Mostly queued because we all need to log off sometimes and take care. As a feminist I care about far more than trans issues, but this blog mainly focuses on those because I can more easily be vocal on other issues non-anonymously and in real life without fearing for my career, personal relationships or safety. Other feminist issues are also not so frequently described as "never happening" or "straw men" so this blog also serves as a repository to refer back to when that happens. I will occasionally blog lots when the queue is full (or when there's a current-affairs thing going on which will be outdated by the time my queue spits it out). I normally don't have time to look at my 'activity,' comments on my posts etc so please dm if you really want to draw my attention to something. My own posts and commentaries are tagged my-comments; replies to asks are tagged ask if you're not sure whether I've responded.
Certain tra's/genderists/what have you: There are cis women who have beards, who have naturally low voices, who've had their breasts or ovaries removed, etc, and they aren't less of a woman, therefore transwomen aren't less of a woman for having masculine traits either!
Me: Those aren't reasons why transwomen are Also women, they're reasons why transmen are Still women. Having a mastectomy doesn't make a cancer survivor less female, and it doesn't make a transman less female either. Growing a beard doesn't mean a woman with PCOS, cushings or CAH is less female, and it doesn't make a transman less female either, and so on.
Transwomen don't have ovaries because they are male. Women / Transmen who've had their ovaries removed don't have ovaries...because they were removed.
The change in prison policy was confirmed in a review into the handling of the Isla Bryson case.
3 minute read
Newly convicted or remanded transgender prison inmates will initially be placed in jails according to their gender at birth, the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has confirmed.
The policy was confirmed in an urgent review which found a double rapist being placed in a women's jail did not put female prisoners at risk of harm.
However, the SPS said it received "conflicting" details on Isla Bryson.
It also called for an urgent review of admission rules for some inmates.
The investigation was ordered by Justice Secretary Keith Brown in the wake of public outcry after Bryson was initially housed in segregation at Cornton Vale prison in Stirling.
Bryson - who will be sentenced later this month for raping two women while she known as a man called Adam Graham - was then moved to a male wing at HMP Edinburgh.
In an interview with BBC Scotland, Mr Brown initially said the rule applied only to transgender people convicted of violence against women.
But after an intervention from a member of his staff, the justice secretary clarified that all transgender prisoners will go into an assessment in a prison service facility which matches the gender of their birth.
He added: "That will very often be a process which is undertaken in a segregated environment, before an assessment is made as to where the person goes.
"And if it turns out the person has that history [of violence against women or girls] then of course they will not be going to, if they are a trans woman, to the female estate."
SPS chief executive Teresa Medhurst said in a letter to Mr Brown that was published alongside a summary of the Bryson case review that she had ordered an urgent review of all transgender women in Scottish prisons.
She said: "Until these reviews are complete, any transgender person currently in custody and who has any history of violence against women - including sexual offences - will not be relocated from the male to the female estate.
"In addition, any newly convicted or remanded transgender prisoner will initially be placed in an establishment commensurate with their birth gender."
Under guidance drawn up in 2014, the prison service says "accommodation provided must be the one that best suits the person in custody's needs and should reflect the gender in which the person in custody is currently living."
However an updated SPS policy from last month stated that no newly convicted or remanded transgender prisoner with a history of violence against women would be housed in female prison facilities.
The latest change means that transgender women will now automatically go to a male prison regardless of whether or not they have previous convictions of violence against women. They will then be assessed before a decision is taken on where to place them longer-term.
However, the review says that in "exceptional circumstances" a transgender person with a history of violence against women could potentially be relocated to or placed in a prison which does not match their gender at birth, with ministerial approval.
The SPS review made four key recommendations to the Scottish government.
It found the prison service received "conflicting and limited information" about Bryson beyond the immediate convictions and said a "shared justice process" for the admission of transgender people to prisons should be considered.
The SPS also called for an urgent review of admission rules and improved communications about transgender prisoners from other justice sector organisations.
The report concluded SPS policy was followed in Bryson's case and said an individualised approach to risk assessments should continue.
"It is recommended that this person centred, individualised approach, which seeks to balance the rights of the individual with the risks they pose to themselves and to others continues and is encouraged," the report said.
