The bit that's missing however, in my view, is why the simple premise that women and girls are going to be harmed is not having much of an impact. Have we been duped about how serious people are about treating women equally ? What message have transactivists been able to get across or what soft spot in the liberal belly have they gone after that we've missed ?
Misogyny, sexism, the in-group versus the out-group, and the need for community. Those ancient forces that can never be truly erased.
I think we all delude ourselves into thinking that irrationality, tyranny, and deep-seated hatreds are a thing of past generations. That we would never go along with spying on our neighbours for wrong-think if we lived in Ingsoc in 1984. We all think we're Winston, but many of us would probably be O'Brien.
This, I think, is the real danger of "leftism" or "progressivism," because by identifying as the moral superior, they have uncoupled themselves from the reality of the human psyche and facts on the ground. I honestly think every single person has an ideology. We all need a way to structure the world, we need some narratives to make sense of it, and therefore we all are biased with certain prejudices. Everyone also desperately wants to fit in. Instinctive patterns of behaviour do not just go away because you put a little rose emoji next to your Twitter handle and join Momentum. All "identifying as the good person" does is make you even more blind to things like misogyny and antisemitism in yourself.
So I think "identity politics" in claiming it is feminist, anti-racist, and anti-phobic is actually making a fertile ground for people to ignore the need to critically examine their own troublesome behaviours, because they can stick to certain "speech codes" and "intersectional thinking."
I believe trans activists demonstrate this effect in a microcosm - I don't think it's an accident that so many of the activists are trans women who display hostility to women. These individuals actually deny they were ever part of the oppressing class (their identity as men may be something they are ashamed of, and I think many "feminist men" wish to move away from ever being associated with "toxic masculinity"). They erase the past, and reject the reality of their male bodies and socialization. Then some trans women, by identifying as a woman, do the neat trick of putting themselves as the more "oppressed" person in the hierarchy. This gives them the license to abuse women in a way they never would if this conversation was about anything other than "trans rights" or they were still identifying as men. Some trans activists also put themselves in a situation where they are actually incredibly reliant on external validation of this declared identity, and the very existence of females will remind them that they can never be biological women. This creates a need to vehemently protect the gender identity - it is vulnerable. You also have to explain where it comes from, but now trans activism cannot even define terms in the sense of gender dysphoria or acknowledge biological sex - hence upholding the "I am what I say I am because I say so" mantra becomes paramount.
I also think this also explains why so many "woke bros" join in with hating on women, attacking "wrong thinking witches" is almost the only socially accepted abuse of women available on the left.
The other issue that's been raised is how the online world and social media seems to be driving the performative/labelling aspect of all of this, as well as potential social contagion when it comes to thinking you might be trans. You feel the need to be seen a certain way, and can now attain social plaudits measured in "likes" from the comfort of your own screen. I also think you can basically "shop around" with how you present yourself online in a completely new way, and decide your individual identity is going to be as __. You're not constrained by any physical reality, or the fact that other people can actually see you. In terms of TRAs, this would tie in with the notion that everyone has this innate gender identity which is personal to them. It's almost like an extreme individualism, which still relies on some form of outside approval. Making an avatar for yourself so that you can best play this game on social media. Because of the potential of being abused, you don't want to be too vulnerable or open with your thoughts, but you also don't want to be left out.
The problem I think we are seeing with women standing up to trans rights activism is that other people and physical reality can offer a different perspective than an individual person's conception of themselves. And in our society, we posit that every person's view is equally valid, including those who reject the notion of gender identity and go just by sex.
I think many commercial companies can see the potential for profit in all of this. As we have seen elsewhere with astroturfing, there likely are vested interests from TRAs, too. Lots of people can make money off of problematizing gender and sex - just look at the fact we have private medical practices, money thrown at LGBTQ+ organizations who now pretty much only focus on trans issues, scientific research funding into trans children and the rise of these "experts" who don't really seem to have qualifications.
Also, the underlying narcissism of some trans activists alongside their seeming need for total compliance cannot be underestimated. I think we are seeing the effect of highly-motivated autogynephilic males attempting to reach their goals of having everyone agree with them. It really could almost be seen as on par with establishing a new global company, like Apple, or something. There's a product (gender ideology) that is being sold to an international market. They need marketing, salespeople, and a steady stream of new products to keep people interested.
Once you start seeing modern transactivism with their doctrine of gender identity almost as a religious notion being proselytized by a handful of prophets, it's far easier to conceptualize. I don't doubt for a second that the people who hold trans ideology dear should be allowed to believe what they want to, and live freely. I just don't want to be legally forced to agree with all aspects of their dogma.
I think my main issue is that we are very vulnerable to these ideas being presented as facts, rather than faith-based principles, because we haven't been holding fast to basic liberal values or allowed people to properly scrutinize these claims. The culture of "leftism" has not helped.
And it's a global shift. Freedom of speech is being systematically eroded worldwide
Yes. It's frightening.