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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

'Don't call us menstruators' petition taken down by Change.org

60 replies

stumbledin · 22/06/2020 19:22

The petition, titled “Don’t call us menstruators”, garnered 3,000 signatures in less than three days before Change.org removed the petition for violating the site’s “Community Guidelines”.

thepostmillennial.com/dont-call-us-menstruators-petition-censored-by-change-org?

My petition “Don’t call us menstruators” which had 3000 signatures in under 3 days has now been REMOVED by @change
for “violating the terms + conditions”.

They’ve literally silenced women on a petition about women being silenced. #WRONGTHINK #IstandwithJKR #BoycottBodyshop

twitter.com/jadakix/status/1274639721671557121

OP posts:
midgebabe · 22/06/2020 19:39

Is that the second petition ?

Z0rr0 · 22/06/2020 19:49

No it's the same one. The original thread has been moved to Activism. That's good it's been picked up. Jade was keen to get some media coverage.

Supergoggles · 22/06/2020 19:51

Anyone signed the Change petition About the petition started by a man called John?

riotlady · 22/06/2020 19:59

“both reducing women to their biological functions, and dismissing that those biological functions are what differentiate women from men.”

This is the part I don’t get about GC feminists... you don’t want to be defined by your biology but you also want everyone to be defined by their biology. The whole point of using “people who menstruate” is that not all women menstruate and some people who don’t identify as women do menstruate. The only one equating women to menstruaters is you lot.

Supergoggles · 22/06/2020 20:09

Hmm I’ll agree with that when people who need condoms are called sperm makers or ejaculators, not all men make sperm and some sperm makers are not ‘men’... but no one has to mangle the English language or invent offensive nonwords for them.

midgebabe · 22/06/2020 20:11

Being reduced to people who menstruate is reducing us to our biological function

Our biology dictates not just our biological function but also how society treats us

We want to be able to talk about the later

The pay gap for people who society believes are likely to menstruate ?
The mutilation of the genitals of people who when they grow up are likely to menstruate

I mean please, it is our biology that defines how others see us and therefore how they treat us
And so now they want to reduce us to pure biology, sub human again?

midgebabe · 22/06/2020 20:17

And we are not "defining" people by their biology
We define a persons sex by their biology but nothing more and bloody wish other people would give us the same respect

Yes it's a man, they can still bake a cake , they can still like pretty clothes and make up, we don't care.

We are not forcing people to accept a set of stereotypes based on their sex

midgebabe · 22/06/2020 20:22

Just to spell that out. A person is much more than their sex.

But sometimes sex actually matters and to pretend otherwise is harmful to women in particular who have suffered abuse for no other reason than their sex.

TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 · 22/06/2020 20:23

Me and DH had this conversation the other day, he thought I was over-reacting to being called:

  • a person with cervix
  • a person who menstruates
  • a person with ovaries
  • chest feeding instead of breastfeeding
  • person who is pregnant

In ads by cancer charities, NHS for cervical screening and maternity care and feminine hygiene products.

I pointed out that they haven't changed it to

  • person who ejaculates for condoms
  • person with prostate or person with testicles for cancer charity ads

It's only the words 'woman' and 'women' that are being banned.

He didn't have an answer for that and went quiet.

slipperywhensparticus · 22/06/2020 20:25

Calling me a menstruator is just offensive defending the position by saying I'm sorry you feel that way is fucking more offensive

JemimaShore · 22/06/2020 20:26

The only one equating women to menstruaters is you lot.

We just want to be referred to as women - as we always have been. Not menstruators. Not cervix havers. Not gestators. Not uterus owners. Not chest feeders.

Women.

slipperywhensparticus · 22/06/2020 20:27

There are other petition platforms? See if one if those is brave enough to take a stand or shall we go with the written word? You can still hand deliver petitions to downing street right?

Boireannachlaidir · 22/06/2020 20:29

he only one equating women to menstruaters is you lot.

"You lot". Nice.Hmm

titchy · 22/06/2020 20:29

This is the part I don’t get about GC feminists... you don’t want to be defined by your biology but you also want everyone to be defined by their biology.

It's quite simple. When talking about why we are discriminated against, we NEED to frame that within our biology.

When talking about our abilities, personality, interests, shopping preferences etc, there is no need whatsoever to even mention our biology, let alone frame the discussion around that.

