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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Do women in the U.K. know or care about the threat to women’s and girls rights now they’ve voted labour?

1000 replies

Heylo · 05/07/2024 07:14

i know the tories record on public services are abysmal and bar some genuine believers like Kemi Badenoch the tories would likely go the trans route if they thought it would buy them votes. But, currently it’s the tories who offered to protect women and girls from the trans madness. My question is - which women voted in trans loving, women - hating Labour?

we can look forward to -

  1. continued gender ideology being pumped out in schools
  2. conversion ban - you better hope your child doesn’t start questioning their gender out loud because TRA ridden schools will be referring them to gender clinics and socially transitioning them now they have a mandate
  3. same sex attracted lesbians (myself included) it’s completely game over. Keep your head down and your mouth shut. Trans identified males and their female allies have already closed down every women only night. Same sex attracted women are now labelled bigots. We are no longer welcome in London’s LGBT soup community
  4. prisons - what happens to vulnerable women? They are already disbelieved and dismissed. Now they have to endure the staring and various forms of sexual harrassment that goes with being incarcerated with men

i can only hope our political landscape mirrors America and in the same way Trump will be voted back in this year, we will have The Tories being led by Kemi back in in 4 years time.

omg I can’t believe we have to kiss goodbye to women’s rights - for the next four years

back to my original question. Apart from TRA idealouges, why have women voted these clowns in? Is it that they prioritise the Tories terrible record on public services over this? Do some women not see it as a huge issue? would love to hear from some posters who voted Labour.

Thanks & stay safe out there, as women we have woken up to a a dark chapter in history today

OP posts:
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Rosieposy89 · 05/07/2024 09:44

It's a non issue. Tories are the threat to women. Refuges shut down, surestarts closed down, benefit cuts etc. These are the real issues that matter thanks 😊

timenowplease · 05/07/2024 09:46

DaisyCat33 · 05/07/2024 07:21

You're a lesbian and you don't support trans rights? There's a T in LGBT you know

No I don't see this as a huge issue. I don't see trans people as some sort of dangerous or risky group that are out to get me 🙄

This is a misunderstanding many straight people have. Those letters put together in a group don't mean anything in particular. It's not some science based acronym.

When I hit the gay scene in the late 80's is was called the gay scene, the club in uni was called gaysoc and so on. There were no letters. Then the L got added so it was L&G. Then the B got added. This was probably some consensus between the gay media at the time, Stonewall and other charities and whoever else I don't know. It wasn't a government mandate.

Now we have a bunch of letters and symbols which have nothing to do with sexual orientation and we're all called queer, a word I object. Anyone can be queer, even straight people! I'm not queer, I'm a lesbian.

Trans rights and lesbian rights are have nothing to do with each other and in fact are in direct conflict. The more 'rights' trans people get the less rights women and lesbians have. It's that simple.

SerafinasGoose · 05/07/2024 09:46

If you look at the percentage of votes rather than seats, it does look thst people lurching to reform lost conservative their seats rather than labour doing much better.

Agreed. It's often the case that parties lose elections, rather than the opposition actively winning. As with Scotland and 'not the SNP', I suspect that this landslide win was in no small part a 'not the Tories' vote. It's also interesting to note that without its support in Scotland, Labour would be stuffed.

None of this matters in the immediate context of a current resounding win for Labour.

It might well matter at the next general election.

Missmarple87 · 05/07/2024 09:46

LonginesPrime · 05/07/2024 09:42

Seems that the critical thinking skills of the electorate are on par with those of the new cabinet.

Well of course - that's how an election works.

Well yes.

'the best argument against democracy is a 5 minute conversation with the average voter'.

I'd expand that to the average MP, too.

NotJinxingAnything · 05/07/2024 09:46

same sex attracted lesbians (myself included) it’s completely game over. Keep your head down and your mouth shut.

This is absolute nonsense. Lesbians will continue to have the same rights to choose with whom they have a relationship as anyone else.

prisons - what happens to vulnerable women? They are already disbelieved and dismissed. Now they have to endure the staring and various forms of sexual harrassment that goes with being incarcerated with men

OP, how much do you actually know about prisons? What have you done to help vulnerable prisoners yourself? Yes, women in prison are at risk, but that comes much, much more from powerful violent women than the tiny number of transwomen currently incarcerated, and Starmer has made it clear that he doesn't intend to relax the rules on this.

OriginalFloorboards · 05/07/2024 09:47

Shamola · 05/07/2024 07:38

But is not just the rights of women to have acces to single sex spaces, it is the fundamental definition in law and society of what a woman is and the preservation of sex categories. Loss of single sex spaces is a down stream effect.

