First female soldier.

[Thecatsmum]

Only they've not had any surgery and have just started hormone treatment therefore they are a man!

How can they possibly be feted as the first female soldier?

The world truly has gone mad.

Good one, Hairy.

I wonder if there is any Barrister in the land that would take this on. I'd happily contribute..

I realise I am grasping at straws here but before joining the many threads on MN, I was very much on the fence. Now, after reading literally thousands of passionate and eloquent posts, I am angry and confused and fearful. The erosion of women's rights has already started.

I am Spartacus.

ITCouldBeWorse

I actually managed to find some stats on that in another thread. I can't work out how to see my history on MN though. Bottom line was what you would imagine though.

I find it offensive to both transwomen and to women that General Sir James Everard refers to Chloe as a "trendsetter", as if being trans is the latest fashion craze.

It undermines the seriousness of the transition process (demeaning transwomen) whilst at the same time suggesting that being a woman is defined by a bog standard haircut and accessories (demeaning women).

Is there anything we can do? I know upthread people mentioned writing letters, but to who? Are there any feminist societies coming out in support of cis women? How can we let our voices be heard?

Some navy bloke on twitter is going on about how great it is that the 1st female frontline soldier 'happens' to be trans, as if it's some happy co-incidence and not the result of a lifetime of male privilege and the fact that women are still currently banned from the front line. He then goes on about how women are rapists too (not trans women of course).

I'm furious about this too.

So glad to see this thread and there is a place on the internet where it can be discussed. I daren't tweet about it.

Would be very on for a campaign of writing to MPs. My local one is a nob and wouldn't understand it though.

Are there any feminist societies coming out in support of cis women?

Any feminist society using the word 'cis' would definitely be supportive of transactivism too. It's a very big clue that if you use the label cis you've decided where actual women sit in the hierarchy - at the bottom.

To protest this development means acknowledging that there is a distinct group of people who are being disadvantaged by their common characteristic - biology. That group includes everyone with XX chromosomes and ovaries, no matter how they identify so ot includes all transmen too. This grouo used to be called women. Most feminist groups have long since denied this definition matters and have adopted the trans approach "a woman is whatever she says she is". Ergo, a real woman has made it to the frontline, and the other women should be happy about it.

Radfem groups speak out (and get called TERFs) individual feminists also write to MPs, to the BBC/newspapers to protest about biassed reporting, share feminist articles on social media etc.

When I first heard this story I mentally chuckled to myself and thought 'how ridiculous, the first woman on the front line is actually a man!'.

After seeing this thread, I realise how damaging this is, how it minimises women's achievements.

I don't think it's funny anymore.

Firefighter nominated for woman of the year less than a year post transition.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/firefighter-up-woman-year-award-8548421

I've not had enough coffee yet to fuel my rant.

I want to shout and rant about this but how do we do so without harming folk who feel like they are born in the wrong body? Take the Fireservice story in the last link - her story is pretty compelling and your heart goes out anyone who struggles with this, but how do you actually get this critical point across without sounding like a heartless bitch?

You cannot possibly compare these compelling stories with the likes of Nate and other insidious MtF's who seem to hate women yet want to be one?

I'm really confused tbh.

YY, HairyLittlePoet.

Take the Fireservice story in the last link - her story is pretty compelling and your heart goes out anyone who struggles with this

I'm sorry, but there is a very big difference between undergoing gender reassignment surgery in order to feel comfortable with yourself, and accepting a nomination to be "firewoman of the year" and courting publicity about your success "as a woman".

I become cynical the minute a trans-person (male or female) displaces someone of the sex they have transitioned to become from an opportunity that is only open to that sex. It makes me question their "real" motivations for transition.

Hex, nobody should have to worry about asserting their rights for fear of being thought 'not nice'.

In particular 'don't be mean' is not a logical argument, although it seems to pop up regularly on trans discussions.

This takes away from the achievements of ACTUAL women who are the first to serve on the frontline, surely? Now its, oh who gives a crap we have had the first, you are just the subsequent when it is a massive achievement and step forward that women are now able to actually do this. I wonder if the headlines will read 'first cis-woman' when it happens now or 'more women join Chloe on the front line'

"Being nice" is one of the major founding principles of our gender indoctrination as women (oddly many MtT don't seem to afflicted by this despite their inner femaleness - strange, one can only wonder how they avoided it. Who wants to ask them?). If we want to really challenge the patriarchy we are going to have to get courageous and accept that we will be vilified for (ironically) being gender non=conforming and not putting everybody else's feelings before our own.

Easier said than done, but I think we need to become like those female soldiers fighting against Isis (holds hand over mouth and llollollollolloll's).

NN that's a very good point and not one I'd considered. Thank you.

merrymouse being 'not nice' is something I can live with.

Being branded as a hateful 'TERF' or as transphobic is something else altogether though. I am neither.

The media is manipulating as usual. Using those headlines, repeatedly making a point of saying female, talking about nails etc. They are taking the piss out of chloe and whippinh up their readers and inviting them to do the same. It's like when the post a bad pic of some actress saying how "natural and fresh" she looks - caching! You know exactly how the comments are going to go.

I'm livid about this.

I respect people's right to identify themselves but Chloe is not the first woman, she is the first transgender person who openly identifies as a woman to serve on the front line.

My Dsis said to me today when we were talking about this story "let me just grab a strap on and swing it around the gents telling everyone I'm a man. Even if they accept me as a man I'd still be a woman holding a plastic penis."

As someone said up thread, is no women's group going to say anything about this? U.K. Feminista? Fawcet soc? Women's equality party? I would join any right now who had the guts to speak out. And not one women columnist? Emperors new French knickers.

Agree Milander. I would join that group too!