Experiences of a Trans Person

[invalide]

I think it might be healthy to document here the experiences of someone from the other side, and for you to pay it some mind.

I'm an early-twenties STEM student working in renewable energies, and outside of my course I'm a photographer and musician. I've travelled a fair amount and adore my home country of Scotland. Living in Glasgow, I have found a queer community of beautiful people who create a joy to everyday life I treasure.

At the beginning of this month there was a 'Let Women Speak' rally held here that some of you here attended; I have seldom felt more unwelcome and stripped of dignity than while in your crowd, carrying out my photojournalistic duties (images 1&2). While capturing Kellie-Jay Keen pathologising my friends as subhuman perverts and members of the crowd flaunting their homophobia and their use of dogwhistles (subliminal far-right messaging) I was being brazenly looked up and down, receiving steely gazes and pursed lips and hushed whispers behind my back. While photographing the first speaker after Keen, who began her piece portraying autistic people as children devoid of agency, I was approached by one of you who made it clear I looked too queer for their liking and was squaring up for assault. I made my way out at this point (captured at 8:42 here and 9:09 here).
The atmosphere your movement brought to George Square was one I've only before experienced while documenting far-right rallies in Eastern Europe, where I have been hounded through the streets and beaten up for the same reason. I assure you, your ideology would feel very much at home there.

At the other side of the square things couldn't have been more different, you were bathed in colour and music and hugs and laughter, the place is full of friends dancing and dressed resplendent in whatever camp pretty things they felt like (images 2&3).

Ours was a crowd of locals; I strained to hear a Glasgow accent in yours.

Ours is a city that at short notice manages to fill the top of Buchanan Street (image 5) in solidarity with the queer community - the last time I saw it like this was during COP26. It's one that fills George Square in a candlelit vigil for Brianna Ghey.

Your movement has meant I'm called a pervert and a groomer while going about my average daily life. Our morally vacuous, increasingly fascist political class (thinking also of Magnus Hirschfeld and of Martin Niemöller's famous poem) is picking up what you've started and they're running with it. You may not call yourself a homophobe, a white nationalist or an antisemite, but you're sitting awfully comfortably considering that those that do find your movement incredibly attractive.

May I suggest soup made with cheese and wine? Wensleydale and Pinot Grigio to be precise. Alternatively just eat and drink them separately😁

JK Rowling has an echo chamber

LOL :-/ Are you trying to tell us that there are no perverts, degenerates and/or paedophiles in the trans movement? Seriously?!

Chris Chan!

@EpicChaos when I wrote it I imagined the words under each be polite could probably go on for pages!!!

I have the end of a 🐅 loaf, some sliced chorizo and some, mature cheddar cheese and a tin of pineapple. In your expert opinion would the swap of processed ham for erm what is chorizo made of? Work do you think?

oh I've just realised it's pineapple pieces. Well that will just ruin it completely! Stomps off in disgust at myself for buying the wrong tinned pineapple.

Women have been vilified for wanting their basic rights since the dawn of time and the OP is just the latest in a very long tradition.

Women wanting the vote were depicted as home wreckers, unfeminine, bad mothers, ball breakers, Old Maids. Women campaigning for access to contraception faced huge opposition with all churches opposing it until the beginning of the 20th century and the Catholic Church still banning it.

Now women wanting to safeguard their existing rights to safe and fair sport, single sex prisons, rape crisis centres, domestic violence shelters and changing rooms where they can undress without a male present find themselves branded fascists

It is of course same old same old - men opposing women’s rights. Except in this case these are rights that women have already won which men are trying to take. Rights that are important for women and their participation in public life. Men are demanding access to women’s spaces and sports and women are saying NO.

Does the OP really think we are remotely bothered by these hyperbolic, ridiculous insults? We have seen it all before and see it for what it is. Woman hating.

" @JusteanBiscuits · Today 16:59
I'm sorry you have treated this way. Sadly, some can't see how evil it is to be calling trans people perverts, degenerates and paedophiles

David Challoner? etc., etc., etc!

I'm all ears waiting to hear why you would think that none of those named would fall into the categories you listed, especially Chan, please do explain him in relation to the categories you listed!

