This conference is for non-men

[AnotherSpartacus]

I work in education and I've attended quite a few union events and conferences. I was looking at the web page for the NEU's National Women's Conference, and found that it was for women-only, but for an 'inclusive' definition of women, as follows:

"All members who significantly identify as female. We use an inclusive definition of ‘woman’ and ‘female’ and we welcome trans women, genderqueer women, and non-binary people who are significantly female-identified."

I would have no problem with transsexuals attending a women's education conference - people with dysphoria who have had surgery. I'd also have no problem with the conference being open to everyone, including men, and it being a conference about women's issues in education rather than specifically for women.

As it is, it seems to include everyone who doesn't identify as a man. So woman = non-man. I can't support that, and I'm disappointed.

I know what you mean, it's infuriating. But... if you don't go, then you've been chased away from something for women that you would otherwise have gone to. That seems like another gain for men trying to encroach into women's issues/spaces.

Quotation from OP - "significantly female-identified".

What is their definition of "significantly"?

Like statistically significant?

Maybe "significantly" must mean whatever anyone thinks it means. A bit like "woman." What if you identify as female once a week, but male the rest of the time?

AssassinatedBeauty you're right, and that's part of the frustration, I suppose. The topics being discussed there are important ones, and it isn't as if it has been overtaken completely by the trans agenda - there's a session called 'Menstruation to Menopause in the Workplace' so they obviously recognise the existence of biology.

Just looked at the sign up page. It asks 'do you identify as having a disability?' wtf? Is that not really offensive?

I'm not disabled so I'm not speaking with any kind of claim to know, but it could be possible for someone to have a health condition but not want to refer to themselves as disabled?

I do find this current obsession with using the word "identify" in this way to be puzzling. It seems to have replaced "am/are", so people say "I identify as a feminist" instead of "I am a feminist" for example. I don't understand why. I don't think I identify as anything, but there are lots of things that I just am!

Social model of disability, you are only disabled by your circumstances (massive simplification of very long theoretical models). So someone who is physically disabled may not "identify" as disabled if their life has appropriate accommodations.

Personally I find it a load of crap, but then my disability isnt something like a missing leg (apologies for picking a random example if someone disagrees) - it affects my health. No amount of built in ramps could fix that.

I have a serious health condition. I have never thought of myself or identified as disabled.

But surely the question needs to know about facts (in order to make reasonable accommodations)and not feelings? A person who uses a wheelchair may not “identify” as having a disability. But that person will probably need a ramp.

And it also implies that a non-disabled person can identify as having disabilities and have special accommodations made for them.

That’s not how things work. I can’t decide I feel disabled and therefore need a blue badge and close parking. If I Identify as not being able to stand for long periods, can I jump all the queues?

Yes that did occur to me after I posted. It's very much open to interpretation though alongside two questions about gender identity. Maybe it would have been better phrased along the lines of 'do you have any access requirements we need to know about?'

Maybe "significantly" must mean whatever anyone thinks it means. A bit like "woman." What if you identify as female once a week, but male the rest of the time?

Some women's events and support groups now explicitly say that they are open to 'people who identify as a woman some or all of the time'. It's something I've only seen so far in LGBT organisations/groups although (having a quick google for an example) this page seems to say that the non-LGBT-specific organisations listed on the page who provide women-only services also welcome 'part-time women' to attend:

lgbt.foundation/who-we-help/women/social-and-support-groups-and-links