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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Younger generations being pro trans

181 replies

PeachyDaisy · 10/04/2026 05:22

I know many are saying the trans debate is over, but I think it has only just begun. And the reason is the younger generation. Studies show young people are the most supportive of transwomen going into women's spaces amongst all groups. In 20 years, these people will be in positions of power making decisions where they can enact their beliefs.

Also most of the western world has fallen to trans ideology (which activists will use as credibility for their ideology). I don't buy the argument that as long as it is just in EU/Australia/CA/ NZ then it is contained.

Having the laws on our side and sex matters fighting is great, but it feels like little consolation if we have to spend the next 50 years constantly in a court room suing organisations as they continue to to flaunt the law. It is like wack a mole, you stop one stop one organisation from doing it whilst another one pops up.

OP posts:
TheKeatingFive · 10/04/2026 11:16

rabbitwoman · 10/04/2026 10:52

I have also had a couple of parents tell me that their children are so much cleverer and know so much more than we do - about identity and about the world.

And then they tell their children that.

And then I sit back and watch..... because I just cannot battle against that......

I have also had a couple of parents tell me that their children are so much cleverer and know so much more than we do - about identity and about the world

I'm curious as to where this idea came from. This is completely counter to the ethos I was brought up in. When did that change?

Kiminki · 10/04/2026 11:17

TheKeatingFive · 10/04/2026 11:16

I have also had a couple of parents tell me that their children are so much cleverer and know so much more than we do - about identity and about the world

I'm curious as to where this idea came from. This is completely counter to the ethos I was brought up in. When did that change?

It gets reeled out each August as a reason for grade inflation

FKAT · 10/04/2026 11:18

Shortshriftandlethal · 10/04/2026 10:03

I suspect when the OP refers to " younger generations" she is referring to millennials or the generation one below. The generations coming up behind are really past it all and are moving on to new things. My daughter teaches 11-18 year olds, and the younger ones just roll their eyes now, and openly reject the notion of 'gender identity'. Most often, it is the activist teachers that are pushing it........and i suspect it is this generation of teachers that the OP is referring to.

'Gender identity' is really a generational fad...in the way that Emos/Goths/Indigo children were in their time.....but a fad that has successfully been pushed and inserted into every institution by a secretive and powerful lobby.

Edited

Yes, the millennials are very keen on thinking of themselves as young or the voice of the youth. Look at wee Owen Jones (41 - the same age as my friend who is a granny).

Shortshriftandlethal · 10/04/2026 11:20

FKAT · 10/04/2026 11:18

Yes, the millennials are very keen on thinking of themselves as young or the voice of the youth. Look at wee Owen Jones (41 - the same age as my friend who is a granny).

Millennials are a big age grouping. It supposedly stretches from 1981 to 2000.

Shortshriftandlethal · 10/04/2026 11:21

TheKeatingFive · 10/04/2026 11:16

I have also had a couple of parents tell me that their children are so much cleverer and know so much more than we do - about identity and about the world

I'm curious as to where this idea came from. This is completely counter to the ethos I was brought up in. When did that change?

I'm not even sure exactly what it is referring to? Whose children, what issue, and why?

Xanadu78 · 10/04/2026 11:39

My Gen Alpha daughter would be cordial to someone they met IRL but is quite gender critical and has said that she does not want to share female spaces or organisations with them.

MrsOvertonsWindow · 10/04/2026 11:41

TheKeatingFive · 10/04/2026 11:16

I have also had a couple of parents tell me that their children are so much cleverer and know so much more than we do - about identity and about the world

I'm curious as to where this idea came from. This is completely counter to the ethos I was brought up in. When did that change?

Lots of reasons. Including being your child's friend rather than a responsible parent establishing boundaries.
Fear. Children are often taught that if their parent understands that sex is binary, knows facts and reality and wants to safeguard them from an age inappropriate ideology then the parent's a bigot and dangerous. You need them out of your life.

rabbitwoman · 10/04/2026 11:45

Shortshriftandlethal · 10/04/2026 11:21

I'm not even sure exactly what it is referring to? Whose children, what issue, and why?