• waiting!

Tbh this is why I'm quite happy for the thread to be left standing to make a point that it's like this constantly.

Women don't threaten, they say no. This causes a man to get upset, accuse women of being hateful and then threatens them because they deserve it.

Nothing shows the misogyny and why women are saying no better because it's the idea that it's fair game for men to threaten and intimidate women if they don't get their own way.

@Boiledbeetle
Chorizo for ham, possibly, it's not really something i eat, so wouldn't like to say but if you like it, you would know if it would go with pineapple? As for pineapple pieces, i really don't see why not, just drain some and spread them out a bit maybe. I just use pineapple rings for convenience greed really.

Oh i forgot to add @Boiledbeetle , do write some more of your poem please :-)

You see the cheese on toast sounds amazing except for the pineapple. I can just about tolerate that on pizza but only if there are also prawns.

"Do as I say or I'm justified in inflicting violence upon you"? Why didn't you say that sooner, op? We definitely want to share our spaces with you now.

Jk!

No thank you.

You see pinapple ring, easy stays in place whilst you eat. Pineapple chunks...As you start to eat one end of the toast the pineapple makes a bid for freedom off the other end.

Maybe I could trap them using the toastie machine!

Laughs maniacally!

@Happylittlechicken You'll never look back :-)

for you, the next verse

Be polite
YOU TRANSPHOBE
Be polite
YOU HOMOPHOBE
Be polite
YOU CHILD ABUSER
Be polite
YOU FASCIST

Be polite
Be polite
NO FUCK OFF

Brilliant !

It's 2023. Women are getting really good at telling men who try and berate them into submission to fuck off. I'm sorry but those days are over. You're going to have to adapt to the times.
Your entire argument is based on the collective over individual religion. This premise is false. When you finally come to look at people as individuals your life will become much easier. An individual can be a saint or a sinner, a hero or a despot, bring joy to the world or suffering. Assuming ALL X are Y is a mug's game. Any person, trans, cis or whatever can be any or all of those things. Assuming a trans or cis person is good or bad based purely on the trans or cis is stupid, as it would be based on race, sexuality, or religion.
You storm in here with a you versus them mindset and wonder why it's going badly. This board is full of real women, have you considered talking to them as people? What you are doing is a very male thing. I don't know what magic female essence you think you've got, but in the social interaction emotional intelligence department which women do very well in, you are sorely lacking. You may not have as much magical womanly essence as you think you have. You come across like an angry entitled man to me.

@EpicChaos I think cheese on pineapple on ham on toast was the first thing I was instructed to cook in my domestic science class in my first year at secondary school. Never cooked it since.

@Boiledbeetle love the poem.

Anyone else think the poster just sounds like a man? It's that hectoring and patronising tone that men who think they are better than women tend to use towards women.

Also I have to say, quite hilarious if you think that this equates to oppression as opposed to y'know, rape, murder, domestic abuse, forced marriage etc etc all of the very real things that women go through which are actual violence as opposed to "misgendering = violence"

Is 'existential violence' switching up or down from 'literal violence'?

Just worth re-posting this valuable nugget from @Babdoc after the OP’s ironic assertion that this thread is “ill-thought through bile”. Didn’t want it to be left mouldering in the middle of pile where later arrivals might miss it… pity such intelligent posters have to even give this type of women-hating head space.

@Boiledbeetle Very powerful words! A vogon could only dream of writing anything as much as 1% as good. Truly inspiring last line, that we women should practice loudly and often, perhaps whilst issuing a 2 fingered salute at the same time? Words to live by indeed! :-)

You have a fair point about the pieces rather than a slice of pineapple but maybe you could try it another day?

@lifeturnsonadime shame you're not keen on the pineapple but add the ham anyway, it just gives it a bit of extra taste :-)

My cookery teacher locked me in the stock cupboard one lesson as punishment for juggling my eggs. I ate every single glace cherry in there! It was the best cookery lesson ever!

@EpicChaos the only way in our house is strong cheddar and a splash of Worcestershire sauce.

But a ham and cheese toastie is divine.