Ama - transwoman

[Indigo9]

I've heard about Mumsnet for years in regards to views on transgender women. But until today I had never visited the site. I've spent hours reading posts related to transwomen and the gender ID bill. I do think there is a little bit of a disconnect with regards to who and what we are. So I've decided to setup this profile with a mind to answering questions you may have about being transgender. I'm not in to hate or insults, so you won't see me participate in any mud slinging, name calling or anything else. I will, however, answer any legitimate questions from my own perspective. I do not speak for the whole trans community and would not try to, but will happily share what I know.

You can also 'feel like what you think it might be like to be a woman'. This will be from your experience of looking at womanhood from the outside (ie. Not being a woman yourself).

Again, this is different to 'feeling like a woman'.

And since you can't borrow their eyes, you will literally just have to accept that colours exist.

Colours are measurable along the electromagnetic spectrum and we can agree as to what wavelengths look particular colours.

(What is it with spectrums?)

How do you know there's no such thing as feeling like a woman? Why on earth would people spend all their time and energy assuming a different form if they didn't feel incredibly strongly that they were a woman?

If you woke up tomorrow in someone else's body, you'd still feel like you, wouldn't you? You'd still feel like a woman.

Gahhhhh this is so frustrating!!

If you just skim over the time waster posters posts, it's much less so. Honest. Which wise person was it who saith 'when someone tries to hand you their shit, you do not have to take it'.

I've spent most of my life being told I think like a man. I now have a PhD in computer science. I don't think like a man - I think like a women who has a personality and thought processes that society likes to think are characteristically male.

I personally think the difference between you and I OP is that my parents never suggested that it was wrong of me to love maths and science, be addicted to sci fi and play football. Do you ever wonder how you would have grown up if your parents had been supportive? My heart bleeds for all those kids being told that they are not ok and perfect as they are.

How do you know there's no such thing as feeling like a woman? Why on earth would people spend all their time and energy assuming a different form if they didn't feel incredibly strongly that they were a woman?

Because your parents beat you up for being an effeminate boy?

Why are you so willing to believe wearing comfy pants means you are a woman?

cellibabies

I was, indeed.

Partly because:

The mocking tone about comfy pants, getting your yfronts in a twist, hurty feelz etc is really unnecessary actually.

You framing the reaction as unnecessary, rather than totally expected was something I wanted to address. There are very few ways for gender critical feminists to react to the fact that comfy pants were being used as the definition of a woman. As a previous poster said, it's an effort to distract from the normal AGP narrative of fishnets etc.

And

Seriously, what is that achieving? I'd much rather have a genuine question and answer session than rip someone to shreds who doesn't appear to have said anything nasty.

No-one was ripping anyone to shreds. The fact that you think they are suggests one of two things, to me. Either you disagree, fundamentally, with the gender critical position. Or you are new to the discussion. Hence 'teachable moment'.

You may be taking the OP's comments in isolation. I do not. I disagree with the content, and I know exactly why I disagree with the content, which is why the reaction of the women on this thread (including me), is entirely rational and, in my opinion, fairly tame to be honest.

I don't agree with women being told to be a little kinder when they are discussing the erosion of their rights and the erasure of their sex category.

In a hypothetical situation, if you woke up tomorrow with a body swap, would you or would you not continue to feel like a woman?

If you woke up tomorrow in someone else's body, you'd still feel like you, wouldn't you? You'd still feel like a woman.

Just to clarify, this has never ever happened. Nobody went to sleep one sex and woke up another. That would be a miracle.

Another crossword clue:

Reason this thread is moving so quickly; common internet tactic when things aren't going the way it had been hoped.

B _ G

Boring?

Blaming?

In a hypothetical situation, if you woke up tomorrow with a body swap, would you or would you not continue to feel like a woman?

I was wrong, the level has sunk even further to Freaky Friday.

When you have to invoke a science fiction film to bolster your point, you really should stop.

Bullshitting?

You know perfectly well you'd still feel like a woman if someone permanently attached a penis to you. So being a woman is a feeling, albeit difficult to define. OP says they feel like a woman. QED.

Here are some feelings:
*Happy
*Sad
*Angry
*Frustrated
*Envy

Here are some things which are not feelings:
*Human with two X chromosomes
*Human with ovaries

Here are some beliefs which are false
*The earth is flat
*Homeopathy really works
*The moonlandings were faked
*Humans-with-ovaries is a feeling

Here is an error of reasoning
*I wish I was a human-with-ovaries. I feel yearning when I think about this. I very much enjoy some of the superficial things that I associate with humans-with-ovaries. I have concluded that the combination of my yearning, combined with my enjoyment of the superficial stuff which I like to associate with the object of my yearning, means I "feel like a human-with-ovaries".

I hope this clarifies why the OP, and in fact no-one, not even women, feel like women.
Woman is not a feeling. Noone can feel it. It's both a false belief and an error of reasoning to think you can.

*Human-with-ovaries is a placeholder for the category humans-with-ovaries/XX chromosomes/fallopian tubes/uteruses etc.

Bed wetting?

Ahhh... This thread is so familiar it's like putting on an old comfy jumper. We could probably write a fairly simple FWR algorithm by now that based on an OP automatically populates a 1000 post thread, leaving everyone free to instead engage in conversations that centre women and girls.

Not criticising anyone for taking part by the way - think of the lurkers and all that

Bunburying?

You know perfectly well you'd still feel like a woman if someone permanently attached a penis to you.

Oh dear. Don't say that to a transman, will you!

Bulldozing?

NOBODY'S GOT IT YET!

I woke up in a male body I'd be male, of course I would. It wouldn't stop me doing anything I currently do. I could wear suits for formal occasions instead of dresses or women's suits which I've never really got on with the shape of anyway. I'd probably cut my hair short as at my age I'd be balding and ponytail with bald patch isn't a good look. I'd probably be taller and tradespeople wouldn't patronise me so much. And no periods, and no menopause to look forward to. Yep, definitely liking the idea of waking up male, where do I sign up? (Ok DH might not be so pleased.)

Makes plans to start fan club for @ByGrabtharsHammarWhatASaving

👍 great questions. Lovely clear & logical

So ironic isn't it that it's the gender critical women and men who are being logical, exploring the consequences, intended and unintended, of changes to law and practice. All we ever get from the TRAs is "feelings". You can't make good law based on feelings IMO. Facts are what matter.