People ARE aware and thinking about the trans agenda. And they don't like it.

[Lamaha]

I live a very quiet, rural life and rarely meet new people. My close family know I am GC and so do a few friends, but I would never open the subject with a stranger.

At present though I am at a gathering of about 16 people at a country house; I've never met any of them before. Yesterday I went for a walk with three of them: a man from Dublin, a woman from Santa Fe, USA, and a woman who lives at the Barbicon, London. A very disparate group; I had known them only a few days. All aged in their 50's or 60's.

We were having a nice normal chat when out of the blue, the American began talking about pronouns, and how you now had to say they and them for everyone, and how she hated it. The man immediately leaped in. He was very angry about this, because, in his work, he is required to use certain pronouns and he thinks it totally ridiculous. "If you don't," he said, "they will come after you like a pack of raging mad dogs. It's terrible!" He was utterly furious. The Barbicon woman jumped in to explain about the alphabet salad and how ridiculous it all was. She reeled off all the letters and told us what each one was.
I was so delighted! I think over the next few days there might be a few rather interesting discussions! I already promised the American the Rohypnol link...
See, the word is spreading; people know, and are forming their own opinions, silently, stealthily. We will win - it can't be otherwise.
People are more awake than we might think -- even random strangers might very well be sharing our opinions. It's wonderful to find them.

Hi all, I rarely contribute to these threads but I'm a long time lurker and definitely credit the feminism boards with opening my eyes about these issues. I peaked last year but I don't bring it up around my very liberal, Corbyn-loving colleagues because they're all men and it seemed pointless.

Just a few weeks ago, they were discussing who is the most liberal in the office and they decided it was me. I told them that I don't agree with everything the left is embracing so it's definitely not me. They wanted to know what I meant so I went for it and made my case regarding women's rights being eroded and allowing children to transition, etc etc etc.

I was quite nervous because I definitely expected some push back but they all completely agreed with me and brought up sports and other scenarios as well. It ended up being a great conversation and I realised that a lot more people have common sense than I thought.

Hi all, posting for the first time. Been thinking of joining for a while but as the Trans thing is (hopefully) about to peak, I'm bursting to get involved in conversations about it. Like most of you, I don't really talk about it IRL, except ranting to my husband about how harmful it is to children (he agrees wholeheartedly with me, he's down to earth, he's just worried I'm a tad obsessed but I've said no, not obsessed just very aware and once you know this stuff you can't let it go!)

Anyway, I've had a great conversation with a mum at the school, the only one I know who is across it because she works in a bra department and has to do fittings on the odd TW. She's not happy about it but has been told that if they present as women, they must be let into the fitting room, even if the other patrons are uncomfortable. But we've been worried about what they'll be teaching our Y5 kids for Sex & Relationship Education. At the parents evening we were so relieved that the school haven't bought into any of it, literally not going near the Gender Agenda! Honestly, we were elated!! So I have one mum to confide in at the school and you've no idea how good that feels.

Also, I had a couple of my female neighbours/friends round for wine on Friday night. The subject came up and it was like a damn bursting!! Anyway, we hammered a couple of bottles and talked all night, got so much of the bullshit out of our systems and, well, I've been feeling empowered ever since. I still daren't mention it or post anything on FB, through fear of being unfriended left right and centre but at least I have some allies now. :-) Sorry for the long post, hope I haven't bored you!! x PS Thanks for starting this thread. x

It’s great to hear so many individual stories of connections being made and women feeling the relief that we’re not alone.

LordPickle I disagree with you however that a gender critical belief is not compatible with a liberal political philosophy, any more than being atheist does. So many core tenets of liberal politics are being trashed by the current brand of violent, aggressive trans rights activists - freedom of speech, freedom of association - I do not see trans rights activism as it is today as a truly liberal movement. It is steeped in patriarchy, misogyny and homophobia, rape culture, silencing those who dissent (the very definition of bigotry) - they practice everything they decry, and most of them can’t even seem to see it. It is not liberal, and your opposition to it does not make you illiberal (if that’s a thing!).
Really the term ‘liberal’ has been appropriated along with everything else. Repackaged and sold back to us.

