Should I?

[Purplepjs]

Hi all,
Am a member of a large group on Facebook that is for women to meet and do outdoor adventures together… hiking, wild swimming, camping etc. No one knows each other IRL, but all really friendly and just arrange events and anyone who wants to, can join and go. Some even plan hiking holidays together.
There was a recent post explaining that the group admins had unanimously agreed that the group was open to “trans women and anyone non-binary”. While I am understanding of their desire to be inclusive, I am concerned about the possible safety considerations re people meeting up and heading off into secluded places, for the women involved.
I am debating messaging admin to ask about the safety considerations they undertook in making this policy… even if it just acts as a nudge that there are safety considerations. All comments on the post are obviously TWAW and no concerns raised publicly at all.
Am I wrong? Or if you would message admin, how would you word it? Thanks for any help/advice.

Given what you describe, does it really change anything in terms of safety?

Surely any of the current people describing themselves as "women" online that you might meet up with could be male anyway?

I'd be more concerned with the content of the group being dragged down by trans/non-binary drama and objections to talking about anything to do with "women".

I guess they should just be advertising it as a mixed group. Everybody can then make up their minds as to whether they want to be part of it. Or not.

Sadly, given experiences of friends I know who have done this, you may well lay yourself open to abuse. I think I wouldn't at present. A friend of mine spoke a line of support for JKR on a FB group. Her entire Saturday afternoon was spent with her phone pinging abuse. Women's groups seem to be going the way of lesbian bars sadly. Feminism never more needed - not the fun kind!!

Would it worth trying a malicious compliance approach ?

Bring along obviously male relations or friends that are sympathetic to your cause, ask them to announce they are women on sundays (or which day you meet), drink 6 cans of Stella and be as loud as possible -- ensure they don't acknowledge you as someone they know.

The following day, ask the group if this possible needs to be suspended for some additional thought into it ?

Are you sharing tents?

If not I wouldn't be fussed. Groups like this exist that are mixed.

The principle is annoying especially if an Alex thingy type rocks up

What safety issues are you concerned about? Bit of a hysterical over-reaction.

Would it worth trying a malicious compliance approach ?

I do quite like that. Don't need to mess with "women on Sundays" though, they can say they're non-binary with a totally straight face, as can we all.

I think it would be worth the organisers putting a note up that you never know who anyone is online that care should be taken in meeting up with strangers. I do think including anyone who identifies as a woman is adding extra risk. We know some men can be extremely manipulative in their attempts to abuse women and it is not unusual for a male with bad intentions to act very differently online.

However I wouldn’t get into the TW thing. You’ll only get a load of abuse.

I wouldn’t. I welcome trans women to the sisterhood - I just don’t welcome them to single sex spaces. I don’t think there’s any particular safety reason to exclude them from this group. The women in the group who might want to engage in activities with trans women who join can make up their own minds as to whether to do so.

Start with asking them about the risk assessments they've done, for the activities themselves, and then those same activities alongside the mixing of strangers who have met online.

Personally I think they should be advertising the activities as mixed sex.

Do they have any insurance liabilities, btw?

I am always surprised that groups seem to include transwomen not transmen

I assume this is a casual Facebook group?

Why would they be going risk assessments for adults going camping?

Have I missed something?

Thanks for all the different opinions… I appreciate hearing lots of different thoughts.