Endometriosis charity appoints trans woman as the new head of the organisation.

I’ve listened to WH, and whilst it’s fair to say that the item was about the appointment of a transwoman, rather than endo itself, Steph seemed far more interested in the 29 men who have it (who knows how many of them are in the South East) than in the many women sufferers. Why might that be, I wonder?

I agree with the OP, especially as this man/woman has apparently been sending unpleasant tweets. Fronting a charity is not the same as being a gynaecologist, for instance - charities raise money, money is raised often through empathy/sympathy and I certainly would be more likely to give to a charity if the spokesperson was a sufferer. But maybe money will be given by all those who want to prove they are not prejudiced or judgemental? The whole trans thing is absolutely crazy - am I the only one to say 'the emperor has no clothes on'? Yes, there have always been individuals who had problems with their natal gender, they deserve sympathy and support, but to be able to hold the rest of us to ransom over pronouns..... In any case, this is (or used to be) a tiny minority. Now, it seems to me, that young children are encouraged to question their gender. This is not reducing the suicide rate, as some people assert, but has been creating more trouble and unhappiness. Isn't there a case for learning to be happy with the bodies we have? Otherwise, surely then we all have a right to identify with whatever we wish - a cat, bird (good luck with that one) or, as in my case, a 21 year old supermodel!

Rosie51

More men will get breast cancer every year than the total numbers of men who have developed an endometriosis type condition, only 20 reported cases in the link provided by OldFrill, so it's extremely rare.
Since women are offered routine screening for breast cancer should all men also be offered this service? At present only men who identify as women and take cross sex hormones are eligible.

I suspect it's far more beneficial to increase prostate cancer screening than make breast screening available for men but I'll admit my bias.
It is not right that men or women should be ignored by charities because the help is only relevant to a tiny number of them.
I am pleased to raise awareness that men can get endometriosis.

I suffered for a good 7 years from this incredibly painful disease, it controlled every aspect of my life, bleeding 3 weeks out of four, hours spent in agony on the toilet, migraines that would last for days, finally at the age of 42 had a TAHBSO I was lucky enough to have my daughter, but i wasn't suffering with it then. As far as I'm concerned as long as this person puts this charity first, who fights for the sufferers of this terrible disease and makes people aware of how it effects womens lives, then i don't really care whether they are male, female or Australian, ( you'll understand that joke if you've watched the royle family) 😆

Glorianny

Rosie51

Glorianny So anyone who wants to be called "mother" can be. Personally I always hated professionals who called me "mother" and insisted they used my name. Have you deliberately missed that the use of the term 'mother' was in the context of written material to describe the pregnant woman? There was no indication that anyone was to be addressed as mother rather than by their own name.

No. But if it is written material quite how does it take the word, with all its connotations, from women, whose bodies are designed for pregnancy and childbirth?
It's a written document. Written documents use language which isn't necessarily everyday terms. The word mother remains. Thinking it is somehow being eliminated because a written document uses a more inclusive term is just ridiculous.
And it isn't just "women" whose bodies give birth, some transmen and non-binary people do so. They don't want to be called "women" or "mother" what right has anyone to insist they must be?
It's simply being more inclusive. Like the "people" I posted from the prostate cancer site. It isn't just a women's issue. It's treating all people equally and not excluding some.

Glorianny

Logically of course "people" covers it.

However, I believe it should also be acknowledged that the majority of endo sufferers are natal women who identify as such.

Because we are discussing here health. In medicine, your biological sex is very important because it often (as you well know) determines not only your susceptibility to various diseases, but also their presentation and treatment.

A transman taking hormone therapy will not necessarily be treated in the same way as the majority of women are treated, etc. The distinctions are important.

In medical 'literature' designed for public consumption - those leaflets that litter hospital waiting rooms, etc... distinctions are often iterated within demographics. Women might be grouped according to age, fertility status, etc. So one could argue that instead of the broad "people" - endo sufferers could be designated as Women, Transmen, Non-Binary individuals. That, at least, covers the specific demographics who will then know - "that includes me."

But you know why we object to "people", logical though the descriptive may be. You know that we feel we are slowly being eliminated as a sex in a way that men are not by the more vociferous individuals within the TG movement. You know that we don't want male-bodied transwomen in our private spaces. Do you know that we know that once this stumbling block is overcome, such TW activists will continue their misogynistic attack on women because they want to determine what a woman is according to what they believe?

