As a heterosexual woman I am absolutely appalled at the plight of lesbians and cannot understand why Jo Public cannot see how Trans is deeply, inherently homophobic. I sense the fear that by drawing attention to groups or venues in this article they will now be infiltrated by men. I sincerely hope things change in light of the SC ruling!
I’m a straight male in my mid-60s. For 40 years I’ve had good friends who were happily lesbian. In the last decade I’ve been disgusted with the way mentally ill men have encroached, or even taken over, their spaces.
I hope that can be reversed. We all have the right to feel safe and comfortable with who, and where, we are.
The objective of the trans-cult is not so much to be included in the spaces but rather the rush that comes from invading and crashing them. They get off on the disruption and exercising power. I fully believe that's what turns them on.
Lesbians should not have to be brave in order to just get together in a public venue. And not all lesbians are brave. We are no different than other women. Some of us are outgoing, some of us are shy and introverted.
As a straight woman, I’ve never felt comfortable with the ‘T+’ tagged on to the LBG movement. To sexuality is very different to arguing the toss about what sex you actually are. One celebrates the form as it is, the other seeks to change it.
It has always been obvious that this 'born in the wrong body' cult is deeply homophobic: since sex doesn't exist for them so neither can same-sex attraction. Most are blokes so hardly surprising that female - female attraction is anathema to them. Would have been better and easier for these senior judges to simply state that conception is the origin of chromosome-determined sex, no more contraversial that ruling that Earth orbiting the Sun is factual reality!
Have we got to the extraordinary position where straight men and women need to turn up to lesbian venues to make sure the women inside can have a night free from harassment by men in lipstick? I’ll be honest, it sounds quite fun.
Reading this reminds me of the late 80s in Newcastle when I was just coming out. You got told of a lesbian get-together if you seemed trustworthy by someone who knew someone... The venues were usually in an old flat above a shop, you had to knock on the door and someone would come and let you in. It was very scary and uncertain times as we would all know of a fellow lesbian who had been beaten up, myself included. I never thought in a million years that we would be going so far backwards and more or less starting from scratch again. The only difference is that I'm not scared anymore and up for the fight to protect what's ours!!
Even as a bisexual, I have NEVER assumed, demanded or argued for access to lesbian groups or events. Even when invited, and welcomed, I've always felt aware of crossing a boundary. That even before this denial of their right to associate, they had very few spaces for themselves. That their experience is not mine and deserved its distinct status and respect. It's insane to me how far the CJS activists, of all its branches, have torn up Liberalism, replacing its values with anti-liberal and especially anti-LGB narratives. While those claiming to be Liberal, and so - the good guys on the right side of history - blindly follow, repeating lesphophibic, homophobic, misogynistic hate-fuelled slogans, and so joyfully? Unaware (or absolutely aware) of what horrors they truly support.
Thank you Julie for all the work you continue to do for all women. 💚🤍💜
Did you know you can go to a lesbian dating event and just not hook up with trans women if you’re not into them? I went to a lesbian sex party recently, I didn’t hook up with one of the trans women who were there, and no one held me at gunpoint. Chill out!
Do you only have a problem with the 'freedom of association' - often used by Trans communities, for events, groups, advocacy, and institutional representation - or does your problem also extend to other freedoms? Like speech and belief? These are fundamental Liberal values, established by incredible civil rights movements, such as those of Feminism and Gay Rights (and rights earned, based on SEX). If your arguement to lesbians who cannot exercise her right to associate with women only is "just don't sleep with the men", I'm not hearing a Liberal respect of a marginalised female group. I'm hearing what I heard in the 80s, from selfish, clueless lesbophobic and homophobic people on the streets, in media, and in power.
I mean, i don’t know if there’s a way I can say it to you that you’ll hear, but I’ll try! what I mean is that to me and the lesbian community in my city that i’m a part of, trans women are beloved members of that community. We feel sisterhood with them, we care about them, we see that while not all of our struggles are shared, many of them are. we want trans women at events where we don’t want to hang out with cis men, trans women are often talented event organizers, DJs, artists etc, and there are trans women who put in hard work to CREATE lesbian spaces where we can spend time together away from cis men.
Also facial recognition software to determine gender? Girl be serious, there’s so many cisgender butches (love them) who would get kicked off by that kind of software.
That's your choice, at one venue. What of all the lesbians who want to exercise their right to free association amongst their own marginalised community? Or have dating apps where no men are cluttering up their inboxes? Don't they matter? Don't their needs deserve to be respected? Shouldn't there be events, apps, groups, etc which are lesbia females only. And those that aren't, for those like you? Why must their choices be sacrificed for men who want to be seen as lesbians and their supporters, closed down by protests, threats, and claims of bigotry?
Not just one venue, the sentiment that trans women are loved and wanted in lesbian spaces is consistent by everyone I know across many many different lesbian and queer clubs, reoccurring events, raves, our city’s lesbian bar, etc that I attend. We’re all having a wonderful fun time together in person. I think this community you’re apart of that’s so upset about this is a small but loud online echo chamber but not at all a factor in the real world. I really think if you spent time with a trans woman as I’d have you’d find, they’re not “men in dresses” like you’re picturing but a certain kind of person who’s just undeniably womanly in the way they act, relate to others, care for others, move through the world etc.
Also you’re saying “theirs” not “ours” about lesbians…. Are you even a lesbian?
As a heterosexual woman I am absolutely appalled at the plight of lesbians and cannot understand why Jo Public cannot see how Trans is deeply, inherently homophobic. I sense the fear that by drawing attention to groups or venues in this article they will now be infiltrated by men. I sincerely hope things change in light of the SC ruling!