The GRA and the relentless campaign to redefine what the Equality Act are about is aimed at fundamental change to the wiring of society and how we view sex. They constitute a concerted effort to create new "rights", which is incredibly difficult to challenge as you are then taking "rights" away when you challenge them.

I hear you that other things matter are important from a feminist perspective and in many respects those things are unaffected by whether we have a female category of human, but in losing that category it may not be possible to get it back. For me that matters more than possibly marginal (and easily reversible) changes in policy and law in other areas.

So well put.

OP I hear you. I completely agree about the worrying situation for women going forward, for my daughter too.

AstonScrapingsNameChange · 05/07/2024 09:49

Tinylittleunicorn · 05/07/2024 07:24

I'm concerned about the rights of women to have access to single sex spaces.

But I think poverty, access to education and employment, access to healthcare, social care, childcare, violence and rape perpetrated by "cis" men, access to justice etc - are also issues very important to women on which they have been very badly failed by the Conservatives and are likely to do better under Labour.

Edited

What about violence , sexual assault and rape perpetrated by trans women? Why are these things only an issue for you when perpetrated by 'cis men'?

Bloody hell.

Surely you aren't saying you support trans women's rights to perpetrate sexual violence?

Or are you saying you don't believe trans women do these things just like men? Because that is evidentially not the case, and it's one of the reasons women need male free spaces - all men, however they identify.

Women are raped by penises not identities.

Missmarple87 · 05/07/2024 09:50

Trixiefirecracker · 05/07/2024 09:44

At least with Labour we would be allowed to protest, the Tories want to completely stop this from happening.

No they are not.

And will you be out there protesting against the erosion of women's rights, which you have already told me is a luxury belief?

SerafinasGoose · 05/07/2024 09:50

This is absolute nonsense. Lesbians will continue to have the same rights to choose with whom they have a relationship as anyone else.

Unless, of course, they have the temerity to hold a publicly visible dating event for females only.

This after all is what a lesbian is.

Or are lesbians only okay if they're forced back into the closet as per circa 1988?

brunettemic · 05/07/2024 09:51

I suppose it depends who women voted for. Labour had a reduced/stagnated vote share on a reduced turnout, therefore fewer people actually voted for them, despite the majority.

Timeheals · 05/07/2024 09:51

I am really very concerned labours non-sensical views on women’s rights. However - saying the conservatives are abysmal on public services does rather let them off lightly. 10 day waits in A&E, people with cancer being left undiagnosed or untreated, schools without teachers and children completely abandoned with an increase in mental health issues is what we have right now (I believe) due to conservatives. People are dying, and I don’t expect labour will be able to fix it overnight (or in 4 years really) but if they can stem the bleeding - that would help.
There was no other party which could do this. Glad Labours numbers haven’t gone up but that they have enough seats to make changes.

Natsku · 05/07/2024 09:52

The Tories don't care about women, they just say they know what a woman is because they see its a way to win some votes, but we can see from how they've acted over all these years that women are nowhere near important to them.
Labour has its issues but they are still a far better option than the Tories for many many reasons, and Britain is far ahead in recognising the issues with this gender nonsense so I have strong hope that things will improve.

borntobequiet · 05/07/2024 09:52

Bearpawk · 05/07/2024 08:39

How come Munro bergdorf and high profile trans people is saying Starmer is the devil and he's going to eradicate trans rights ?

And GC women are quoting him as saying the opposite ?
This really is starting to feel like a culture war.

Starmer has cautiously acknowledged that biological sex matters and grudgingly admitted that women need “safe” spaces (though he’s reluctant to say “single sex”). This has been enough for transactivists to think he’s intent on eliminating trans people.
Sex realist women just want assurances that male bodied people won’t intrude in their single sex spaces (note: trans men are OK as they are female bodied). However, as mentioned, Starmer is still fudging the “single sex” issue, which is why they don’t trust him. At present, it looks as though he thinks women include men with a GRC, which he plans to make easier to obtain, no hormones or surgery required, just a change if name and “live as a woman”, whatever that means (no one can say).

It’s not a culture war, it’s a genuine conflict of interests, and so far the people suffering abuse, threats of and actual violence and loss of livelihood are women.

Brefugee · 05/07/2024 09:52

have not RTFT.

I care about all their talk on GRCs. However women and children are disproportionately affected by poverty and cuts to spending, so i think it's probably a bit swings and roundabouts. I voted Labour despite my misgivings about GRCs because i believe they will be better on most other things that affect everyone's day-to-day lives.

