Goosefoot, as a determined gender abolitionist feminist, I wanted to address your argument, as you're straw manning a bit. I acknowledge that gender is a thing intertwined culturally everywhere, and that it's not going to disappear. But that's not the goal I seek anyway, and your argument only really holds weight if feminists were attempting to eradicate all expressions that are tied to gendered ideas and make everyone dress the same and have the same haircut, like some sort of North Korea style dystopia.
All I am seeking to do by abolishing the tyranny of gender is sever the tie between our sex and the cultural expectations that have accrued to it that have lead to unnecessary restrictions on people, or conversely lead to people being compelled to do things.
Essentially, I want everyone to be free to express themselves as they wish without censure when it comes to gender, and to encourage everyone to be mindful and reflective about why they make the choices they do, so that they don't feel the need to maintain any rigid enforcement of an arbitrary system of gender expectations. I accept that most people will still follow the gendered norms of their culture by and large. I just don't want people to face negative consequences for doing so, or not doing so, and I reject the idea that these cultural norms are innate and therefore authoritative.
All of which should be entirely separate to legal provisions connected to physical sex.
This is a really interesting thread, and I'd honestly like to thank all contributors, you've all made me think. janeskettle, I totally get where you're coming from.
Having said that, as bolshy as I can be, I still find myself reading the output of the TRAs looking for some glimmer of sense so that I can finally understand why they take the stand they do, primarily because I am a sap who finds it hard to acknowledge that sometimes, people are just shits and they don't need a rational reason.