Trans activism on retreat - Sarah Ditum, Sunday Times

[Igneococcus]

I do hope she is right:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/3422b888-39a5-11ec-a14e-75e3a4bcdc4c?shareToken=ae8e96e0285845775f46c996b8eb4b6b

An awful lot of direct action by the trans movement consists of shouting at women...

With blissful brevity, Sarah Ditum nails it.

Thanks for the share token. I like this quote:

"Suffragists were called termagants; second wavers were called bitches; and anyone who argues for women’s rights today is called a Terf and defined as a fair target for harassment. Trans activists say they want to break the gender-binary norm, but their actions say they’re happiest when they’re breaking individual women."

Personally, I think it's too optimistic to assume it's all going to be okay from here, but it would be nice to think that we've moved past "no debate" at least!

Thank you for sharing

Ooh, and I like her succinct description of mermaids. Think that I'd get a deletion for repeating it here though.

Thx for sharing, OP.

'Serious politicians (and Keir Starmer) ...'

Yeah thanks for sharing.
I was awake at silly o clock & been watching this debate

There's a part 2 & 3.

Thank you for sharing this very well written article

"The child transition charity Mermaids..."

Excellent article. Gives me hope.

The tide does seem to be turning. I hope that everything fizzles out before most people are even aware that any of this nonsense ever happened.

For the proponents of gender ideology, being cool and reasonable only makes a woman more dangerous: if she can’t be dismissed as a raging hysteric, people may even listen to her.

This bit resonated for me particularly, both in relation to Stock and also FiLiA recently. I hope more and more previously-unengaged people are able to see this aggressive hounding of moderate, respectful feminists for what it is.

Excellent piece. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the share token. I hope she's right. Long way to go to return to sanity, though, esp on other side of the Atlantic. Just read a shocking tweet about a US family where both parents are transitioning, 5yo son is terribly upset and mother's reaction is he needs intensive therapy to come to terms with it. A few short years ago everybody would have seen that this child is being let down very badly and social services needed to step in. I doubt they can now. When we can be confident that UK social services would intervene to protect a similar child, I'll accept the tide has turned.

The tide seems to be turning in England, I fear the SNP are more determined to push it through in Scotland.

That screenshot can't be for real, can it? Because if so, Christ. That's child abuse right there.

Wow, thanks for sharing the article OP.

'If you’re looking for a middle way between trans rights and feminism, Stock has mapped the route, driven there in advance and set up at the other end with a picnic, waiting for you to join her. It wasn’t good enough. For the proponents of gender ideology, being cool and reasonable only makes a woman more dangerous: if she can’t be dismissed as a raging hysteric, people may even listen to her.'

Sarah Ditum is a skilled writer and that's a well written piece.

The tide is not turning. I think she's mistaken about the true intent of this consultation.

I shall use a modified version of Ditum's on point description of Mermaids whenever I can: controversial lobbying group, Stonewall and child transitioning lobbyists, Mermaids.

Thanks duvet that does look interesting. Halfway through the first one.

Excellent article. I hope she's right.

yup. people aren't misogynistic bullies because they're transactivists, they's transactivists because they're misogynistic bullies.

the whole thing makes total sense to sexists

It was on @ripnutmeg's Twitter feed, @vanishun, and she seemed convinced it was genuine. Vocal activist from Florida, apparently.

The mermaids line shows that she doesn't understand the proposed conversion therapy ban. Not a criticism as most people don't.

The proposed ban is a trojan horse to get gender identity onto the statue books and according to solicitors (who have studied it from a legal perspective) it would ban exploration with a young lesbian or gay person. If this becomes law, groups can issue 'conversion therapy protection orders' CTPO's to stop anyone exploring what circumstances led the young lesbian or gay person to believe they are trans. For example a lesbian who is continually asked if she's 'trans' at school, who has straight people in the LGBT youth group tell her they think she's trans, who has straight male moderators in lesbian subreddits controlling her speech, correcting 'wrong think', telling her that same-sex attraction is 'transphobic'. A lesbian who has had friends send her links to Youtube (Jammi Dodger), articles and tik toks saying "this reminds me of you". A young lesbian who is told lesbians are T**Fs as bad as racists and will be ostracised from their friendship groups and society. A lesbian who is told by adults that 'everyone has a gender' and friends point to where they think she is on the 'spectrum'. If a lesbian then identifies as transgender her parents or counsellors will feel threatened with criminal charges for asking if she's a lesbian. Groups like Gendered Intelligence got 'gender identity' added to the bill to stop exploration and watchful waiting for any young person who believes they have a gender identity.

That screenshot can't be for real, can it? Because if so, Christ. That's child abuse right there

Trying to force a child to go along with something they know isn't true is bad enough but to put him in therapy because he just wants his mum is horrific.

I don't think the tide is turning. The TRA's wanted laws changed before everyone woke up to what they were actually demanding, which has happened in many countries, but there are too many in high places and too many making a lot of money from it. It's a MRA movement and the men still have all the power. They have redefined our sex class because they could. The lived reality of billions of women is just fantasy to them. Meaningless. Nothing.

My concern isn't about the few shouty activists, it's about all the deals going on behind the scenes that are still happening. The fact that all the chairs and trustees from the big players are all connected and protected.

We have a long way to go.

Thanks for the article. She is a very good writer isn’t she. I believe she’s working on a book with the same publisher as Helen Lewis.

For the proponents of gender ideology, being cool and reasonable only makes a woman more dangerous: if she can’t be dismissed as a raging hysteric, people may even listen to her.

Yes!!!

Who knew that 1970s working men’s club comedians were writing the script for the gender revolution all along?
So many brilliant lines in this article but this one really resonated.