I went to a Guilty Feminist Live Show and there was a bit where they had a few local charities to speak. The section about a trans charity was weird, with a transman briefly explaining the charity, as the atmosphere got very odd and a lot less fun. ... Like hundreds of people wondering unspoken things.... And the other charity was a domestic violence charity who supported womens shelters, so that was kind of awks. There was a whole load of massively unanswered questions around the whole segment.
There was a great lesbian musician in support but for all her insistence that transphobia was wrong and if only she could go back and tell her teen self wearing boys clothes was fine... we had just been all being encouraged to give money to an organization who encourages teenage girls to think that if they like boys clothes then they aren't fine. All the women I went along with agreed it was a moment of excruciating cognitive dissonance.

My mum was in a clothes shop in mid-Wales and heard the two female shop assistants talking in Welsh and realised from the odd english words that they were talking about trans craziness. As she was paying for her things she said I hope you don't mind but I couldn't help hearing what you were talking about, and I totally agree with you... The three of them then had a chat about 'how it's all gone too far'.

I've ranted to almost everyone I know about this tbh and they all get it. I was anxious at first because of the toxic climate of fear thing, but decided in the end that everyone is afraid to speak because they assume they're the only one. Which was the point of making everyone afraid of course. So now I try and bring it up with everyone I know - not in an aggressive way, I usually connect it to a news story. The DF Mermaids training story last week happened right before I saw my woke-beard BIL who I had assumed was a lost cause, but as he's a teacher I thought it was a good "in". He was shocked to hear it and said he's got some trans/ NB kids in his classes and he didn't actually get it. Said he'd been thinking a lot about the born in the wrong body idea and how it sqaured with his beliefs on dualism. He's still in denial about how deep the toxicity and corruption goes, but I'll get him. My SIL on the other hand, who has almost secondary school aged kids and is very into defying stereotypes, peaked in nanoseconds over the jellybaby spectrum. Everyone in my social group has got it right away, but I definitely don't live in a woke area. It's a very poor area, not much work, not great schools, lots of crime etc. Everyone has got too many real problems to angst over their gendah.

I have two older sisters. We all met up with partners for dinner. Neither have ever said anything about trans issues and one is very Daily Mail. Without prompting one (a retired teacher) said that a boy she used to teach was now transitioning. Never had the slightest notion when she taught him that he thought he was a girl although wouldn’t have been surprised if he had been gay. Thought a few years ago he would never have thought of it. Other sister, golf club lady’s captain, had found herself playing competitively against ‘laydees’ from other clubs. Obviously not fair.

Yup, caught up with three old friends this weekend. Only one wasn’t already totally peaked before I got to say my bit.. I was amazed!

I was in the hairdressers and a woman having her hair done next to me, must have been in her eighties, suddenly mentioned to her male hairdresser (in his 60s?) about all "this transgender nonsense" and he agreed. I was so pleased how it's being talked about generally. I nearly got up to give her a big kiss!

I was out for a drink with a gay mate. This time last year he was a bit horrified by the "lesbian protests " at pride...... move forward a year and he's totally peaked. Literally sat there and ranted about it all. It was amazing. I just quietly nodded

What was it that 'peaked' him?

Welcome to FWR, SarahConnorFem!

I would have absolutely swallowed this stuff had it been around 20 (cough) years ago. I thought feminism was irrelevant. We had equality

That's the thing, though, I think. So much, for so long, has been focused on equal rights. Women moving into the workplace, and into traditionally male dominated professions etc. And yet still the the female and the feminine is not valued. Even women reject the feminine and traditional female roles.

