Eddie Izzard not chosen to be Labour candidate for Sheffield Central.

I say it was easier than that*Doodledog*.

It's nobody's d*** business if any poster is a man or a woman.

And the sooner people stop thinking they have the right to know, or that they are able to discern the answer by the way someone posts, the better.

I know what you mean, snowberry, but online discussions work because we are anonymous. Our opinions speak for themselves and are not coloured by prejudices or perceptions about what we look like, how we speak, where we live and so on. If we know a lot about one another that dynamic shifts, and people start to become more guarded about what they say. Also, if someone said she is trans, everything she said after that would be viewed through that prism, which would inhibit debate - particularly for her, but also for others talking to her, and her experience of GN would change. Some people would be fine with that but others not, and it has to be their choice. And, of course, there is the possibility that the hypothetical trans person would be ’outed’ offline, whether she liked it or not.

My life is entirely unremarkable, but I am careful not to give too much detail in case someone I know recognises me. Not because of a big secret, but because I might be less inclined to be honest about my posts if I thought they might identify others (eg mentioning colleagues or family members, or giving examples of things from my life). Again, no big secrets, but it would be awkward and unfair.

It's the "where are you really from" debate all over again....

Wyllow3

I feel we are here to share POV, not be aggressively pushed into answering extremely personal questions.

Fair enough, if we want to share if we are straight/gay/trans/etc then it can sometimes be helpful but please don't lets start demanding like that.

Why is it an extremely personal question?
If I'm asked whether I'm a woman I will say, 'yes I'm a woman . I have the chromosomes of a woman and don't have a penis or testicles, so am a Woman.
Last time I checked anyway.(confused)

I could cut my hair short, bind my breasts, or have a mastectomy, and I would still be a woman..
You can't 'wear your way into being a woman.
Deep down everyone knows this truth and it angers some sectors.

Galaxy

Eddie Izzard is just sexist, the views he expresses about women are just regressive and based on stereotypes.

Do you have any links? I must admit I've never followed Eddie's views that closely.

I used to like watching him/her because (s)he's a good linguist and used to do stand up in French. (S)he also took part in a documentary about Old English, which IMO was funny.

I must admit I've gone off him/her since he became serious about politics because good politicians spend years in the ranks and I think (s)he's trading on celebrity status.

FarNorth

^Could we not just talk about the politics of it?^

Is there much to talk about, in that area? It seems everyone thinks the best person won and, in any case, she was the choice of the local labour members.
So that's that isn't it?

Yep!

It seems pretty cut and dried to me, FN. Did you listen to Woman’s Hour by any chance? The programme is on BBC Sounds if not. An interview with Hadley Freeman about why she left the Guardian. The highlight for me (out of several good bits) was when she rejected the term ‘gender critical’ in favour of ’reality-based feminist’

Could we not just talk about the politics of it?

Is there much to talk about, in that area? It seems everyone thinks the best person won and, in any case, she was the choice of the local labour members.
So that's that isn't it?

No, I mean I won't answer your questions, based on past experience with you on GN.

I agree. There is no need for questions about our personal lives.

I feel we are here to share POV, not be aggressively pushed into answering extremely personal questions.

Fair enough, if we want to share if we are straight/gay/trans/etc then it can sometimes be helpful but please don't lets start demanding like that.

GagaJo

I'm an intersectional feminist. Many of the rights above are included in feminist issues.

Drop the questions MG. You've been there, done that. Got no T-shirt.

You mean you can’t answer. That’s fine. I didn’t expect it.

Eddie Izzard is just sexist, the views he expresses about women are just regressive and based on stereotypes.

I have no doubt that some women will be disturbed by Eddie using the women's toilets Doodledog but equally a number won't. So are you saying that those who take offence at something should be prioritised over those who don't ?|

Maybe I am. I wouldn't put it like that or look at it in that way; but yes, if there is a status quo and someone or some people from outside of it want to change it, then if everyone is happy it would be foolish not to go ahead. If, OTOH, there are those who are deeply unhappy, and who are able to defend the reasons for their unhappiness, then their views should be prioritised.

If so where should we draw the line? Very right wing Christian evangelists don't approve of abortion, should I modify my views to take into consideration their views? Or is this something which only needs to apply when the views match yours?
No, if you want to have an abortion and others don't, then both can go about their business without affecting the other. That is a very different situation, as in the case of men in women's toilets, it is the women who are affected.

Many women recognise trans identities, some don't what makes one more acceptable than the other?
Neither is more acceptable. You can't police thought, much as you may like to do so. What you can do, however, is to police actions, and base that policing on the safety of those who need protection.

Fits my experience of the issues I care about so well.

Wyllow3

Had to look it up, but what a valid term

www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/explainer-intersectional-feminism-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters

Learned it when I was at uni. And it was a lightbulb moment.

Had to look it up, but what a valid term

www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/explainer-intersectional-feminism-what-it-means-and-why-it-matters

*LINKED!!! (FFS)

Yes, as I told my ex husband, this (pointing at my head/brain) isn't controlled by this (pointing at my vag).

Amazing how many think the two are totally liked.

Mollygo

^And this movement is meant to be supporting women and looking after their rights, is it?
Yes, that’s right. Well done Volver, but on here anyone could actually be male or female. It could reasonably be expected that females or those claiming to be feminists, would support females in preference to males, it’s no wonder some queries arise.

I support males, females and all those in between, based on whether they are doing the right thing or not. Expecting anyone to support someone else just because of their genitals is pretty bizarre.

I'm an intersectional feminist. Many of the rights above are included in feminist issues.

Drop the questions MG. You've been there, done that. Got no T-shirt.

Izzard was NEVER going to win we had two great local candidates here.

At the last GE we had a Labour candidate who had been parachuted in. She didn't live in the area and was really rather clueless about local issues. At the hustings (which we went to) she had brought supporters who tried to drown out other candidates.

Someone who knows the area and all the problems people encounter is often the best person to win at a GE..

Hmmmm, issues I will argue about. Trans rights, racism, gay rights, ableism, ageism, abortion, religious freedom.
But not female rights GJ?
It’s no wonder some queries arise-
but where is the trans bashing?

Hmmmm, issues I will argue about. Trans rights, racism, gay rights, ableism, ageism, abortion, religious freedom. Basically, about equality.

I am very firmly socialist. As for the rest, I'm happy for you to draw your own conclusions.

^And this movement is meant to be supporting women and looking after their rights, is it?
Yes, that’s right. Well done Volver, but on here anyone could actually be male or female. It could reasonably be expected that females or those claiming to be feminists, would support females in preference to males, it’s no wonder some queries arise.