That is why we object to SR - not because she's a transwoman but because she's nailed her misogyny to the mast - her many tweets prove her credentials to her cause. And ESC, judging by the narrative on their website, is going along with it because they have been captured by the movement.

Natal women who identify with their biological sex are the many - in all spheres - yet our language and our history is being redacted and eroded in favour of the minority. A minority who have rights - but want those rights to override the majority.

As a sufferer of Endometriosis I had to have a hysterectomy in my early 30's. I find it inconceivable that a trans male has been appointed to this role.

Funny how we never get an answer to the question of what rights trans people are currently being denied...

As I'm sure many of you already know, TERF actually stands (according to MN via a friend) for Trying to Explain Reality to F***wits. I am therefore proud to be a Terf.

Excellent post Dickens.

Wolfie59

I believe he has said it’s not just a women’s disease. Sorry, they’re the only ones with wombs. I think perhaps it’s not the gender of the leader of a research but their attitude towards the disease, and their ability to apply common sense!

Wolfie59

Thank you Wolfie59.

I think it is SR's attitude as an activist that is the problem, not the fact of being transgender. The insistence on occupying women's spaces in changing rooms etc; the inflammatory use of the word TERF... "See you in hell if you are a #terf, nothing will stop me from strutting my stuff.”

There are no credentials for doing the job as a CEO other than those which are relevant to the position and, regardless of the nature of the charity, that role can be taken on by either sex, so that is not the issue.

But the charity is not a platform for SR to stand on and push her personal belief and opinion and that is what she is doing. All she had to do in that recent interview is acknowledge that the majority of endo sufferers are women who identify with their natal sex.

However, Endometriosis Souch Coast itself uses terminology that would indicate it has an agenda. As Doodledog pointed out in an earlier post, it has been "captured" by the trans movement... their reference to so-called 'male' gynaecologists. What is a "so-called male"?

A male who identifies with his natal sex is a man. If he's a gynaecologist, he is a male gynaecologist. Are we now to be compelled to view sex and gender only through the lens of the TG movement? If SR has anything to do with it - that is the outlook because she believes that men, women, and children are all social-constructs.

Where is the science, the objective observable reality that we are being forced to deny for fear of being labelled 'transphobic', or worse - being sanctioned for it?.

What is most depressing is that an individual's personal identity is a just that - it is how they identify on a personal level, it is their belief, it is how they see the world and themselves within it... yet we are being forced to accept their belief, view, opinion as fact and deny peer-reviewed science, biology and genetics. The nature of your genetics is unchangeable. You cannot change your biological sex, it is an immutable characteristic. You can alter your appearance - and use hormones to do it, you can have surgery... you can 'transition' in other words. But this does not alter your underlying biological sex. You can have a mastectomy, Oophrectomy, Vaginectomy, pastic surgery, whatever, and achieve an aesthetic and pleasing transformation. You can change your sex legally. But your biological sex remains unaltered.

But no - we have to accept what Steph Richards says and thinks - which all emanate from her self-described "female brain". This is the new reality.

Treelover

yes there is a hell of a difference between a male professional heading a charity (because there are more highly qualified men due to historic sexism) that helps women and a man who thinks he is female taking up a post for a condition which is only suffered by females and that being the reason he is attracted to it. It further advances his fantasy of being a female, women aren't bothered about his feelings on that score they want the best qualified person whose only interest if for the wellbeing of women suffering from endometriosis. This isn't the person He is a well-known transactivist and has often posted misogynistic quite hate-filled posts. Apparently, he was deeply hurt by Emma Barnet asking him why he wouldn't use the term 'woman'. We've got to get a grip on this and not be frightened of them. Transactivists use every trick in the book...and, by many of the comments above are successful because of women's fear of being called transphobic. Time women stood up for their sex more like men do. Surely we have been patronised, sidelined and ignored in favour of men long enough? Now we are letting them take our identity in favour of theirs. No.

Absolutely.

The issue is not that Steph is male bodied, or even that Steph is a transwoman, but that Steph is, like all TRAs misogynist, which renders Steph entirely unsuitable for the role.

But let's not forget that this is not a CEO in any conventional sense of the term. Steph is a volunteer in a local charity, and has built this up into a controversy that publicises trans issues. Steph is not running Endometriosis UK. ESC has 6 trustees and 5 volunteers, and last year's total income was £8398.

It's just another opportunity to bang the drum for trans causes - Steph has not used the recent publicity to publicise the disease, but to make points about trans issues.

How are the trans gender community, the minorities being persecuted?

