of a boost or have some pennies to spend on something nourishing.

I was also looking into her charity, Lumos, and I had no idea just how much she was trying to help disadvantaged children. I love that she's putting her money and position to good use.

The term 'national treasure' generally makes me want to poke my own eyeballs out with a rusty kitchen utensil but AIBU to say she is an utter treasure and we are lucky to have her. She makes the world a better place.

That's all!

I dropped a little email of support to the fabulous Ms Rowling. She won’t ever see it, of course (imagine how many people get in contact with her!), but I just like to write to say thanks to brave women who stand up,for other women. I figured that she’ll have staff that at least keep an eye on the themes of the correspondence and perhaps tell her “ok, you got three hundred and five people telling you to go and fuck yourself, a hundred and twenty seven called you a TERF and told you to die in a fire, there were three death threats and a rape threat. But three thousand four hundred and twelve people told you were brilliant, they agreed with every word and they love you “

I got a very prompt response thanking me for my kind words and support, and sending me warmest wishes. Luffs ya, JK!

Presumably they'd be quite safe in the gents toilets?

Presumably, yes, but that's the first time on here I've seen anyone take that stance - it's always been "as trans men are biologically female, they're always welcome in the women's loos as they are one and we can always tell!"

Well they are welcome in the ladies loos. If you can link to the person I'll tell you immediately if I can tell whether they're male or female.

From twitter below

Sex is binary, male or female

Throughout history women were oppressed/harmed

because of our sex

Throughout the world women are oppressed/harmed

because of our sex

The biggest cause of death of girls aged 15-19 worldwide is pregnancy/childbirth

because of our sex

My love for her grows every day. She is utterly magnificent.

The thing about language is that it's importance varies depending on who you are speaking to.
If you need to give out information on periods and associated health issues, in the overwhelming majority of places you will exclude more people by calling it "information for people who menstruate" rather than "information for women and girls". Periods are still a huge taboo in lots of places, and literacy levels might mean that people don't know what menstruation even means.

Identity is important, and I can't imagine what it must feel like to be at odds with the sexed body you have to live in. I'm a normal, polite person. I use someone's pronouns and the name they use. I try and always use neutral language. I think there should be a lot more money thrown at support services for people experiencing gender dysphoria.
But the oppression women and girls face has nothing to do with how they identify. It has everything to do with the physical reality of being female and the way men view women's sexed bodies. No one asks female babies if they identify as girls when they are dumping them or drowning them.
In that instance girl doesn't mean "anyone who identifies as a girl". It means anyone who is identified AS A girl by their body. Sex is not assigned at birth. It is identified. And we need simple ways of naming the group of people that get murdered or oppressed because of this.
I feel for any transmen that get upset at hearing that menstruation is something that only a female body can do. It must be immensely painful. But the answer to that is not to contort language so it becomes watered down. It is to get those people proper help, because there will always be another trigger in the future - it is far healthier to develop strategies for managing that, surely?

@Winesalot

I have no idea if there are any trans women who are activists for female infanticide, and no idea how to find this information out. I'm not sure why you think I would.

@PurpleGhost I have looked into it plenty. I am not new to 'this'. It's nearly 30 years since I first helped campaign to allow a transwoman in my workplace to be able to use the female toilets - in a very male dominated work place. I now have transwomen in my life who I am close to. No transwoman I know, or have ever known, believes that women should lose their identity.

Anyone who's ever written litriture or letters that go out to the general population will know you need to keep the language simple and without jargon.

Information for people who menstrate - does not communicate a clear message. By saying that you've just lost masses of your target audience.

Information for women and girls - is clear, we all know who they're taking to.

What we need is a process in place to make sure transmen are still getting acsess to this information. They may need to be on a list with the gp to have all relevant info sent to them personally in language they can tolerate. But seeing as their numbers are comparatively low - that shouldn't be a problem. Should it?

Do you not think that the transgender person you knew 30 years ago may be quite different for what passes as transgender right now?

I'm assuming 30 years ago they would have been known as transexual for a start and probably had surgery? As opposed to right now when a man can literally say one day that they are now a woman and can access all women's spaces?

And it's not about knowing a lovely transwoman personally, surely you realise that?

She is wonderful.

Some transwomen can't menstruate because they're biologically men

I'm sure you meant ALL transwomen can't menstruate because they're biologically men...

Boggling at what a trans woman who is not biologically male would actually be transing to or from!

I love JK Rowling. I refuse to countenance anyone, who was born with a penis, trying to mansplain to me what it's like to be a woman.

