University gym "womxn only sessions"

[adulthumanfemalemum]

Went into local uni sports centre today. Posters everywhere advertising their special gym sessions only for "womxn and non-binary." Lots of blah about how important it is for "womxn" to feel comfortable using the gym. At the bottom in small print an explanation that "womxn is an inclusive term which includes people previously excluded from white feminist discourse, such as women of colour and trans women." FFS. So it's okay to use the word woman to describe trans women but not to describe actual women. And these special sessions are in fact open to anyone who says they are non-binary or a woman. So not remotely a safe single sex space. I'm so cross. I was there with 15 year old DD who is super woke with lots of trans and non binary friends. I really wanted to talk to her about it but didn't want to spoil a rare activity together by arguing.

Só a woman only session that’s open to men. How very inclusive

I really loathe it when they add women of colour in the same grouping as men in this way. It gives me the rage. Women of colour are not pretending to be female FFS.

Always these unsubstantiated passive aggressive digs at feminism. Totally unsupported and historically inept. As if women in Turkey, India, Egypt, Mexico etc etc weren't developing feminist ideas and movements at the same time as women in Europe

Were women of colour previously excluded? Wouldn't it have been illegal discrimination to have gym sessions for white women only?
Seems like a wilful misinterpretation of so called intersectionality to me.

I would have thought that many women of colour will now self-exclude from the gym as they don’t want to be or are prohibited by their religion from exercising or wearing exercise clothing in the presence of males. How very inclusive. Basically a session for white men then.

Just found their website post on this if anyone wants a read.

https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/kentsport-news/womxn-and-non-binary-only-gym-hours/

The bit that makes me laugh in a "this is not at all funny" way is where it says"these sessions are for people who don't feel comfortable exercising with men." But any man who claims to be a woman is allowed. Brilliant logic.

No sessions for mxn ? 🤔

I thought the word womxm had been dropped. I’m sure I read that it upset TW’s because TW are women and as such shouldn’t be described as anything but women and not some made up word.

Funny that

Every session is a session for mxn.

Women of colour deserve the dignity of a woman only space too.

I am a bit confused. Are white women allowed if they want?

I suppose you just say you are non-binary (which everyone always was in the first place).

I agree with wholeheartedly. as a woman of colour, it makes me feel that I am somehow a 2nd class woman? just a new form of misogyny and underhand racism

The racist suggestion that women of colour are not women is shocking. I would struggle not to write a complaint about the implicit racism of that description.

Wow how breathtakingly racist. Who are these cunts excluding women of colour from the term "woman"? Most women are not white, absurd to suggest that the word woman only applies to white women, to such an extent that we need a new word. And of course, that word also includes men.

I am sure that in the entire annals of ‘white feminism’ I could not find a single inference that women of colour have ever been excluded from the term ‘women’.
Falling over themselves to address imaginary wrongs and bathing in righteousness.

I don't even know what to say. I'm appalled and gobsmacked that any organisation thinks this is appropriate. No woman should be made to feel like a second class version of their own sex just because some men would like to pretend they are women.

I'm so sick of this shit and I don't have to contend with the added racism, I can only imagine how fucking wearing this must all feel when this crap is added in as an extra layer of fuck you.
🌹

This. Probably accusing the uni of racism would be more effective than any other complaint.

Canterbury is Rosie Duffield’s constituency

I don’t pretend to know the intimate history of feminism and race issues but othering woc on par with biological men in 2023 is shockingly racist to me. Also a very clumsy bit of cloaking, attempting to equate race discrimination with “transphobia” (protecting single sex spaces).

Once again the racism shines through. Usualy theres something about butch lesbians too.

The sooner they get it through their thick skills that no ones afraid of butch black lesbians that have had a hysterectomy amd mastectomy or whatever other crap they throw in attempt to pretend we don't think most women are women either, the better. Its just men that are excluded.and if men want a single sex gym session.go ask for one. Stop.infiltrating ours. Why would black women not be included by the word woman? Why would that need a disclaimer of this sort?

No black women do not confuse the definition of woman so much the next logical.step is men can have it too. Sexism Racism and homophobia seems to get a free pass in trans ideology. Its disgusting. Woman means adult human female. Its not a catch all word that covers everyone who doesn't " man" the right way.

Yes 😞 I've heard the arguments that traditional feminism has been modelled on the lives of certain women - the suffragettes were mainly middle or upper class, iirc. However, I have never heard any feminist or woman say that women of colour are not women! That's disgraceful.

I also feel for our sisters of colour who face this shit everyday. I try to do what I can.

Choice
A. Mixed sessions with men
B. Mixed sessions with men who believe they are women. Men who know they men are excluded.

A. For me anyday. I would feel very uncomfortable with B as the advert is positively promoting and attracting transwomen over women and the black women comment is appalling. I don’t want to be in any group that thought this was good.

That's a very good point. I have just emailed Rosie about this.

How interesting. Claiming that feminism is just about white middle class women and everyone else was excluded.
Good ploy to deride the struggles of women, and make sure that we mind how we behave.

So often have I heard the Suffragettes bashed for being middle class. Of course the leadership was! It was the beginning of the 20th C, working class women had no rights and no voice, quite possibly no wherewithal or energy what with their general situation of being society's skivvies. That any of them participated at all is amazing.