Socialist critique from Ireland of Gender Identity politics

[GrainneMhaol]

Hi everyone, I've written this piece looking at

Why has a conflict arisen between Transactivists and Feminists? What should a Marxist approach to this issue be?

socialistdemocracy.org/RecentArticles/RecentSocialismFeminismTransgenderPoliticsPartOne.html

I am hoping it is going to be the first in a series of articles on this issue. I'm working on the second one at the moment.

I'm hoping this article helps to give a left-wing perspective on what is going on, and highlights this issue to people who might not otherwise be aware of it. I would say the public in Ireland has been generally less aware of what is going on as press coverage on the subject is very limited. A lot more seem to be talking about it though since JK Rowling spoke up.

I've been a long-time member here but haven't posted that much in the last year but read the board regularly (I've name changed) The Mumsnet forum actually woke me up to what was going on. I had no idea we had self-id until I read about it here.

[WiserOlder]

The average woke person slagging of JK still doesnt know that these transwomenarewomen are committed to holding on to their penis and that sexual gratifaction is the reason. Anybody traumatised by the wrong body would have surgery but what low per centage want to commit to having no penis?

[Annasgirl]

Yes Wiser, when I told my very woke DSis the stats for actual full surgery she was shocked.

I’m still annoyed at how Repeal was hijacked by TRAs.

[Cupoftea1234]

@WiserOlder

He probably didnt read it.

I encountered shocking ignorance in my fb book club. Not a real meet up book club just 700 fb people in ireland but all convinced jkr is anti trans. The deluge of posters telling me to listen to my self. Depressing.

Perhaps send them a link to the spectator review of JKR's latest book which debunks the current fury of it being transphobic. The reviewer had actually read the book. Clearly those denouncing it hadn't.

[FireUnderTheHand]

Placemarking to read later when I can give it my full attention.

[Gladysthesphinx]

Wow, that’s a really clear and helpful analysis. Thank you. Looking forward to the next one.

[Cupoftea1234]

medium.com/@rebeccarc/j-k-rowling-and-the-trans-activists-a-story-in-screenshots-78e01dca68d
Get your friends to look at this. It might make them wonder if JKR had a reason to want to protect single sex spaces.

[Cupoftea1234]

That was for WiseOlder

[WiserOlder]

Thanks @cupoftea1234 I"m going to save that for the next online argument

[WiserOlder]

Wow, I wouldn't be able for twitter.

I felt quite jittery after being shouted down on my fb bookclub earlier. But twitter........

[EarlofEggMcMuffin]

[quote Annasgirl]@Cailleach1 - thanks for that link. Wow, just wow, what a self congratulatory load of codswallop. Throwing women under a bus (and many of those proposing it were women (I despair often at the power of the patriarchy to lower the critical thinking ability of women). I always liken feminism to the anti racism movement - would a black person propose a law which eroded their own rights? Could we ever envision a time when this happened? Yet, here and in many other jurisdictions, women are enacting laws to give away their sex based rights to men.[/quote]
Oh I've written a long reply and it got lost.
And I'm too annoyed to re-write.

Just cop-on. Mammals cant change sex. Doesn't mean that male animals cant be caring. Doesn't mean that female ones cant be assertive and in charge.
But biological sex is immutable.

It's the lack of logic that infuriates me.

[Cupoftea1234]

@WiserOlder

Wow, I wouldn't be able for twitter.

I felt quite jittery after being shouted down on my fb bookclub earlier. But twitter........

Lol WiserOwl. It was that twitter screenshot that first opened my eyes and made me ask questions. Before that I had been very much of the 'be kind' mindset. The reality is that transwoman are no different than any other biological male in that they cover the full spectrum from kind and gentle to aggressive and violent. The violent fury directed towards JKR in full public view (and without fear of condemnation) should make all women question 'is this safe'? '

[Abhannmor]

GrainneMhaol You have a gift for explaining these issues very clearly. Would you consider writing a piece about the Cop on Comrades furore in Ireland. It was one of the things that started me on the road to Peaking.