I came across a youngish woman ( early 30's) with new born baby in pram, and her friend, walking along the promenade. I was giving out WPUK leaflets about the changes to the Gender Recognition Act. Once she realised what it was - she 'dutifully' handed it straight back to me, saying, " Being a woman is all in your head". I said, " No, it is in your body - you have a baby". Hopefully, with some time she will come to realise the true nature of her situation.

I work with a lot of young people, I'm early 30s one of the oldest people in our building.
Quite a woke, they would call it inclusive environment, pretty informal and we do a fair bit of socialising because of that and the age demographic i guess.
I've tentatively started conversations with two younger women colleagues, both not buying into it, one definitely more careful about the language she used, probably because she's at university on top of the job, the other would be very at home here and even said she would come to a woman's place meeting with me.
One of the gay men caught and joined in with conversation with feminist girl, tried to tell us we were privileged.
When I pointed out other girl has a disability and I had struggled with my gender and eating disorders he shut up, he even agreed that predatory men could take advantage.
My 9yo son knows that humans cannot change sex and I will keep making sure he knows that. He won't be brainwashed.
We just need to keep shining the light and bringing it out. Nobody really believes this nonsense.

Bygrab As much as I have mentioned DD and her friends, I too am in a poorer part of the country and I think as well that people have bigger fish to fry like yelling leave means leave repeatedly jobs, crime, schools, football...

I'm not saying that there isn't anyone who is trans but it is perhaps more at the expected levels.

We need to fight this. Vulnerable kids & women are being confused & damaged, taking damaging hormones & having mastectomies & ruining their lives. People who speak out are bullied, sacked, doxxed etc. Women really need to start private groups with people they really know & trust, to fight this & feel stronger together.

Until recently I was firmly on the pro trans side, but have become gender critical now. I went along with the narrative that Germaine Greer was just out of touch, of course we should be nice to poor struggling trans women (because it is almost never trans men) who have bravely overcome their struggles.

Then I started reading more, read more about self ID and how it can be abused, realised how much social contagion there is and see men with beards and penises demanding access to women's spaces because they have a womanly feeling.

My DD is a woke, blue haired lesbian who briefly identified as non binary. She is most definitely gender non conforming in the way she dresses and interests but thankfully identifies as female again. She frequently calls me a TERF but has been shocked at some of the things I have showed her. She hates people in opposite sex relationships who identify as queer because they have straight privilege but still get to opt into the queer identities. She can't see it is exactly the same as non binary people with male bodies demanding access to women's spaces.

I came across a video a couple of days ago (sadly I can't find it again) which was promoting body positivity in women. It was a great mix of races, sizes and disabilities and then they have the women with a beard who is topless so obviously male bodied. I think once this type of crap becomes mainstream then more people will wake up.

I realise the thread has moved on somewhat but in response to the actual OP, I don't really see how complaining about having to use certain pronouns for certain people can be construed as the group "being aware and thinking about the trans agenda". Just sounds like a standard bit of moaning to me.

I haven't talked about it with many friends just because we don't get a chance to talk much and I'd rather not spend it arguing but I KNOW most of them must think it's bullshit.

Two of them posts all kinds of political stuff on their fb but never mention the lgbt stuff which is a glaring omission. I know they must just be avoiding the controversy.

One is just generally sensible and focuses on actual issues not "oh I mustn't use this word or that word."

My best friend mentioned the other day that she thinks not recording sex at birth is the stupidest thing she's ever heard.

One, we used to read the same feminist website and we both stopped because we thought it was ridiculous that 50% of the articles were about trans issues so I KNOW she cares more about women's rights than trans ones.

I live in Asia and most people here don't even know about this stuff. I have one friend who is pretty woke but he is not a dick about it and we can discuss stuff with no hard feelings.

These are all extremely left leaning liberal people in their 20s or 30s so personally I feel like most people actually think this stuff is bs.

My mum went off about it the minute she saw me after not meeting for a year. She thinks it's ludicrous. Would never have thought of her as a feminist but she was really riled up.

