Slightly bemused by lack of awareness

[Privacyplea]

I have recently been socialising with a group of women that I know through my yoga studio and through chatting with several of them I found out that they weren't aware of the existence of MRAs or TRAs. I just found it extraordinary that educated women in their 30s and 40s hadn't heard of them. Surely this is unusual?

They've probably heard of them, just not by those acronyms.

Oh right.

It's not really unusual. They are largely confined to certain sections of the internet, so if the women you spoke to haven't visited those places they won't have encountered them.

The kind of people who hold those views don't exactly walk around spouting them, well, not unless they are part of a larger group and feel safe doing so. In general though, they know that most people will not agree with them.

I doubt that they have heard much about changing the GRA and self-id either. It has got this far by targeting strategic power bases and using obscuring, 'inclusionary' language. Most women are completely out of the loop.

But how is it possible to exist in 2018 and not be aware?

Precisely, Melamin, I brought up those concepts and they hadn't heard of them, it truly shocked and worried me.

I would say they've probably heard of MRA types like when fathers for justice wanted mothercare renamed or climbed on buildings and they'll probably have read a few news stories about trans activists like LM or the person who wanted to change in the girls changing room in Topshop

But it's not until you actively look into more you find out about changes to the GRA and sports and give it all a name.

The Times and The Economist were the only broadsheets covering the GRA reform. Thr BBC barely gave it a mention unless it was to push a pro transitioning program. The Daily Mail covered it a bit. It depends on what they read I suppose.

They probably think they have enough to do getting on with their life and that common sense, a good civil service scrutinising stuff and accountable politics will take care of all this stuff for them.

And TBH, I would love that too and it is how I thought everything worked. But it clearly isn't happening. It is hard to turn round those hard wired beliefs.

But you just need enough women to understand what is going on to turn it round, and enough women to support them, and enough women to keep it going and carry it into the future.

Keep trying and there will be enough of us.

It's possible because, as Melamin says, at least n the early days, they targeted specific institutions, they (deliberately in my opinion) avoided speaking to or doing anything that would bring the issue to mainstream attention. From what I have read, there has been a lot of discussion and consultations going on behind the scenes, and issues such as self-id were already considered to be a done deal by the time they hit the mainstream media.

If it hadn't been for the constant pressure of a small group of women, mostly from these boards, self-id would probably have passed through parliament without a ripple.

I know lots of educated women in their 30-40s who don’t know about this stuff.

If you don’t follow feminist resources online or read MN it’s easy to miss.

Fair point, NonaGrey and I suppose it isn't something I talk about a lot with my close friends, I think I take it for granted that they have similar views to me but we rarely discuss it when we meet up.

I first heard about it through a different baby forum, but most women there didn't really care or want to know more or get involved.

People mostly live in their own little bubbles.

I only talked about it with my husband the other day, and he hadn't heard anything before then.

People wake up, look after their families, go to work, come home, Netflix and chill, sleep, rinse and repeat.

So how do you feel about it?

I was an activist in my yoof, so this has awoken my inner activist a bit.

For most people though, I think they just put faith in the politicians to do the right thing by them,(or think that nothing will make a difference anyway), and only pay attention to politics at times of elections if at all.

I'd definitely taken my eye off the political ball for the last few decades due to life getting in the way. There is probably loads of stuff that has happened that I missed hearing about. I stopped watching the news for a while for the sake of my mental health.

Sometimes it's just easier, and better for you personally, to keep your head in the sand.

I am sorry you feel that way.

People have the choice on what they want to give headspace to.

Yes of course they do.

But to have no idea whatsoever about it going on?

I get the impression a lot of people now rely on their social media feeds for awareness of what's going on in the world around them, which means they only get a very narrow and biased selection of information.

Even listening to BBC news would be unlikely to bring up TRAs or MRAs.

What about when men murder their own children

What's murdering children got to do with MRAs?

What about when men murder their own children

What do you mean ?

I agree, there is a huge lack of awareness out there. I was one of them until my daughter clued me in about a year ago. I could tell you the number of people I have spoken to about the issue who had no idea any of this was going on: ALL OF THEM. Thinking people, responsible jobs, people with opinions.

Oh, except one. She said "yes, I know..." and changed the subject. Was not brave enough to delve into that one.

Plenty of people haven't heard of them. Who in real life goes around talking about such issues? Very few.

PS, reading back I note you talk about it a lot with your friends but you are quite unusual.