Lurkers of FWR, pop in and say Hi!

[SophoclesTheFox]

I've just been reading this thread and I am utterly blown away by the number of women who say they are lurking here.

It's quite, quite wonderful to read that thread and I wanted to acknowledge it and roll out the red carpet if any of you wanted to post. I know it can feel a bit intimidating, like you have to have the right vocabulary, or some huge knowledge of feminist theory, but you don't.

Your words are valuable, and your unique view is important because together we're powerful!

We're also rude, funny, and most of all DISRESPECTFUL in all the ways that matter. Don't just lurk: join in you are very welcome.

Wow, over 200 lurkers is amazing! I knew I couldn't be the only one, but had no idea there would be so many.

I’m a lurker! I rarely have the energy to actually contribute but I read these boards every day.

I also read every day and have followed for a few months now.
I'm really pleased to have cancelled my Ocado smart pass (have signed up to Waitrose, Sainsburys and Riverford - Sainsburys order arrived yesterday and all was good, first Riverford order arriving tomorrow, bit miffed I didn't have Millie from Ocado calling me)
Simultaneously horrified by a lot of the information that is on here (sports thread bothering me particularly at the moment)
Thank you to all the posters, in particular the indefatagible R0wan, also Datun and AngryAttackKittens, for their patience and humour and intelligent rendering of these complex issues.

Thanks for the warm welcome @Arranfan, the reason I mostly lurk is that I'm the possessor of a Y chromosome, which is why FWR is not my space.

I'll continue to lurk, this is your space not mine. Thank you for allowing me to explain myself.

I lurk, I am learning and I am worried about the future for my DCs. I thought women had equality decades ago, how wrong was I. Thank you for educating me.

Well this is weird. I signed up to twitter today. In my bio I described myself as 'adult human female' and followed a few like-minded people. That's all I did. No posts. Went back on a minute ago and I've been booted off for violating their rules or some such. Fuck 'em all!

@DoctorTwo - I'll continue to lurk, this is your space not mine. Thank you for allowing me to explain myself.

I respect your reasoning. I do reserve the hope that you will participate should events prompt you to feel it's appropriate because there is a gnawing feeling that all of this has wider societal implications and a growing sense of totalitarianism.

Another lurker here, amazed there are so many of us. Thank you to you all, I'm not in the UK but keeping myself informed so I'm prepared for when the madness inevitably arrives here.

I'd like to point out that even those outside the uk can fill in the GRA consultation to help us.

That's interesting Captain kirk, I wasn't sure if you could. That's my task for this evening then.

Hi just had the horrible realisation what was going on over the last 6 months or so and so glad that Mumsnet and Feminist boards have provided a safe space. Thank you! Can not believe the madness. Just discovered today that Amnesty has gone trans reich which has really saddened me as I have supported them for nigh on 30 years. But no more -they are in a tangled web of madness advocating for single sex toilets for refugees and for other countries - and for self ID and transwomen in female toilets in the UK. Lunacy. Loads of my friends are getting it and hope to spread it a lot more coming up to the 19th :)

I wasn't sure if you could

They've literally made it as wide as possible, any age and person any place, as long as you are online.

Adult Human Female lurker saying hi and thanks to FWR. I've been reading for a few months and am depressed and frightened by what's happening. As many posters here have said, I am not anti-trans but pro-women and girls. I think it is extremely misogynistic (as well as extremely stupid) to state that being a woman is about nothing more than self-ID. I will never accept that.

I am not optimistic about the GRA consultation. I think the UK government will go the same way as Ireland (although not quite, because Ireland hasn't entirely given up single sex spaces) and other countries regardless, because they won't want to seem unwoke. I hope I'm wrong.

In the meantime I will get slightly emotional every time I see that quaint, old-fashioned sign "Ladies" or "Women" and think, how much longer...?

Good luck to everyone here, I salute yez.

@DrTwo - I find Jackson Katz and his argument about why various issues described as Women's Issues just serves to take them out of men's circle of influence and power when they very much belong there.

www.ted.com/talks/jackson_katz_violence_against_women_it_s_a_men_s_issue?language=en&utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

Just got three other friends to fill out the consultation!

Long time lurker here! Just posted on Leeds thread but hasn't appeared.
I'm UK born.Live in Spain.Work in UK.I'm not afraid of men.
You peaked me with Man Friday!
My very good friend is transex(had operation 30 years ago)she's appalled.
Ive been flashed at(and consequently been encouraged to laugh it off),my daughter has been abused.I've had a knife put to my throat,subsequently seen how he got off with it because his girlfriend had left him??Poor bloke was depressed.This happened when I had a shop,he came in,put a knife to my throat and emptied my till.Even my partner at the time sided with him.Poor baby.
So I've rather had enough.I'm just wondering what I can do!
Remember I'm not fucking scared of men...that was a long time ago
Can't travel much,but any other ideas gratefully accepted!

Hello! 👋🏻

I've been on MN over a decade with a few different names, posted mainly on step-parenting, S&B and the occasional AIBU but only ever lurked and read on FWR.

I first became aware of the GC/trans debate when I started following Jean Hatchet on twitter after the Ched Evans case; she lead me to Miranda, Posie, Lisa M and others.

I lurk on here and have learnt SO much, and my DH has too.
I've become more feminist since having 2 DD's. I guess I care more about their rights than mine!
I rarely post because I'm just not eloquent enough. But I enjoy reading.

This thread is the absolute dogs’ bollocks. I LOVE seeing all these gorgeous lurkers coming out of the woodwork. Welcome lurkers, it’s wonderful to know you are here.

waterlego we just need a nudge!

Hello! Another lurker here! As many others have said I don't really have much to add on here as everyone is so clever but have found it massively interesting and helpful. Am also on twitter and do tend to post a bit more there! Have peak transed DH but unfortunately he is the only adult I engage with much at the mo (SAHM!) It's so exciting to see so many wonderful women commenting, I really feel a part of something at the moment.

Hello, I'm another lurker. Started from the position of live and let live on TWAW, because the only transsexual I knew well has been so since the 90s and so she was my reference point. Then I realised that she was not at all representative of transwomen, and in fact that she (and other old school trans people) was being denigrated by activists and harmed by what is going on.

My mother is very GC (and has a child protection role so is finding a lot of things astonishing/awful). When I have started to broach this with friends, they generally start from a "it's this generation's version of gay rights, isn't it", and though I think most are still on the fence now, they are starting to question, and consider things from another point of view.

I know a number of cadet instructors and also (very vaguely) the chap who wrote their policy, which is totally pro self ID and "what problem?" - the instructors are aghast.

HI, just popping by to say hello. Have posted a few times on FC, but am not confident enough to say much. But I read and I listen and I'm learning. I have two daughters and think that the world has regressed since I was a child. For example, I can't believe the amount of pink and sequinny shit all over the clothes for girls now. I certainly did't spend my childhood in a cloud of glitter, princesses and butterflies. The world is going mad. The whole Trans thing and how segregating gender ideology is is bonkers. Let girls be girls in the whole spectrum of their potential and likewise let boys be boys in whatever way they wish. No need to go around messing with bodies. And apologies if that is a way too simplistic way to look at it.