Key findings and recommendations resulting from the review were published on Thursday, but Ms Medhurst said she believed it was "not necessary" to publish the full report due to the level of personal information it contains.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross urged the first minister to publish in full the review of the Bryson case at First Minister's Questions earlier on Thursday, with Ms Sturgeon pledging only to release the key findings.
Bryson was found guilty of raping two women in 2016 and 2019 in Clydebank and Glasgow before she changed gender.
The review into the handling of that case by the prison service was completed by the Scottish Prison Service last Friday, with a summary being made public on Thursday afternoon.
The SPS has also been conducting a Gender Identity and Gender Reassignment (GIGR) policy review since 2019 in response to concerns raised about welfare of people in its care.
Mr Brown confirmed the new policy on assessing transgender prisoners would remain in place pending the findings of the GIGR review.
In response to the Bryson report, he said: "All recommendations from the review have been accepted by Ms Medhurst as chief executive and will be progressed by SPS in collaboration with others as needed.
"As confirmed in the letter, SPS will factor the learning identified from this review into its GIGR policy review, which is ongoing."
Mermaidlife88 is not even correct. If you’re a woman and you stop wearing makeup, your friends often do too. If you’re a woman and you stop hating your body, your friends feel better about theirs. You can build your own community of women who opt out in their own ways.
Man too afraid to use the men’s toilets because he doesn’t want to call attention to he’s a man engages in a public Twitter battle with a woman. Then complains he was victimized by her.
A court fined a woman after she challenged the idea of males who identify as women accessing female facilities.
UK — Portsmouth, England. A court has determined that a woman’s “behaviour became criminal” when she sent messages “demonstrating hostility towards trans people” while challenging an individual who said men should be permitted access to female facilities if they identify as female.
On October 2, Ivy Burrows tagged Chinzia Ogilvie in a tweet about the women’s suffrage movement, Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court heard. In the tweet, Mr Burrows, a man who identifies as a woman, took the position that men with a transgender identity should be granted entry to such sex-specific female facilities as the women’s toilets.
Ms Ogilvie responded to her rival of five years, leading to a seven-hour Twitter exchange between the two.
According to solicitor Tim Sparkes, who represented Ms Ogilvie in court, the “discussion point” was Mr Burrows’s belief that “transgenders should be allowed to use female facilities with [Ogilvie] taking the contrary view.” Mr Burrows became the first to use a derogatory word, Mr Sparkes told the court, and Ms Ogilvie then “lost her temper.”
Ms Ogilvie pleaded to a charge of sending by public communication an offencive and obscene message. In a victim impact statement, Mr Burrows told the court that Ms Ogilvie “misgendered me” during the exchange, made “comments about my genitalia” and suggested that his insistence on entering spaces where girls and women may be in states of undress made him a “paedophile.”
The public remarks “led to me being anxious and stopping me going out,” because “I am a transgender woman and am scared of the consequences,” Mr Burrows claimed. “Her harassment made it difficult for me to be out as a transgender woman in Portsmouth,” he insisted.
“The anxiety the defendant has caused me has led me to rethink who I am and to think about returning to the closet.” Describing the exchange between the pair as “distressing,” Prosecutor Graham Heath said the comments about his genitals had left Mr Burrows feeling “disgusted, violated and degraded.”
Mr Sparkes argued that Mr Burrows, who hails from Samuel Road in Fratton, is not a fragile victim, but a “political activist” who has been debating Ms Ogilvie for five years. “They have set out on a number of occasions so it is not a new relationship or a new argument. Both put themselves out there in the public domain.”
He pointed out that Mr Burrows had been the one to start and escalate the exchange. District Judge David Robinson told Ms Ogilvie: “Your views of transgender people are not criminal, but actions that show hostility toward trans people, such as sending offencive messages, are a crime.”
