Thinking about the young women caught up in the trans debate, particularly students, inspired me to write this mediocre poem.
For Young Women
The women you are fighting are the ones that went before you.
We're your mothers, grannies, aunties. We don't hate you, we adore you.
We were little girls who climbed up trees, wore trousers, made a mess.
Stereotypes forced on us caused us anger and distress.
We fought against our parents when they said what girls should be. We stood up for each other and we wanted to be free.
We raged against oppression, we were passionate and strong. We challenged inequality, we've fought it all along.
We see you shouting loudly now, we understand your pain. We love it that you care so much. We are just the same.
We stand further down the road, see things you can't yet see. We wish the world was different but it's not how it should be.
Female-bodied humans are subject to oppression.
It's down to our biology and not gender expression.
You hear what we are saying but interpret it as hate. We say, listen harder, we need nuance in this debate.
The women you are fighting are the ones who walk before you.
We speak up, put ourselves at risk: please know we do this for you.