To give an example, why wasn't Dr Pregnant McPregnant shortlisted for the head of facility role? Frame that debate around Dr McP's biology because that's why she was discriminated against.

Is Dr McP capable of being head of facility? Do NOT frame that debate around her biology because it should be about her experience and ability.

doubleshotespresso · 22/06/2020 20:29

I am in despair reading this....

Absolute despair 😩

Where/how can we arrange a written petition then?

I refuse to accept this!

FedUpAtHomeTroels · 22/06/2020 20:30

I declare all persons formerly known as men be called Wankers, so we are calling them by a bodily function too. I doubt they'd like that either.

Michelleoftheresistance · 22/06/2020 20:30

Females - we want a say in what we're called, the way we've always had.

Trans activist lobby - you'll be what we call you and you'll shut up about it. You don't get a say, you don't get an opinion, you don't get to use any normal avenue of protest or complaint, you don't get to have feelings about it or to do anything but exactly what we say.

Then they're baffled females are very pissed off.

merrymouse · 22/06/2020 20:39

riotlady, what do you mean by 'defined by'?

Like all other humans, I have value because I am human.

My sex doesn't 'define me', any more than my blood type or my hair colour me - they are all just a chance result of biological factors.

However, my sex does lead to unavoidable consequences that I have to live with - I menstruate, I need access to birth control, I haven't gone through male puberty, I will go through menopause. I don't have control over any of this, but I do need particular rights and protections because of this.

I need language that clearly defines sex - not me.

riotlady · 22/06/2020 20:44

hmm I’ll agree with that when people who need condoms are called sperm makers or ejaculators, not all men make sperm and some sperm makers are not ‘men’... but no one has to mangle the English language or invent offensive nonwords for them.

Condom companies could do with catching up, I agree. But people with penises/testicles is definitely being used

www.teenhealthcare.org/article/sexual-anatomy-of-people-with-a-penis/

www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/play-with-testicles

www.cancer.net/cancer-types/testicular-cancer/symptoms-and-signs

www.healthline.com/health/signs-of-high-testosterone#signs-in-people-with-penises

www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/cancer/testicular-cancer

Caramelcamel · 22/06/2020 20:46

I don't think this is the first time that Change.org has done this.
Considering the nature of the petition is not offensive ( I say not as in not racist / fascist etc) it should not be something that they should be taking down. I suspect there are been pressure on them to remove it.

JemimaShore · 22/06/2020 21:05

Yes - pressure from TRAs is just everywhere.

And they make out that it's because of "inclusivity" - ie. that some transmen and NB people have periods too. But it's not really that. They could easily say "women, transmen and NB people". But they don't.

The precise reason they're calling us "menstuators" now is that transwomen don't menstruate, and tell women not to link the word woman with female biology. Eg. Munroe Bergdorf.

FromMarch2020 · 22/06/2020 21:08

Wow - it appears anyone can have a voice but women born biological women!

Michelleoftheresistance · 22/06/2020 21:09

I menstruate, I need access to birth control, I haven't gone through male puberty, I will go through menopause. I don't have control over any of this, but I do need particular rights and protections because of this. I need language that clearly defines sex - not me.

This points it out:

There are plenty of the 51% of the human race born female who feel like this.

There are also people who do feel they don't want to define themselves by sex or think of it in those binary terms.

The first group are fine with both groups being referred to and living side by side with differing beliefs. Inclusion. Diversity.

The second group appear to want the first group to be prevented from even talking about or recognising their own personal reality and only that of the second group allowed to exist. Not inclusion, not diversity. Not treatment they'd be at all happy to accept themselves. Not ok.

FromMarch2020 · 22/06/2020 21:18

Well the thing is - I was born a woman, I am a woman and I will die a woman now stop telling me that I cannot use the term woman to describe me and reducing me to something else that I am not.

A tiny, tiny minority of very loud people jump up and down and we all can no longer call ourselves women and have to accept people who 'identify' as women in our changing rooms and toilets - even if that makes some of us feel unsafe (sexual assault victim her never recovered fully - but don't let that bother you) - erase the word completely well when you erase the word man ....

No way - safety is much more important to me

FromMarch2020 · 22/06/2020 21:20

TRA's seem to think that only their opinion and view matters - well you know what - the opinion of women like me also matters!