"Donald Trump doesn’t know what a woman is, either"

[WorthyTraybake]

Just boosting this articke from Glosswitch, from November. Sums up so much, so well.
https://thecritic.co.uk/donald-trump-doesnt-know-what-a-woman-is-either/

His EO's are also making it a requirement to communicate in plain (accurate) language and making it easier for those with adverse experiences or doubts to come forward with evidence (e.g. detransitioners). I guess we will see whether this does give the left a push to rethink. I don't see that without glaringly-obvious facts at an almost overwhelming scale, left learning advocates of gender identity will move from their entrenched and beloved positions at all. On bad days I think that even with 'glaringly obvious facts' being presented and debated openly they will continue to see themselves as the good guys and carry on as before.

The Left, founded on a belief in social progress and a happy belief in humanity's relentless march towards betterment, has a degree of conviction in its own moral superiority that can frighten me. It seems to come with a built-in blindness to its own fallibility. And with this comes a dangerous confidence that can be used to justify the most egregious wrongs

This is very insightful and beautifully articulated

I think she wrote it to tell lefties "GC feminists don't support Trump on everything", "we're not dumb"? At least, that's what I thought it was an attempt at. But yes, it's like the other threads here where posters are saying "you shouldn't be happy with Trump because he's a misogynist " and the other posters are "well, no shit sherlock...."

At the moment, I think left/right are out of date and far too simplistic.
'Left' is now a catch all term for people who are often incredibly different and with opposing views. It covers everyone from old school left who fought against S28 and for free speech to trade unionists to climate change activists to radical feminists to hard-core TRAs fighting for censorship and against women's rights.
Add in that right is becoming more of a broadchurch too.

I do hope there's big news on detransitioners suing health care providers. Even a leftist would ask why would they sue if they were happy and feel their best selves.

But they do pave the road to hell 😈🔥. So there's that.

Yes, I think this too. Think it's a good article to share with bekind friends.

I agree with your last statement.

I do think they have good intentions. Many on the "left" are women and they do have to content with men in their changing rooms and on their hospital wards. They will just put up with the obvious discomfort and even feel guilty for feeling that way. They want to be good people and they believe this is what it takes.

But what about the women in prisons, at risk of being sexually assaulted by men. I notice you gloss over that.

There's a woman suing the state of California because of this. She was locked up in a cell with a man who then sexually harassed her.

What about this? Do you really see good intentions here?

They want to be good people

Sorry, but I don't think "wanting to be good people" can be necessarily classed as a "good intention".

Framed like that it's about self-regard, or how other people perceive you. You're looking inwards, not outwards. And that's how you end up manipulated - you're not looking at what you're actually going along with.

You noticed correctly.

I don't have an argument for that and neither do "the left". They just bury their head in the sand.

I also think you can want to be 'good people' without realising your moral framework for being a good person isn't fit for purpose.

Hence the desire to 'be kind' to those who are shouting loudest that they're oppressed, without having the wisdom or discipline to question that and look out for the needs of other vulnerable people whose voices are not being heard (like women in prison).

So, I guess I agree with you that they want to be good people. But I'd conclude their comprehension of what a good person actually is - is totally lacking.

I agree, if Trump's the bad guy, how bad must the guy's who made him look good to the electorate be?

(For the record I don't like Trump one little bit)

Exactly

That's a terrible article.

It's all over the place logically with unfounded assumptions that are not articulated because she believes her readers will agree with her.

The term misogynist is applied as if there is an assumption of what that means or how it applies to trump or the right.

Trump has obviously treated women very badly in his personal life but the assumption he doesn't value them because they are women in their roles in the workplace and economy is not explained, because I think there's no evidence for it.

So what exactly is this nebulous 'misogyny' we're supposed to be afraid of?
I could understand it if you were thinking of dating him, but as a 'misogynist' president what are women supposed to actually be afraid of?

She doesn't say.

It's hinted that's it's abortion. Which is the only thing I think can be levelled. And she again presumes there is only one pro women position on abortion (but she doesn't say what that is) which is again lazy. There are many different arguments around abortion and how differing policies effect women.
The idea that the left hold the only pro women view of abortion is a view only the left hold.

So if it's not just abortion what are these other misogynistic policies? None are mentioned despite all the misogyny and fear.

We do get the fear of people who value 'traditional gender roles'. What is she afraid of? That woman are going to be forced into being trad wives? What policy is pushing that then? None, it's just fear mongering about people who think differently. Mostly about religious people and their views.

