I'm Jack Monroe. Ask me anything.

[MxJackMonroe]

Hi Mumsnet.

It seems every time I am in the news, a MN thread about all things transgender crops up. I didn't see the last one (yesterday?) as I don't come on here very often these days - people who eavesdrop etc etc. I was cooking in a tent in a muddy field all day, having a ball, not googling myself on the internet!

The thread was deleted - which was nothing to do with me, nor my lawyer. The day I call him about a MN thread is the day I pack everything in for good. So far only the Mail and Hopkins have had legal action taken against them, and both for quite serious statements. I'm not rich enough nor quite bothered enough to call him every time someone says mean words on the internets.

ANYWAY. Threads about me tend to get deleted. So here's a new one. Because there are clearly some questions that keep coming up, criticisms that I could answer, speculation I could clarify and untruths that could do with correction.

So I'm taking questions. I'm an adult and I take an awful lot of criticism and unkindness online, on the chin. I am pretty mentally stable right now, and feel this could be a constructive discussion.

In order to stop this descending into pandemonium, using general 'chair' rules, to start with I'll take one question from each user - if it's quiet and everything gets answered, feel free to add follow up questions.

It doesn't have to be about boobs, dresses, hormones. Literally ask me anything.

MN - please don't delete this thread. I think people have valid things to say and I'm here with my big girl/boy pants on to hear them.

Over to you.

The problem is how do we distinguish between genuine tw and sexual predators dressed as tw in women's spaces? Can you answer that Jack?
I'm so sorry you had all those terrible experiences btw

Soren I don't need to know. I presume the trans person themselves will know.

coconutty

Well here's 23 pages to get you started, there's an old webchat on here too, around 70 news profiles, 300ish columns and 2 bestselling books. As well as 5 magazine covers, 13 awards, and regular news and radio slots. Give you and your friends something new to gossip about. I admit I'm pretty niche, but I've done most of the major festivals this year and nearly every political party conference most years. Just because you haven't heard of something doesn't mean it isn't real. Mind you I am self aware enough to know that my Twitter/Facebook/Instagram followers equal around 0.3% of the population. It's quite grounding to bear that in mind.

Unless the rest of you are Jack Monroe Hipsters and I'm just about to become cool... (crosses fingers)

Of course, when you add the history of female oppression at the hands of men, given my previous couple of posts, I can entirely see why trans people make feminists furious.

Wow....you are exceptionally brave!

I happen to think women are smarter than men and much more astute, and as sharp as knives! (My opinion only...)

To put oneself willingly before WOMEN, you have to have nerves of steel.

Transwomen have the same rate of committing offences, including sexual offences as men, which accounts for about 98% of sexual offences.

Currently if a man goes into a women's space, he is likely to be challenged. If men are freely able to enter women's spaces, women's safety is harmed. I think you are closing your eyes to this.

Sorry jack, I identify as not-a-hipster

It's really not just about safety, though obviously that has a lot to do with whether we as women feel comfortable in an environment.

It's also about privacy, dignity, respect for women as a distinct class who are oppressed on the basis of their biology, bodily autonomy and boundaries.

I followed Jack before it was cool. #JackMonroeHipsters

Transwomen have the same rate of committing offences, including sexual offences as men, which accounts for about 98% of sexual offences.

Jack - this statistic keeps coming up. There's only one paper on this and it's based on a small group where 15 offences were committed over a long time period.

But some feminists keep repeating it to help reinforce their perception that transwomen are violent.

I wonder why?

The 'I got slaughtered on Mumsnet' thing about the chest binder - I didn't see the thread you're referring to but I would be very surprised if the people questioning the wisdom of binding your breasts were people who would think about having breast implants themselves. If I had been on that thread I would have been concerned about your wellbeing. I'm not convinced breast binding is harmless physically or psychologically. As I said though, as long as you're fully informed of the risks, do what you like, it's your body.

“Apparently I am anti-feminine, anti-woman by being trans because I’m hammering home the message that being male is better. That’s what they were saying on Mumsnet. And I’m like, ‘No, it’s just better for me and I don’t want to be a man. I just want to be a small, masculine woman.”

I don't believe if you had said you wanted to be a small, masculine woman, that anybody on MN would have had a problem with that. It's when you say that you are not a woman that a lot of MNers have a problem. It is anti-woman to just jump ship and say 'I'm not one of you' because you hate the gender crap the rest of us also hate and have to put up with. It lacks solidarity. It feels like a sell-out. I wish you'd fight with us.

It's based on the entire population of Sweden, a liberal country, over a 30 year period.

Currently if a man goes into a women's space, he is likely to be challenged. If men are freely able to enter women's spaces, women's safety is harmed. I think you are closing your eyes to this.

YY. Cross posted with Flora, this is a critical point. It's not all about safety as I said, but obviously safety should be paramount.

Well, Plenty, I did get slaughtered. Posters said my son should go into care, ffs.

It's based on the entire population of Sweden, a liberal country, over a 30 year period

Yes - and how many offences were commited by trans women?

Were they committed by 13 separate individuals or a few?

What were the offences?

A small sample size and it's the only one you've got. Maybe you just have an issue with transwomen and want to perpetuate this myth?

But if you're happy to judge a whole group of people on a small sample of 13 crimes, then that says a lot about your prejudices.

Feminists are not saying that tw are violent, but that men are much more violent than women, and, as tw are men, we'd be naive not to have some concerns about them ffs.

Well, Plenty, I did get slaughtered. Posters said my son should go into care, ffs

Well, there are some people on here who will do anything to have a go at the trans community and to paint them in an awful light.

Luckily, most of MN is not like that.

Feminists are not saying that tw are violent, but that men are much more violent than women, and, as tw are men, we'd be naive not to have some concerns about them ffs

Yes they are. That survey is the only thing some feminists have and it's repeatedly used - often to say that TW commit sexual offences against women as much as men.

I think the sample size was actually 300 and odd tw. Please correct me if this is wrong. Women have legitimate concerns regarding this subject.

It is anti-woman to just jump ship and say 'I'm not one of you' because you hate the gender crap the rest of us also hate and have to put up with.

Is that what Jack is doing? I don't believe it is. I think they have felt something more extreme than simply "I don't like this gender crap".

It's a bit insulting really. How stupid would you have to be to think that your life would be EASIER this way, vs doing the minimum necessary to conform and have a quiet life, while testing the edges of gender norms gently in ways that don't get you so much abuse.

If you are interested in the performative nature of gender you might like this book by Emer O'Toole called "Girls Will Be Girls"

Can we not disappear down a rabbit hole?

I'm hanging on to see what Jack has to say about women's safe spaces....

I think the sample size was actually 300 and odd tw.

And 13 crimes committed. Over a 30 yr period. Do you know what kind of crimes? Ever asked why they committed a crime? What might have driven them?

Or would that require some deep thinking - and ruin your headline soundbite?

probably a daft question, but the only experience i have of breast binding is the video that Ruby Rose did.

I know she has spoken about it and advised against doing it because of the dangers, have you ever felt the need to do the same?

It was a cohort study of all the tw in Sweden. I think from memory they had all undergone grs, so we're actually transsexual and not "just" transgender. They were followed up over their lifetimes. We'd be stupid and dangerously naive to not at least consider the possibility that tw commit violent/sexual crimes at the same rates as men.

If you google the study you will find that what I am saying is in fact correct.