"I think the best way to start is for some of us to draft letters and post them here. People can C&P, add, refine as they wish, but it will be a start for some who might be a bit overwhelmed with phrasing such a letter, myself included"
I have drafted a letter, to the governments response to the trans report, anyone is free to cut and paste whichever bits they like. If we all send these letters, then we may have an impact. It is very long, at around 1,560 words, so if you can make it shorter it will be better (also I haven't spell checked it yet).
Dear MP,
We, the mumsnet women, are writing this letter as we are deeply concerned by the government's response, following the transgender equality report. In the response is says: "A commitment to equality is at the heart of this Government and is essential to building a strong economy and a fair society. We want to build a society that celebrates and benefits from the talents of everyone; ensuring fairness, protecting the most vulnerable, and prioritising equal opportunities for all."
This sounds positive, however, we have some concerns we would like to share. We acknowledge that people born female; girls and women are disadvantaged and discriminated against in society presently. There does not seem to be a acknowledgement of this in either the report or the response.
Despite the work women's campaigners have done in the past, society still treats males and females unequally. We believe this starts from the moment a child is born male or female. The campain let toys be toys has highlighted this: "Let Toys Be Toys campaign is asking the toy and publishing industries to stop limiting children’s interests by promoting some toys and books as only suitable for girls, and others only for boys." The campaign for a commercial free childhood, has similarly highlighted these issues. The independent report on the impact of the commercial world on children's wellbeing, and the sexualisation of young people review. Also highlighted how girls are being socialised into a (usually sexually objectified) role. As adults females are also under represented in STEM careers and the pay gap is still present. Females still suffer high levels of sexual assault and rape, and the perpetrators are overwhelmingly male. Therefore, males are clearly an advantaged group and females a disadvantaged group. We are treated differently because of the sex we are born, and an inferior role is socially enforced on females. Whilst males are encourged to assume a socially superior role. We call these roles: gender and do not believe they are innate. We are very concerned that the government wants to protect "gender" (these negative roles) that disadvantages females, by law over biological sex. As this can only further benefit males to the detriment of females.
We are aware of the popularity of queer theory and postmodernism in the academy and the ideology that comes with that. For example the idea that classes of people are no longer disadvantaged, by the social categories they are born into. These ideas run throughout postmodernist discourse. There is also an idea, which forms the basis of queer theory, that categories of people can be "destabilised". And people can "perform" what amounts to gender stereotypes and then enter one or the other category of people, or declare themselves out of both categories altogether. This has come to be known as transgenderism. We have seen this idea of categories of people being fluid, being dismissed in regards to race, as the case of the white woman Rachel Dolenz demonstrates. Rachel was a white woman "identifying" as black, she gained a place in a black civil rights organisation, this was rightly condemned. Even though she sincerely "identified" as black and thought of herself as black. Why is the government not dismissing this idea of fluid categories of people in regards to sex?
This concept of fluid categories of people, is harmful only for the disadvantaged group. In Rachel's case black people, as she may experience negativity due to being perceived as black. But she has not got the same life experiences as actual black people. Moreover, she has chosen to "identify" with a disadvantaged group, which other black people do not have the privilege of doing. This can not be seen as "progressive" by people born into the disadvantaged group. As the ideology is in fact advocating "identifying" out of being born in a discriminated against group, if you do not like how you are perceived or treated. We do not think that is very "progressive" at all, but in fact regressive. We see sex the same way, when a male person "identifies" as female (a woman), he is a member of an advantaged group entering a disadvantaged group.
We do not believe which gender stereotypes you perform or identify with should be written into law, and supersede biological sex. As this severely harms people born female in many ways. Such as male people "identifying" as female then changing the stats on the pay gap, women in STEM careers, and many other things. The first "woman" soldier on the frontline is actually a male and so on. Whilst these men are lauded for being "brave" for seemingly entering the disadvantaged group of female (girls/women), women and girls suffer. Of course there are obvious reasons why a female may wish to "identify" out of being in the disadvantaged group of female. There are less obvious reasons why a male may wish to "identify" into that disadvantaged group. The DSM V's description of those diagnosed with gender dysphoria sheds light on what these motivations may be.
