Slogans!

[xxyzz]

This thread is about slogans, and the need for them.

I've commented previously that one of the great strengths the TRAs currently possess is that they have had several years to frame the debate on their own terms, before most feminists were even aware that there was an issue, and in particular, to devise and propagate widely used and certain easy-to-remember slogans.

As others have pointed out, TWAW is extremely effective at ending discusssion. It pithily expresses an easy-to-understand point, but requires dense and not-easy-to-follow text to argue against.

Given that most social media interactions are brief, people are busy, and not necessarily particularly bright, and given that TWAW has been out there as a 'truth' for years, GC feminists are facing an uphill struggle to explain in similarly pithy, simple language why it is wrong.

Which brings me to SLOGANS.

GC feminists need to be redefining the debate with our own, equally, or more effective slogans. These need to explain our key points using simple words that everyone understands, and they need to be repeated relentlessly- as TWAW has been. The success of 'Get Brexit done' as a slogan - and the Tories religiously on-message use of it throughout the election campaign- was a big part of their recent success. Just as 'Take Back Control'was a hugely effective slogan before the referendum in 2016.

The importance of slogans should not be under-estimated.

FWIW, I don't think 'Women are Adult Human Females' is a successful slogan at all. Because:

a) It sounds utterly batshit to anyone not already following the debate - of course women are adult human females!
b) It allows TRAs to continue to frame the debate in terms of a discussion over who is a woman. When actually, this is something that has been known for thousands of years and even a toddler could tell you. We should not be arguing primarily on their territory. It does us no favours.
c) Most importantly, it ignores women's main issues with TRA claims. We are not arguing over terminology, we are arguing over women's and children's SAFETY and RIGHTS.The terminology matters only insofar as it is being used to undermine that safety and those rights. But by putting the cart before the horse, we have lost most of our audience, who don't follow us long enough past the batshitttery to find out WHY we care about the terminology.

So I think we need slogans that go back to basics.

We need slogans that fight on our own territory and frame the debate through our own eyes, not through the eyes of those intent on dismantling women's rights.

I would suggest that what we need are slogans that simply and clearly point out and go on the offensive over misogyny and attacks on women's rights - as feminists have always done.

Please suggest your effective slogans below. Sure that we can crowdsourced some better slogans than we have currently.

Over to you...

Yes, pictures really do speak a thousand words. It's why the sports issue is a great starting point for many people who haven't been following this debate. It instantly makes people go 'huh?!' when they see the 'winner'.

I think we need to emphasise positive slogans as negative slogans won't be shared. (Jk Rowling understood this)

Needs to alert those uninitiated with Trans issues..

Too long I know:

Self ID doesn’t protect from prostate cancer - Being a Woman does. #BiologyNotBigotry

Self-ID woman convicted of rape. Women don’t have penises. #BiologyNotBigotry

PencilsInSpace

I'm not saying that I think 'we have lost most of our audience' - as in our existing audience - I'm saying that if you live, as I do, outside the GC feminist echo chamber, most people haven't got a ruddy clue that this huge attack on women's rights is even happening. If they knew, they would 100% be on our side, on account of biology being pretty hard to argue with, and them not being idiots. But they don't know.

So what I'm trying to discuss is how to most effectively cut through to people who do not even know there is a debate. Or know at most that trans is a thing and one should be kind to transpeople, because only nasty people aren't kind.

I like AnyOldPrion's: "Woman: A fact, not a feeling." Succinct and to the point.

It's a shame Holloway closed down, is there another female prison which is that well known?

'No rapists at Holloway' would have been a good one.

terfsandwich - yes, but simplified.

eg EVERYONE IS BORN IN THE RIGHT BODY

YOUR BODY IS PERFECT JUST THE WAY IT IS.

YOU ARE THE PERFECT YOU.

etc.

This fits in well with the body positivity movement too, which I think people do understand.

Twistables

Agree absolutely about the need for positive messages.

Negative ones WILL be presented as 'unkind'. And are harder to follow. And wrong. After all, we are not fighting for a negative outcome for anyone. We are fighting for a positive outcome for women. And child safeguarding.

NonnyMouse1337 - thanks, I like the idea of visuals too.