Peaceandquietandacuppa · 05/07/2024 09:55

There wasn’t any good choice but this is a really interesting, balanced article which articulates my thoughts well. https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/opinions/2024/6/20/no-party-deserves-the-feminist-vote-in-the-uk-election

Tories didn’t actually care, they just knew it was a vote winner. And very likely they would have gone back on their promises if it served them. The only thing now is to continue lobbying the Labour government on issues like this.

No party deserves the feminist vote in the UK election

Amid the culture war on gender, those of us who prioritise women’s rights and safety are left without a political home.

https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/opinions/2024/6/20/no-party-deserves-the-feminist-vote-in-the-uk-election

ZoomDoomZoom · 05/07/2024 09:55

Lazytiger · 05/07/2024 09:39

We have J K Rowling. She was a massive Labour supporter and donor. From being reviled she is now revered. Labour are desperate to get her (and her donations) back on board.

Blair has come out and said women don’t have a penis (he’s also very Catholic) he knows what he thinks and he tells Starmer what he thinks.
Sport is now banning trans-women.
I think there will be a lot of noise but we are through the other side on the Trans issue. Globally not just in the UK.

We're a long way from coming out the other side on the trans issue in sports especially at grassroots level. The club I'm associated with has held the line on admitting trans women but lots of others have crumbled.

We're facing a lot of pushback from all fronts particularly funders who think supporting transwomen allows them to tick their EDI box. This is all at the expense of women & children's right to safety & fairplay in sports, work & education etc. A lot of funding & corporate sponsorship is linked to the trans issue & quotas unfortunately.

ChishiyaBat · 05/07/2024 09:55

I'm in Wales, I live in an very poor area, no transport, no jobs, no industry, it's dire here. My list of candidates was shit, I voted for the least shit one(which happened to be labour). Womens rights are extremely important to me and I am prepared to fight for those rights.

AnnaL94 · 05/07/2024 09:55

Has anyone here (a woman) been or felt threatened by a trans woman in a single sex space before? Like is this really a common occurrence?

Purplecatshopaholic · 05/07/2024 09:56

AccidentallyWesAnderson · 05/07/2024 07:19

Hmm I'm not sure, I think people are starting to see the nonsense that Trans Ideology has become. Look at Scotland (where I am), the SNP have taken a beating and I'm sure the Isla Bryson incident played a part in that, buoyed up by the mentalist that is Patrick Harvey.

Hopefully women can push on Keir to ensure that women retain sex based spaces and sports and he doesn't make GRC easier, despite saying to the contrary.

Spot on.

Signalbox · 05/07/2024 09:56

CeibaTree · 05/07/2024 09:18

I do get your point, but the conservatives have been in power for the past 14 years, and have done very little to stop the rampant gender ideology being unleashed on children and young people. I am not a fan of either party, but the conservatives have not exactly been a voice of reason in this topic.

I keep seeing this being said but in the last 4 years they’ve done quite a lot.

They’ve consulted the public and listened and u turned on both self ID and the conversion therapy ban for trans.

They’ve produced Schools Guidance that limits what children are being taught in schools

They commissioned the (now world renowned) Cass Review which has had a major influence in protecting children from being experimented on by quack doctors.

They’ve now put a 3 month emergency suspension on the use of puberty blockers to ensure that private clinics cannot ignore the recommendations in the Cass review.

They put in place the Section 35 order which blocked the Scottish Gender Reform Act and prevented self ID via scotland with no safeguards even for sex offenders.

They haven’t shrunk from discussing the issue despite being accused of being called transphobes or stoking culture wars. This has allowed for debate to take place (unlike in many western countries who had no opposition and no opportunity to debate before gender laws were enacted)

I think the Tories fully deserved to lose this election but on this single issue (in the end) they’ve done pretty well really.

Now let’s see how Labour do.

The first thing that will be a crucial indicator of where Labour genuinely stand on this will be if they extend the ban on PBs when it expires in a couple of months time or will they let it lapse and throw vulnerable children to the wolves (aka the private gender clinics).

Whyisthatonthefloor · 05/07/2024 09:58

Heylo · 05/07/2024 07:34

They are a danger - especially to lesbians. They won’t allow same sex lesbians to meet up or create their own dating / singles nights anymore. If you say out loud you won’t date trans women you will be asked to leave a social club. They ar literally eradicating our sexual orientation - not by existing but by saying there can be no women who say they will exclude trans women from their dating pool.

they are the most insane community and I can only assume you haven’t been affected by them directly yet. Give it time - they steam roll everyone eventually. There are many lesbians like me who have to stay quiet about our sexuality for fear of being doxxed or ostracised.

I’m a GC dyke, and I do see your point of view, but I will always vote as socialist as the system practically allows.

I would have voted green but I live in a seat that is either Tory/labour and green had no chance.

