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I refuse to be defined as a woman solely by my reproductive biology. Being âfemaleâ is not what makes me a woman. Nor does being a mother.
The obsessive return to biological sex as defining a woman is retrogressive and anti-feminist. It opens up all the other biological determinants that have been traditionally used to oppress and discriminate against women.
It opens up the notion of âthe weaker sexâ, of the unsuitability of womenâs bodies for certain jobs, of the right of others to police our bodies. This is why the ultra right conservatives have also latched on to biology for their anti-trans arguments creating an unholy alliance.
Policing womenâs bodies is an important part of patriarchal control. Anti-trans feminists who are using biological determinism as their argument are using patriarchal means to police any womenâs bodies who they deem âotherâ. It sounds logical but it isnât feminism.
Once you allow women to be solely defined by biology you take away the years of equality and liberation struggles & successes that were founded on being seen as equal humans, co-workers, citizens, politicians and that our reproductive role should not be an obstruction to equality
Not all women contribute to reproduction. That doesnât and should make them lesser women - but that is precisely where the logic of biological determinism will take us. It excuses policing activities like forced vaginal scans in pregnancy, loss of abortion rights, etc.
Anti-trans feminists argue that they should be the sole arbiters of what a woman is despite many other women disagreeing. They seek to police womenâs bodies like men who say women should have large breasts and long hair do. I will not let any man tell me how my body should look.
I will not let any woman who is acting like a man policing womenâs bodies to define me. The successes of feminism did not come from biological arguments but from demanding to be seen as more than reproductive animals and to take control of our right to own our own bodies
I will also not make assumptions about all men based on their biology either. The anti-trans feminists want to return to the days of âall men are rapistsâ which is also a form of biological determinism. This kind of thinking is bigotry.
It is generalising to a whole group, the characteristics of a few. Itâs the basis of racism, islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia etc. Pointing to a few trans women who have carried out violent or criminal acts and generalising to all is therefore transphobia
The tactics of anti-trans feminists and the ultra right are not about âlegitimate concernsâ, they are hatred, pure and simple. They spring from hatred of men and women respectively. They use the tactics of fearmongering, no different to racists and homophobes.
I refuse to let these people pretend they speak for all women. They donât. I refuse to be defined by my reproductive biology. I will not define other women by theirs either. That is why I accept trans women as women. I support self-ID under Scotlandâs proposed GRA.
Thank you to everyone whoâs read, liked and retweeted and followed. Itâs a very weird experience to wake up and see something Iâve written have such an impact. Iâm so pleased itâs been helpful. *If youâre in Scotland please make your voice heard in the GRA consultation. *
