Tom, the media relations representative for the park district, has been brainwashed. So has his boss and his boss's boss and so on all the way up to the city's elected officials. Gender identity ideology spreads like wildfire in dry brush under high winds. It brings with it a pre-assembled cast of heroes and villains.
Without any input from the public (that would be transphobic), the heroic men who identify as women get a pass to any and all women's-only spaces and events. Dissidents who object to gender identity ideology in general and men in women's spaces and events in particular are declared transphobic bigots without any due process whatsoever. To borrow an expression from Alice in Wonderland, in Genderland it's verdict first, trial on the merits never.
When trans activists come calling, they're the prosecutor, judge and jury who save the credulous "allies" the fuss and trouble of hearing from sex realists in person and understanding their point of view. They've done the thinking and judging for people like Tom the park district P.R. guy.
This unfair and undemocratic state of affairs is unlikely to change without activism and peaceful protests by sex realists against gender ideology and its consequences.
My 72 year old relative was happily telling me she regularly attends a women's fitness class... but a man attends.(Melbourne, Australia)
I said "well it's not a women's class then".
She said "yes it is, he's just been coming for ages"
We had almost exactly the same 'conversation' as you had with Tom.
She could just not understand my point.
Many people get along quite successfully in the world, hold down jobs, have families, but can still be very very very stupid!!! What literally makes me want to cry, it that they also vote!!!
How is not allowing a man who identifies as a woman into an archery class "judging" him? Affirm him, celebrate him, call him by his pronouns, take him out to dinner, invite him into the general archery class, throw him a party for all I care--how is having a class for women "judging" someone?
I just found out about a bike ride in Ottawa/Gatineau called 100% Feminin (French for “female”) so I inquired whether their “100% female ride includes or is open to male people including trans identifying males” to which they replied “if you feel you belong in this group and want to ride, you are welcome to sign up for next year's edition.” Such a strange answer. If the ride is open to men who identify as women, why on earth is it named “100% Feminin”?? 🤡🌎
Exactly. It's very hard to find any event or club that's actually For Women. That may be in the name but, as you did, scratch the surface and you'll find it's open to anyone who identifies as a woman. Only men have to identify as women.
Archery is a popular sport where I live. I had a go at it but the mixed sex part proved a little awkward for those of us with a large bust. There was no breast protector, and I definitely needed one - the string sank without trace! The men, also there to learn, quickly turned it into a competition of upper body strength and I lost all interest.
Incidentally, I also attended a laser shooting open day where we could “have a go”. So we and our friends turned up for a fun afternoon. Problem was, the men each picked a rifle but there was only one ladies rifle between 5 of us. I tried using one of the men’s spare rifles but if I put it safely into my shoulder, my fingers couldn’t reach the trigger. We women took turns, having just one go each, which made it frankly a miserable experience for us. When I asked the owners of the range why there was only one rifle for women, he said he only brought one because most women quit very quickly. I wonder why?
If you're in a blue state in the US, then it's likely state law that men who claim a "woman identity" must be allowed in to any space, activity, etc, that is designated for women.
Straight cis men? You mean men? They are allowing some men and excluding other men, so it's not even an open class. The only men who will sign up are the misogynists who are resentful of women.
I've always wanted to hear from the gender identity crowd what exactly would be the rationale for sports segregated by gender identity, even if I accept that this is a thing. We don't have women's sports to validate feelings.
If you advertise any class as Class X for Women, a lot of people will assume, rightly or wrongly, it’s for Women, not for men, any men, including men who have, for whatever reason, decided they are now women. If it’s to be an inclusive class, why not advertise it as such?
That's what I suggested. If they're going to be "welcoming" to everyone then own that. The park district should not get to virtue signal that they offer "women's programming" when they do not. In fact, they're doubly kicking women in the teeth by first, not really offering a women's class, and second, gaslighting them that men who identify as women are women and that women should accept that. Or simply drop out of the class
If you believe that trans women (or other men) should be allowed to compete against biological women in most sports or that they belong in women's restrooms, locker rooms and prisons then you are either cognitively impaired or intellectually dishonest.
