I want to start a change petition, though I expect it will fail. Can I get some help on the wording please..as articulating my feelings is not a strong point of mine. The petition for now is about women only spaces. I did not know how to add in anything ab out transing children as every time I tried it came across as aggressive, where I feel what i have so far comes across as...reasonable and not ranty? Also I feel one step at a time, if we can convince enough people to think this matter through properly, then the attitude towards gender non-conforming children will also change and puberty blockers and such will (hopefully) be seen as child abuse/homophobia rather than acceptable.
It is becoming increasingly concerning the stance the Government appears to be taking on this matter. Whilst it is understandable that transgender people require safety as much as anyone else, I do not feel this position has been thought through. Allowing transgender people into the bathroom, changing room, rape crisis centre, prison etc. of their 'gender' will put many vulnerable people at risk for the sake of sparing a few feelings.
These areas were never segregated by gender. It has always been about biological differences between the sexes. What I feel is happening at the moment is a (sometimes purposeful) mixing up of sex and gender. Gender is a 'feeling'. Sex cannot be changed, it is biology.
The stance of 'we need sex segregation, but not for certain people' does not make any sense at all. I understand a lot of people think sex segregation is no longer necessary but a quick look at the male on female violence/sex offense stats says otherwise. We simply cannot have sex segregation with exceptions. Especially when said exceptions include at present, people who 'identify' as the opposite sex yet make no changes to themselves besides putting on a dress or cutting their hair.
I and many others would support transgender people in creating their own safe spaces, we would campaign alongside them and help in any way we can. I just do not feel 'cis' people should effectively budge over and give up their rights to spare 'feelings' of others. If transpeople do not feel safe or comfortable in the bathrooms of their biological sex, then a further option is needed. Biological sex should not just be ignored in favour of a feeling in ones head. Some would say this suggestion is 'othering' which it may well be BUT again, areas were never separated by 'gender' or feelings..it was and still is about biological differences between males and females.
I know a lot of people are still of the mindset that 'trans should be protected at all costs' but actually thinking about what is being proposed instead of blindly accepting it (as I did until recently) should change some peoples minds. What is being proposed here, is that the safety of transwomen should come above the safety of women. I don't think it is acceptable to take away the rights of one group to protect another. Hence my suggestion of 'unisex' options along with male and female.
I have a close friend who was violently raped by a male a few years ago. She is terrified of being alone with males as a result. She suffers terrible anxiety even being near a male in a public space, nevermind alone with one. Is it really right to tell women like this to just get over it and accept any male who 'identifies' as female into her safe spaces? I have another friend who was recently beaten up by a transwoman. Said transwoman did not reveal that she had a penis until the last minute. As a result my lesbian friend did not want to carry on once she found out that this person was a male. Transwoman said that stance was transphobic and physically hit her, causing a black eye that lasted over a week. This friend still gets grief to this day about being 'transphobic' because she did not want to sleep with someone who looked like a female but was male once the makeup and clothes were stripped away. The current Government stance, along with media reporting encourages instances like this.
The trans-agenda is damaging to women especially, given it is women who are more at risk of sex offenses and violence perpetrated by men. I would really appreciate assurance that in the UK we will not be going down the route that the USA is, where 'female only' colleges are accepting men, and it is an offense to ask a man to leave the womens changing rooms because they might 'identify' as a woman. No place was ever 'gender' segregated. This needs to be remembered.