You are denying my existence

[ResistanceIsNecessary]

I see this offered up on a regular basis in response to gender critical debates and discourse; that the act of wanting to discuss or question the potential consequences of the proposed GRA changes, equates to denying the existence of trans-people.

I don't understand this as an argument. How does questioning someone's right to self-identify as a particular sex class and access sex-segregated spaces, translate to denying their existence? Does this tie back into the mantra of "authentic self"?

It's meaningless. No mate. I know you exist.

What I am doing is declining to agree with your belief that you are a member of my sex.

It's a thought terminating cliche intended to silence discussion and avoid having to justify your position.

If you don't view someone in exactly the way they want you to view them, then you think they don't exist.
Makes sense to me.

What I am doing is declining to agree with your belief that you are a member of my sex.

Exactly. It's not compulsory to agree with it. I'm sure some would like to make it so.

They have to keep making themselves the victim...they're turning around everything that they are doing to women by pretending it's happening to them.

It's a nonsensical argument. The most charitable interpretation I can give it is that by saying they aren't the sex they want to be, you're somehow wishing them out of existence. They aren't who they claim they are = they don't exist.

There's a lot of ridiculous hyperbole around this issue. Yesterday I read something on Twitter where the poster claimed to be upset that so many GC women were very pleased that trans people were dying of cancer. How much twisting of facts you have to do for that to be your interpretation of the criticism of CRUK?

It’s roundabout speak, everyone goes around in circles while it’s happening even if you’re just an unfortunate passenger.

Perhaps we should jolly well turn it back on them?
By inserting themselves into (and therefore appropriating) our sex they are denying us the struggles which go with making it to, and indeed existing in womanhood.

Stop denying our existence by making us a subcategory of our own class.

You exist.
You are not a woman. End of story.

As far as I can see, it's entirely analogous to someone claiming that I don't believe in the existence of Catholics because I don't believe in the Nicene Creed. Of course I believe in Catholics. I just don't share their beliefs.

Perhaps we should jolly well turn it back on them?
By inserting themselves into (and therefore appropriating) our sex they are denying us the struggles which go with making it to, and indeed existing in womanhood.

Stop denying our existence by making us a subcategory of our own class.

The problem is that a non narcissistic person can't do this like a narcissist can. And the narcissist simply doesn't care. The rage they experience is due to narcissistic injury. They don't consider other people's feelings as important.

If you don't view someone in exactly the way they want you to view them, then you think they don't exist.

But clearly this does not stand up to even the most basic critical thinking! To use a rather basic example:

I have a 4 y/o niece. She is convinced that she is a pony. If I disagree and tell her that she is a little girl, does that mean I am denying her existence? Of course not. She's clearly in front of me living, breathing, cavorting round the living room pretending to trot and be a pony. By saying "Betty* you are a little girl" I am not denying that she exists as a human being; I am pointing out a scientific fact that she is a member of the Homo Sapiens species, not the Equus species.

*Not her real name!

It's nowt more than them screeching #nodebate They think if the shout "you're denying my existence" we will feel guilty and not say anything else.

They don't know women with a bee in their bonnet.

As far as I can see, it's entirely analogous to someone claiming that I don't believe in the existence of Catholics because I don't believe in the Nicene Creed. Of course I believe in Catholics. I just don't share their beliefs.

Pretty much this.

Except the Nicene creed isn't specifically Catholic. Substitute transubstanciation or immaculate conception instead of Nicene Creed or Christians instead of Catholics (though not all Christians are happy with the Nicene Creed so the former option probably a better analogy)

But anyway yes I digress. Refusing to believe in someone's personal faith is not denying that person's existence. Refusing to believe in someone's personal faith is not the same as hating them, wanting them dead or wishing them any ill will whatsoever.

It's a thought terminating cliche intended to silence discussion and avoid having to justify your position.

This.

Also: welcome to gender, you nitwit. What did you think it was? Why did you think anyone would give a toss about your inner identity? Not giving a toss about the inner lives of women is gender. Being erased from consideration in all things is gender. Now you know.

I don’t think pineapple has any place on pizza, I am not denying it exists.

I've really tried to work this out - what I think they mean is that they either truly believe (or have huge cognitive dissonance, or of course are cynically playing victim) that there is such an actual real scientific thing as a woman's soul/essence/brain/being "trapped" in a male body. So by pointing out this is unqualified bullshit translates to them as denying their existence.

juzza that's the key thing isn't it - they don't want to accept they have gender dysphoria.

Stop denying our existence by making us a subcategory of our own class.

YY!

YY bialystock.

It's part of the narrative of "all women who disagree with us are Actual Literal Hitler". It's basically accusing gender-critical women of wanting to eradicate trans people.

We all know trans people exist. We just disagree entirely about what "trans" means.

Some of them even say the "E" in the banned T acronym stands for "exterminatory" rather than "exclusionary".

It's just emotive bullshit language that doesn't begin to stand up to scrutiny. People are being discouraged to think in any way deeply. It's also lazy and much easier.

Some of them even say the "E" in the banned T acronym stands for "exterminatory" rather than "exclusionary"

Is that true? I don’t think I could possibly be more angry. I am outraged.

As someone who had ancestors die because of the mass extermination known in this country as the Potato Famine (which went on to impact several generations of my family) and who has a father in law in his seventies who still needs therapy because his own father was in an extermination camp in Poland, I am sickened by this implication. Utterly, utterly sickened. What laothesome behaviour. This use of language is nothing but a calculated and manipulative way to hold us ransom and vilify us all at once.

We don’t agree with your ideology and we are automatically guilty of extermination of a people?

How about fucking no.

I am terrified for my children who are navigating school at the moment. I am terrified for the life I am gestating currently. What world will they face in 5 years when they start school? Posters at bus stops telling people how to think, TV ads telling people they are mass murderers for not nodding along?