A GC lesbian friend told me today that the LGBT staff network at her academic institution is pushing LGBT staff to sign a letter in opposition this Times article. They were asked to reply to an email stating whether they were in favour or not
Thats a pretty intrusive demand. One of the signatories works at my place (I don't know her but must make contact to check she's OK), and the response on Twitter from others at my institution was pretty extreme and hateful.
I do find it odd that in a western European institution of higher learning, where nothing should be off-limits for discussion, a letter expressing concern at the closing down of debate is causing so much extremism in reaction.
I find the argument that any discussion of transactivist ideology (not transpeople themselves) is erasing transpeople very odd.
Although it does smack of a kind of masculinist/MRA entitlement. We women are so used to having our existences debated, I suspect we just don't notice it too much:
- What we wear
- What we do with our bodies
- Whether we should be pregnant
- Whether we should be PMPs when we're pregnant
- Whether we should be paid the same as men
- Whether we can be leaders
I was once on a quality review at another place. The paperwork all went out using titles and initials, so I was listed as Prof. B. Rice. When we all met in the first meeting (of two long days), another member of the committee looked at me and said, "Oh I didn't realise women could be professors." (I kid you not, this was 2008)
He was a wheelchair user, and a BBC employee. I said "Oh I didn't realise wheelchair users could make television programmes."
To do him justice, he laughed.
But you know ... situation normal, really.
TRAs have no idea what women deal with in terms of erasure, or questioning our right to exist as fully human, Every.Single.Day.