Thread by @GrRoary

There's a misogynist obsessed with claiming feminists and conservatives* have the same approach to gender. Guess the difference between "gender is an oppressive system, abolish it" and "gender is innate and tied to sex" is hard to tell apart when you're so busy navel gazing >

His understanding of homophobia and inequalities is specious to say the least but grasping these things should not be beyond him. Patriarchy wants to keep women as submissive breeders and care takers, that is the root of gender. >

One of the ways men enforce gender is by policing heteronormativity. That is why homophobia is rife and why people who identify as trans are attacked and demonised by conservatives and some other men**. They see gender non conformity and it frightens/disgusts them. >

Feminists*** are not disgusted/frightened by gender non conformity, they embrace it. Once the oppressive patriarchal system of gender is abolished everybody will be non conforming because there will be no rules to conform with. >

Whilst these transphobic men attack people who identify as trans to enforce patriarchy, many feminists disagree with transgender ideology and transactivism because they believe it is reinforcing the patriarchy. >

When I say "transgender ideology" I mean the narratives dominating discourse/policy/organisations. Such as the idea that everyone has a fixed innate/gender identity, the medical model that claims bodies need to be fixed and the erasure of female reality. >

The rejection of the ideology and activism rests heavily on two factors that are completely at odds with the stance conservatives take. Firstly, feminists reject the idea males who identify as trans are gender non conforming in anything but superficial ways (dress etc). >

Secondly, feminists reject the idea that there are "correct" or innate ways for female/male people to behave, think or live their lives and that tying certain behaviours and feelings to "identification" as a woman/man is a reproduction of those conservative patriarchal beliefs. >

On one side you've got feminists - gender is a system of patriarchal rules, abolish it. On the other you've got conservatives - gender is innate, tied to sex. In the middle you've got trans ideology - gender is innate but not tied to sex. >

Trans ideology leaves the most fundamental anti-feminist rhetoric intact: that gender is an innate personal characteristic that is fixed****, that there is some gender "truth" residing within you that you just need to find and by living by those rules you can be "free". >

The real life implications of the difference between feminists and conservatives are glaringly obvious. Feminists support people who id as trans to have their human rights protected and their needs met but question when their wants conflict with the needs of oppressed groups. >

Pretty sure the same cannot be said of conservatives and men violently policing heteronormativity. Though obvs that takes more thought to counter, and acknowledgement that TWAW will never reach them. Changing their attitudes to non conformity requires an acceptacnce of sex. >

Anyway, it's always easier to attack women and throw out stupid soundbites meant to demonise and demean. It's a misogynistic tactic as old as time. Turn your feed into some Trumpian style mad blatherings, I don't care. Feminists have met a lot of men like you before. >

*Not all conservatives
**Not all men
***Not all feminists blah, blah, blah.

**** except the very gender special who are exempt