Firstly I fundamentally believe that we as marginalised groups or as groups whose rights have been/are under threat should go against each other. I think we should help each other in fighting inequality and injustice I think a lot of women who are GC would agree with this, with some very much staring out being part of pro- trans campaigns. Things changed when we were told that literally any man could say they were a woman and that they were literally a woman in all circumstances.
You can surely see the safeguarding concerns with that? When you say 'we;' should fight for each other's rights - that is not what is happening. Women are being told ( aggressively with threats and real world consequences such as losing work and the ability to support themselves and their families) that they have to give up their rights and safety for another group. Its only working that way around. Not the other way around. That's where the sexism shows. And GC women object to that.
but I have followed some of the conversations here on MN about trans/women's rights and much of it seems to me to be motivated by transphobia, especially when people resort to derogatory remarks about trans people or even appearing to question transsexualism, which to me shows up the bigotry at the heart of their resistance to trans rights
Firstly, you really have to make up you mind on the issues raised and arguments and evidence presented, not on your views of the people making them. The motivation of individuals does not change the facts of the case. I have had people who said things to me with bad intent, but on reflection I have realised there was truth in what they said and have been helped by their comments and insight. The women on the sex and gender board are not a hive mind, there is a thread at the moment where they are discussing this very topic! And I have to say, I really cannot see how women objecting to male sex offenders in women's prison's , or women having to compete against male bodied cage fighters is based on anything other than a women's rights issue. For my part, I am very tired of people objecting to the alleged motivations when the arguments and cases themselves show you that this is clearly a women's rights issue.
Many of the comments here have not been discussion but comments trying to undermine criticism of cultural appropriation such as 'how ridiculous', 'the world has gone mad', 'wokery' and so on, to the point where a couple of posters effectively silenced a poster who I think is a person of colour Ok, I get your point, but in this case that might have been because the OP was about someone wanting to use a fan in their dance routine. Most people can see that a fan is inoffensive and I guess are frustrated with the idea that they might be expected to question or be 'held to account' for innocuous things such as that.
I think it is not for us as white women to define what racism and cultural appropriation are Its not about being a white woman (not sure what sex has to do with this here either). This is contentious issue, within communities of people of colour too. Each individual has a responsibility to listen and consider points of view, but at the end of the day all any of us can do is form our own view. No matter what the subject. There are different view of what feminism is amongst women and what racism is amongst PoC. I wouldnt' expect a man to subscribe to my view of feminism because I was a woman. I would expect him to listen and consider, but he may agree with another woman's view of feminism.
Many women of colour have argued that in conversations about race or cultural appropriation white women often get defensive, accuse people of colour of being aggressive and accusatory or use tears to silence the debate Tbh I can see why people get upset when phrases like ' white women's tears' are used. I find that a deeply offensive and misogynistic term and it does bother me that in the name of 'progressiveness' we are finding new ways to recycle old misogynies.