The UK is officially an intolerant hellhole for transwomen

[pisacake]

www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/12/british-transgender-woman-given-residency-in-safer-new-zealand

"The tribunal deemed it would be “unduly harsh” for the woman to be forced to return to the UK, where she suffered years of “persecution” due to her gender identity disorder. "

In pleading for the woman to be allowed to remain in New Zealand, her lawyer, Kar-yen Partington, presented 20 articles to the tribunal detailing transphobic hate crimes in the UK.

Recent data from the UK shows transphobic hate crimes against LGBTQ people have soared by nearly 80% in the last four years, with more than one in five LGBT people being the victim of a hate crime in last 12 months.

Just seriously curious if (actual) women have ever been granted asylum for being subject to harassment, which in some countries is very extreme. Or is this more trans privilege?

I mean, when you can access all the possible ideologies that exist in society, it's not really perpetuating any of them. You choose what you engage with, you're not being brainwashed into believing stuff, if you seek it out you know about it already. Like, personally I don't think nazis and white supremacists need to exist on social media, but they do, and people can choose to engage with them.

I choose to follow queer content, I also choose to follow fandom content relevant to my interests. I don't follow 'discourse' for the most part, and if I see it I ignore it or block it, because I like my tumblr to be a place where I can chill out lol I control what I see and who I follow.

And what does "straight" mean Loop other than the opposite of homosexual?

I am very happy to take on board the point that "straight" being the antonym of homosexual is problematic as in a non- sexual sense the antonym of straight is crooked.

However from your myriad of special categories it is not clear why someone can't be in one of your special categories and also not be heterosexual.

Therefore "straight" as you are using seems to be nothing more than a way of describing people, whether heterosexual or homosexual, who aren't as complex as you.

hunged That's fair, I wasn't directing it at you, more at the idea that Tumblr/social media is going to cause young people to become confused about their identity (which is hella patronising) rather than just giving them a space in which to explore the feelings they already have.

The trans women are women thing is complicated, because you're right there isn't any 'evidence', but some people don't really care lol if someone says they're a woman that's good enough for me personally. I can also see why it isn't for other people, and they are free to campaign for their POV.

loops

It's not a point of view! It's not opinion that can be swayed either way by good rhetoric.

Unless we have categories, that are called sex categories, but are not based on sex, but on gender, a transwoman, cannot be a woman.

Social media quite clearly does cause young people to become confused about their identity. I don't care if you find it patronising.

Or indeed it is not clear why someone can't be in one of your special categories and also be heterosexual- or straight.

"Straight" seems to be your catch-all phrase for people not like you and your friends.

Lass Ok, I will admit I am totally confused by your post (my brain is a bit zombified atm) but what I mean by straight is someone who is entirely heterosexual and heteroromantic.

So the friends I referenced in that post (who I lived with last year) are not straight, even if they end up in a relationship with someone of a different sex to themselves (because they are bi, ace, and aro ace).

What's heteroromantic? How does "demisexual" diverge from that?

Sexual orientation is it based on same sex or opposite sex attraction. It's not based on loving feelings towards a certain sex.

I'd also like to know the difference between romantic feelings towards somebody, and plain old loving feelings towards somebody, if they are both devoid of any kind of sexual attraction.

straight is someone who is entirely heterosexual and heteroromantic.

No one apart from people on Tumblr thinks of "straight" in that way. To the vast majority of people it means someone who is heterosexual, meaning only attracted to the opposite sex. Like many of your friends.

Eresh is it not possible that someone is questioning their identity far before they access social media? Perhaps social media is actually helping people find communities and grow to accept their identity. That's all I've ever experienced on social media, be that Tumblr, twitter or youtube, but as mentioned I'm not 13 or 14 so don't really know how young teens use social media at present, or what school is like for them.

Yes there are good things about social media. There is also a lot of self reinforcement of harmful attitudes and behaviours, lack of critical thinking and social contagion.

I mean by straight is someone who is entirely heterosexual and heteroromantic

So basically you are making this stuff up. I am entirely heterosexual. I have no sexual attraction to women.

"Heteroromantic" is nonsense. Utter nonsense. Or do you think Mills & Boons and the films of Richard Curtis are real life?

Because if you do then oh look at me. I got married in a registry office in a black velvet dress . Before that I used to have lots of non- emotional sex gee whizz- I'm sooo not straight.

Surely there is a marked difference between analysing/discussing a topic within a fandom and the reams and reams of content that positions self identification as a biological concept.

I would not expect to find cat pictures or makeup tutorials on PubMed.

I would agree that young people might find this patronising, but unfortunately the first thing that an undergraduate on any life sciences degree in this country must learn, is about credible research and peer review.

This doesn't mean that queer scholarship, feminist scholarship, post-modernist scholarship et al, should of course have their places to analyse and unpick things - as well as places for this to happen outside of academia. The fact that the term terf exists, shows that there is a massive problem with the type of ideological information being positioned as fact.

I'm trying to remember if I have ever questioned my identity.

