Shocking levels of transphobia

[Semp]

I have been lurking here for a while and reading through the posts on a daily basis. I am truly shocked with the levels of transphobia that exist on this board. I have read what has been posted and the arguments that have been put across against the reform of the Gender Recognition Act; and all I see are the same arguments that have been used in the past when it came to changes in the laws relating to any other minority. That being that predators will exploit this change to abuse women/girls, yet everytime this has happened in the past the claims that they would did not come to fruition.

I can see no change as to how things would be any different with this change. As now things currently stand trans women can already use womens toilets, are put on ladies wards in hospitals when getting treatment, can use female changing facilities in swimming baths and so on. This has been happening for decades and Armageddon hasn't happened.

There are many other areas of life that this energy could be and should be directed at, which would make a huge difference to the lives of women. Without victimizing and stigmatizing a minority group that already suffers enough as it is.

Ms Bunbury also observed that the only people talking about Section 28 seem to be those on the TRA side. Odd, that.

Rufus The folk thing!!A major bugbear. Ive said this on here before. What's with the folk? Its twee and faux-naive and attention seeking and very silly. Although it has been adopted by some trans folk, along with other silly fairy names like fae, fay etc and dusting down the word queer, the original perpetrators of this crime against the English language imo were MN themselves! Constantly going on about "folk" in mod posts, would folk please observe the guidlines etc. Please desist. I find it triggering and literal violence againt my personal sensibilities.

Ms Bunbury also observed that the only people talking about Section 28 seem to be those on the TRA side. Odd, that.

Yep. Invoking homophobia is, as Bunbury has always stated, the first and last resort of those hoping (and often succeeding) to persuade organisations and 'woke' individuals not to examine their key premise too closely.

yy to 'folk'

It's twee. It's deliberately done to disarm.

RE "folk", can I report comments for being so twee they give me a toothache?

Dhalandchips
Of course I don’t mind you copying the post! Glad you found it useful.

I think we should be able to report 'folk'

The word obviously...

There have been transphobic posts...mainly from new posters/name changers but absolutely from other posters

But not as much as you would think reading some of these OPs

Adding my voice to those who hate the word "folk" because it's twee.

The word "folk" reminds me of the Tom Lehrer song, Folksong Army. It goes

"Oh, we are the folksong army.
Everyone of us cares.
We all hate poverty, war and injustice
unlike the rest of you squares."

You could substitute "wokesong army" and it would work just as well.

Well, if we're going to get into the resonance of the word 'folk' ...

I've previously been got at on here for using 'folk'. (I'm Scottish, it's used daily here in Scotland.)

As far as I know, there is no patriarchal/masculine baggage attached to the word, as someone claimed when explaining the usage (I'd be interested to hear more on that thought, though). As far as I can see when looking at the etymology, it's just Old English for 'people'.

It may sound 'twee' to other people's ears, fine, that's your opinion - although I can't help but hear that criticism as 'Oh, how provincial'. Would I be better putting on my best RP to post on this board?

Absolutely agree with you, Op. Can't see what their problem is.

Why shouldn't women accept men in the women's loos, after all, what harm could come to them?

Why on earth would a woman be scared of a man in a women's refuge?

And as for boys/men competing against girls/women in sport, I say, let the best man win. Yes, males have bigger hearts, lungs and muscles. So what?

It's time for women to get over themselves and stop being so disrespectful.

Scrimshaw

I was being very English-centric and apologise for that

It's part of Scottish dialect and I'm happy that it is.

I've been told off for grammatical 'mistakes' that are part of my spoken language, on here, and felt annoyed too.

Pro female does not equal anti trans.

Coerced adherence to transgenderism, with its audacious claim that males can be female inside, is wrong. Self ID means coercion on the say so of literally any random male. To the extreme detriment of female rights and protections. Coercion is wrong.

'I identify as YOU!' is unusual, but none of my business.
'I literally AM you! My belief trumps your material reality! Bigot!' is appropriation of the highest order, coercive and factually incorrect.

Dysphoric transsexuals have my compassion and sympathy. I do not include them under transgenderism (even if Stonewall does).

Fair enough scrimshaw, Ive lived in Scotland and it doesnt sound twee in a scottish accent, you're right of course. I think its used a bit differently though isn't it? Would you say "we'd appreciate it if folk would stick to the guidleines" or "I'm with the trans folk" My mum is scottish and she would say "come on folks, lets get going". Its the connotation of a group of fairies sitting round a toadstool in the forest that the collective noun "folk" evokes in me that I find twee, sorry. i think it maybe comes from "Folk of the Fairy Tree" so I blame Enid Blyton.

Thanks, Chrysanthemums, that's very gracious of you. It is a bit grating to be told the way one speaks is 'wrong' or affected.

I like some words and dislike others...im an equal opportunity words hater...

Yes. It's not Scottish dialect when used by non-Scottish trans allies. It's a deliberate obfuscation of language.

My favourite word is discombobulate

Thanks for the link to the Tom Lehrer song, Disrespectful. And speaking of words, I think it's high time we had a revival of 'square'.

Transphobia appears to have become such a meaningless word now. Even a year ago I would have felt very hurt at such an accusation. Now that I see it is only ever levelled at disobedient women who refuse to immediately capitulate and repeat TWAW on a loop, I couldn't give a toss.

Personally, I find it deeply offensive when an adherent of a viciously homophobic ideology abusively appropriate Section 28 when making an argument.

Glad you liked it, Floisme.

Lehrer is brilliant. His songs date back half a century but the topics he sings about are still relevant. And his non-political songs are brilliant, too. The table of elements sung to a Gilbert and Sullivan tune is a classic.

calpop, yes, I'd use 'folk would stick to the guidelines', I don't think I know enough about trans terminology to say about 'trans folk', sorry. Generally it's used just as 'people' - 'the folk up there'.

I am quite fond of fairies/toadstools, too, tbh, so I might even be guilty of the occasional bout of twee, though I don't think I'd use the word 'folk' in that context ...

Yes thats what the TRAs on twitter have failed to realise. The more you harp on about things using set words or phrases, the more those words lose their power. I used to be shocked when they said they felt "literal violence" at people saying transwomen aren't women. Now I just roll my eyes as they never explain what literal violence is using more words. The same with all the words used to describe gc women - everything women think and say is "vile" and "viscious" and "shocking" and "appalling" and we're all "hysterical". That used to affect and shock me. Now, yawn, come back to me when you can actually explain your position.