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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Glamour Magazine allows transwoman to redefine feminism

491 replies

MrsJamin · 04/11/2016 15:50

Call yourself a feminist? Our transgender columnist Juno Dawson's here to see if you really pass the test

And calls women who don't "TERFs". Thanks, Glamour and Jo Elvin, thanks a lot.

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LunaLoveg00d · 06/11/2016 12:58

All this stuff really makes me despair.

I am not radical in any sense of the word. The most radical thing I've EVER done is probably join the Lib Dems. I'm not a placard waving, petition-signing leftie who knits her own lentils and revels in the term "feminist". Feminists in the main scare me - they are always banging on about the patriarchy and other issues which just makes me a bit meh.

BUT. This whole "trans" thing is just batshit crazy. We are all born as male or female. It's written into every cell in our body. You can chop bits off, have bits created, wear make up, change what you wear, grow your hair and do whatever else you please but that's not going to change your sex. All this "identifying as" is just navel-gazing nonsense. Nobody gives two hoots if you identify as non-binary, or lesbian, or male, or a sparkly unicorn. It's not that important to anyone else, and everyone should be accorded the same degree of respect and tolerance. Live and let live.

But when a vocal minority of men who have decided that really, they are girls on the inside are trying to at one fell swoop erode everything that being a woman means it gives me THE RAGE. I don't wear make up though and am scheduled for a hysterectomy this month so that probably means, to them, i'm not a "proper woman" either.

And if all that makes me a TERF then I'm happy with that label. Although it should probably be TEnotparticularlyR and notveryFeither.

OlennasWimple · 06/11/2016 13:22

Love this quote from Juno's first Glamour column:

Just one of the reasons I love GLAMOUR is that it pushes a very clear message: there is no one way to be a woman. I've lived as a man and a woman, and let me tell you, women (far more than men) are told constantly how they're getting it wrong. We're inundated with conflicting messages: drink this, eat that, 
always wear this, never wear that. This noise builds and builds until you're left feeling like you're somehow failing at being a woman.

So why does Juno want to contribute to this cacophony...? Hmm

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 06/11/2016 13:23

I've been busy, tap tapping away. Commented on the Glamour site in my real name, then whizzing round commenting on all the feminist sites that are discussing the article.

One thing not so many people seem to have noticed is that Juno Dawson can't write for toffee. I wonder how Glamour found him. I'd guess that during an editorial meeting some bright spark suggested that a trans columnist would be cool and edgy. So some dogsbody went looking for a MTT with a track record as a writer. Perhaps he was the best they could find.

I used to be in journalism, and Juno Dawson is only getting published because he is trans. As for Glamour magazine and its claim to be feminist, I would never have applied for a job in fashion because it was so trivial, and the journalists I met who worked in the area were so shallow. Deep issues like feminism just don't compute for people like that. I don't want to be unfair. I'm sure there must be some feminists in fashion journalism, but I never met any. My area was strictly factual and mostly serious.

CoteDAzur · 06/11/2016 14:56

"I'm at the stage in my transition whereby if you don't look too closely you'd probably think I was a 'regular' woman."

Shock at the delusion.

The photos are there for all to see. Just how deluded you have to be to think anyone would believe you to be a woman from any distance is probably best left to professionals.

FlapsTie · 06/11/2016 15:07

I just don't understand why Trans people aren't happy to just be Trans people. Why the insistence that we accept them as actual women?

Twogoats · 06/11/2016 15:14

I've never had a white van man try and lure me into sex Sad

Am I not a woman?

HermioneWeasley · 06/11/2016 15:16

Me either twogoats. I also don't bother with heels.

We are clearly men.

WankingMonkey · 06/11/2016 15:23

Why the fuck is it that when someone says they don't accept that males are women, this suddenly twists into 'cis people don't want trans people to exist'? Really. Who has ever said they don't want trans people to exist?!

WankingMonkey · 06/11/2016 15:30

I wonder what Adam Lambert has for breakfast, as he has a penis and a make up brand:

I have always loved Adam Lambert. He is one of my celeb crushes actually Grin

EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 06/11/2016 15:35

I had a fried breakfast this morning, and while I'm exercising a lot it's about getting fitter & challenging myself, not about pulling the blokes. I don't even wear a sexy little crop top.

Is that bad?

FlapsTie · 06/11/2016 15:46

We're basically all doing womanhood wrong, never mind Feminism. Thank god Juno is here to put us all straight.

BratFarrarsPony · 06/11/2016 15:48

has anyone seen his youtube videos where he advises young men about various aspects of life?
'patronising' and 'idiot' do not even cover it.

