This is depressing. I have been mulling over it, related to the other thread on the trans* - feminism clash.
I was out yesterday with DC. There was another group at a nearby table with three MtT people. I am sorry, but, in the nicest possible way, it was such an affected, external caricature of womanhood by two of them and the third was less dolled up and loud, but had a very deep male voice. So, this caused me some reflection too on the liberal question. Apologies for mixing threads.
Because to me, I think fine, if men wish to externally present as women in public space. It pisses me off, because my actual experience of being a woman bears no relation to that external presentation, but, in a liberal context, their presentation as women is not actually harming me (or is it?)
Because that is the question, freedom comes with responsibility in the classical liberal sense. It is not about who has the most power to make their voices heard (neoliberal).
But anyway, it was the bathroom issue that bothered me the most, because I did think thank goodness I have taken DC to the loo before we went to eat. I very much doubt any of them would have attacked us, so that was not the issue. But somehow it felt like it would have been invasive, which is what I am trying to figure out.
I think the point is that classical liberalism was about access to public space; whereas the issue here is about access to sexed private space. shins upthread is right to point out the historical link. And bodily functions are private (and women's bodies and reproductive role) are historically and culturally at the root of inequality.