Trans - has there ever been a topic so widely discussed, so controversial, and yet so misunderstood? I cannot think of one in my lifetime.
Let us start slowly with a simple statement where the vast majority of people can agree. Whatever an adult does is of no concern to anyone else, unless it harms others or breaks the law. Can we all agree with that?
Now, let us mention the statement which causes all the disagreement: trans women are women. We all know this is not a factual statement. It takes us to a place where we have to pretend to believe in something that we know is not true.
What is ‘transgender’, usually shortened to 'trans'? It use to mean Gender Dysphoria. This is a medical term to describe a mental health diagnosis where someone does not feel comfortable or happy with their body, in terms of their sex. It affects a tiny percentage of the population.
A similar condition is Body Integrity Dysphoria where individuals cut off healthy limbs. They feel a mismatch between their mental and physical image. There are people now who feel they are the incorrect race and even the wrong species. The human mind is complicated and can be easily damaged.
Today, 'trans' means almost whatever you want it to mean. I can decide I am a woman and from that very second, I am an actual woman. I wear a pink garter on my left thigh on a Wednesday afternoon during Spring – therefore I am trans. I do not use he/him or she/her and prefer zhe/zer – therefore I am trans. Silliness.
It is now a trendy new subculture that attracts attention, social value and victimhood status. It reminds me of the punk movement in the 1970s – rebellious, shocking, cool – and heavily middle-class.
This appropriation of a mental health issue by selfish people has caused huge problems for people with gender dysphoria. But thanks to the actions of so-called activists, people with dysphoria are now seen as perverts and narcissists, which is unfair for the vast majority are not and just want a quiet life.
Until recently no one had heard of ‘trans’ and no one cared. But now people are aware because of the serious problems this silliness has created. A convicted male sex offender can now claim to be trans and he is sent to a woman's prison. This is not a joke or exaggeration. This is happening today in the UK and women have been sexually assaulted in prison. In women's sports, men are literary kicking the shit out of women in combat sports and smashing world records in many female disciplines. This is just a new form of cheating.
Women are now worried about losing female-only spaces, such as toilets, changing rooms and hospital wards. We need to remember why we have these spaces – a tiny percentage of men are sexual predators and need to be kept away from women if vulnerable.
We seem to be sacrificing women on the altar of woke, for trans men do not cause any issues for men.
How did we get here? The answer is surprising – feminism. Unintended consequences.
Feminism caused this problem by pushing boundaries and removing social norms, but this does not mean we should allow women to suffer today. The number of women who claim to be a feminist is very small for they know it is not about equality. A Telegraph newspaper article in 2016 stated that only 7% of people in the UK call themselves feminists.
For all of my adult life feminism has been a man-hating movement for women who seek excuses. Men who claim to be feminists are even worse and should not be trusted – especially by women, for there is something creepy about such individuals.
A simple timeline of the development of feminism: We are equal to men. We are better than men. We are men. Men want to be us.
Everyone in the trans movement claims to be a feminist, but not all feminists are in the trans movement. Feminism served middle-class educated women well for over half a century. But they have lost control of the movement now - it has turned against old fashioned man-hating feminists and embraced the new religion of woke. Many nasty movements are eventually overthrown by revolution.
What is the answer to all this nonsense? Let us start with the basics.
We keep our language intact for the meaning of words does matter. Trans women are not women, they are trans women. Words are not violence. Gender is a made-up word and should not be used going forward.
We keep single-sex spaces intact for the benefit of women and the comfort of men. It is not sexist to want to be around the same sex for this is how boys learn to be men and girls to be women. We ruined the Boy Scouts because girls wanted to be boys – feminism at work again.
We do not force our ideas and beliefs upon others. If we wish to change minds we must persuade with relevant information and argument, not through bullying, intimidation or fear.
We must be accepting of differences. This includes differences of thought, as well as lifestyle. We are responsible for our own life and actions, we are not the boss of others.
We must acknowledge the need for sex-based roles in society. This does not mean we stop individuals from doing particular roles, but it does mean we stop pushing for equity. Equality must mean allowing people to make their own choices, even if we do not like the results.
Finally, we must stop virtue signalling and pretending we are amazing, for we are not. We are flawed and just as pathetic as everyone else. The truth hurts.
Be who you want to be and I will be who I want to be.
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