Ogilvie wore to the sentencing hearing a jacket with a red badge stating “transwomen are men.” The judge ordered Ms Ogilvie to pay £300 compensation to Mr Burrows, along with a surcharge of £95 and £85 in court costs. In addition, he handed the mother-of-two a one-year community order which will require her to complete 120 hours of unpaid word and 15 rehabilitation days. She has additionally been served a restraining order prohibiting her to contact Mr Burrows for a period of 12 months.
its so funny how this would never in a million years happen to an incel who says demeaning things about a womans genitalia or says they should die, be raped, are inferior etc.
women who are being stalked and actually harassed and bullied relentlessly cant even get a restraining order or anything at all - but if you say that some guys cock has no place in the womens toilet and he doesnt have the right to shower with little girls then youre a criminal and instantly get charged with a crime.
imagine if we could actually charge people with crimes whos actions show homophobia or misogyny. imagine if every guy who ever called a woman a dicksleeve only useful in the kitchen or said that gay men are mentally ill perverts had a record. there would only be like 1Million men on earth that arent imprisoned.
“Why should our girls be made to feel scared and have to move to other parts of the bus on their daily journey to and from school. The police say no crime is committed which is true technically – but by saying no risk – this tells people that police think its okay to alarm and distress young girls in this manner.” Female socialization
A man in Essex county, England is causing concern amongst locals, especially parents, after being spotted loitering near children’s schools
A man in Essex county, England is causing concern amongst locals, especially parents, after being spotted loitering near children’s schools while wearing a schoolgirl uniform. In response to complaints, Essex Police is insisting the man “does not pose a risk,” and has warned the public against sharing photos of him on social media.
Throughout the week, the unnamed man has been wearing the uniform of a young schoolgirl while wandering in proximity of two schools, one primary and one secondary. In the United Kingdom, primary school ages range from 5 to 11, while secondary school aged youth can be as young as 11.
It has been noted that the uniforms of the man reflect that of Belfairs Academy, which is in the vicinity of the Highlands Boulevard School and Milton Hall Primary School in Southend-on-Sea. He has been seen near both of the schools this past week, as well as on the public bus when children would be taking it home after classes.
On January 19, official school uniform supplier Paul’s School and Workwear addressed the fiasco in a Facebook post, revealing that the man had been purchasing some uniform items from their shop.
The post explained to the public that “the full Belfairs uniform did not come from us,” but went on to confirm that the man had been in the store this week purchasing “a Grey box pleat skirt that he said was for his granddaughter.” The supplier announced they had banned the man from their store, and encouraged members of the public to call police if they see him.
“This is to be taken seriously as he needs help and no-one would know his mind set. Reports say he dresses in Belfairs & Milton Hall uniform. If you see him – STAY AWAY and call 101 to report where he is.”
Some in the community were appreciative of the uniform supplier’s firm stance on the matter, while others insisted that the man is free to dress as he pleases. One woman responded to the supplier’s post on Facebook, thanking the store for warning members of the public.
“Thank you Paul’s School and Work Wear for taking this seriously. A grown man hanging around multiple schools and staring at young women and girls on a bus used by school children is premeditated for sexual gratification – no matter what the mental health diagnosis is. I agree this man needs help…”
The commenter continued by invoking the memory of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old woman who was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by a serving London Metropolitan police officer who used his status to handcuff and kidnap her.
“Why should our girls be made to feel scared and have to move to other parts of the bus on their daily journey to and from school. The police say no crime is committed which is true technically – but by saying no risk – this tells people that police think its okay to alarm and distress young girls in this manner. This is not okay I do NOT want my children exposed to this.”
Another comment under the post from Paul’s reads: “We keep pushing the boundaries of acceptability. Grown men in children’s clothes hanging around schools is not acceptable and yet again police do nothing.”
Paul’s School and Workwear even addressed those who were defending the man’s behavior and added a comment to their own post.
As reported by Echo, the Essex police have identified “the person dressed in an inappropriate outfit in the vicinity of a school in Leigh,” and “have discussed the incident with the person,” saying they understand the community’s concerns but reiterating “this individual does not pose a risk.”
This was paired with Essex police’s urgent request to stop sharing photos of the man on social media citing that they “could have a detrimental personal impact on those concerned.”
Essex Police did not refer to the man with any gendered language like “man” or “he,” but worded their statement in carefully-chosen neutral terms.
As photos of the individual began to circulate on social media, many began to express disappointment with Essex Police’s seemingly relaxed attitude on the matter, with many taking it as a failure to protect young children and, in particular, young girls.