Thank you sister! Solidarity! ♥️
I’m a straight male in my mid-60s. For 40 years I’ve had good friends who were happily lesbian. In the last decade I’ve been disgusted with the way mentally ill men have encroached, or even taken over, their spaces.
I hope that can be reversed. We all have the right to feel safe and comfortable with who, and where, we are.
The objective of the trans-cult is not so much to be included in the spaces but rather the rush that comes from invading and crashing them. They get off on the disruption and exercising power. I fully believe that's what turns them on.
Lesbians should not have to be brave in order to just get together in a public venue. And not all lesbians are brave. We are no different than other women. Some of us are outgoing, some of us are shy and introverted.
As a straight woman, I’ve never felt comfortable with the ‘T+’ tagged on to the LBG movement. To sexuality is very different to arguing the toss about what sex you actually are. One celebrates the form as it is, the other seeks to change it.
The Sall Grover case is just peak insanity.
Thank you for your piece.
It has always been obvious that this 'born in the wrong body' cult is deeply homophobic: since sex doesn't exist for them so neither can same-sex attraction. Most are blokes so hardly surprising that female - female attraction is anathema to them. Would have been better and easier for these senior judges to simply state that conception is the origin of chromosome-determined sex, no more contraversial that ruling that Earth orbiting the Sun is factual reality!
I’m thrilled to know that Balham is Sapphic Central 🥳
I am not sure what you gain from your determined avoidance of acknowledging how often your antagonists are other lesbians.
The AGPs are the driving force behind it, but women are doing this to themselves.
That is the power of ideological capture, peer pressure, and bystander apathy.
Have we got to the extraordinary position where straight men and women need to turn up to lesbian venues to make sure the women inside can have a night free from harassment by men in lipstick? I’ll be honest, it sounds quite fun.
Reading this reminds me of the late 80s in Newcastle when I was just coming out. You got told of a lesbian get-together if you seemed trustworthy by someone who knew someone... The venues were usually in an old flat above a shop, you had to knock on the door and someone would come and let you in. It was very scary and uncertain times as we would all know of a fellow lesbian who had been beaten up, myself included. I never thought in a million years that we would be going so far backwards and more or less starting from scratch again. The only difference is that I'm not scared anymore and up for the fight to protect what's ours!!
Even as a bisexual, I have NEVER assumed, demanded or argued for access to lesbian groups or events. Even when invited, and welcomed, I've always felt aware of crossing a boundary. That even before this denial of their right to associate, they had very few spaces for themselves. That their experience is not mine and deserved its distinct status and respect. It's insane to me how far the CJS activists, of all its branches, have torn up Liberalism, replacing its values with anti-liberal and especially anti-LGB narratives. While those claiming to be Liberal, and so - the good guys on the right side of history - blindly follow, repeating lesphophibic, homophobic, misogynistic hate-fuelled slogans, and so joyfully? Unaware (or absolutely aware) of what horrors they truly support.
Thank you Julie for all the work you continue to do for all women. 💚🤍💜
Did you know you can go to a lesbian dating event and just not hook up with trans women if you’re not into them? I went to a lesbian sex party recently, I didn’t hook up with one of the trans women who were there, and no one held me at gunpoint. Chill out!
Do you only have a problem with the 'freedom of association' - often used by Trans communities, for events, groups, advocacy, and institutional representation - or does your problem also extend to other freedoms? Like speech and belief? These are fundamental Liberal values, established by incredible civil rights movements, such as those of Feminism and Gay Rights (and rights earned, based on SEX). If your arguement to lesbians who cannot exercise her right to associate with women only is "just don't sleep with the men", I'm not hearing a Liberal respect of a marginalised female group. I'm hearing what I heard in the 80s, from selfish, clueless lesbophobic and homophobic people on the streets, in media, and in power.
I mean, i don’t know if there’s a way I can say it to you that you’ll hear, but I’ll try! what I mean is that to me and the lesbian community in my city that i’m a part of, trans women are beloved members of that community. We feel sisterhood with them, we care about them, we see that while not all of our struggles are shared, many of them are. we want trans women at events where we don’t want to hang out with cis men, trans women are often talented event organizers, DJs, artists etc, and there are trans women who put in hard work to CREATE lesbian spaces where we can spend time together away from cis men.
Also facial recognition software to determine gender? Girl be serious, there’s so many cisgender butches (love them) who would get kicked off by that kind of software.
That's your choice, at one venue. What of all the lesbians who want to exercise their right to free association amongst their own marginalised community? Or have dating apps where no men are cluttering up their inboxes? Don't they matter? Don't their needs deserve to be respected? Shouldn't there be events, apps, groups, etc which are lesbia females only. And those that aren't, for those like you? Why must their choices be sacrificed for men who want to be seen as lesbians and their supporters, closed down by protests, threats, and claims of bigotry?
Okay yeah, from the lack of reply, seems like you’re not actually a lesbian. Keep your hate to yourself if you’re not even part of this community.
Not just one venue, the sentiment that trans women are loved and wanted in lesbian spaces is consistent by everyone I know across many many different lesbian and queer clubs, reoccurring events, raves, our city’s lesbian bar, etc that I attend. We’re all having a wonderful fun time together in person. I think this community you’re apart of that’s so upset about this is a small but loud online echo chamber but not at all a factor in the real world. I really think if you spent time with a trans woman as I’d have you’d find, they’re not “men in dresses” like you’re picturing but a certain kind of person who’s just undeniably womanly in the way they act, relate to others, care for others, move through the world etc.
Also you’re saying “theirs” not “ours” about lesbians…. Are you even a lesbian?