I would add a third option—it's the patriarchy in action. Prioritizing men over women. Much as progressives would like to deny this, they have latched onto gender ideology as a way to appear progressive but actually support a virulent form of patriarchy. I am informed by reading and talking with Robert Jensen on this, and I suggest you do too. My little pet theory is that the #MeToo movement really shook men.It was the first time in the history of civilization when women really united against male oppression, against patriarchy, and showed credible power. I would say particularly progressive men, who benefit as much as conservative men from patriarchy, were disturbed by the potential threat to the status quo. How to tackle MeToo while still appearing progressive? That's right—intersectionality. Men who identified as women infiltrated the top ranks of MeToo (as men are wont to do) and the movement imploded. It went from Believe Women to Believe Men Who Say They're Women. That's my theory and I'm sticking by it :)
"I texted Tom later to suggest that for the sake of honesty, the park district change the name of the class to Archery For All. "
They can't do that, because they want to exclude people who say: "I am a man". Their problem is that they do want to exclude people, they just don't want to exclude people who are regarded as an oppressed group. And transgender people are regarded as more oppressed than cisgender ones.
I meant that the park district should be honest about their refusal to define and defend any boundaries and just offer one general archery class. I think it's not so much that they're afraid to exclude an oppressed group, although that's part of it. I think by Tom's repeated claim that they "don't judge how someone identifies," he meant they don't want to tell a man who identifies as a woman that he is in fact a man. An option I forgot to mention that would allow the park district to sidestep that "judging" minefield is to offer classes for trans people. As I mentioned, addiction support orgs already do this. Unfortunately, some men who identify as women still enter the women's group which illustrates two things—1) this is about validation rather than any benefit from the class, and 2) a person who has no regard for women's boundaries is exactly the reason women need women's-only spaces
Tom, the media relations representative for the park district, has been brainwashed. So has his boss and his boss's boss and so on all the way up to the city's elected officials. Gender identity ideology spreads like wildfire in dry brush under high winds. It brings with it a pre-assembled cast of heroes and villains.
Without any input from the public (that would be transphobic), the heroic men who identify as women get a pass to any and all women's-only spaces and events. Dissidents who object to gender identity ideology in general and men in women's spaces and events in particular are declared transphobic bigots without any due process whatsoever. To borrow an expression from Alice in Wonderland, in Genderland it's verdict first, trial on the merits never.
When trans activists come calling, they're the prosecutor, judge and jury who save the credulous "allies" the fuss and trouble of hearing from sex realists in person and understanding their point of view. They've done the thinking and judging for people like Tom the park district P.R. guy.
This unfair and undemocratic state of affairs is unlikely to change without activism and peaceful protests by sex realists against gender ideology and its consequences.
My 72 year old relative was happily telling me she regularly attends a women's fitness class... but a man attends.(Melbourne, Australia)
I said "well it's not a women's class then".
She said "yes it is, he's just been coming for ages"
We had almost exactly the same 'conversation' as you had with Tom.
She could just not understand my point.
Many people get along quite successfully in the world, hold down jobs, have families, but can still be very very very stupid!!! What literally makes me want to cry, it that they also vote!!!
I’m 73 and I am baffled by this new trend to include men in women’s spaces. Sigh. I guess I’m just mean, a bigot etc etc.
It’s right out of Monty Python!
Thank you! Framing this in humor will help me keep my sanity.
Good for you for trying to get through to him, which proved hopeless.
How is not allowing a man who identifies as a woman into an archery class "judging" him? Affirm him, celebrate him, call him by his pronouns, take him out to dinner, invite him into the general archery class, throw him a party for all I care--how is having a class for women "judging" someone?
Exactly. They just don't want to say no to a man
They don't want the women to be able to set boundaries with men, to be able to say no to a man.
I just found out about a bike ride in Ottawa/Gatineau called 100% Feminin (French for “female”) so I inquired whether their “100% female ride includes or is open to male people including trans identifying males” to which they replied “if you feel you belong in this group and want to ride, you are welcome to sign up for next year's edition.” Such a strange answer. If the ride is open to men who identify as women, why on earth is it named “100% Feminin”?? 🤡🌎
Exactly. It's very hard to find any event or club that's actually For Women. That may be in the name but, as you did, scratch the surface and you'll find it's open to anyone who identifies as a woman. Only men have to identify as women.
