Successful conversation of TRA sympathisers

[MsBeaujangles]

I took leave of my senses last night and when coming home on the tube joined in a conversation 3 young women were having about why TERFs hated trans people (they did sort of invite me to contribute when they saw I was listening). I am absolutely delighted that by the time I got off the tube, whilst refusing to believe they were TERFs, they acknowledged that (i) I can be viewed as a TERF (ii) they didn't disagree with my views. They decided that 'gender critical TERFs' are OK but other types of TERFs (who knows who they might be) are the nasty exclusionary ones.

I told them that:

I have yet to meet a single 'TERF' who is exclusionary by nature. Every gender critical person I know believe it is unacceptable to divide and organise society according to gender and no-one should be excluded from anything, or entitled to anything on account of their gender.

Similarly, it is in everyones interest to minimise differentiation/ segregation/ exclusion according to sex and this should be limited to areas relating to supporting equality of opportunity, addressing imbalances of power and addressing biological differences in relation to health care/needs.

This experience has got me thinking and I think my new mantra to TRAs will be - it is unacceptable to divide and organise society according to gender and no-one should be excluded from anything, or entitled to anything on account of their gender. Whilst I don't think it'll achieve much with TRAs I think it might get some of the sympathisers listening to what so called TERFs like me are saying.

Hurrah! Well done you

I am loving all these conversations we're having

Yay! I'm not exclusionary. I just think that biology matters. I also don't use my reproductive organs to do the housework. We try to split the "wifework" approximately equally between DH & myself.

Well done!

That's great, a really good approach because you are recognising the whole gender identity belief system, but maintaining your stand that gender should not define or divide people. Sex should.
Bravo!

Unfortunate though that they still believe there are nasty terfs out there just being horrible to poor defenseless trans people for no reason

Sounds great OP. TRAs throw these terms at us to stifle debate and there are people who just blindly accept the suggestion we are transphobic bigots. The more it can be demonstrated that we are reasonable and actually not bigoted at all, the better. Bet they’ll give it a lot more thought before blindly following in future. And maybe they’ll discuss it with their friends too.