Just because you haven't encountered any difficulties when turning down trans women for dates doesn't mean it doesn't happen though, does it? It's extremely clear from the many, many experiences being recounted by lesbians all around the country that it's a real problem. And if you don't believe them, just look at social media - there's plenty of evidence of these beliefs if you want to go looking.
Also, I don't think anyone believes that trans women are new.
But what is new is trans women claiming to be "better than women" and "the real women", and pushing women's voices out of spaces that we've fought so hard to gain entry to.
What's new is trans women insisting that they are the most marginalised in society, and that therefore their rights trump all others.
What's new is gangs of trans women - and their allies - attacking women who are trying to hold private meetings.
What's new is trans women trying to force their way into rape counselling centres that have been set up specifically for biological women because the regular rape counselling centre told women to "reframe their trauma" and accept male-bodied counsellors.
What's new is lesbians being told that they're transphobic for refusing to date someone with a "lady dick".
What is new is women in places of employment being told to step aside because they don't understand the real struggles of being a woman (search for Ginny's (?) thread on here - it's eye-opening).
What's new is professors being hounded out of universities for daring to say that biological sex is real.
What's new is trans women being included on board rooms or in executive positions, and that being counted as female representation.
What's new is trans women insisting on gaining entry to single sex spaces, thus rendering them unusable by those who need a single sex space eg/sexual assault survivors, or women with certain religious beliefs.
What is new is trans women in prisons and hospitals who go on to assault and rape vulnerable women in those institutions.
What's new is trans individuals trying to wipe out the right to have a same sex preference - effectively a new kind of homophobia.
What is new is trans women who were only ever average when participating in male sport suddenly entering into women's sports and robbing women of their victories, and in some cases, robbing them of the right to participate.
Conversely, what isn't new is male-bodied individuals acting aggressively towards women, erasing women, and speaking over women.
I have lots of gay friends in real life. I don't actually know any trans people. I chat to some trans women on Twitter, and the ones I have discussions with are lovely. They're very clear that they're not biological women, they're trans women - and the two are not the same. I can treat those trans women with absolute respect because they are true allies of women and aren't trying to claim to be something they're not.
Trans women like India Willoughby are vile, nasty and aggressive - and underlines the absolute bollocks that women are having to deal with.
I don't understand why someone feels they have a trans identity, none of us do. I don't really care how someone dresses, or what name they call themselves. I do care about the rights of women. I do care about women's sport. I do care about women's dignity, privacy and safety. I agree there needs to be some kind of solution - but it shouldn't automatically mean that women have to step aside and act as some kind of shield against male violence.
On the subject of public bathrooms, why do trans women need protection from male bodied individuals - but women don't qualify for the same protection? There are genuine trans women, and there are those who are sexual predators - just look at the figures from HM Prison Service. How do we protect our women and girls from trans women who are predators? That was the whole point of having single sex spaces - safety from aggressive male-bodied individuals. And now we're being forced to share our spaces with any male-bodied individual who chooses to enter them. And yet, if we raise these valid issues respectfully, we're shot down as transphobic. Speaking about women's rights has somehow become transphobic.
Women are rightfully angry and fucked off. We've fought too long and too hard to just give up our voices all over again.
It's not about hating trans individuals. I honestly don't really care what someone else does or how they lead their life. But when their rights trample all over the rights of women, I do care.
What pisses me off is that trans individuals and women should be allies, but when there's a whole group of them trying to claim what isn't theirs and depriving us of our safety and our rights in the process, it's never going to happen.