Gender Critical 'Lurkers'

[BadasIwannaB]

I’ve been reading the Gender Critical threads on Mumsnet for a few months now and I’m ‘delurking’ to say THANK YOU! To all the intelligent, articulate gender critical feminists here - you are my absolute heroes, and you’re really giving me hope!

I’ve thought for a long time that many aspects of the supposedly right-on rhetoric about gender is deeply misogynist, and I was unsettled and annoyed at how much pressure there is on women not to challenge it, and how much supposed ‘feminists’ enforce that pressure. But for a long time I felt like I must be the only person who thought this, because I wasn’t seeing anyone speaking out, and on the v few occasions where I mentioned any of this to friends, it didn’t go down well. So it’s been hugely inspiring and reassuring to see that there’s this growing community here standing up for women against the bullshit. I’ve literally been reading the discussions here every day for the last few months, and it cheers me up so much! I’ve become such a fan of so many of you: LangCleg, Datun, Bowlofbabelfish, Ereshkigal, Angry Attack Kittens, I could go on and on…

So I started wondering, how many people like me are there reading these threads and cheering silently from the sidelines? I’m hoping there are lots of us. I think it’s easy to think we’re a tiny minority because of all the fear surrounding joining the discussion, but maybe if we all delurked we’d see that that’s not the case.

So any other lurkers wanna delurk?

Waves to all!

Lurkacus powerful words there - I believe in women supporting women and you have reminded me why.

It was those helpful TRA who brought me here. My kids are pretty big now, so I'd not been on a parenting site in years.
Then I saw on Twitter posts condemning MN for "transphobia" which just seemed like a GC perspective to me, so I came to look for you all.
I've followed for months, only joined to be able to post in solidarity.

De lurking to say thanks and to show my support.

I only learned about what's happening because I happened to be on MN. Now I read every thread. I may not contribute much, because I'm still learning and reading posts by articulate and passionate posters.

But when DH asked me what the issues are, I was able to explain, thanks to MN.

I'm still playing catch up though. Are there any links to previous threads outlining the core issues Q& A style?

Sometimes I worry I've missed so much.
Also, what people can do on a practical level (sign petititon, donate, questions we should be asking our MPs etc)

this is a good thread & there are links from it:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3145470-Break-it-down-for-me

Thanks - will digest fully.
I appreciate the work you've all been doing for so long on behalf of all women.

Important article in today's Spectator by James Kirkup;

(extract)
"That fact is the reason Parliament and society accept the concept of single-sex spaces: women have a right to keep someone with a penis out of those spaces.

Upholding that legal right is possibly the founding principle of several women’s groups that have sprung up since the Government first announced its intent to make it easier for people to change their legal gender. Unlike the charities that lobby for transgender rights, the women’s groups — Woman’s Place UK, Fair Play for Women and ManFriday — have no corporate or public sector funding, and not much money at all. They are genuine grassroots political organisations that have sprung up from a concerned public. Those groups have made a difference. Back in the autumn, that point about female-only spaces was either often ignored or dismissed in political debate. Women talking about penises were ridiculed as bigoted cranks, accused of transphobic misinformation. Their meetings were subjected to violent protests (one person has been convicted of assault) and a bomb threat, threats that went shamefully unremarked on by most politicians. Nevertheless, the women persisted: the meetings continued; the campaigns went on; and it made a difference."

blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/07/labour-and-tories-finally-see-the-truth-about-the-gender-debate/

Rowan, Justine is here to respond. Did you see.

Can I also ask about language?
On the MNHQ thread there is talk of sexism () I prefer to label it misogony.
But it feels so patronising to just nod to a bit of sexism when female rights are being violently eroded.

When it seems some of society are, well, women phobic.

I'm genuinely interested to know whether to expect such dismissive comments - i.e. calling women girls etc?

Been lurking for a couple of months now. Thanks for making me aware of these issues and encouraging me to challenge myself by thinking critically. I suspect that without these threads I would have maybe fallen easily into the trans women are women camp, without truly thinking about what that means.

Semi-lurker, hugely inspired by and grateful to all here.

AbeFroman
I'm so glad the Sausage King of Chicago is weighing in on this issue.
My cat Ferris Mewller is also an ally

Another lurker here. I agree with so many posts I read here but struggle to express myself as clearly as many so I usually just read and nod along furiously!

I lurk & occasionally chip in. You're all marvellous x

I've just written to my female MP. Some great resources here womansplaceuk.org/resources/

Constant lurker.

I am lurkacus and Spartacus and anyone else who knows 2+2=4 and woman = adult human female.

Seems like MN is falling apart over this...what happened to the sweary, tell it like it is, no holds barred, take no prisoners (etc) MN that I was too scared to join for years joined years ago?

Middleoftheroad
I've just written to my female MP. Some great resources here womansplaceuk.org/resources/
Brilliant!
We need to write & talk to our political representatives; keep doing it & encourage others to do the same

Love seeing the lurkers

Bit late to the party but also want to add my thanks. I wouldn’t have given this whole issue much thought beyond a “must be inclusive” way and I’m so grateful to have a place, and more importantly, posters who take the time to explore the issues and who have opened my eyes to what’s happening. I’ve started having conversations in real life about this too and people are initially shocked but then see where I’m coming from re: being gender critical so thank you

I've NC. It coincides with joining Twitter for the sole purpose of supporting women's rights.

I joined MN 13 years ago for advice on motherhood. But recently the feminist chat regarding self-ID and the GRA pulled me in.

Now you've lit the touch paper and I cannot unsee it. Thankyou to those who continued to post. I'm so glad there were so many posts or it might not have caught my eye.

I was late to this sad, sick party, but I'm here now.

What a delightful thread!

As pom said:
Don't forget that many of them have been slogging away (on behalf of those of us who were unaware, too nervous, etc - as always, sorry to all of you, I just didn't realise!) for years here and in other places, to raise awareness.

I am new here on MN, but have been slogging away in the 'wilderness' for many years, even when other feminists were saying "what's the big deal?" Well, many can now see what the big deal really is, and this thread is an awesome acknowledgement.

I want to say a big thank you to thebewilderness, Dittany, BettyFloop and a few others that are not here, totally wonderful women who have never given up in all the many years I have known them.

Another lurker! I just want to say thank you to all the feminists who are standing up to protect women’s rights. Without you all I know we would be going backwards.

Also I wanted to apologise for not joining in, I have dyslexia and struggle to express my ideas properly. I do regularly read and support you all though!

Lurker here - got the courage up to post yesterday! May be more of a lurker by nature, but rest assured that I am here obsessively reading and cheering everyone on.

Again, thank you all you lovely lurkers for saying hello. The linguistic contortions required to keep posting FWR get quite wearing, so its good to know there are so many of you reading over our shoulders.

Another mention for the petition, in case anyone missed it. If you can show it to others or send them a link, great!

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/214118

I ‘lurkalot’ and occasionally post. Been on MN for years, active feminist in the 80s /90s -involved with rape crisis vol, womens centres, mental health, welfare rights - until paying the mortgage and kids took over.....Then in Feb this year started seeing these active threads about trans issues which brought me to the Feminism Chat Board. Have been reading obsessively ever since. Went to WPUK oxford meeting and have done a few things IRL. Hard to express how deeply affecting I find the occupation of our words, identity and reality as women, and how much of a backwards step I feel the current elevation of gender over biological sex is . So am ready to do more, to try to help raise awareness of what’s going on, to get out the response to the GRA consultation etc. Time for us lurkers to delurk. And to all the wonderful women who have seen what was happening and done so much to protect women’s and girls interests and get the word out.