TW at women's bookclub?

[HeartyAzureCritic]

I attended a new bookclub yesterday that was advertised as women only but I think one of the people was a TW. Is this allowed? I though it had to be female only. It seemed like this person has been going for a while and people were friendly with him.

I wouldn't be comfortable in a book group with a transwoman now I know about autogynephilia (and how men tend to dominate groups) but I wouldn't try to change a small informal group. Some women are completely happy with transwomen in women's groups and if they aren't they will go elsewhere. If it received funding as a women's group that would be a different matter but if it's just an informal group I'd just let them get on with it. I'm in a book group started by a woman in my pilates class. There are 7 of us and when it started it was definitely a 'no men' situation. Now it's a no-one else can join situation as we're very aware adding a new person to the mix would change the group dynamic.

As others have said, i think small, social groups like this arent covered by the EqA.

Women means something, though and it doesnt include men. If its important for the group to be women only including men makes no sense. I dont understand how someone can decide that they want to set up a womens group, advertise it as such, then admit men?

Those who say it doesnt matter because no one is taking off their clothes, obvious dont understand the importance of womens ability to meet and organise without men and without mens approval.

Also, where does the group meet? If it's in someone's house it's absolutely up to the home owner who comes in and who doesn't - the EQA would not apply.

Someone posted here ages ago about a woman who wanted to bring her husband to a women-only book group. When he was refused he was going on about getting the police involved. He had no rights at all, still less to involve the police in a civil matter.

What a pathetic man.

Why is it a "cacophony"?
Is it because it's women's voices?.

My god. How desperate of him.

He was there first.

But why is a book club unsafe for ethnic minority women or women who were abused? They are just there talking about books?! How or why would anyone abuse anyone or make them unsafe?

"He"!

Good grief 🙄

Misogynistic ...... and very rude. As soon as women disagree with your opinion, it is a cacophony?

Is 'cacophony'from the TRA handbook perhaps?

Women can't have anything for themselves!
The presence of a man alters the whole dynamics of a women's group.

Sometimes women like to socialise with just women. Either 'just because', they are intetested in womens perspectives or because they don't want to or can't be around men in private.

If a woman seeks out a womens book group and the meeting is all men, no one would question the woman surprise because its reasonable to assume that a womens group is for women only.

If they accept men, and its no big deal to have a mixed book group, why advertise it as a womens group?

Some women would have to exclude themselves due to religious reasons. This is not a new thing.

Besides, transwomen are very open about joining clubs for women to validate "their identity as women". The participation causes them "gender euphoria" (translation: "arousal"). This means that the participation in a book club for women is part of the kink, and the women in the book club are part of the kink without their consent. Funnily enough, some women feel uncomfortable about that.

Because they may not want to be in the company of men at all. Is it really that hard to understand?
It’s misleading by calling it a woman’s book club.

The people there already seem fine with it though. I don't think it's reasonable to assume you'd be unsafe in a book club regardless of what sex the others were. She should just join another one.

They are obviously happy to go to a mixed sex book club then. That’s fine. This is supposed to be a woman’s book club. Some women seeking it out will not be looking for mixed sex. But according to you, they should just put up with it or fuck off. Nice.

It's not 'keeping them out of book groups'. If there were a mixed sex book group and a trans person was told they couldn't attend because they were trans, then yes, that would be bigoted.

This book club is for women. Trans identified men are not women, therefore they shouldn't be eligible to join. That's not 'going too far' - it's going precisely far enough. Just as if there's an under-18s book club, a 20 year old can't join. Even if he or she is extremely well-intentioned, gets on well with teenagers and enjoys reading YA books.

If someone thinks the very idea of a single-sex book club is unfair, they're free to start a mixed one. But 'women' does not mean 'women plus trans identified males'. Even if those males are nice and like to read. What about all the nice men who aren't trans? Why exclude them then?

Just to add, I seriously doubt that this book club is dangerous. But trauma/belief could make some women feel unsafe/anxious around men, hence requiring female single sex only.

And what if the OP is Muslim or Jewish and her religion prevents her from attending spaces where men are present? Should she just suck it up? The whole point is, the group is advertising itself as a women only book club, so she joined, but in reality it’s a mixed sex book club. She is not objecting to a TW in a book club, she’s objecting to a man in a book club purporting to be for women only.
OP, I’d contact the organisers and ask her to confirm whether the group is single sex or not. If she cannot confirm that it is, then I would tell her I would not be returning and look for one that more fits your needs.

I get you. But to disrupt or complain about what seems to be a small established group that isn't really doing any harm and are happy as they are seems the wrong battle to be fighting.

Sometimes these days these groups that are advertised as 'women only' are set up to reinforce the 'inclusion' of men who identify as women. It is almost as if the words 'women only' are an open invitation. A kind of double think - group think for people who like to belong to the 'right' groups.

I personally wouldn’t stay if I was looking for a woman’s book club, but I would point out to the organisers that they are misleading any new members by calling it a woman’s group. By ignoring things like this, gender ideology was able to creep in and influence many organisations.

This is what i suspect.

I think its a book group where all of the women dont care that its mixed sex, but the 'women only' description only exists to validate the man.

I wonder how they discuss themes of male entitlement?

Of course it’s allowed. What people do in their private social groups is nothing to do with the state. Let them define woman as a gender category if they want to. If you don’t like the group for whatever reason, don’t go again.