Even when I was a teenager with a maelstrom of conflicting feelings, I can't remember even imagining the concept.

I'm trying to remember if I have ever questioned my identity

Beyond trying to be more interesting than I actually was?

I was pretty much a drama queen at uni. I once was given a card saying
why be difficult when with a bit more effort you could be bloody impossible

Sexual attraction is finding someone sexually appealing and desiring a sexual relationship.

Romantic attraction is desiring a romantic relationship with a person: dating, marriage, living together, the gooey stuff people want from a romantic partner. This may be wanting physical intimacy but not sexual intimacy. (cuddles, kissing, hand holding etc...)

Regular love you'd feel for a friend or platonic love: You don't want sex, or a romantic relationship, but you love and care for a person as a friend. You don't imagine building a life centred around your relationship with that person, but you want them in your life.

Your romantic attraction can be the same as your sexual attraction (same, different, both or neither) or different (heterosexual and biromantic). Demisexuality is someone's sexuality, their romantic attraction may be the same or different.

Datun Yes, sexual attraction doesn't always relate to romantic attraction, although for many people they 'match'.

Personally, I think the 'split-attraction' model is easier to understand if you experience a mismatch, otherwise it is hard to know where the split is.

Lass so, someone who is asexual but desires a romantic relationship with someone of a different sex to themselves is straight by your definition? Even though straight to you means heterosexual, and they are not, because they are asexual?

hinged but we're not 'doing research'...we're just hanging out with our friends. There is plenty of well researched educational content on youtube though, although not all the content on there is (I find makeup tutorials super educational but that's cause I suck at makeup)

I think we are all understand the notions that you are discussing. That's cool if that's your life philosophy on relationships and you have a particular framework to reference those definitions along with a particular flag that represents that line of thinking.

The difference in the love I have my partner and the love I have for my friends, does not fit your definition. I've also had sexual relationships with people that have not led to a romantic relationships - again this hasn't been due to the reasons and definitions you have listed.

But who cares? It doesn't change those relationships for me, you don't need to adopt my definitions either. I'm not asking for the rationale behind the types of sexual, romantic, platonic, sororal relationships I have formed in my life to be protected through legislation.

In reference to the research - whilst you are your friends might not be doing so - it's naive to say that the types of content regarding self identification are not being positioned as empirical research by other people. Again, I direct you to why "terf" and "swerf" exists as a proper nouns, used by prominent spokespeople that appear across mainstream media as spokespeople and charity representatives.

loopsdefruit
Lass so, someone who is asexual but desires a romantic relationship with someone of a different sex to themselves is straight by your definition? Even though straight to you means heterosexual, and they are not, because they are asexual?

I have no idea what you mean by asexual. The dictionary defines it as without sexual feelings or associations. The link you posted doesn't work on a phone but from the contexts you use it in I think you think it means something different.

So far as "straight" I refer you to Ereshkigal's post

No one apart from people on Tumblr thinks of "straight" in that way. To the vast majority of people it means someone who is heterosexual, meaning only attracted to the opposite sex. Like many of your friends

loops

Are you saying that you can have romantic feelings towards a man, say. Cuddling up, drinking Horlicks, raising a family. But not be attracted to him, but be attracted to women instead?

I don't just mean in order to satisfy convention. I mean genuinely, feel that way?

If so, is that not quite rare?

Sorry guys! Doing my best to keep up :)

hinged Ok! Yes, I get you now :) yeh I agree that some groups do use less than good science to back up their claims, this isn't a good thing and should absolutely be challenged. I do think that there are differing views on something like the trans debate, with scientists on both sides and their work being used to support each argument. Honestly? Selfish as it may be, as I am not trans, I am quite happy to just let trans people get on with it, and the government to make whatever decisions they see fit to support trans people. I don't feel under attack from the trans community, or the proposed legislation, so I have more pressing things in my life to campaign about. I don't know who is 'right' in that situation, although I feel it's probably both sides and neither.

I take most things people say online with a hefty pinch of salt, although sometimes you're right, believing people with little evidence can lead to messes and you as an individual looking dumb.

lass the definition generally accepted is that an individual does not experience sexual attraction, I'm sorry you weren't able to access the link. The wikipedia link also links to the book (google books preview) I linked and the quote from wiki is:

"Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others, or low or absent interest in or desire for sexual activity."

also

"Asexual people, though lacking sexual attraction to any gender, might engage in purely romantic relationships"

I know wiki isn't super reliable, but those quotes are referenced. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexuality

Datun It may be rare yes, from what you were saying earlier re: identifying your sexual orientation via fantasies, I think that works with romantic attraction too. So you might fantasise about getting married, and your partner in these fantasies is always a woman, but your sexual fantasies are of a man. Bit basic but yeh :/

I think as well, it's not that if you are romantically attracted to men you always want a romantic relationship with every man you have sex with. It's just that you see a romantic future with a man at some point, even if you predominantly like sex with women (or vice versa).

Also sorry but I am going out for a bit to dance class, but I will return I haven't left :)