The DSM V says there are two groups of people who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria the "late-onset" group and "early-onset" group. It states male "adolescents and adults with late-onset gender dysphoria frequently engage in transvestic behavior with sexual excitement." And
"factors under consideration, especially in individuals with late-onset gender dysphoria (adolescence, adulthood), include habitual fetishistic transvestism developing into autogynephilia (i.e., sexual arousal associated with the thought or image of oneself as a woman) andother forms of more general social, psychological, or developmental problems." It also says these "late-onset" men after genÂder transition, "self-identify as lesbian." In striking contrast to females: "Natal femaleswith the late-onset form do not have co-occurring transvestic behavior with sexual excitement." This makes it understandable why heterosexual males may wish to "identify" as the disadvantaged group female.
Moreover, we believe there are obvious reasons for not accepting males who "identify" as females (as women) into sex segregated spaces. Because males are the perpetrators of the vast amount of sexual crimes, and women are the vast amount of victims of those crimes. However, we highly sympathise with what the DSM V calls the "early on-set" group of people diagnosed with gender dysphoria and who also refer to themselves as "trans".
The DSM V describes those diagnosed with gender dysphoria in the "early-onset" group, in the following: "Adolescent and adult natal males with early-onset gender dysphoria are almost alÂways sexually attracted to men (androphilic)." "Adolescent and adult natal females with early-onset gender dysphoria are almostalways gynephilic." (Lesbian.) It is obvious why someone who is homosexual and does not not follow gender stereotypes may think they should have been born the opposite sex. As we live in a society that discriminates against homosexuals, and has very ridged gender roles for the sexes. This brings us to our concerns about children, as the DSM V states: "For both natal male and female children showing persistence, almost all are
sexually attracted to individuals of their natal sex." So if a child does not conform to gender roles into adulthood then it is highly likely they will be homosexual. The idea of encouraging children who do not conform to gender roles to think of themselves as the opposite biological sex. Could reasonably be described as a conversion therapy for children suspected of being homosexual. Considering sterilisation is involved this is very concerning.
Furthermore, the DSM V says there could be other reasons for gender dysphoria under "differential diagnosis" like "nonconformity to gender roles", "Transvestic disorder", "Body dysmorphic disorder", "Schizophrenia (or other psychotic disorders)" or an "Emasculinization desire". We believe that the diagnosis of 'gender dysphoria' in reality lumps all these various elements together. And that these people end up either thinking or claiming they are 'trans', due to ideologies that have gained popularity in the academy i.e. Postmodernism and queer theory. Which have then been promoted to the public as transgenderism, through the media. We do not believe that gender dysphoria should be categorised as a mental illness. We think the other underlying issues should be addressed in more appropriate ways. We also do not believe that biological categories of people should be legally replaced by whether one has an affinity for a particular gender role.
In conclusion we do not see how it is reasonable or ethical for a male person to be permitted to "identify" as a woman. Which can only be based on stereotypes of what he thinks a woman is i.e. That women wear skirts, make up, have long hair, are shy, flirty, sexy etc. We do not think this makes a male a female: a woman. Anymore than wearing a turban, liking curries and watching Bollywood movies makes a white person asian. Neither do we accept the pseudo science of "brain sex" as an explanation for innate gender roles; this concept is reminiscent of the "negro brain" experiments from the eugenics era. We also do not believe that females are castrated males, we find this idea to be highly insulting to females. These recommendations appear to us as obtuse and naive in the extreme. Female (women, girls), and male (men, boys) are biological categories not a set of gender stereotypes. There is no acknowledgement of the fundamental conflict between females rights and males desire to "identify" as one of us. By supporting queer theory ideology and therefore the existence of transgenderism the government is supporting discrimination against people born female. This needs to be addressed.
Yours sincerely,
The mumsnet women