I realise the thread has moved on somewhat but in response to the actual OP, I don't really see how complaining about having to use certain pronouns for certain people can be construed as the group "being aware and thinking about the trans agenda". Just sounds like a standard bit of moaning to me.

Being forced to change our everyday language, being forced to change the very meaning of established words, is the very thing that gives people a double-take, that "wait a minute!" moment that leads them into investigating the whole issue. In that incident, it led into a whole discussion of the issue so yes, it is relevant. It was much more than "a bit of moaning". It was finding out that potential allies are everywhere.

And yet still the the female and the feminine is not valued. Even women reject the feminine and traditional female roles.

I remember well the time when feminists adamantly tried to deny female biology as being relevant. When they turned up their noses at anything remotely associated with the domestic, with caring for the young. That we are the ones to have the babies was pushed under the carpet. Our biology was little more than a nuisance. Heck, that was how I was raised, my mother being a hard-core feminist and trail-blazer in my country. She was possibly the first person there to divorce her husband for feminist reasons, almost definitely the first divorced single mother in the country. She disdained domestic work. I've never known her to cook a meal for me.
And yet the only reason she was able to live as she did was because she and I lived with my grandmother and unmarried aunt, and that aunt did ALL the domestic work and I was looked after by them while mum was at work -- she basically took over the traditional role of the husband. I didn't understand it until much later, when I asked her, who provided for granny and aunt x, and she said, I did.

Much later, in my early 30's, and as a young mother, I was a subscriber to Ms., Gloria Steinem's flagship magazine. But I noticed more and more that motherhood was being pushed into a corner, a certain tone of superciliousness towards it. And then, out of the blue, the magazine's name was changed to "Working Woman" and that was what it was all about. I cancelled my subscription at that point because I was a SAHM and I realised that my experience was not valued or even discussed.

Oh, and the American who initiated the conversation at one point said, it's pure Handmaid's Tale.

Women really need to start private groups with people they really know & trust, to fight this & feel stronger together.

Oh we are. WE ARE.

Until recently I was firmly on the pro trans side, but have become gender critical now.

That is one of the enduring bugbears for me.
Being GC or pro-women does not make you "anti-trans".

It's a bullshit accusation handed out like so many other lies and misinformation by an agenda-driven group desperate to hide their true nature and paint other people as the baddies so they can hide in plain sight.

Being GC or pro-women does not make you "anti-trans"

What the people who use "anti-trans" are saying is that, being "pro-trans" means being "anti-woman".

Many, if not most, of us GC women advocate for third and separate spaces, services etc for all those who exclude themselves from acknowledging the reality of their sex. We are most definitely not "anti-trans" in any way; we simply will not capitulate to the demands being made by the Trans Lobby. We are "anti" the ideology of transgenderism because we don't believe a word of it.

Re poorer/richer areas - a friend of mine was talking to two women, both of whom run very similar children's activities, but in different suburbs, one inner city (wealthier) and one less so (middle suburbia).

The teacher in the wealthier area has multiple trans and NB kids in her classes, the teacher in the other area has none. They were also hypothesising that there was something socioeconomic at play.

I don't know how that explains my working class fam, with 2 x kids suckered in wholesale, because we've got real problems, including dh nearly dying earlier this year, and always on the edge financially, but it is a correlation that more than one person, in more than one country, is making.

I've also heard it's something more prominent with white kids. Again, I don't know, doesn't hold for mine (mixed) but maybe we're outliers there too.

The middle classes have always enjoyed being yooneeq and speshul. There's more conformity and 'just getting on with things' in the working classes (in my working class opinion). Philosophising, am I this or am I that, has always been discouraged. "Stop causing a fuss" was more or less my parents' motto, whereas I feel middle class parents are much more indulgent of children.

I was shocked to my core when I went to university and discovered all the blue haired, pansexual art school types. I honestly just found it embarrassing and self indulgent. I mean, I'm all for freedom of expression, but a lot of it just seemed very childish to me, I think.

Once there are more NB/trans people than so-called "cis", it'll probably go back the other way.