Another Guardian article.....

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/nov/01/a-new-start-after-60-petra-wenham-transition-transgender?CMP=fb_gu&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1635751897

Why are they trying to drive this agenda? And of course, no interview with his wife, no discussion of the impact on her.

That's a fairly tame vanilla article. What agenda are you taking about? And why should Petra's wife's feelings be discussed? The article is about Petra and their transgenderism. There is acknowledgement about the impact on the wider family, children and grandchildren.

Are you looking for offence where none exists? I am very gender critical BTW, even I can't get worked up about this article. The WI cover was however

It's frustrating isn't it? I have heard so often that women become invisible when they get older. They really do don't they? The woman's story in this situation is simply ignored.

It's a old article so I'm not sure why they are printing it now

That’s actually really nice.

I am just fed up with The Guardian rolling out non-article after non-article about how wonderful it is to transition. It seems they do it almost every day. So yes, I do think they ate trying to push an agenda in that respect.

But maybe you're right, and I'm finding offence when I shouldn't.

And still no explanation of what it means. What makes them feel they are really a woman? What's changed since the transition? What are they achieving that they couldn't do as a man?

I saw someone on Twitter note that this person was quite happy to keep male privilege during working life. Convenient that.

'The personality of the person doesn't change' said Petra.

Don't think transwidows would agree.

And that magazine cover! Who past the age of 10 peeps around trees? I don't think the WI is for me.

All the older women I know are wise, eccentric and powerful matriarchs. If Petra wants to emulate that at the age of 68 then go Petra! It will be difficult though as a woman's lived experience will be vastly different to a biological male.

Will be very disappointed if Petra becomes another transwoman however performing femininity with fillers and blow dried hair.

This person...

‘...was already living as a woman, though not fully out to all family and friends. Her children – two sons in their 40s – and grandchildren, still call her Dad and Grandad. “There is no point in confusing the kids. It might confuse the world, but that’s fine,”

Come on. Surely most people can see this for the nonsense that it is.

Previous thread when that edition of the magazine came out

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4284076-wi-sisterhood

The WI is for women, or should be, not for men who perform womanhood however that manifests. If a TW can join why not men generally? I mean as we have been told many many times you don’t have to ape femininity to be a TW.

What is ‘living as’ an elder woman exactly? I’m looking forward to wearing what I like, saying what I like and basically being a right terror. Nothing to do with gender or sex.

And no mention of what "transitioning" actually consists of. Petra doesn't talk about having surgery, or medical treatment, just about being "out" to some people.

Wenham has been touring WIs with gender "education" which I imagine doesn't mention Blanchard once. Intersex was in the meeting blurb, as usual Wenham goes off on that irrelevant tangent.

It’s clear that this article - which isn’t news - has been posted today in response to all the articles seen as negative to the trans activist case over the last few weeks. Quick, let’s cover it with a fluffy non-article.

The content of the newspaper is always a political choice, even if it’s a so-called lifestyle article.

Oh and sigh, a cyber security person - it’s always IT isn’t it?

Excellent points, @WorkingItOutAsIGo. It's so blatantly a "Look, everyone! A tame transwoman who is just like you wimmins are! Move along. Nothing to see here."

I, too, have deep concerns about the conflation of biology and gender, and my opinion is that women are women and trans women (or men for that matter) are trans women/men. It’s not the same experience of female identity by a long way. That said, I couldn’t get deeply offended by this article. Petra seemed a decent and self aware human and the issues of cross dressing and gender identity seemed to have been present in her marriage for many years. Who knows from such a brief, deliberately positive, piece what went on over the years? Lots of anguish on both sides, I’d guess. The theme of these articles is people who have made big life changes after 60 and they are intended to be inspirational rather than incisive.

@EmmaGrundyForPM

And no mention of what "transitioning" actually consists of. Petra doesn't talk about having surgery, or medical treatment, just about being "out" to some people.

Usually in these cases it seems to revolve around wearing a dress and having sex with men, rather than say finding some new bleeding edge science which re-writes their XY Chromosomes to XX, or growing female reproductive organs.

Think it's part of an ongoing series about people making big life changes after 60 so it fits the bill really.

What I find interesting is that while you often hear stories of men transitioning post-60, I don't think I've ever heard of a post-60 FtM transition. Which is not to say they don't happen, although I would be surprised.
My feeling is that come 60-odd, the man (assuming he's been an employee/employer, husband, father, maybe breadwinner) feels liberated from what he feels is expected of him and decides he can finally do what he wants. Whereas for post-60 women there's maybe not that same sense of liberation from expected gender roles - maybe there are elderly relatives to care for, maybe they are still doing all the wifework, maybe they're less financially secure in the event of transition leading to divorce... I know these are sweeping generalisations but the older, latterly-transitioned transwoman seems so prominent, it's striking that there are no female (transman) equivalents. If there were, would their stories not be equally meritous of coverage?

@BraveBananaBadge

Think it's part of an ongoing series about people making big life changes after 60 so it fits the bill really.

Perhaps this is really common in men over 60. It's only just over a month since the last male transitioner was covered in this series.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/sep/24/a-new-start-after-60-i-became-a-priest-at-63-after-44-years-as-a-soldier-and-a-teacher

Transitioning cures colitis? I’ve heard it all now 🙄.

“If the internet had been there when I was in my late teens, early 20s, would I have done it? The chances are yes, I probably would. But then again, I would have missed out on Loraine, the family, the grandchildren. It’s a difficult call.”

Maybe Petra can do some TED Talks to kids to tell them how wonderful all this stuff is that they won’t get if they start puberty blockers, wrong sex hormones and surgery. There is certainly a dearth of older trans people willing to advise young people about what else life can offer.

@Leafstamp

This person...

‘...was already living as a woman, though not fully out to all family and friends. Her children – two sons in their 40s – and grandchildren, still call her Dad and Grandad. “There is no point in confusing the kids. It might confuse the world, but that’s fine,”

Come on. Surely most people can see this for the nonsense that it is.

Indeed. Elderly late transitioner, who freely admits to being 'a cross dresser with transvestite traits', but is now touring the women's Institute as a woman?

It's like people have forgotten what transvestite and cross dressing even means.

Oh yes you're right Crone, I'd forgotten about that one. Yes in that case it does seem odd they'd feature two stories of that nature.

I read this slightly differently...

"“If the internet had been there when I was in my late teens, early 20s, would I have done it? The chances are yes, I probably would. But then again, I would have missed out on Loraine, the family, the grandchildren. It’s a difficult call.”

Its incredibly subtle but I think that marks a change in tone from other guardian articles. I mean, its tiny, but they are at least saying that there is an advantage to "wait and see". It actually isn't harmful to have an interview with someone who transitioned when older, who doesn't expect their children/grandchildren to change what they call them...
While I am sure there are things I would disagree with her on - she actually comes across as a perfectly nice, decent person. Who may well get dragged by her "own community" even for admitting this.