I don't actually have any of my own children.

But i am a teacher and I so I get the privilege of talking - although, mostly listening- to a wide range of kids about all sorts of things.

And let me absolutely guarantee- some of them may have higher IQs than me, sone of them might get better grades than I do. But they really don't have a clue about the world. Especially not the ones who are the most confident that they do.

GlovedhandsCecilia · 10/04/2026 11:51

I'm in my late 30s and it wasnt something we even had to consider when I was young. So im not sure how anyone can say how our attitudes have changed if we were never asked. You can ask my kids now, and then 20 years later. You cant compare my answer to 20 years ago because nobody asked me for one.

DialSquare · 10/04/2026 11:53

rabbitwoman · 10/04/2026 11:45

I don't actually have any of my own children.

But i am a teacher and I so I get the privilege of talking - although, mostly listening- to a wide range of kids about all sorts of things.

And let me absolutely guarantee- some of them may have higher IQs than me, sone of them might get better grades than I do. But they really don't have a clue about the world. Especially not the ones who are the most confident that they do.

Especially not the ones who are the most confident that they do.

This is so true.
I remember family friend telling us about a conversation with her son when he was very young. She said “I taught you everything you know, not everything I know, just everything you know”. It really resonates with me now I’m much older.

ChamonixMountainBum · 10/04/2026 12:02

Purely ancedotal, but my nieces were all teenagers when the trans train rocked into town and at one point it seemed half their class were identifying as non binary/they them/pan sexual or whatever. Fast forward several years and they have finished uni and in the work place and they look back and joke about it all being a fad and a fear of missing out. Reminded me of when I was at school and the cool kid decided to become vegetarian, within a few weeks half the class were on the bandwagon and by the end of the year it had all fizzled out as the next cool thing came over the horizon.

Helleofabore · 10/04/2026 12:08

What I see around this specific issue is that there is this attempt to continue to portray rejecting male inclusion as being 'right wing'. And therefore this then also plays into the 'as people get older they get more 'right wing'' narrative.

It is an absurdity though because that premise completely misses several points as has already been mentioned. Such as the point that as people gain more experience on the implications and the direct consequences of allowing male people to be treated as if they are female when they are not they realise that it cannot be done without direct negative impact on female people and children.

Also, if someone cannot physically change sex and there are no biological markers for gender dysphoria at all, it can only be acceptably categorised as a subjective belief about themselves explained through philosophical theory and not based on material reality at all. We have been categorically told it is not a mental health 'condition' to believe you are the opposite sex, so that is ruled out of the way we can describe it that is acceptable.

So, therefore this group is to be treated as no other group has done before, yet there is no material reason to do so. Once people understand this with deeper knowledge, they also understand why there is such dissonance with the issue. It is one constructed by individuals and it is not society dealing with a natural variance in people that is materially real.

The more research that comes out that points out that what we have been told previously is not correct or accurate, of course people are going to change their perspective. It is not 'right wing' to have healthy personal boundaries, yet those to resort to saying those who oppose male people in female provisions need to shame people who might be suggestive to political pressure to believe that it is.

So much damage is being done leveraging some people's fear of being seen as being not left wing and being seen as being 'extreme'. Yet when you remove the emotional manipulation of that kind of shit, you realise there IS no half way. If you advocate for any male inclusion, it harms female people.

Hence we had that interaction with the poster who declared we were extreme and did all that 'both sidesing' when the reality was they agreed with most of what we said, but they fully believed that their privileged position of full nudity in a mixed sex communal space was the only way to go for changing rooms. It was like they had this complete blind spot about the needs of other people in their determination to be open minded about these things.

They disappeared after people pointed out that they just showed that they lacked any empathy at all for female people who did not want to be naked in a communal changing space. That they came from a place of privilege about that never seemed to occur them. But .. both sides are extreme apparently.

Not realising their own position was fucking extreme. Extremely harmful to female people.

GreyskySexRealistsky · 10/04/2026 12:15

Xanadu78 · 10/04/2026 11:39

My Gen Alpha daughter would be cordial to someone they met IRL but is quite gender critical and has said that she does not want to share female spaces or organisations with them.

