I'm seeing a lot of comments here and elsewhere that reference the turning tide, as more light is shone on this whole unsavoury Transactivism movement.
I know that wherever I have raised these issues in face to face conversation, there has been a brief moment of confusion, and then a lightbulb moment where the ridiculousness of scrubbing out safeguarding across the board and pretending black is white is clearly seen.
It's heartening to be reminded that people are generally decent sorts who can come to rational conclusions when presented with calm, reasoned explanation. I don't want to take away from that optimism, because God knows we've had enough of the depressing and scary.
But remember that tides turn with amazing regularity, and that so much of what women have built in the last century or so in the West is always teetering on the edge of a particularly jagged rock formation.
It's really important to remember cases like Iran, to look at the pictures of women pre-revolution, and see ourselves there, and take nothing, nothing for granted. If we're seeing the tide begin to turn now, it's because of the tenacious work of women who have seen the dangers ahead and sounded the alarm - but also because certain influencers are trying to read a public mood to see which way they will jump.
It's by no means a given that the tide will continue to ebb out - it could just as easily come crashing back in and swamp everything we think we've gained.
If I've learned anything in my life, it's that yes, people are often good and fair minded sorts - but there are a sizeable proportion of them that are twisted up and nasty to the core, and if you don't remember that many of those people gravitate to power and influence, you will end up hugely disillusioned with the whole show.
So, keep hope alive, for sure. The dream of human progression is a noble one. But remember that actual history shows us clearly that it is every bit as possible to devolve as it is to improve.