Because the mantra is that men who identify as women ARE women.
Well, I'm judging you, Tom. And I judge you to be stupid.
Archery is a popular sport where I live. I had a go at it but the mixed sex part proved a little awkward for those of us with a large bust. There was no breast protector, and I definitely needed one - the string sank without trace! The men, also there to learn, quickly turned it into a competition of upper body strength and I lost all interest.
Incidentally, I also attended a laser shooting open day where we could “have a go”. So we and our friends turned up for a fun afternoon. Problem was, the men each picked a rifle but there was only one ladies rifle between 5 of us. I tried using one of the men’s spare rifles but if I put it safely into my shoulder, my fingers couldn’t reach the trigger. We women took turns, having just one go each, which made it frankly a miserable experience for us. When I asked the owners of the range why there was only one rifle for women, he said he only brought one because most women quit very quickly. I wonder why?
Thanks for your story. Perfect examples of why a women's class should be for women. And we know who we are. The word woman has meaning
If you're in a blue state in the US, then it's likely state law that men who claim a "woman identity" must be allowed in to any space, activity, etc, that is designated for women.
By this logic, how can they justify having a class for women at all? How can they justify excluding straight cis men?
Straight cis men? You mean men? They are allowing some men and excluding other men, so it's not even an open class. The only men who will sign up are the misogynists who are resentful of women.
I've always wanted to hear from the gender identity crowd what exactly would be the rationale for sports segregated by gender identity, even if I accept that this is a thing. We don't have women's sports to validate feelings.
If you advertise any class as Class X for Women, a lot of people will assume, rightly or wrongly, it’s for Women, not for men, any men, including men who have, for whatever reason, decided they are now women. If it’s to be an inclusive class, why not advertise it as such?
That's what I suggested. If they're going to be "welcoming" to everyone then own that. The park district should not get to virtue signal that they offer "women's programming" when they do not. In fact, they're doubly kicking women in the teeth by first, not really offering a women's class, and second, gaslighting them that men who identify as women are women and that women should accept that. Or simply drop out of the class
If you believe that trans women (or other men) should be allowed to compete against biological women in most sports or that they belong in women's restrooms, locker rooms and prisons then you are either cognitively impaired or intellectually dishonest.
I would add a third option—it's the patriarchy in action. Prioritizing men over women. Much as progressives would like to deny this, they have latched onto gender ideology as a way to appear progressive but actually support a virulent form of patriarchy. I am informed by reading and talking with Robert Jensen on this, and I suggest you do too. My little pet theory is that the #MeToo movement really shook men.It was the first time in the history of civilization when women really united against male oppression, against patriarchy, and showed credible power. I would say particularly progressive men, who benefit as much as conservative men from patriarchy, were disturbed by the potential threat to the status quo. How to tackle MeToo while still appearing progressive? That's right—intersectionality. Men who identified as women infiltrated the top ranks of MeToo (as men are wont to do) and the movement imploded. It went from Believe Women to Believe Men Who Say They're Women. That's my theory and I'm sticking by it :)
His repeated nonsensical answer is like that of a robot - he may as well have been saying ‘cannot compute’ or ‘syntax error’ 🤷♀️
"I texted Tom later to suggest that for the sake of honesty, the park district change the name of the class to Archery For All. "
They can't do that, because they want to exclude people who say: "I am a man". Their problem is that they do want to exclude people, they just don't want to exclude people who are regarded as an oppressed group. And transgender people are regarded as more oppressed than cisgender ones.
I meant that the park district should be honest about their refusal to define and defend any boundaries and just offer one general archery class. I think it's not so much that they're afraid to exclude an oppressed group, although that's part of it. I think by Tom's repeated claim that they "don't judge how someone identifies," he meant they don't want to tell a man who identifies as a woman that he is in fact a man. An option I forgot to mention that would allow the park district to sidestep that "judging" minefield is to offer classes for trans people. As I mentioned, addiction support orgs already do this. Unfortunately, some men who identify as women still enter the women's group which illustrates two things—1) this is about validation rather than any benefit from the class, and 2) a person who has no regard for women's boundaries is exactly the reason women need women's-only spaces