I would like to say thankyou

[FemmeFatal]

I've been on MN a long time and never really engaged in the feminist board.
In fact for a long time I wanted to hide the whole section.
I believed myself to be a trans ally. I saw hatered here and a lack of understanding to trans people.

But over time I started to read the threads and for the first time I looked at the issues with fresh eyes. From the standpoint of a woman, a mother, and I saw that I was wrong.

I don't hate trans people, I don't hate anyone. This is not what it's about. And I see thats the case for 95% of women here.I support their right to be transwomen, to wear what they want, change their birthname. But they are not women. I see this now.

Thanks to MN I am now reading up on more feminist issues and for the first time in my life I am volunteering for a women's organisation in a peaceful protest against religious groups talking outside of abortion clinics.

Something I never would have done if I hadn't have read this board.

So thankyou.

And if anyone has any 'Feminist history for beginners' books or info I would very much appreciate it.

Well done you! The transgender issue can be hard to get your head round at first but the more you read, the more it looks like an outright assault on women’s rights. I’m glad you took the time to read threads and come to your own conclusions about things. I genuinely believe no one on here hates trans women but we are very afraid ( and now bloody angry ) about the attack on our rights and the persecution and silencing of our legitimate concerns.

Agreed FemmeFatal. It might be interesting to post what we have done as result of reading and thinking about the issues on here. As a direct result of MN I have:

Taken out subscriptions for newspapers on line in two counties that allow comments under their articles.

Every carefully argued comment I have made on articles pertaining to trans issues and women has had “likes” that often run into the hundreds.

I have paid to join Medium and have commented with the same very positive result.

As a mother of three teenagers I am talking to teens offline and explaining what Gender Critical is, helping them develop critical thinking around trans issues and ideology. My 17 yr old is a leader of the Feminist Group at high school and I plan on talking to the other leaders, I think it’s very important that they understand GC views before they go to Uni so they can critique much of the dominant ideology if they so wish.

For the first time in my life I have used crowdfunding sites to support Fair Play for Women and other feminist issues.

For the first time in my life I have contacted politicians directly regarding GC issues.

I am recovering from cancer but as soon as I do I plan on some very concrete organizing in my local area, such as start a GC group and joining other feminist organizations.

The more free speech by women is shut down, the more women are harassed and bullied and called names because of their views, the more determined I am to stay active,

I agree OP. I'd bet that most of us started from positions of unquestioning "kind" acceptance, and then began to realise the boundaries were disappearing completely and that we need them, no matter how much it upsets some people.

I feel the same OP.

Up until 18 months ago I thought people could be 'born in the wrong body' and never really reflected on the issue more deeply.... though I was irritated that the guy with the beard who won the Eurovision Song Contest was called 'she' when he was so obviously male.

I started reading and engaging more critically after an incident in my place of work and it's been such an education. I feel as though the scales have dropped from my eyes and I'm grateful for all the posters who have written with eloquence, passion and patience.

I lurked for AGES because I didn't feel I could add anything to the debate and though I still feel like that I now enjoy being part of the discussions and want to be part of a movement that is growing.

I've gradually risked raising the subject with friends and family and, so far, it's all been positive. Just ordered my 'Woman: adult human female' tote bag so hoping for more opportunities to come from that.

I was nervous to post this but am glad I did!

though I was irritated that the guy with the beard who won the Eurovision Song Contest was called 'she' when he was so obviously male

To be fair to Thomas Neuwirth is not really the problem here, he is 'he' in his private life, Conchita Wurst is his stage name as a drag act.

Way to go, OP!

Here's a good online list:

tradfem.wordpress.com/2017/05/20/compendium-of-radical-feminist-resources-en-anglais/

I agree. The patience, intelligence and determination of posters on this board is amazing. I have never really felt strongly about much in terms of politics - a few years ago I wouldn’t have identified as a feminist and would have certainly not seen an issue with trans people in women’s spaces.

Since reading this board I have written to my MP (and had a response that I didn’t know what to do with so I passed it on to cleverer people!) and donated to Fair Play for Women.

Another one who obviously doesn’t hate trans people (I don’t think anyone here does, certainly seem no evidence of hate) but can see how women’s rights are disappearing under the cover of inclusion.

Welcome. I have been through the same journey. My eyes were opened as I began to understand and I haven't looked back.

I agree with you and have read a lot on here that has informed me greatly.

I think about the way I feel towards trans people is similar to the way I feel about people with any dysphoria about themselves.

There's a lovely girl I work with who's anorexic. She is convinced she's enormous but is in fact painfully thin. She is just always going on about how big she is. So my feelings towards her is that of course she is lovely but she is not fat.

When I see a male person who believes he is a female person I feel the same way towards him. I have no hatred for him at all. It's just that I don't believe in his delusion about himself. I see the reality which is that he is male.

So what really worries me in this movement is the compelled speech element. I can see the truth of the situation but I'm told I am a bigot and I am erasing that person for not going along with the delusion.

Me too, I stumbled on to Mumsnet ( with lots of preconceived ideas about middle class mums) and into FWR after a rather odd comment about transgenderism from a woman who I don't like.

She said "its like they are taking over our bodies" I thought WTF is she on about, anyway after a bit of googling I fell into a massive rabbit hole and have not come out. FWR has been amazing for me, I learnt so much!! I don't post that much ( I was MsBeee) now GulagsMyArse, I did think that some of the stuff on here was a bit harsh when I first lurked on here, but now I realise how fucking serious this is.
I've donated and started to chat to people about it, also I have the FPW leaflets to hand out. been to a meeting.

Agree!

Thank you to all the women who post here. You are amazing and have a massive impact.

Thank you!!

I also love the humour. There was a very funny Pink news thread with lots of fish jokes, about a month after I landed, did it get deleted?

May I suggest that it's worth your while to have a look at Prof. Kathleen Stock? She lays out what is happening very clearly and makes some recommendations.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3353260-Kathleen-Stock-womens-organisations-have-decentred-biological-females?pg=1

I want to say a massive thanks as well. I knew about some gender-critical Twitter, lurked on their timelines frequently, sought out RadFem Youtube and knew I would be considered an "evil TERF" even though I haven't done a day of proper feminist activism. The gender-critical arguments won every single time for me. I've kept an eye on this for a while and things just kept getting stranger in this "debate." I had no idea about Mumsnet until someone (probably Owen Jones) sent me here recently. This place has really helped me. I had tears in my eyes when I started reading the threads full of amazing voices. Thank you everyone!

I came here not having any strong position, had never really thought about it, but if pressed I'd guess I'd have said "yeah, live and let live?" (with the deliberate question mark).

Reading more and more I because stunned and then horrified at what was going to happen. Not so much for me, I'm a miserable middle-aged cowbag. But I have nieces and goddaughters and plenty of other young women in my life and I felt the need to go to bat for them - the arrogance of youth (in a kind way) means many of them just don't have the lived experience I do to foresee the issues.

I am forever indebted to many of the posters who answered my brighteyed and naive questions with patience and tolerance.

I have taken out press subscriptions and made relevant comments BTL and financially supported causes promoted on here.