Advice please: boss keeps ranting about “TERFS”

[WeeBisom]

I’m currently doing freelance work for a woman who is high up in a very woke industry, shall we say (like publishing). It’s a big project and I expect to be working with her for some time. Things have been good, except lately she has started trying to engage me in conversation about trans stuff. Her and her company are completely on board with everything trans (they are stonewall trained).

The problem is she keeps ranting at me about “terfs” and “transphobes”. I’ve listened to her rant about Julie bindel, KJK, and dozens of other women. This makes me feel uncomfortable because I’m gender critical and I get the very strong impression that if she found this out for sure she would fire me.

Recently she’s started asking me questions and the aim is to find out where I stand on these things. When she rants I just go completely silent and change the subject , but it’s harder when she asks me something directly.

For instance, she said the other day she felt really sorry for a trans celebrity (ironically she called him “he” even though they are a trans woman). She turned to me and said “what do you think about him?” I have extremely strong opinions about this individual, none of which she would want to hear ! So I just kept quiet and said “hmm I don’t really know”.

I think she’s beginning to notice that I shut down around these conversations and get extremely awkward. I obviously don’t mind that she’s a TRA - that’s her business. But I don’t think I should be drawn into these kinds of conversations, especially when a) it’s not relevant to the work we are doing and b) our relationship will significantly sour if I come out as one of those dreaded “terfs”.

Any advice on what I should do? I’m considering just saying to her “you know I don’t know very much about this topic at all, I try to keep out of it” next time she brings it up.

She's probably on another message board, saying "I think a woman I work with is a bigoted nasty hateful terf, how do I expose and fire her?"

I think I'd just say "It's a touchy subject and I don't think people are able to speak freely about it, so I'd rather not discuss it." Hard work though, I find it really hard to bite my tongue especially when people are speaking demonstrable nonsense.

I also sense insecurity here. Like she’s actively trying to find allies who are true believers like her. Another factor is she is very into Twitter so is caught in this bubble of very strong opinions, but doesn’t seem to realise this doesn’t translate very well in real life.

Most people don't really care about it either way, I would channel them and be vague and dismissive in a polite way, and try to change the subject. Why not divert her onto ranting about Elon Musk or similar.

I think I'd just say "It's a touchy subject and I don't think people are able to speak freely about it, so I'd rather not discuss it."

The trouble with this is that people who fervently believe in gender identity ideology do feel free to express themselves, even quite dodgy misogynistic opinions about women challenging it, so if she's really determined to expose you as GC this will make her think she's onto you.