Why is British media so transphobic?

[Bluebooby]

"The other path through which many British women have taken up a particularly transphobic ideology is, somewhat incongruently, the parenting website Mumsnet. The idea that a forum on which women talk about diaper rash would produce a wave of TERFs sounds a bit off, but in the U.K. this has reached the status of conventional wisdom."

The UK really isn't close to the sharp end of oppression for women.

Lots needs to be done and we have a lot of insidious problems but no way are we at the sharp end compared to do many countries around the world.

@ShinyFootball

The UK really isn't close to the sharp end of oppression for women.

Lots needs to be done and we have a lot of insidious problems but no way are we at the sharp end compared to do many countries around the world.

Not for many, even most, women in Britain, true, but some of the honour killings and the FGM happen to women who live amongst us, or closely connected. Another example: the Forced Marriage Unit belong to both the Home Office and Foreign Office (not even "palmed off" on DfID, which might imply these were some sort of "thing which happens overseas"), while FGM is illegal in the UK and even criminalised if performed overseas (www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/female-genital-mutilation-prosecution-guidance).

I'm afraid I don't know how all of this compares to other countries' legislation, but perhaps this does show the UK has at least some institutional and societal awareness of the sharpest sort of women's issues, thereby answering the original question.

I think it is because the gender lobbyists in the UK who are trying to strip women of their rights in public instead of in semi secret the way they did in Canada. They thought they had gotten out in front of the law sufficiently that codifying their beliefs into law would be a simple matter.
Turns out they were mistaken and people can see that getting out in front of the law simply meant they were convincing councils and schools to violate the law.

We are really not at the sharp end.

I mean just no.

Abortion is highly restricted or illegal in many countries around the world.

Saudi only just relaxed the male guardianship laws.

In some countries women face severe penalties up to death for adultery (rich y in practice can mean being raped).

Rape is endemic in South Africa and DRC.

Are militants still burning girls schools in Pakistan?

In America children can be married and are, often to cover up rape resulting in pregnancy in religious communities. They are rolling back abortion law.

Etc etc etc

Of course we have work to do but to say we are at the sharp end is mind boggling. Don't you read the news? I know that sounds harsh but. Wow.

Hmmm it does seem at odds that women with children would care about women’s and children’s rights.

Munroe Bergdorf described Mumsnet as a ‘Radicalisation Portal’.

But I’ve been thinking about that in the context of woke-folk and cancel culture and actually, I think it’s the opposite. It’s a deradicalisation portal.

Becoming a mother, whether by accident or on purpose, easily or with years of fertility treatment, by birth or by adoption, puts you in touch with material reality in a way that I think is actually unique experience (or a multitude of experiences with a unique result?)
It’s very consuming, and it can feel quite lonely at times. Mumsnet closes that feeling of isolation. You could be home crying over yet another big fat negative, or up at 3am breastfeeding a fussy baby yet here you can find someone else doing the exact same thing, along with thousands who have already survived the thing and moved onto the next stage.

So when you first start thinking ‘hold on a minute’ in relation to some new woke screed that you feel in your bones not to be true, something that denies material reality, it makes sense that Mumsnet is the place that says ‘we’ve noticed that too - it’s a crock of shit, isn’t if?’

I saw it happen earlier this week on a thread about a wedding dress, the bride to be had collected the dress she picked out 6 months earlier and felt nothing but deflation - several women pointed out the extreme stupidity of the trying-on-dress-crying-bridesmaids-ritual, it’s just a sodding dress, after all.

Men can’t become women. Humans can’t change sex. Only female people have babies. It’s just a dress, leave the bastard. And no you are definitely not being unreasonable.

It's still radical for women to be able to openly talk to each other about their lives, their difficulties, offer support etc mainly without men around.

This site is brilliant for women. Questions about subjects that are still brushed under the carpet, or only to be referred to in euphemism. The realities of pregnancy, childbirth, menopause. The relationships board where women say to other women that isn't right. That's not normal. That's really bad etc.

This site is genuinely empowering for women, rather than the usual get empowered by taking your clothes off narrative.

Yes this site is radical.

"They sound like a bunch of credulous numpties. 🙄 Are they friends? Colleagues? Now you’ve seen how pathetic their critical
thinking skills are, is there any way you can quietly ghost them?"

They live local to me, it's an online "social justice" type of group. I don't know anyone personally but some are friends of people I do know. I joined to get a feel of the area as I've not lived here for that long, and a few members are involved in local politics.