[Abhannmor]

@WiserOlder

He probably didnt read it.

I encountered shocking ignorance in my fb book club. Not a real meet up book club just 700 fb people in ireland but all convinced jkr is anti trans. The deluge of posters telling me to listen to my self. Depressing.

Rick O Shea book club perchance? I've been shouted down there a few times. Feel as if I've blundered into a kindergarten sometimes. The chorus of outraged indignation does leave you feeling a bit frazzled. Or is that my old Catholic guilt kicking in?

[Annasgirl]

Yes, I was thinking about this again last night. From history lessons, and I may be incorrect, I thought that Gender replaced sex as a word to describe the sex of people, as puritanical Victorians could not abide the use of the word sex. Now it might not have been puritanical Victorians, it might have been puritanical Americans or some other group.

So Gender was never a construct, except when a group of people decided to make a course on it at 3rd level for people who went to college as a pastime, as opposed to a step towards a concrete career.

And now, we have a whole industry built up around Gender, which in reality does not exist, and which is only there because someone did not want to say the word sex in polite society.

[GrainneMhaol]

I think gender came in in the 1960's to label roles assigned to sexes. I went to college in the early 1990's in Ireland and did a course in sociology and sex was considered relating to biology and gender the stereotype associated with the sexes.

I noticed in the mid-late 1990's here people who were part of the educated/ngo set (the type who would be TWAW signalers now) started using gender instead of sex. It was like a posher word to signal one's being part of the in-crowd. It used to drive me crazy as there was nothing wrong with the word sex at least it was clear.

Thanks for the comments everyone. I've been busy writing part 2 but will reply to some more comments later.

[GrainneMhaol]

I forgot to add that our Equalities Acts use gender instead of Sex, though clearly they meant sex, so potential trouble on the horizon.

[Cupoftea1234]

@GrainneMhaol

I forgot to add that our Equalities Acts use gender instead of Sex, though clearly they meant sex, so potential trouble on the horizon.

I think I read here that it had actually been changed from sex to gender. I don't know if that is accurate or not, but either way I assume it will cause problems as gender will be given priority over sex?

[GrainneMhaol]

Cup of tea, I don't think they could legally change an Act like that, unless the voted in an amendment? I don't think that was done.

This is another Irish website which has some facts which might be useful if writing to politicians womensspaceireland.ie/

And this is another Irish one (covers a few women's issues)
radicailin.com

Hopefully more will follow. The more that speak out the better.

Re the Cop on Comrades I was thinking of mentioning it in a later article. Believe it or not I missed the controversy at the time so only read about it later. I definitely need to mention the "terfs out" letter at some point.

I've just finished my first draft of Part 2 on homophobia. I've sent it to someone for a second opinion and will send it in then. Hopefully it will go up next week.

[EarlofEggMcMuffin]

Great work Grainne.

[GrainneMhaol]

Hi everyone, part 2 regarding homophobia is up www.socialistdemocracy.org/RecentArticles/RecentGenderIdentityIdeologyTransRightsMovementHomophobia.html

[Aine82]

Thanks @GrainneMhaol, have read it and emailed a few peers.

I have always known how transphobic the movement is, but fantastic, and enraging, to have some of it collated.
Are you telling me they put a pic of a transwoman as a trailblazing LESBIAN?
And if a vulnerable young woman goes to BelongTo they will be told a Lesbian: a woman who is mainly attracted to other women. MAINLY????

And these groups get Govt funding to peddle this?
Sunlight needed, badly.

[GrainneMhaol]

I was denounced by one person (political activist, who helps run a small group) for putting a link to that gcn article on my facebook page and commenting that lesbians don't have penises

[Aine82]

@GrainneMhaol

I was denounced by one person (political activist, who helps run a small group) for putting a link to that gcn article on my facebook page and commenting that lesbians don't have penises

I hope you got a screenshot.
The vast majority of people are only waking up to this, there is going to serious pushback.

[GrainneMhaol]

I think they are in for a land when the general public realise what is going on.