I echo this ^ and all the other posters saying similar on this thread about this much younger generation.

I believe the future is more positive than we might have thought a few years ago.

I think TRAs and their allies simply assumed things would only go one way in the future (i.e. their way) but Gen Alpha has other ideas.

Interesting thread!

rabbitwoman · 10/04/2026 12:47

In real life and pretty much on line, I have just stopped talking about this so much - not because i don't believe in it any more, but because legally everything is going in the right direction.

We have the FWS court ruling. And organisations and the government can stall as much as they like. But it's the law and we all know it.

We had the cass review and now this Finnish study - every professional from teaching to social care to mental health with safeguarding responsibilities for children and other vulnerable people will no longer be able to hide behind Stonewall or any other misinformation.

We have the IOC ruling. And this week alone even darts have said no men in women's darts!!!

So young people can get as cross as they want. And once the new thing comes along they'll forget all about it.

Shortshriftandlethal · 10/04/2026 12:49

rabbitwoman · 10/04/2026 11:45

I don't actually have any of my own children.

But i am a teacher and I so I get the privilege of talking - although, mostly listening- to a wide range of kids about all sorts of things.

And let me absolutely guarantee- some of them may have higher IQs than me, sone of them might get better grades than I do. But they really don't have a clue about the world. Especially not the ones who are the most confident that they do.

I'm an ex teacher too...but I'm still not sure if you are referring to a particular group of children?

i don't think it is the kids that push trans ideology, I think it is the activist teachers ( of which there many) and their own 'right on' parents ( Jolyon Maugham, several Labour MPs etc); as well as on line groups and influencers.

lifeturnsonadime · 10/04/2026 12:51

PeachyDaisy · 10/04/2026 05:22

I know many are saying the trans debate is over, but I think it has only just begun. And the reason is the younger generation. Studies show young people are the most supportive of transwomen going into women's spaces amongst all groups. In 20 years, these people will be in positions of power making decisions where they can enact their beliefs.

Also most of the western world has fallen to trans ideology (which activists will use as credibility for their ideology). I don't buy the argument that as long as it is just in EU/Australia/CA/ NZ then it is contained.

Having the laws on our side and sex matters fighting is great, but it feels like little consolation if we have to spend the next 50 years constantly in a court room suing organisations as they continue to to flaunt the law. It is like wack a mole, you stop one stop one organisation from doing it whilst another one pops up.

All the young people I know think trans is a load of bollocks.

They tend not to be able to talk about the fact openly in university environments because of, legitimate, fear of reprisals.

LeftBoobGoneRogue · 10/04/2026 13:03

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Being a sex realist does not make us MNetters ignorant.
Gender ideology has no base in fact. Nobody can change sex, and not aligning with sexed body is about not conforming to gender stereotypes (ie personality differences) or a fetish (AGP).
Regarding being open minded, you can’t generalise about age either. Some young people have very closed minds and fixed ideas.

Kiminki · 10/04/2026 13:03

rabbitwoman · 10/04/2026 12:47

In real life and pretty much on line, I have just stopped talking about this so much - not because i don't believe in it any more, but because legally everything is going in the right direction.

We have the FWS court ruling. And organisations and the government can stall as much as they like. But it's the law and we all know it.

We had the cass review and now this Finnish study - every professional from teaching to social care to mental health with safeguarding responsibilities for children and other vulnerable people will no longer be able to hide behind Stonewall or any other misinformation.

We have the IOC ruling. And this week alone even darts have said no men in women's darts!!!

So young people can get as cross as they want. And once the new thing comes along they'll forget all about it.

conversely I have seen a lot more people talking about it online - people taking no truck with trans ideology. It seems to have become a lot easier to talk about and the court rulings are making it more difficult for trans activists to shut down the conversation.

localnotail · 10/04/2026 13:09

I have a young teen and both him and his friends are definitely not "pro-trans".