No transwoman I know, or have ever known, believes that women should lose their identity.

Please, woman in not and never has been an identity. I am an adult human female regardless of how I see or think it myself.

When did 'woman' become an identity as opposed to another word for adult human female anyway?

Do you, for instance, know that the majority of the time it is women that carry out the act of FGM?

Women, meaning...? No it’s Ok I know what you meant. I think we all do. Thankfully.

No transwoman I know, or have ever known, believes that women should lose their identity.

According to Ray Blanchard's typology, there are two types of transwomen. As follows.

HSTS (homosexual transsexuals), and AGP (autogynephiles).

They are completely different.

Homosexual transsexuals are usually effeminate gay men, with either internalised homophobia, or have suffered from homophobic abuse. They feel more comfortable presenting as female, rather than address all the issues.

AGP individuals become aroused at the thought of being a woman, often in faux humiliating or degrading circumstances. Often late to transition, they are frequently married and fathers, and may have been cross dressing for years. They are heterosexual.

Neither of these two types promote feminism and they are both rooted in sexism. But at least the former don't fetishise women and their oppression for sexual kicks.

It's also the former who are not generally transactivists. And this might very well be the transwomen with which you are acquainted.

Unfortunately it would appear that they are in a very small minority, at the moment.

What was a practical issue for them, has now become ideological and highly politicised.

@PurpleGhost

When did 'woman' become an identity as opposed to another word for adult human female anyway?

When men decided you can be Arthur on Monday and Martha on Tuesday, presumably. They'd have you believe Woman is a costume you literally put on and take off as the spirit moves you. Time was people were incarcerated in asylums for less.

@BlueBlazerBlack

Do transmen really object to the use of 'women and girls' when talking about menstruation?

I have only ever seen objections from transwomen who believe that saying 'women menstruate' is trans-exclusionary, because transwomen don't menstruate?

I would genuinely like to see some evidence of why language needs to be more trans-inclusive for transmen, from the perspective of transmen.

I would also like to see similar use of 'people' in association with male functions, e.g. 'people who have prostates' being used instead of 'men'? It can just feel sometimes that there is a very one-sided push to change the language around 'woman' but not the word 'man'.

A few yesterday. Teenagers mainly.

Blimey you woomuds can really talk can't you?

A few yesterday. Teenagers mainly

What's their age got to do with anything, and how would you know their age anyway?
Teenagers and young adults are allowed an opinion too, you sound incredibly patronising and I say this as a middle aged old something something.

Have we had a definition of Woman yet?

ScreamingBeans, I think it was only the usual 'anyone who identifies as'
Which every penis-haver and his dog knows is bollocks. Unless the definition of the word 'definition' is now: don't ask me, I'm just a menstruator!

It's the same game playing as usual. This addresses it nicely:
culturallyboundgender.wordpress.com/2019/01/21/canwehaveaword-why-talking-about-womens-issues-has-become-a-minefield/

"Make no mistake: when they’re not playing middle-class semantics games to obscure the basics of biological reality and ostracize non-believers, queer theorists do know biological sex exists. They know this group of people exists, that the word “woman” used to refer to something concrete (and still does, for normal people).

They just don’t want you to be able to talk about women/the group formerly known as women/female human beings … no matter how many hoops you’re willing to jump through."

40 years of adult life have shown me that I was very wrong about some of the things I was so certain about in my teens. Some of the young people shouting the odds on Twitter today may feel very differently as their life experience starts to build up, especially the females who go on to have children.

@ALittleBitofVitriol

ScreamingBeans, I think it was only the usual 'anyone who identifies as' Which every penis-haver and his dog knows is bollocks. Unless the definition of the word 'definition' is now: don't ask me, I'm just a menstruator!

It's the same game playing as usual. This addresses it nicely:
culturallyboundgender.wordpress.com/2019/01/21/canwehaveaword-why-talking-about-womens-issues-has-become-a-minefield/

"Make no mistake: when they’re not playing middle-class semantics games to obscure the basics of biological reality and ostracize non-believers, queer theorists do know biological sex exists. They know this group of people exists, that the word “woman” used to refer to something concrete (and still does, for normal people).

They just don’t want you to be able to talk about women/the group formerly known as women/female human beings … no matter how many hoops you’re willing to jump through."

Yup - to paraphrase - they still know who to employ on minimum wage to scrub their toilets. They just want to take away any language those people could possibly use for consciousness raising as a prelude to political action.