Biden has completely obliterated woman’s sex based protections as he said he would do.

[yourfaceisaforeignfood]

www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-preventing-and-combating-discrimination-on-basis-of-gender-identity-or-sexual-orientation/

“Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports."

Biden just passed all the worst parts of the Equality Act by executive order (so without going through any legislation at all). It is limited in effect to agencies (I think) but those agencies include the Bureau of Prisons, Dept of Housing and Urban Development, Dept of Education, Dept of Labor etc

This will of course be unchallenged, even welcomed by the media. It will likely have a knock on effect around the world.

And I am so angry. So so angry. He was never the ‘least worst option’ he is the absolute worst option.

As Abigail Shriner says
twitter.com/abigailshrier/status/1352121732723666946?s=21

in the current anti-trans crusade.

Sigh. Pro-women crusade, jj, pro-women.

So sorry that women having rights upsets you so hard.

So perhaps making assumptions that people from some religions will be unable to cope with the existence of trans people is a bit presumptious,

I know it's pointless pointing this out yet again, but you're talking about the experiences and needs and feelings of TW. What research have you done with female type people who cannot share mixed sex spaces? What care are you giving to their issues in having male people commandeer spaces to meet their personal needs with no regard for the females they are bumping out of any space in order to take their preferred choice of space?

There is a Muslim lady trying to argue with my town council at the moment that she no longer has access to any public loo because they've all gone gender neutral for the better happiness and inclusion of male people, without regard for her happiness and inclusion. What do you suggest she does? And she's just one who happens to have spoken up, you have no idea how many women are being forced out of spaces. Not one clue.

Anyone would think you really didn't care about the needs of anyone born female and saw them as some kind of lower class of human.

Well I am asking my MP to raise a question in the house to publicly reassure ALL women and girls in this country that we will not be subjected to the same Biden agenda tea

It is worrying, but worrying is largely futile, it is probably better to actually do something. Take some action.

You would also think repeatedly posting on a board FULL of females explaining their problems to tell them their problems don't exist and their feelings don't matter is extremely presumptuous. If not down right offensive.

I am afraid I think it needs to get worse before it gets better.. same as in the UK, it needed the threat of the changes, proposals by the government to bring in Self-ID, to shine light on the matter. I can't bring myself to be angry at Biden. I really don't think he's doing this to endanger women, it's just that he, like a lot of people, really has not thought through the practical consequences of what they are saying... it's all seen through the lens of 'be kind to everyone'

I think you are right. The poster suggesting that this issue is not the most important for most people is true. the fact is that most people have very little real awareness of the quite profound consequences and implications of this ideology, and of this erosion of women's rights. And this is because, it has slipped into the mainstream under the radar, and has never really been debated in the mainstream.

At least in Britain we have now established some public, even mainstream, debate, and therefore element of conscious critique. I guess we now will have to watch the whole shit show unfold, in the U.S, in ever more public ways...to the extent that the public will no longer be able to pretend it is a non issue.

I think the U.S is in for a very intense, potentially violent and rocky time for some years to come - where the fault lines will become ever deeper, and thus more exposed.

Yeah I'm not sure from these comments that some people have the remotest clue about what its like to be a marginalised woman ... Or a woman for that matter.

@NonnyMouse1337 Thank you for doing that work - I didn't have it in me today to track down the specifics of the EO...much appreciated.

Earlier posters mentioned how they can help US sisters (thank you!). One group I'm following is eracoalition.blog/2020/11/07/equality-was-on-the-ballot-and-it-won/
They want to push this Senate to ratify the ERA - which would finally enshrine sex-based protections into the constitution - a stronger protection than any Executive Order or even court precedent.

It is very close to being final (it began in 1974!!!!)...and it would not erode trans rights to not be discriminated against in employment/housing.

ERA proposed amendment:

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

I am actually feeling pretty bad at this point, this was supposed to be the brand new start the US needed, less division - less anger, more inclusion.

Then he goes and fucking does this. It is a kick in the gut, what the hell is he playing at! Does he hate women that much that he chooses to simply erase us? I can't even imagine Trump doing this.

I am staggered he could not see the backlash coming, could not imagine what might be wrong with the idea...

