Simple request for 'gender critical' activists

[NoShortKing]

I'm registered after an awful incident a few days ago, but I'm glad that it forced me to wait before posting as it's enabled me to be more circumspect about things. I'm trans (booo!) and started transitioning 17 years ago. I'm just a guy in the world, few know I'm trans, nobody cares, as it should be.

The other day I had a health appointment, unrelated to being trans or anything that could be relevant, yet the worker obviously had looked into my medical history, misgendered me (I'm a bald bloke with a beard ffs), asked me clearly inappropriate questions which was obviously from 'gender critical' rhetoric. I ended up leaving and now I have all the palaver of having to go through the practice manager to make a complaint.

Here's a really simple solution, if you're a 'gender critical' activist then realise that it's clearly inappropriate for you to work with trans people and ask for someone else to see them. If I had a problem with the existence of, I don't know, black people, tall people, I don't know, people with tattoos or something, then I would just ask someone else to see them. If in my job I was asked to see someone who was openly 'gender critical' I would just tell my lead that I would not be the best person to see them and she would have no problem with that.

I've talked with loads of people about this and nobody thinks this is unreasonable..and certainly in terms of the NHS something that is completely doable with a group that makes up 0.5% of the population.

Obviously, given that I'm in the hornet's nest, I won't be responding, just will leave that request to think about this if you're in a public facing job.

No. That would be asking people to illegally discriminate. It's not going to happen.

What were the questions? Impossible to know if I sympathise with you without fuller context.

If it was "do you take it up the blah-blah", when you were going for a nose bleed, I could have sympathy.

If they were asking you questions about your actual sex related to the health conditions you were being seen about? Then I'd say let people do their jobs without forcing them to engage in high fantasy.

Obviously, given that I'm in the hornet's nest, I won't be responding

Can you hear yourself? The prejudice here. I am a woman who does not share your ideological belief, but am perfectly capable of working with Christians, Muslims, Spiritualists and people who believe a range of things I don't.

In a medical situation, knowing the biological sex of the patient can be pertinent depending on the situation. Without knowing more than the vague OP, it is impossible to tell if that was the case here or not.

ETA - it is entirely possible that the medical person in question was not an activist of any kind. They really just could have been doing their job properly and professionally. For example, understanding the patient's medical history so they don't give treatment that is contraindicated for any reason.

Do you think it is ok for women to ask to be seen by women only for intimate care?

OP, did you read about the transman in the US who presented to A&E with abdominal pain and lost the baby she was in labour with, as staff had innacurate medical information?

It is not fair to put medical staff in this situation. Being trans means identifying out of biological reality but in medical situations reality has to take priority over identity feelings.

• If they were speaking to you, they would use your name, not your pronouns. So how did they misgender you?
• What were the ‘clearly inappropriate questions’? Given that biological men donating blood are asked if they could be pregnant, there is a very good chance what you think is inappropriate is actually standard operating procedure.

OP if you have grounds for a complaint, make one. It has nothing to do with anyone here.

What were the questions? Hard to say whether they were irrelevant or offensive, or not.

I'm a brown woman. I get asked about my family history as that can be useful when it comes to diagnosing and identifying risk factors for certain conditions - ones that as a non medical professional I wouldn't know about.

Or should I just cry "racism" and and risk not getting comprehensive healthcare?

Tough choice, for sure.

You left because a health professional didn’t play along with your fantasy of having changed sex and instead asked you relevant medical questions related to your sex?

You might visibly be a 'balding bloke with a beard' but biologically and medically speaking your still female on some powerful drugs.

The doctor shouldn't have been deliberately insensitive (we don't know if he was) but people have died because they've been treated as a gender of their choice rather than their sex.

You will still have a female circulatory system, female digestive system. Normal blood results will be benchmarked against women and not men. You'll have a female disease risk profile. If you have a heart attack it's more likely to be missed because female symptoms get missed more. But you'll have less chance of that heart attack (unless hormones raise the risk) because you are biological female.

I'm very gender critical. I'd have used your name, no pronouns but I'd have explained why I needed to ask particular questions if they were related to your sex as I know it's a sensitive area for you.

Whether the doctor was unreasonable or you were oversensitive covered down to what questions where asked and the way they were asked. But there'd be precious few areas of medicine where you should be treated as a male.

I'm a bald bloke with a beard

That's just it though isn't it?
You're not.

If you were born female, you remain female.

It's sex that should guide all medical care.

Born female, no prostate, no adams apple, different hips, different ribs, different shoulder proportions, different bone density, different muscle ratios etc etc now I'm no Dr or nurse and even I know there's huge biological differences between those born males and those born females.

I'd argue that it's actually vital in medical situations to know the birth sex of the patient.

People say "gender is bollocks"
Agreed. It's sex that matters.
So in those terms, you weren't misgendered, you were correctly sexed.

gender critical beliefs don't render you unable to have interactions with trans identifying people 🤦🏻‍♀️

just more 'oh poor me' tosh

YABU

If in my job I was asked to see someone who was openly 'gender critical' I would just tell my lead that I would not be the best person to see them and she would have no problem with that.

Who's actually the person with the prejudice?

This sounds like unfortunately the OP encountered an unprofessional bully and a complaint is justified - but against that individual not gender critical people in general.

Most gender critical feminists are perfectly capable of being professional and courteous (without losing their grip on biological reality when it's relevant).

It sounds like the health professional encountered a prejudiced bully…

Depends what was asked.

Which OP has handily left out.

Female born people have different care necessities to male born people.

Reality doesn't give a shit about feelings.
If OP presents as a 'bloke' but needs intimate examinations, questions about female body parts is pertinent, not offensive.

'gender critical' rhetoric

So basically asking questions based on reality.

If you are female, then this is very much a factor whenever you seek out medical assistance for any number of reasons - not all directly related to your trans identity status,

This. Its difficult to misgender in a one to one conversation.

I suspect you were asked questions relating to your sex, and that upset you. But the truth is, theres no getting away from the fact that sex is important in medical settings, as is age and medical history.

I dont like to be reminded of my age when i see the doctor, but its inevitable.

Gender critical activist here.

Having lived with a trans man for two years and befriending many of his trans friends, no I don't think "boo!" when I learn that someone is trans.

If they learn I am gender critical then many of them would certainly ostracise me for my beliefs and maybe sincerely believe they are somehow "in danger" in my presence. Should they be banned from working with anyone that might be gender critical because they think this way?

Gender critical just means you're critical of the concept of gender, that you believe it's a social construct, and in many cases has harmful repercussions for both sexes. It doesn't mean you wish death and pain (or awkward medical appointments) on trans people.

Anyway, without knowing what questions you were asked (e.g. "do you really think you're a man" - rude vs. "do you have regular periods" - likely medically relevant) then we have no way of knowing whether your experience was as a result of this medical practitioner asking actually rude or inappropriate questions or merely subverting the Gender Ideology 10 Commandments of "Thou shalt not use correct sex pronouns, thou shalt not refer to any biological functions relating to the sex of the individual etc.".

OP notes that ‘trans’ makes up 0.5% of the population, but wishes to undermine accurate language necessary for the health of 100% of the population.

Medicine treats bodies. not feelings.
Hope that helps.

The ‘non gender critical’ medical professionals don’t really believe you’re a bloke either. HTH