I am also severely disabled- the disabled community have been treated like we are disposable, a burden, a drain on the state and morally lacking for the last 14 years. It wasn’t great before then- but it’s got worse year on year since 2010.

There is a massive lack of intersectionality in the feminist discourse at the moment- I’ve been told that my experience of the world as a disabled woman isn’t relevant- many women at the moment are making ‘feminism’ a difficult call to arms for disabled women.

To give some common mumsnet examples:

‘Women should be able to work’ say the feminists (but not if that means taking their wheelchair on the bus because that holds up the bus and makes normal women late for their jobs)

‘men should stay out of our changing rooms’ say the feminists (and use the disabled access one instead)

I’ve been told everything from;

I should stay at home and not visit the supermarket because I’m an inconvenience

I cant possibly be removing my pubic hair because of disability related intimate care reasons and AM doing it for the male gaze

I’m frightening to other women’s children (and I’m ‘lucky’ to look ‘normal’ and not have any visible signs of disability other than my chair)

and that there just aren’t lesbian wheelchair users with significant care needs- we simply don’t exist (and if we do our experience is niche and irrelevant anyway)

Obviously this mumsnet bollocks not real life- but it is borne out by my day to day experience of life as a gay, disabled woman.

Added to that is the enormous issue that my northern working class community has been absolutely decimated by austerity.

Whatever1964 · 05/07/2024 09:58

AnnaL94 · 05/07/2024 09:55

Has anyone here (a woman) been or felt threatened by a trans woman in a single sex space before? Like is this really a common occurrence?

Not as common as paranoid GC women making biological women feel threatened and uncomfortable by challenging their right to be somewhere or take part in a sport because they don't confirm to their narrow idea of femininity. They can "always tell" apparently except all the times they can't.

Missmarple87 · 05/07/2024 09:59

Whatever1964 · 05/07/2024 09:58

Not as common as paranoid GC women making biological women feel threatened and uncomfortable by challenging their right to be somewhere or take part in a sport because they don't confirm to their narrow idea of femininity. They can "always tell" apparently except all the times they can't.

And here we have two examples of the average level of critical thinking ability 👏 👏 👏

Whatever1964 · 05/07/2024 10:01

Missmarple87 · 05/07/2024 09:59

And here we have two examples of the average level of critical thinking ability 👏 👏 👏

Lol you could have just said nothing if you wanted to make absolutely no point 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Keeptoiletssafe · 05/07/2024 10:02

qsforall · 05/07/2024 08:22

I think she was talking about toilets and changing rooms. Most of the new builds where I live have unisex toilets and changing rooms, if done well it should not be an issue. If you think that some women are too vulnerable for this, then you could lobby for individual units to be supplied for vulnerable people. The issue with prisons is over around abuse of claiming trans, so men who are not taking hormones etc saying they are trans for the wrong reasons. That is what you should be focusing on here, specific things which need attention, not on insulting all trans people or any woman who disagrees with any part of what you say.

I am horrified about how things are handled in schools, that is the key thing I would want revisited. Children should not be being taught about adult sex choices.

Edited

’Most of the new builds where I live have unisex toilets and changing rooms, if done well it should not be an issue. If you think that some women are too vulnerable for this, then you could lobby for individual units to be supplied for vulnerable people’.

What do you call vulnerable?
Mixed sex spaces are consistently shown to have a higher rate of assaults. People don’t like being seen (even more) when they are in the same area as the opposite sex. Therefore everything within the cubicle becomes more private. I don’t know if your unisex spaces are fully enclosed, but they will be soon by government design. Think about the new designs: enclosed acoustically-sound private spaces within mixed sex areas. This is not good for anyone who feels ill and heads to a public toilet cubicle. If they collapse no one will know. That’s when anyone is most vulnerable. The safety measure, because they are enclosed spaces, is that the doors can be opened from the outside quickly. But if you can’t see or hear someone needs help that is redundant. It also means anyone can just let themselves in to your cubicle. And just for good measure, they are less easily cleaned and ventilated for disease control.

Hygiene goes down, safety goes down, illegal activities (assaults, rape, drugs etc) goes up when privacy goes up.

So in terms of vulnerability it affects: people who are more at risk of collapse such as people who are elderly and frail, those with diabetes, epilepsy, heart conditions, having strokes, pregnant women. It affects all women and girls more because they are more likely to be sexually assaulted and drinks spiked. It affects anyone who is trying to get away from someone by taking refuge in a toilet. It affects those vulnerable to addiction because the dealing/taking is done in these convenient private cubicles.

Health and safety should be paramount and mixed sex spaces, by their private design, don’t put health and safety first.

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