I have rarely read a more patriarchal statement. Patriarchy thrives on persecuting minorities
Really?😂 Try reading your own posts to see patriarchy in action. I will ask you again - have you ever put the needs of women ahead of the wants of men/male bodied people?

Also, patriarchy, by its very nature, thrives on persecuting women. The clue is in the name.

I would say she was the wrong person not because she's trans but because of the aggressive, misogynistic tweets. A red flag, surely?

More men will get breast cancer every year than the total numbers of men who have developed an endometriosis type condition, only 20 reported cases in the link provided by OldFrill, so it's extremely rare.
Since women are offered routine screening for breast cancer should all men also be offered this service? At present only men who identify as women and take cross sex hormones are eligible.

yes there is a hell of a difference between a male professional heading a charity (because there are more highly qualified men due to historic sexism) that helps women and a man who thinks he is female taking up a post for a condition which is only suffered by females and that being the reason he is attracted to it. It further advances his fantasy of being a female, women aren't bothered about his feelings on that score they want the best qualified person whose only interest if for the wellbeing of women suffering from endometriosis. This isn't the person He is a well-known transactivist and has often posted misogynistic quite hate-filled posts. Apparently, he was deeply hurt by Emma Barnet asking him why he wouldn't use the term 'woman'. We've got to get a grip on this and not be frightened of them. Transactivists use every trick in the book...and, by many of the comments above are successful because of women's fear of being called transphobic. Time women stood up for their sex more like men do. Surely we have been patronised, sidelined and ignored in favour of men long enough? Now we are letting them take our identity in favour of theirs. No.

What next? a trans female having prostate cancer?

Glorianny
You may have not realised that transmen are female, as are those who give birth but claim to be non-binary. (A nonsense if ever there was one. By giving birth they have proved they are of female sex, i.e. binary.)
What right have they to alter text for everyone, to suit themselves.
If you want to be called by your name instead of mother go for it.
You are Glorianny, the glorianny of a child who is obliged to call you Glorianny or being offended by anyone who passes a comment e.g. what a clever child -you must be such a proud glorianny,
just because you don’t like the term mother (or presumably any derivatives e.g. mum, ma, mummy etc.)

Wolfie59

I believe he has said it’s not just a women’s disease. Sorry, they’re the only ones with wombs. I think perhaps it’s not the gender of the leader of a research but their attitude towards the disease, and their ability to apply common sense!

I had no idea men could suffer from it too, so please excuse my ignorant comment above.

Rosie51

Glorianny So anyone who wants to be called "mother" can be. Personally I always hated professionals who called me "mother" and insisted they used my name. Have you deliberately missed that the use of the term 'mother' was in the context of written material to describe the pregnant woman? There was no indication that anyone was to be addressed as mother rather than by their own name.

No. But if it is written material quite how does it take the word, with all its connotations, from women, whose bodies are designed for pregnancy and childbirth?
It's a written document. Written documents use language which isn't necessarily everyday terms. The word mother remains. Thinking it is somehow being eliminated because a written document uses a more inclusive term is just ridiculous.
And it isn't just "women" whose bodies give birth, some transmen and non-binary people do so. They don't want to be called "women" or "mother" what right has anyone to insist they must be?
It's simply being more inclusive. Like the "people" I posted from the prostate cancer site. It isn't just a women's issue. It's treating all people equally and not excluding some.

Loobyloo12

BeverleyJB my feelings exactly.Some people on here have missed the point about his acceptability in the role regarding his misogynistic statement. I also resist the term "terf". Who gives anyone the right to label me this way?

Who?
All those who support his appointment regardless of his misogynistic tweets or claim that males can be women.

Best of both worlds. Not!

For those who haven’t, listen to Emma Barnett on ‘Woman’s Hour’ intelligently questioning him. He is a trans activist and a misogynist.

Wolfie59

I believe he has said it’s not just a women’s disease. Sorry, they’re the only ones with wombs. I think perhaps it’s not the gender of the leader of a research but their attitude towards the disease, and their ability to apply common sense!

Emma Barnett in the interview agreed it's not just a woman's disease. Although the incidence in men is tiny maybe this is because so many think only women suffer.
endometriosisnews.com/endometriosis-in-men/

And I agree with various GNs who have pointed out you don't need to suffer from a disease or be of any particular sex to work hard on behalf of patients. It's when activists stir up the mob that controversy gets in the way of doing the job well.

Cambia

Coul we refer this to the new minster in charge of common sense?

I doubt McVey is there to exercise common sense - she's a Tory politician!