Practical positive actions to take following the ruling

[Rollstar]

How is everyone dealing with the online backlash following the SC ruling?
I'm still reeling (in a good way) from the court decision a bit and getting to grips with how the landscape has changed. I was expecting a big reaction, but even so have been taken aback by the level of vitriol aimed at GC women and at quite how profoundly so many people in the media and on SM are misunderstanding and misrepresenting our position. My social circle is generally on the progressive side and I'm also on a few 'Sisterhood' type groups. Have been especially disappointed by the number of people on my feeds (FB and Insta - I can't be doing with Twitter/X) whom I previously liked and admired, and was hopeful may be on the side of reality, who are coming out publicly with frankly hateful, intolerant bollocks whilst very obviously believing they are righteously fighting the good fight. It's infuriating.

I'm mostly staying out of it and have muted everything for a few days for the sake of my sanity and blood pressure. I have been involved in online discussions in the past and know it can be useful to a point (mainly to let lurkers know that alternative views are available) but it does take a lot out of you. It's just hard not to get sucked in when there is so much utter crap being bandied about. It's taking up mental space that I'd like to put towards more positive action.

I'm currently trying to focus on real life connections, have made contact with a couple of people who have posted rational stuff on local forums and am meeting up with one of them soon. Didn't have any local GC contacts before and one positive outcome of the online stuff is that it's made it much easier to identify allies. Hoping that real life connections will be more worthwhile in the long run than arguing on FB 🙄

Also planning to breathe deeply, take brisk walks (and cold showers 😂?) try to just enjoy the sense of relief at the outcome, find the funny side, write to MP, finally get in touch with headteacher of my kid's primary school, keep an eye on local NHS guidance etc

Has anyone got any other tips for positive thinking/actions we can take when the urge to tell strangers they're talking nonsense gets too much?

Great post, I think it sums up a lot of our experiences. I too was expecting a TRA backlash, but it has been even worse than feared. However, it has also got a lot more publicity than trans abusiveness normally gets, so maybe that will peak some neutrals.

Whatever we do or say, however brave we feel we can be in our circumstances, it's empowering to know that the UK Supreme Court agrees with us.

Even though it's not even my Supreme Court (I'm not in the UK) I'm feeling a bit stronger because of it. I didn't need the validation of a court for my GC beliefs, but it's a nice thing to have tucked in your back pocket, isn't it?

I work in a public sector building and have previously been told the toilets marked with a picture of a woman and a picture of a man are for everyone to use whichever they are most comfortable with.

I have been refused sight of the equality impact assessment for that policy.

I am now planning to use FOIs to check the organisation I work for is meeting the 1992 workplace regulations and is using the definition of woman clarified by the supreme court.

Every single floor of the building I work on has 4 facilities (signed men, women, gender neutral and disabled). I have been self excluding from the ladies following the behaviour of a male person who uses it but have a menopause related issue which can make it difficult to wait for the gender neutral toilets to be free.

I am hopeful that this means the regulations can be correctly upheld for me and other women like me

There is a terrific “what you can do now” guide on the Sex Matters website!