Surprised to see this on Medium

[Poppyisa]

medium.com/@cassiebrighter/what-do-we-do-about-women-with-a-penis-70e783fb952e

Is this what we should expect now? Articles like this, telling us we’re terfs, suggesting that lesbians should try sex with transwomen. And normalizing it.

I feel like this situation, this normalization, has snuck up on me. I’m an old time feminist, but just learning about issues with transwomen in women’s spaces. I’ve been asleep at the wheel. (Actually not been asleep, I’ve been raising 3 kids, two with special needs, one of which passed away). I’m shocked to come back to women’s rights and see this has been going on. And it take a lot to shock me.

If you click B) is it simple insults, or is there a computer virus lurking there.

Bleurgh - it's a grooming article. They are effectively demanding that they must be able to show their penis everywhere where women expect to be private - an all women tantric group, in the women's changing rooms and so on. All said in soothing manner. I'm a bit surprised to see them use the same modus operandi that predators use with their victims as it's really not a good look - but hey, I'm sure they know what they're doing.
Just remember Maya Angelou's adage: "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time"

Buff said

I couldn't read much past comparing a "woman" with a dick in the changing rooms to the shock of seeing a 70 year old woman's body:

"One gal recently told me that her first day at her gym she walked into the locker to be immediately confronted by a very naked 70-year-old (cis) woman. And that was startling for her. I asked her what could have made the situation better. She said, "well, the old woman could have covered up." Then she added, "or, I could have fewer hangups about the naked human body."

Although the couple of paragraphs after that are even worse and I won't copy for fear of deletion.

Jesus Christ, what is wrong with these people?

And what the fuck is it with "gal"?

I’m assuming Cassie...

A Cassie uses Rachel “Rapey” Riley to support their arguments.

B That the “gold star lesbian” who didn’t want anything to do with Cassie’s genitalia should have licked Cassie’s arsehole instead.

C Lesbians who don’t want to shag Cassie and her amazing penis are every bit as bad as full blown racists

D. Cassie seems to think they are barren. Whilst certainly Cassie can never give birth they can still father children with their fully intact male genitalia.

Cassie can’t write for toffee and I have to admit I couldn’t finish the article. But Cassie could have saved us all the effort and just written “I love my cock therefore every woman on the planet should to.”

What is interesting to me is the way Cassie is portrayed in the photographs of Cassie's website. It is a kind of 'warts n'all' self representation that is not normally allowed to women. There is no pleasing the male gaze in Cassie's photographs, excluding for the simple signifiers of femininity such as the dress and lipstick. I cannot put my finger on it, and I am still
Formulating my thought, so it's quite crude thinking, but there is something very male in these representations. I am looking at these images as a visual historian and hope not to have contravened any guidelines of this site, but it would be really interesting to study how trans women represent themselves in photography in relationship to the male gaze and male representation.

ISTR Cassie popped up here on MN last time we discussed this article.

Riley J. Dennis posts insightful, earnest videos, lucidly explaining her views. Only to have other women eviscerate her, twist her words, turn them into something ugly.

Riiiight.

Ereshkigal I’d like to ask Cassie then how many women she has met with PTSD after being assaulted by a 70 year old woman?!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3327466-People-apparently-support-trans?pg=6

Here’s the day that Cassie came to visit Mumsnet and tell us all off.

What Cassie’s friend (and Cassie) meant was that old women are ugly.

Cassie uses Rachel “Rapey” Riley to support their arguments.

Riley Dennis.

Rachel Riley succeeded Carol Vorderman on Countdown!

Here’s the day that Cassie came to visit Mumsnet and tell us all off.

Quite enjoyed reading that thread again Betty, it was a good discussion of the sort we often have on here. It's a shame some of Cassie's posts were deleted as there were true colours moments aplenty.

I couldn't read it all because it went on for soooo long, but this was great:

A trans gal's sexuality is docile, patient, hesitant, fragile.

Hilarious. Maybe not that hesitant or docile given the screed she's written about how women need to be open to her ladydique.

docile, patient, hesitant, fragile

Ah, that list of things most of the women on these boards can never aspire to.

I wonder whether there’s a silky soft, sweet non-GHP* there too.

(*Roz Kaveney, 2018 describing her genitalia in a public meeting)

docile, patient, hesitant, fragile Sounds like a donkey.

I don't really see donkeys as fragile. Perhaps a very small baby donkey?

The symbology of the penis??

The Women’s Circle

'In a grassy area by the river, twenty women stand in a circle. They’re in a women’s retreat; they’ve gathered for a radical body-positive exercise. The exercise centers on the Yoni (the Tantric word for a woman’s genitalia), and will include nudity and self-exploration.
Nineteen of these women are vulva-clad, vagina-equipped natal, cisgender women. One of these women is trans. While she might not refer to her genitals by the words 'penis' or 'testicles,' that’s what they are anatomically. And, though transformed by several years of female hormones, her genitals are likely to be understood as "male genitals" by most women present.

This is the challenge we face: Do we allow the trans gal to participate in the exercise (which includes shedding all clothes and touching one’s genitals), or do we specifically exclude her, for fear of triggering one or more of the other women?'

'We talked about the symbology of the penis. Jimena and I immediately agreed that penis-owners have historically hurt vagina-owners in many ways. Some of these ways have specifically included the penis as a weapon, as an instrument of harm. Some of the women in the circle could be survivors of rape or sexual assault. So it is really important to start by openly acknowledging that history, and that symbology. And by directly addressing those concerns.'

'The event leader can explain that, while there is an obvious similarity between a trans woman's genitals and those of a man, this person's genitals have received years of female hormones. They respond differently, they carry a different energy. While a man's penis is an object of great pride, a trans woman's member is often a source of dysphoria and shame. A man's penis swaggers and struts, conquers and acquires, penetrates. A trans gal's genitals generally carry none of this energy. Speaking in generalities, a man's sexuality is urgent and assertive, and can be invasive. A trans gal's sexuality is docile, patient, hesitant, fragile.'

I think their legs look rather fragile... I love donkeys though - there’s some in a field next to my sisters farm and I always go to say hello to them.

Haven't read the article but I'm guessing the author isn't anybody's "Mom"?

I LOVE donkeys too. And goats.

Oh no. Not goats. They have eyes like that Hopkins woman. Shudder.

'Four years ago I asked my children to retire the term "dad." It triggered my dysphoria, and led to stares from strangers. We settled on simply "Cassie," which mostly worked... except folks would ask, "so, who’s Cassie? Who is Cassie to you?"

We tried a few things. We tried the awkward "my parent." I didn’t love it.

Finally, in exasperation, I said, "I am your mother. I’m your parent, and I’m female. Don’t we already have a word for that?"

My daughter happily adopted that. My son balked, continued to use Cassie, and defines me to others as his "transmom." It sort of works.
But around Mother’s Day last year, my co-parent (their biological mother) learned of this, and was very hurt. She lashed out in anger, "you are NOT their mother - and you never will be!" — which in turn hurt me enormously.

It took us many months, much struggle to come to dialog over this. And when we finally spoke, we both saw the other side. I assured her I did not mean to encroach, to infringe into "her turf." She in turn assured me she was not questioning my womanhood. We empathized with one another. We cried. We learned.'