It is bitterly, bitterly disappointing.

I guess we now will have to watch the whole shit show unfold, in the U.S, in ever more public ways...to the extent that the public will no longer be able to pretend it is a non issue.

What I find most distressing is that in terms of women's rights this is going to involve an actual body count. In terms of harassment, abuse, assault and worse. Large enough that it is no longer in political interest to try and gaslight over it.

As demonstrated so well on the thread, nothing else will ever be listened to.

For someone who is supposedly trying to reunite America this is such a divisive stance to take. The Democrats are fooling themselves if they think they were voted in due to overwhelming support for "progressive" policies rather than because people were desperate to see the back of Trump.

They are very much at risk of taking their core base for granted, and losing them in the same way that Labour lost the "Northern Wall" after years of prioritising niche interests over their traditional base.

People voted for Obama because he represented hope for a better future, they voted for Biden to avoid the alternative.

Toilets, changing rooms etc have been trans inclusive in the UK for decades, as they are in many other parts of the world with large and diverse religious communities.

Bollocks have they. Given the tiny population numbers, the question didn't even arise. You could have spent decades using public toilets each day without ever encountering anyone trans.

I know a Muslim trans women who is from quite a religious family. They found it difficult at first but she is now accepted as a woman in her community and by her family and uses spaces in accordance with that. So perhaps making assumptions that people from some religions will be unable to cope with the existence of trans people is a bit presumptious, especially since there have been no voices from those communities involved in the current anti-trans crusade.

Yes, there have. You hang out on mumsnet. You know mumsnetters of faith have posted about the effect on them. Do your Muslim transwoman friend and her family speak for every other Muslim family on the planet?

This is a result I got from google right now. Citation does not equal personal endorsement, but it does indicate that other people's voices exist.

www.islam21c.com/islamic-thought/unisex-toilets-in-schools-the-new-lgbt-battleground/

I occasionally check on the feminism boards and I always see any issues relating to trans issues seeing a huge amount of engagement whereas whenever a thread on for example black womens poorer health outcomes are posted I see very small levels of engagement

You have to understand the reason for this. the reason is that for many years this place has been the only place available to have an open and honest discussion of this issue. It has not been permitted elsewhere. Discussion of most other topics is not a total taboo - and there are many forums in which these discussions can take place.

Most people have navigated here in order to have the discussion that is not permitted elsewhere - which is why it seems to dominate the board. It is not because people do not care about other issues.

Just repeating what PP have said once the definition of women includes men, then there are no sex based women’s rights

delph I am struggling to understand why the ERA are celebrating Biden's win, and publicly announcing this:

This is an incoming administration that has expressed support for the Equal Rights Amendment.

When the opposite is true.
Surely the ERA no longer support the idea that Biden is going to focus on equality in the way they intended e.g. women's rights and equality?

Can you explain please? Unless I am missing something. The website is yet to be updated, it looks to be shrine to Biden and equality - but the erasure of women is hardly the right direction.

You have to understand the reason for this. the reason is that for many years this place has been the only place available to have an open and honest discussion of this issue. It has not been permitted elsewhere. Discussion of most other topics is not a total taboo - and there are many forums in which these discussions can take place.

That's not the only reason of course. The other reason is that most of us on this board realise that what passes as "trans rights" is nothing of the kind, and instead is a systematic attack on women's fundamental rights, driven largely by people who wish to harm women.

@MoltenLasagne

For someone who is supposedly trying to reunite America this is such a divisive stance to take. The Democrats are fooling themselves if they think they were voted in due to overwhelming support for "progressive" policies rather than because people were desperate to see the back of Trump.

They are very much at risk of taking their core base for granted, and losing them in the same way that Labour lost the "Northern Wall" after years of prioritising niche interests over their traditional base.

People voted for Obama because he represented hope for a better future, they voted for Biden to avoid the alternative.

Yup. Being the least-worst option =/= unquestioning acceptance of your entire agenda.

www.spectator.co.uk/article/biden-s-trans-rights-agenda-is-bad-news-for-women

Remember, if Mr.Biden realises tonight that he's always been a woman, the US will have its first female president.
It could be just a hairspray away.