One mother posting under an alias on motherhood forum Mumsnet said, “He’s been seen around schools – both primary and secondary – dressed as a schoolgirl (in their uniform). I am fucking outraged that the police don’t seem to think that’s an issue. God forbid we offend men or shame their fetishes.”
Popular UK-based Twitter account @ripx4nutmeg has also called attention to the fact that Essex Police are trained by Stonewall, an LGBTQ activist organization which heavily focuses on trans rights.
On their official website, the force states “Essex Police believes in dignity for all and are on a journey of incremental improvements, including how we can better include and enable the aspirations of people who are LGBTQ.”
As noted by some women keeping an eye on the situation, the lack of apparent concern for safeguarding women and girls seems to be a pervasive problem amongst UK police.
As of 2021, there were hundreds of allegations of sex-based violence perpetrated by police officers in the country being recorded every year. Following the Sarah Everard tragedy, the Femicide Census revealed that they did not feel tackling such violence was a “police priority.” Since 2013, there have been at least 16 women in the United Kingdom killed by a serving or retired police officer.
In the past year, there have been multiple cases of police officers in the Metropolitan force serving the Greater London area were convicted of rape.
In the past week alone, a long-serving Met police officer has made international headlines for a campaign of rape he committed against vulnerable women.
David Carrick, who worked with the Metropolitan Police for almost two decades, carried out “a relentless campaign” of violence over 17 years against 12 women. On January 16, Carrick admitted to 49 counts of rape and other sexual offenses. Just weeks prior, Met constable Rupert Edwards was charged with raping two women in two different communities.
By Yuliah Alma Yuliah is a junior researcher and journalist at Reduxx. She is a passionate advocate for women's rights and child safeguarding. Yuliah lives on the American east coast, and is an avid reader and book collector.
The fact that this paedophilic behaviour doesn't seem to be enough probable cause to seize and search all of his devices and hard drives begs the question of why not
“Why do you talk so much about trans ideology when there is so much more to feminism?” hits about as hard as “Why do you talk so much about climate change when there is so much more to environmental activism?”
We literally cannot have the rest of the discussion unless we agree on an understanding of the topic at hand.
a thirteen year old girl in oxfordshire is taking legal action against her school over the safety of having to use gender inclusive restrooms and i just have to say i am so proud of the younger generation!! there is hope for women ✊🏼
“The teenager said this gives ‘no right to privacy from the opposite sex.’ The [Oxfordshire] council ‘utterly refutes’ concerns that children are being put at risk.“ (BBC)
It’s so admirable and brave of her to speak up for her rights despite blatant gaslighting from men in power.
I was bullied through all 5 years of secondary school. the toilets were where I used to go so I could lock myself into a cubicle and cry or text my mum. by my GCSE years I was even revising in the toilets.
if the boys who punched me and laughed at me and called me an ugly dyke non-stop had been allowed in these toilets, I might not have made it out of secondary school alive. seriously.
single sex spaces are sanctuaries for women and girls. this 13 year old has immense courage.
As a depressed and anxious child, the toilets were literally the only place I felt safe at school. I used to wait an hour to leave because everyone would be gone then and I could leave in peace. I literally don't know how I would have got through school of I couldn't hide there
“Transphobia is not acceptable”, and the “transphobia” in question is men being gay. Nice to know these folks stand by their homophobic conversion therapy class and it’s “importance”.
It's because they think femininity and womanhood are synonyms. "You're not a woman" is interpreted as "You're not pretty and ladylike enough" because they're genuinely unable to distinguish between these concepts. This is why nonbinary language includes shit like "women and femmes," as if performing femininity gives you some inherent proximity to womanhood. Men are replaced with "masc-presenting folks" because masculine = man. This is the basis for Serano's transmisogyny theory which claims that patriarchy gives "masculine people" systemic power and privilege over "feminine people."
There's nothing actually mask off about it, this is just what they openly believe about womanhood and patriarchy, and they've been hammering it into people's heads for decades. Like to the point where this person would probably be confused about getting called mask off, because yeah, this is actually just their worldview
It's because they think femininity and womanhood are synonyms. "You're not a woman" is interpreted as "You're not pretty and ladylike enough" because they're genuinely unable to distinguish between these concepts.