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 06/11/2016 15:50

FlapsTie, it seems to be connected to why they are trans. Very roughly there are gay men who, having been very effeminate, transition to be a woman who can attract straight men. Then there are those who suffer from sex dysphoria. They hate their sexed body. It's a horrible position to be in. These two groups tend not to want to insist on being seen as women, which is amusing because they tend to be the transwomen who come over as more like women. They are less arrogant and are sympathetic to women's fear of men in women-only spaces. 20 years ago nearly all transwomen fell into these two groups, and women generally allowed them to use the ladies because they built bonds with women and weren't sexually attracted to us.

The third group, and far the largest these days, are autogynaephiles (AGP) and part of their desire to transition is being identified as women and inserting themselves into women's private space and women's groups. Ironic really, as this group tend to be very obviously male in appearance and demeanour. They tend to have cluster B personality traits, most notably narcissism. Roughly a third of transwomen are bisexual. The other third are sexually attracted to women. Altogether more than 70% of MTTs are sexually interested in women, and 80% have, and plan to keep, their penis. It's this group who are so keen to get into women's changing rooms, etc. because it validates their "womanhood".

The group from which almost all the trans activists are drawn are the AGPs. AGPs are turned on by wearing women's clothing, and most of them have a long history of cross-dressing pre-transition. AGP comprises a range of fetishes. Some get a kick out of hearing women using loos, some simulate menstruation, and one particularly bizarre individual dumper dives for used sanpro. Some get aroused by "accidentally" flashing women in loos, some - like.the ghastly Stefoknee Wolscht, enjoy humiliating themselves by walking round dressed like a little girl, all bows and pigtails. This group seem far more unstable and aggressive than the gay and sex dysphoric ones.

I know it's more complex than that, but in all the time I've spent researching the issue, that's the impression I've got. It's the AGPs who insist that transwomen are women. The other groups are far more meek, and as they aren't sexually interested in women they pose little threat. It's in those groups that most gender critical transwomen are found.

Cocolepew · 06/11/2016 15:54

I think Juno is getting white van men and serial killers mixed up Hmm

FlapsTie · 06/11/2016 15:56

Thanks Prawn, that's pretty much what I've concluded as well.

I'd love to think the majority of Transwomen are just trying to go about their daily lives but sadly it seems the AGPs outnumber the others. And their agenda is terrifying.

Terrifiedandregretful · 06/11/2016 16:19

I've just remembered last year Yr 7s at my school were given a book by Juno Dawson for free. I need to Read it now I'm worried about the messages in it and who ran the scheme to give them out.

Datun · 06/11/2016 17:50

Prawnofthepatriarchy

It's because of the AGP individuals that I framed the letter to my MP around this specific issue. AGP wasn't even mentioned in the govt report on transgender equality. A massive and frankly inexplicable oversight.

Presumably the government, schools, social services and HCPs are taking their advice from the first two sets in your examples. Little wonder that they come across as sensible and reasonable.

But it's an irrefutable and provable fact that many transwomen DO have a sexual motivation. Which is why woman see through it so quickly and why there is such a disconnect between them and other transwomen.

My MP has (so far) taken my letter seriously and has forwarded it to a minister for 'comments'.

shinynewusername · 06/11/2016 18:49

Prawn could you post any links to the stats you quoted above please? Am planning to write to my MP and it will be helpful to be able to link to data on the prevalence of PD, AGP etc. Thanks.

HelenaDove · 06/11/2016 19:04

Ok ive read the whole thread. I like wearing make up and wear it frequently.

I dont do high heels. Too scared of falling over in them. The highest i do is kitten heels. I just cant walk in high heels Never could.

I dont buy Glamour Im too old. But WTF happened. A few years ago Zoe Williams did a really good article on consent and rape myths for Glamour and there was an excellent thread on it on this very board.

I buy and read Red magazine and have done for years. Their annual awards reward womens achievements and this years Difference Maker winner was Claire Throssell who set up Child First in conjunction with Womens Aid.

Ive never heard of Juno Dawson. Is the column on the Glamour website or in the print edition?

Datun · 06/11/2016 20:28

Helena

If you're going to write about AGP, I found it really rather hammered the point home if I lifted one or two ,
ahem, pertinent comments from AGP websites.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 06/11/2016 21:00

That day in the life column has given me the rage. in a warped way though, it's helped me understand why men hate women so much. I'd hate women if I thought for one second that all they did was stress about the pwetty make up all day long.

DeviTheGaelet · 06/11/2016 21:35

It's messed with my head a bit. On one hand I can understand why trans people would think we have "cis privelege" because we don't have to do all that crap to pass. On the other hand the reason we don't have to do all that crap is because sex isn't a costume we put on. Confused

Datun · 06/11/2016 21:44

Thing is he doesn't really pass and he doesn't have to do any of that. He can just be himself.

EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 06/11/2016 21:46

Meghan Murphy of Feminist Current's take on the column.

YonicProbe · 06/11/2016 21:54

"sex isn't a costume we put on."

Well put.

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