I would add they would not treat anyone badly because of being trans (and are aware of social conventions of not saying anything about it out of politeness) but I know they view it as something weird and perhaps funny.

InSlovakiaTheCapitalOfCourseIsBratislava · 10/04/2026 13:15

I reckon if the pendulum can swing away formed based stereotypes it will probably be ok. If in ten years girls wanting short hair or boys not liking football means they were born in the wrong body then we are still screwed.

Otherwise it will probably die a natural death: mortgages, working 35 hours a week plus a commute, partners, ageing parents, wanting children(discovering the self inflicted infertility), will pull the teeth of the TRA’s youthful idealists , just like most people grow out of being goths, emos or socialists.

of course, if “poor mental health” means that lots of them can’t actual get jobs and be distracted by the real
world then there may also be a bit of an issue.

MrsOvertonsWindow · 10/04/2026 13:34

ChamonixMountainBum · 10/04/2026 12:02

Purely ancedotal, but my nieces were all teenagers when the trans train rocked into town and at one point it seemed half their class were identifying as non binary/they them/pan sexual or whatever. Fast forward several years and they have finished uni and in the work place and they look back and joke about it all being a fad and a fear of missing out. Reminded me of when I was at school and the cool kid decided to become vegetarian, within a few weeks half the class were on the bandwagon and by the end of the year it had all fizzled out as the next cool thing came over the horizon.

This is a really important point. This was originally a solely male issue with a vanishingly small group of boys and a larger group of middle aged males - many of them autogynephiles.

Then transgenderism was positioned as a "human rights" issue and instead of exercising critical thinking about what was appropriate for children, trans lobby groups were generously funded by the DfE & other government organisations and were able to specifically target children of all ages - via the NHS, schools, sport and of course online. With girls being particularly vulnerable to online influence.

As @ChamonixMountainBum points out, as children grow up and are away from the heated online atmosphere and places where you're punished for challenging genderism, it becomes a passing phase and the power of the organisations pushing this reduces. Leaving of course a cohort of young women and some young men facing unbelievably tragic future lives.

oldtiredcyclist · 10/04/2026 15:06

Back in 2018, when I was made aware of gender ideology, when Rachel McKinnon (the Canuck Sasquatch) burst on the cycling scene, I started a thread about it on a well known UK cycling forum. I was very surprised to find a number of the blokes calling me bigoted because of my views and that TWAW. One of these blokes, around my age at the time, said that he generally took the advice from his young sons, who knew far more than we could ever know about current affairs or social behaviour.
I found that quite sad and alarming in equal measure, that he was so weak, that he felt compelled to follow the herd, rather than think for himself.

FlirtsWithRhinos · 10/04/2026 17:13

ApplebyArrows · 10/04/2026 06:10

I think young people can be a bit naive about the realties of sex. It's actually quite easy at the age of 20 or so to see being a man or a woman as primarily a matter of what clothes you wear and what sort of interests you have. The differences between males and females become a lot harder to ignore once you or your friends start having babies. As women get older they are more likely to notice sex discrimination at work. Once people grow up a bit they get a more realistic view of the world.

Yes 100%

The only people who think "the world in the future will be different because young people are different" are young people.

The old people think "Ah, I remember when I thought like that as well, how much I still had to learn"

moto748e · 10/04/2026 17:33

WednesdaysPlaits · 10/04/2026 06:14

Amongst my YPs’ groups I see that DC1s year group (aged 21) were fully captured and found it hard to dissent. They were at an interesting stage of their social development (15/16/17/18) during lockdown when they became very dependent on social media at a time when they ought to have been starting to have real relationships with other teens. . DC2 is just a couple of years younger at 19 and far fewer in that group think that it’s possible to change sex. Unfortunately the younger group are more likely to have been influenced by the misogynistic manosphere stuff.

Edited

Agree. Covid was a big factor in all this; the timing was awful for that generation.

RedToothBrush · 10/04/2026 17:37

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Young people are idealistic about lots of things.

Then they live life and come face to face with reality.

It's not a symptom of MN not exclusive to this subject. Basically they grow up and realise things aren't as black and white as they thought when they were 18.