Don't think we can follow SlightlyWizened's suggestion, as we can't start featuring images of actual famous people without their permission. Boy George is an interesting one, for example. I suspect he may be GC underneath, and his old mate Marilyn certainly is. But his career would undoubtedly suffer to express any views on this. We can't use his image to make a point about extending the bandwidth of masculinity - apart from anything else, we would risk him claiming to be trans if attacked! Or doing an Eddie Izzard.

I think as much attention as possible should be drawn to AGP. Most people are completely ignorant on the varieties under the transgender umbrella, they just want to support what they think of as the vulnerable, post-operative transsexuals and 'trans kids', whom they are told are committing suicide/being murdered. They have no idea of the sexist, fetishistic males riding the coattails of this movement so they can get their thrills by coercing non-consenting women into acting out their sexist wank fantasies with them. In fact, there should be different slogans which clearly identify the many things wrong with this movement, one for AGP, one for medical intervention on gender non-conforming kids etc.

Expand the word 'man' to contain your form,
Because the sex 'women' is born, not worn.

Female is as female does!

There is nothing new under the sun,
Including new genders.

I keep thinking about second wavers and the phrase "the personal is political". I like alliteration, so my vote is for

FACTS, NOT FEELINGS

BIOLOGY IS NOT BIGOTRY

and maybe

BORN IN YOUR OWN BODY
Which isn't especially alliterative, but is short.

I strongly feel that we need to adopt some of the successful tactics used by the other side, and pithy slogans (thought terminating cliches they may be) really work. Get them on signs, on badges, in people's heads.

I also like my suggestions because you can't argue the opposite, can you?

Feelings, not facts - who would openly back that one? Politicians? Judges? Hardly.

Bigotry = biology - eh? How could that be justified?

Born in someone else's body? Born in the wrong body? - how? How can that be explained without sounding completely crackers?

Etc.

I am not sure about slogans. I think they only take you so far. TWAW lasted a while it's true but its utterly breaking down now.

What about questions?!
'How can you be born in the wrong body?'

xxyzz I agree that we can't use photos or images of celebrities without their permission and it would put them under the TRA spotlight.

I was thinking along the lines of ordinary and relatable people as role models; those who are happy to be associated with the campaign and open about being GNC and breaking stereotypes. Though it might still be early days in terms of people feeling comfortable being public about their views. It doesn't have to directly touch on anything trans related. The focus would be on defying stereotypes and learning to be accepting of oneself and one's body.

Also the TRAs present the Trans community as a uniform block - which they aren’t.

Something unpicking that might help.

Debbie Hayton - trans women are men - get over t-shirt it is a good example - not sure if classed as hate speech on Twitter etc

Transwomen say they’re men - get over it...

TWAW, although initially successful, breaks down because it's not based on anything sound or logical. That doesn't automatically imply that all slogans are futile.
If a slogan is based on a sound foundation - like women don't have penises, or Fact not feeling etc, it's harder to argue against.

I like Woman: A fact, not a feeling.

I also like Lesbians don't have penises

Although not a slogan, I find other linguistic approaches such as referring to TW by their surname is an effective way to remind readers TW are Male.

I think as much attention as possible should be drawn to AGP.

So do I. But, like I say, deleted with bans on almost every platform. Including this one.

I think the tactic of fear has been the most successful but not something we should copy. There were numerous examples on I'm a celebrity where famous people demonstrated by 'mistakes' in language that they no more though TWAW than they thought the moon was made of cheese. I felt too uncomfortable to point these slip ups out on the internet due to the risk of those famous people being jumped upon. And so the lie continues.

... holiday mods..

In Brighton? On their little scooters?

Remember Change UK?
As a slogan it doesn't work because Remainers didn't want the status quo to change.
Women don't have penises is nearly there.

Penis is a catchy, edgy, mildly offensive word that people remember.

Thanks, some cracking ideas.

NonnyMouse1337 - think that would be too much to expect any celeb to do now. They would be risking physical attack as well as career suicide. Sadly. Maybe once we have gained further ground, that would work. But could use paid models, I guess?

And agree absolutely that there is nothing wrong with slogans per se when they are based on reality not lies. After all, 'Courage calls to courage everywhere' was a very successful slogan.

SidJS - really good point about unpicking the AGP from trans teens. Because people have no idea.