If you don't want to be a trad wife don't be one. It's that easy. You don't have to be scared of the people who live differently.

And the reaction on here that the left have Good Intentions. Well 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.

Such naive dangerous clap trap.

Everyone has good intentions. The road to hell is paved with them.
I cannot believe anyone is still so deluded to be saying; well yes they did remove women's rights and child safeguarding but they meant well.

A really poor article by a usually good writer imo.

Really?

Because it looks like the "fundamentally bad people" are doing the right things here.

The "fundamentally good people" are looking pretty shit.

A conundrum.

There is a concept in Eastern Orthodoxy called prelest, which often comes to my mind when I think of this kind of person.

Essentially it is a spiritual delusion and false holiness, where individuals believe in their own righteousness and are blinded to the fact that they are embracing evil doctrines and practices. The remedy is supposed to be humility and awareness of one's own fallibility.

When I read your title I came on to say that Donald Trump knows what women are. The class of people he uses and abuses at will.

Then I read the article and I agree with Glosswitch that Donald Trump does not recognise that women are equal human beings to him. So he doesn't really know what women are.

Thank you @WorthyTraybake.

Today, following Trump’s EO, a second clinic, Virginia Commonwealth University, has announced it will “no longer take part in medical and surgical procedures” related to sex trait modification in minors.

Today Trump’s Dept of Education sent a letter to every school in the US, stating that Biden’s Title IX rewrite was over, that the social experiment of “trans inclusive” facilities, sports, bathrooms, & scholarships is done.That “Sex” under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is back to being interpreted as male & female.

Some 'blue' (let me guess 'good') states still have state laws compelling gender identity theory, but the people in those states who have claimed to 'just be following orders' now have a compliance dilemma/issue.

If Trump is the 'bad' guy then sometimes we need the 'bad' guy to push back on the mountain of destruction and damage caused by the 'good' people.

https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-enforce-2020-title-ix-rule-protecting-women

www.wvtf.org/news/2025-01-30/vcu-clinic-begins-to-comply-with-trumps-transgender-healthcare-ban-on-those-under-19

Donald Trump doesn't care who ANYONE is. Yes, he has a history of treating women as (sexual) objects, because he's a heterosexual man and that's the use that most women that he knows in person have for him. He has other uses for the equivalent men (and yes, I know that it is not the work of feminism to save or care about them).

But don't let this "Trump is a misogynist" narrative divert you from demanding rights and protections for women. The Executive Order that Biden passed that let men use the women only facilities in Federal spaces was wrong. Where was the uproar when he did that? That law was in place for Biden's tenure and then was suddenly rescinded by Trump, who reversed it when he took office.

I understand that the reversal poses a problem to some trans people (it's not totally safe to just put a trans person in the facility that corresponds with their sex) but - come on, was "put any man who says he's a woman in a woman's jail cell" not always a fucked-up, damaging law all along? Damaging to women? The UN knows it is.

I hadn't realised Victoria Smith wrote that in November. It says so in the op so that's my bad and it was a tad unreasonable for me to expect her to have expressed a view on the Executive Orders two months before they were published! I'd really like her to write about it now though. I've a feeling she won't but I hope I'm wrong because I think it would be a really compelling piece.

I see she's posted this by Lisa Selin Davis and described it as 'an excellent analysis'. Among other things, Davis writes this;
'But I urge people to avoid what’s known as “intentional fallacy:” judging a work based on the assumed intentions of its creator. Focus on what these directives actually say.'

https://www.broadview.news/p/alas-were-going-to-have-to-keep-talking?utm

Another excellent article that demonstrates where the Democrats 'good intentions' got us.

https://www.spiked-online.com/2025/01/30/is-the-horror-of-child-transitioning-finally-coming-to-an-end/

This a perfect example of the problem; the left view themselves as good, and the right as bad. And thus they blind themselves to their faults. In reality there is good and bad on both sides of the political spectrum and everyone should recognise that. Both left wing and right wing want the world to be better, they want to ‘do good’ and have ‘good intentions’. The only difference is their belief in how best to achieve that; the left by equity and the right through freedom of the individual. Equity comes at the cost of individual freedoms and individual freedoms comes at the cost of equity.

I hadn't realised Victoria Smith wrote that in November.

That explains is resemblance to the posters just before the UK general election telling us to vote Labour because once in government they will suddenly realise what women are.