That's not the only reason of course. The other reason is that most of us on this board realise that what passes as "trans rights" is nothing of the kind, and instead is a systematic attack on women's fundamental rights, driven largely by people who wish to harm women

No one is yet to define what rights they are lacking.

You can't be fired fir being transgender
Its recognised under hate crime legislation

And you cant be discriminated against.

So what rights are they lacking

Bearing in mind that changing markers on medical records is dangerous amd potentially fatal.

Forcing police officers, prison officers staff etc of searching members of the opposite sex is sexual harassment.

It places drs at risk.of accusations if you allow a male to chaperone another male examining a female patient etc

Removing safeguarding protocols to allow trans people to pick prisons ,etc forces others to accept being place at risk.akd Compelled to play along..

Is forcing others amd legislating others to deny reality and control control speech a right that anyone should have?

As frustrating as it is the fall out from JK etc has only just started. I can't be pissed with these people - they genuinely believe this is a civil rights issue and anyone who says wait a minute is the same as a segregationist in the 60s. There is a category error that is now deeply embedded, and that takes a long time to correct itself.

I don't even seeing that NZ weightlifter Lauren at the Olympics will shift people. They'll think that this person is an outlier and who cares anyway about the women they have displaced.

What will shift the dial is a) legal action and b) the drip drip drip of personal experiences to make this issue come alive to those who are currently deaf to it. So when their daughter's promising gymnastics career is cut short because Barry becomes Brenda and takes her spot.

It is going to take a long time and awful experiences for women, as making logical arguments has failed to win the true believers, and frankly, they simply aren't listening.

That is a really good point, justhadathought. I wanted to find out more about the two sides of the debate and I came to Mumsnet when I wanted to hear the 'transphobic' side of the argument.

I do care about other issues but yes, it was this topic that brought me here. I guess the fact that this is about the only place where you can have an open discussion about the conflict between women's rights and trans rights will make it look lopsided.

Also, it is the topic that goes to the heart of what a woman is. Surely, all feminism must start with that.

Follow the money - it works every time, and will tell us all we need to know as to why Biden has thrown us under a bus.

And if Biden turns in Cinderella overnight that will make for interesting headlines in the morning!

cinammonbuns you say that you haven't given the trans issue much thought because it's not something that affects you, and since you haven't experienced sexual assault, you didn't feel discussions of women's concerns in this area was a high priority in your life.

You also say that there's little engagement with threads here on topics about black women's health or racism etc.

If most users on Mumsnet are white, then they will not have personally experienced racism or issues related to racial or ethnic differences. I don't see why there should be an expectation that, by default, white women should be overly concerned with issues that don't directly impact their lives. You have exhibited a fairly standard human behaviour of not looking into issues that don't impact you. There's nothing wrong with that. I do think it's a bit odd to be surprised when other women do the same and don't engage with topics that they might sympathise with but may feel out of their depth about.

I have never expected high interest or engagement with some of the topics I post and I don't take it personally. Why should it bother me? Humans naturally gravitate to topics that they feel most connected to, and transgender ideology might impact more areas of a white woman's life, for example, than racism. And yet there are many women here who do care about racism and other issues that affect minority women.
Trans issues affect all women - your skin colour won't exempt you from its consequences if you are unfortunate to encounter it. What if you need to be hospitalised one day and find yourself sharing a ward with a male? What if you have a mum who is old and is in a care home and instead of being guaranteed access to a female nurse, she ends up with a male who 'identifies' as a woman? Maybe you don't care about any of this, but clearly this worries lots of other women from all kinds of backgrounds.

@feelingquitehopeful

You are right to be confused. I have many unanswered questions myself. If the ERA is ratified, that prioritizes the rights of women and girls when it seems that some human rights are in conflict. I have sent some inquires to them asking about this - asking how they think the new EO on gender identity does or does not conflict w/ sex-based rights, plus more questions on Title IX. For one, a Biden/Harris win WILL impact abortion rights/maternity leave and others, so of course these sex-based protections are cause for celebration.

Yet, I have hope because the ERA is very specific to sex-based rights. That's all it is. And it just needs final Senate approval.

I'm placemarking (because I keep having to walk away from the thread to collect my shattered wits).