I’m so gutted about this but don’t feel strong enough to argue. Help please?

[InvisibleAgain]

I know it’s pathetic but I am having major MH issues at the moment and my anxiety is so high that emailing this person (and the resulting panic waiting for a reply/backlash etc) is utterly beyond me. I have even namechanged for this even though I know this board is a safe space to share.

I saw this, it’s on a public page. I was all excited to participate - I am autistic and am always willing to help in studies especially those that contribute to the increasing awareness of autism in women.

And then I saw the participants list.

Sorry, no. A trans woman does not have a clue what it’s like to grow up as an autistic female. They haven’t grown up statistically more likely to be masking, to have their issues ignored because of boy autism stereotypes.

I don’t want my results skewed by people who say they were female all along when they were (given it asks for 16+) overwhelmingly likely not to have even been treated as a female for most of their childhood.

Autism and gender confusion is something I feel strongly about - I was convinced I should be a boy for years and I would absolutely have begged for blockers etc if they’d been available. But the way this is worded makes me think that’s not what this is. It’s inviting trans women to say how they experienced growing up as an autistic female.

Which they didn’t.

I wouldn’t let it stop you from participating.

Whether to include trans or not is a complex issue (for what it’s worth my view would be “no” also) but the reality is there just aren’t many individuals who would fit into this specific sample bracket.

Research is important to continue progressive understanding, awareness and treatments so I’d really encourage you not to let this hold you back from participating.

Could you email and ask if they are going to separate the answers from the people who grew up as female from the answers of the people who didn't? And explain about masking and female socialisation? You don't have to do it in a confrontational way or make any comment on people who were born male but believe that they are female. But you could point out that girls and boys are treated differently by society and that it makes for a different experience for a child with ASD. Sorry about your anxiety.

I wonder what commonalities, apart from autism, they imagine women and transwomen will have? That make their experiences different enough from those of men and transmen to warrant a separate study? Surely there needs to be studies to determine whether there is a merit to this radical re-grouping of humans by gender rather than sex? Otherwise any results they come up with are going to be compromised by poor research techniques.

It's extremely strange, almost as if gender has been centred over and above autism and the specific experience they are studying.

If they had asked to study women and transmen would that have been understood to be trans exclusionary?

Also OP
I know how crap it is when genderism infiltrates and colonises areas of deep importance and interest to you. It leaves you feeling so helpless and without a voice. It can strip your sense of purpose because the battle is being waged so unfairly. They are Goliath insisting we call them David.

The email address is there for any questions.

I'd email them. Perhaps say something such as,
"Why are you inviting transwomen into this research? They do not have experience of growing up as an autistic girl. As an autistic girl I find this troubling and confusing, please reassure us (girls) that you will separate out to the responses from girls, and boys who identify as girls"

Hopefully they will do so.

^Separate the responses

You aren't being pathetic

It's completely unacceptable to mix the sexes in a sex based study. I can't see how this is a reputable study, or how that passed the ethics committee.

To the people telling OP to email them, she’s started this thread because she doesn’t feel strong enough and others to contact them?

That’s what I’ve read from the thread anyway? So I don’t think telling her to contact them is helpful.

Could you email and ask if they are going to separate the answers from the people who grew up as female from the answers of the people who didn't?

This. I think this is a fair way to approach.

Since they didn’t include “transmen” I actually wonder if they are doing what I have seen many people not totally tuned into the language do - confusing transwoman as a female who identifies as trans. I can’t imagine it makes sense to exclude transmen from a study like this?

That's a very good point about transmen. It would make a lot more sense for transmen to be included in the study, so perhaps there is some confusion.

I’m with you OP it’s completely bizarre.

Boys and girls are socialised differently; if we’re going to start pretending they’re not then my brain will explode trying to figure out why it’s then so important to be recognised as the gender with which you identify

Surely this would be better to target Women and Trans Men?

Otherwise it's just basically anyone?

Oh this is rubbish, I'm sorry op. They really don't get it do they.

Given that a high percentage of girls being pushed down the transition route are autistic and they will be excluded from the the study on the grounds that their gender is ‘male’ I don’t see the point in the study.

What reputable medical journal is going to publish findings that anyone can drive a truck through?

Is there something else specific we can do? Your point is absolutely valid, as is that of the poster who said transmen who grew up with autism should absolutely be included as, like you, they were girls and this subjected to the same socialisation.

Is it worth trying to contact someone else who might fight this? I can possibly contact someone on Twitter who might be happy to make her voice heard.

I’d also add that I’m not surprised how difficult you are finding this. I feel every time I turn round at the moment, I’m presented with yet more “men must be centred in every aspect of womanhood” BS.

Can you add a link please OP? Is the image from a website?

AlwaysComingHome the groups they’re asking for participation from are women, female and transwomen. I read that as them asking for female sex people who don’t identify as women (transgender, nonbinary, genderfree, gender fluid, unicorn et al.)

That was supposed to say transmen not transgender - bloody autocorrect does not like it if you don’t leave a space between the words nowadays.

I've emailed them.

Anyone else?

Thank you so much everyone for your replies.

Mxyzptlk thank you really appreciate that, and yes AnyOldPrion would be very happy if you have a friend who knows how to get it out there. Hithere12 is right that, much as it pains me to admit it, I’m not in a place to handle it myself (anxious mess, whole other thread) but posted here as I don’t think it’s right.

BTW it was on FB sorry Any I cant link to that on my crappy phone - but it is public (after I saw it shared on another group, I deliberately searched for a public one, it was “university of Bedfordshire autism study” that I searched IIRC)

I totally agree transmen should be heard, the link between being an unhappy autistic girl and wanting to become male is undeniable now, but the way it’s worded I wonder if they would not be wanting to participate... after all they don’t identify as females or women I guess.

Thanks for posting here, OP.

Sorry, no reply so far.

Following. I’m at the pub atm, but I’ll read in the morning

I'd be put off by an academic who can't even spell 'woman' in the title of their advert anyway.

Oh gosh I didn’t even notice the title

Wow no reply yet, the cynic in me says they are trying to word a reply carefully so maybe she is seeking advice about it.