I am realising that they aren't that interested in finding real solutions to real problems. They don't seem to want to move beyond "calling out" people as various types of prejudiced.

I did manage to change some minds on one subject - or perhaps I should say I "educated". It was related to gender issues. I won't go into detail as if any of them reads this it would give me away - though of course they think mumsnet is the bed of satan so I doubt they're regulars but you never know! Anyway, I considered it a minor win, and I'm always hopeful for lurkers.

British women over a certain age grew up with gender non-conformity as part of the culture, so I think that has an impact on why all the “you like makeup you must be a woman, you like checked shirts you must be a bloke “ crap doesn’t wash with us.

So yes, I could easily leave the group and maybe I will eventually, but for now I want to keep an eye on what's going on and hopefully try to influence slightly when I can.

Oh also, in case it wasn't obvious, when I said I "educated" them I was trying to be funny by using their kind of language. I'm not a complete wanker.

That’s true. I collect girls annuals and I was looking at Jackie from, I think, 1987, the other day and pretty much every girl in it would be assumed to be non-binary now. Kinda made me laugh but it’s very sad really. So limiting.

boatyardblues

Regarding the South Korean feminists: I've followed links from here, plus women focused groups on fb post a lot of articles about i.e. Korean/Mexican/Indian feminists

That's so true SirVix.

There were some photos posted here a few years ago showing the ladies of the Royal family and how they used to dress when young.

Princess Di and Princess Margeret for example living in corduroy trousers and unisex top.

*Princess Anne

DH was looking at some photographs from sixth form the other day. His female friends mostly have short hair, and are wearing jeans and vintage mens’ coats. Round about 1989/90.
I am a bit older and my (all girls) class was very diverse in terms of style, but at least half of the girls had short hair. I am not old enough to have been a Bay City Roller fan, but I remember seeing the girls who were, dressed in tight white Oxford bags with tartan trims, little white and tartan jackets, exactly like the men in the band. Plus Bowie of course, and then Boy George and Marilyn.

How long do our babies actually spend in nappies, and for how much of that time is their skin erupting?

Interesting how Mums = tiny babies = shitwork = know your place, get back there and shut up about grown-up stuff. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Do people really believe women's brains get delivered alongside their placentas? What about those of us who've delivered more than once?! 😳

We used to have loads of unisex fashion and androgynous was a popular look. I remember being annoyed that I was too well-endowed to pull it off successfully. Nowadays somebody would be probably be pushing transition at me and recommending 'top surgery'.

Navy chinos, a lumberjack shirt in a burgundy, cream and navy check, chunky boots and a piccadilly crop was how I mostly rolled for a year or three back in the 90s. With three children under ten and a part-time job it was easy to manage. I was never in any doubt about my womanhood and not was anyone else.

Feminist Mumsnetters hail from all Brit and Irish Classes. An array of colours, shades and creeds. Poor, rich and inbetween

We have in common English as a written medium, access to the internet and the wish to see girls and women protected

I love this. I want it on a t shirt. On stickers.
This should be at that very start of the FWR board.

@DuDuDuLangaLangaBingBong

Munroe Bergdorf described Mumsnet as a ‘Radicalisation Portal’.

But I’ve been thinking about that in the context of woke-folk and cancel culture and actually, I think it’s the opposite. It’s a deradicalisation portal.

Becoming a mother, whether by accident or on purpose, easily or with years of fertility treatment, by birth or by adoption, puts you in touch with material reality in a way that I think is actually unique experience (or a multitude of experiences with a unique result?)
It’s very consuming, and it can feel quite lonely at times. Mumsnet closes that feeling of isolation. You could be home crying over yet another big fat negative, or up at 3am breastfeeding a fussy baby yet here you can find someone else doing the exact same thing, along with thousands who have already survived the thing and moved onto the next stage.

So when you first start thinking ‘hold on a minute’ in relation to some new woke screed that you feel in your bones not to be true, something that denies material reality, it makes sense that Mumsnet is the place that says ‘we’ve noticed that too - it’s a crock of shit, isn’t if?’

I saw it happen earlier this week on a thread about a wedding dress, the bride to be had collected the dress she picked out 6 months earlier and felt nothing but deflation - several women pointed out the extreme stupidity of the trying-on-dress-crying-bridesmaids-ritual, it’s just a sodding dress, after all.

Men can’t become women. Humans can’t change sex. Only female people have babies. It’s just a dress, leave the bastard. And no you are definitely not being unreasonable.

I love this. You are right