You're The One Arguing That Women Should Be Forced Into Men's Spaces

In the far-too-often quoted dystopian classic, 1984, a specialist from the “Ministry of Truth” explains the relationship between language and thought:

You don’t grasp the beauty of the destruction of words. [...] Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end, we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it.

If you want to control people’s thoughts, find a way to control their words. Or better yet, change what the words mean. Convince them that bullying is “accountability.” Claim that disagreement is “hate.” Insist that biological reality is “transphobia.” “Nazi,” “fascist,” “bigot,” “genocide,” use and abuse these words until their true meaning is completely lost.

And, no word—other than perhaps “woman”—has had its meaning more deliberately warped lately than “trans.”

In my article, The Trouble With “Trans”, I pointed out that the “trans umbrella” has become hopelessly wide, asking us to believe that everybody from genuinely dysphoric transsexuals to transvestites and fetishists to rapists hoping to avoid spending time in a male prison, is equally valid. 

Robert needed a little help remembering what the words meant.

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Robert:

Why is it always "Not all men" until we start misgendering people?

Men are also a threat to trans women by the way.

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Steve QJ:

“Men are also a threat to trans women by the way.”

Yes! That's absolutely true! I even wrote an article to that effect recently! Of course, that's precisely the reason why men aren't allowed into women's spaces.

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Robert:

Ok, but you're the one arguing that women should be forced into men's spaces.

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Steve QJ:

No, no I'm not arguing that at all. What are you talking about?

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Robert:

You're not saying trans women should be using men's restrooms?

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Steve QJ:

Ugh, how disappointing. It occured to me after I responded that you were probably playing the "bUt TrAnS wOmEn ARE wOmEn" game. If trans women were women there'd be no need for the "trans" and no need for transtion. It's so tiresome to play these silly rhetorical games with people who are just playing dumb.

But no, actually I'm not saying that trans women should use men's restrooms. Not exactly. I'm saying first of all that we need to be clear what we mean when we say "trans woman." Is a man who has undergone no surgery, hormones or social transition a trans woman? No. If he is, there's no difference at all between trans women and men. So he should use the men's restroom.

Do I think transvestites should be using men's restrooms? Yes, because they too are men. Just men with a women's underwear fetish.

Do I think transsexual women should use men's restrooms? No. And indeed, they already don't. Transsexual/gender women, especially if they “pass” already use women's restrooms and have done for years. And they've done so almost entirely without incident because there was a sensible standard for inclusion that went beyond “I say so.”

The entire point of the article is that nuance is required. And even moreso when you consider that other women's spaces like changing rooms and prisons and rape crisis centres have different expectations of safety and privacy.

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Robert:

Trans women are women. It's not a game but it's pretty telling that you think it is.

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Steve QJ:

“It's not a game but it's pretty telling that you think it is.”

Yes, yes. No doubt I'm “conservative” and “far-right” and “hateful” because I still use a word the way it's been used since time immemorial and by 99% of the English speaking world.

All it “tells” you is that I realise it's possible to be kind to people without losing touch with reality.

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A few days ago, I saw the following declaration of faith on Twitter:

Trans women exist.

Trans women are women.

Trans women deserve dignity and respect.

Nothing you can say will change my mind. So take your hate somewhere else.

And here, we have the great lie of trans discourse; that if you reject the Newspeak in the second premise, you reject them all.

But this is obviously false.

Trans women exist. Trans women (just like everybody else) deserve dignity and respect. Trans women are trans women. Anybody who thinks it’s hateful to admit this is a transphobe in the true sense of the word.