Tips for dealing with Gender Dysphoria/Dysmorphia without transitioning :
1.) Read feminist literature. Read the scum manifesto, read Beauty and Misogyny, read Irreversible Damage.
2.) Find other women in your field of interest, especially if your interests are typically masculine.
3.) Read about gender nonconforming/ butch women in history. Watch shows with GNC or/and strong women in them. Surround yourself with content that portrays women as multidimensional, human and fleshed out.
4.) If you need reduction surgery to feel comfortable in your body, do it after extensive therapy. Find a competent surgeon. Don't rush into it. Breast reduction can be a quality of life improvement, but it has risks associated with it.
5.) Start using the words that make you uncomfortable. Call yourself a woman. Call yourself a girl. Use she/her. Stop using neutral words for your female body.
6.) Follow detransitioners/ desisters on social media.
7.) Dress in a way that makes you most comfortable. If that means wearing men's clothes, then own it!
8.) Realize that people arent going to see you exactly how you see yourself, and that's ok.
9.) Stop using misogynistic language for yourself and for other women.
10.) Avoid femininity but embrace womanhood. Stop forcing yourself to wear makeup if you hate it. Wear suits to fancy events instead of dresses. If you can identify some of the very specific items that make you dysphoric, they will be easier to change. (For example, having long hair just feels wrong to me, it doesn’t feel like me. But knowing that I can be a short haired woman and still be female is so much more liberating than believing I have to be feminine because I have a vulva.)
11. Spend time outdoors, especially doing physical things. Spending time away from the internet and reconnecting with your body helps you get out of your head and appreciate your body for what it can do instead of how it is perceived.
Men don't take it seriously when women hit them. Imagine if someone reported on DV against women with a comic book/pop art photo like this. Also, the #1 country for domestic violence against women aged 15-49 is Afghanistan, with 46% of women in that age range reporting domestic violence. Which just brings me to my main point, whatever bad things women do, men do worse, more often, with fewer consequences.
No, I don't think anyone should put their hands on anyone else. But men themselves don't take women's violence seriously! Because they know women are unlikely to harm them! You see these same men practically salivate at the fantasy of a woman open-hand slapping him once to "justify" a retaliation involving an extended pummeling with fists and/or weapons. How many of these women who hit their husbands do so in self-defense? We all got a front-row seat to how women are treated when she fights back against prolonged domestic abuse. It's seen as worse to defend yourself than it is to beat your partner unprovoked. Globally, domestic violence is often not even considered a crime. In areas where it is a crime in theory, such as the US and UK, it is often excused and even celebrated. There simply is no equivalent for men.
oh wow, it also exactly matches the amount of men who beat their wives, its almost like women have the right to defend themselves against physical violence and use it. (the stat goes up to around 50% for all egyptian women, this is just married women)
also, you know what the true reason likely is? it is revealed through the fact that 66% of the women accused of violence in the survey have been divorced from by the man because of it. in egypt, men can divorce by saying 'talaq' three times. women have to go through a difficult, expensive, and discriminatory divorce court where they may not even succeed because if she wants any kind of alimony or support for her and her children, it has to be at fault divorce where the husband has demonstrably harmed her in some tangible way. so what makes sense to do for an abusive husband that you do not have the means to divorce? throw a slipper at him or a slap on the face that does nothing but bruise his ego, in order to spur him to say three talaq out of anger (even in momentary rage, if it is said three times, it is irreversible).
it's almost like women who are extremely oppressed face more violence and so lash out to survive, which is why you see much higher rates of 'violence against husbands' in countries with severe female oppression and abuse.
‘I’m pretty sure that the majority of my sexual experiences in my teens and 20’s were done out of politeness’ says Maya, 28. ‘You end up in a situation where you’re worried about offending someone if you don’t go ahead – whether you’ve led them on or what they’ll think about themselves if you back out at the last minute. And in relationships, I’ve had sex when i definitely did not want to but just kind of felt bad about not doing it – what if the other person thought that i thought they were crap in bed or didn’t fancy them anymore?’
