Lesbian's and the Trans debate

[DJLippy]

I was wondering what peoples thoughts were regarding the impacts that transgenderism was having specifically on lesbians and the 'erasure' of lesbian identity. I am concerned that many public debates are ignoring their concerns. I don't think the LGBT 'community' is representing them properly and I think that women need to understand and address the specific concerns they have. Lesbian, bi-sexual and straight women should speak up together because I think that we have an insight that men lack.

If you haven't done so already I would ask everyone to check out Magdalen Berns who speaks so eloquently about the trans debate but it's impacts on young gay and lesbian people.

www.youtube.com/channel/UCvTTakI97sQ4SkMnsH8r0qQ

I think there are two main areas that I have identified are of particular concern.

1. The extremely high (2:1) rates of referrals to gender-dysphoria clinics of girls and young lesbians. Heather-Brunswick Evans work is very interesting here, especially as regards the impact that porn and an overly-sexualised media is having female self-identity. I have heard people express fears that this is in effect 21st century conversion therapy whereby young gay and lesbian children will be effectively steralised and neutered.

2. The encroachment of transwomen on lesbian spaces . I think that Reiley J Dennis is a brilliant example of this. In my opinion he is a predatory and dangerous misogonist who is using the 'trans' cover to bully and intimidate young lesbian or sexuality questioning women. This was really brought home to me yesterday after I had a conversation on twitter with a male lesbian which quickly escalated into a creepy and overtly sexualised interaction. He obviously did not have a 'female' brain - he behaved like a classic misoginist sex pest, who did not respect my boundaries even after I made this clear to him that he was making me feel uncomfortable. It really gave me an insight into how this would impact on lesbians. I think that we take our spaces for granted. I lived in Manchester which is known for it's gay scene but still it only has 1 lesbian bar. It's important that these spaces are protected, especially for young lesbians who need a safe space to explore their sexuality.

This is not meant as an attack on trans people. I am not saying that all trans people are dangerous predators or that they don't exist. However, there is an alarming rise in transgender treatments and a small minority of very dangerous and aggressive autogenophiles. It's right that we should ask questions.

I hope to start a discussion and invite comments from anyone with an insight or any worries. This is just two areas I found of particular concern from my own research I'm hoping other people can share their expertise. I know that I am not a lesbian but it reminds me of that famous line about Nazi Germany.

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one ..."

I think that it would be really helpful if we started to educate ourselves about the threats that lesbians are facing and started to speak out more. Lesbian, Bi-sexual, straight or male: United we stand, divided we fall.

Oh ok Juzza12. I thought you were saying that they were claiming he killed them because 'how dare they not accept him as a lesbian', so therefore he was justified because they were using 'literal violence' against him.

Just reminded me of another person posting that a TW was recently killed because of Terfs and transphobes creating panic, rather than the reality that it was just another case of a man being violent and killing someone.

I hate this 'create your own victim' mentality, instead of looking at facts.

Shortly after starting this thread I found this twitter account which I think is very illuminating. This might be going slightly off kilter but I think it could be interesting to note

I think some of the articles here show an extremely anti-woman ideology which is now encouraging effeminate gay men to trans into women. It's run by a trans-women lesbian couple I think and it's based in Missouri.

@queercoffeetalk

This article is interesting in the way that it talks about women. Throughout the article "birthers" are blamed for all the problems that trans people face. No wonder 'terfs' get so much shit. How would this impact young lesbians, when they're trying to find a community they see this?

transphilosopher.com/2017/02/22/there-i-go-again-thinking-i-have-a-basic-right-to-exist-in-society/?utm_campaign=crowdfire&utm_content=crowdfire&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter#931966933284605952-tw#1521405547329

This video is saying that you don't need dysphoria to be trans. I feel that this is a very vulnerable, effeminate gay guy coming to terms with his sexuality, not fitting into the gay scene, looking to transition to ease his discomfort in a world he can't fit into.

Then I found this article that really disturbed me because I think it could be worrying for young lesbians because as you say young kids spend so much time online. If I read it properly social media platforms are working towards 'curating' non toxic interactions for it's LGBTQ users. Who decides what they see would be interesting to know.

“The internet is such a vital resource for the LGBT community, especially for young people finding connection....To combat this (homophobic/transphobic content) GLAAD (an LGBTQ organisation) is working to train the artificial intelligence that controls online algorithms, teaching it which phrases are offensive to the LGBT community and which are acceptable."

AND This...
“In the last year alone, we updated our rules and more clearly communicated what content is allowed on Twitter,” she said. “We took action to enforce these new policies across our platform and implemented technology to stop people from seeing abusive content and block bad actors."

"bad actors" i.e. Venice Allan?

The first place that a young lesbian will look nowardays is online - and this is the sort of content they are likely to find? Are they being isolated from the wider society?

www.marketwatch.com/story/how-artificial-intelligence-can-make-the-internet-better-and-safer-for-lgbt-people-2018-03-14?utm_campaign=crowdfire&utm_content=crowdfire&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter#931966933284605952-tw#1521038508285

A lot of this content looks very professional. Who is paying for this? This all gave me a lot more sympathy for many so-called TRA's you meet on-line. I think that many of them are social misfits, isolated, finding communities & connection online. I think this goes someway to explain ROGD and the sudden leap in young lesbians in schools looking to transition.

What the fuck is a male lesbian?!

Two trans-women in a couple

Or This. A trans-woman into women.

These are people who believe that their identity takes precedence over material reality, so a male lesbian is a male who identifies as a lesbian and expects women to treat them as such.
2+2=5

Riley Dennis has the most alarming Adams apple I've ever seen. He looks like he swallowed a hand and it's trying to get out. I would probably be less inclined to notice this if he wasn't so fond of promoting corrective rape for lesbians who have the nerve to clearly state their lack of interest in cock.

A lot of TRAs are definitely misfits trying to find a place for themselves. I'd be more sympathetic if they didn't spend so much of their time sending rape and death threats to women.

I think this is a top-down movement and that these misfits are being weaponised against women. I want to go after the brain behind it all! I have so much sympathy for the gay lesbians, especially now they're having relationships with each other and saying they're lesbians together. It's a different situation in the UK which is relatively tolerant of LGBT people but Missouri, it must be impossible to be an effeminate gay guy in places like that - and also a butch dyke.

It certainly isn't a grassroots movement to have basically straight make transvestites crashing lesbian sites, groups, venues and demand actual lesbians' time, attention, interest and sexual desire. Just like adding T to LGB, just like changing that T from Transsexual to "Transgender", it's a top down decision imposed on us without our having a say.