Thread by @fairplaywomen

THREAD: Yesterday BBC2 are rather bland and uninspiring 90 minute documentary called "womanhood". But within it they spared 15 mins to cover "the trans debate". 😱 /1

bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod…

First they went to a night club to meet a transgender woman called Evie. Evie passes so well that even the fiancée of 4 years didn't know his girlfriend had been born male. Cue lots of cooing and smiles from the celebs and Shirley Ballas asking the obvious question /2

Tense music.... the celebs are preparing for their next interview. Suzi tells us how she fears they might be "platforming some quite hateful views". She tells us how toxic it is and how it becomes a "slagging match". Suzi resolutely declares "I don't want any part of that!". /3

Next melancholy music and Suzi contemplating whether she should even go. Thoughtful stares into the middle distance. Worried looks from the other celebs. Mucho sole searching.... /4

Luckily Suzi finds her courage to face her fears to confront the evil bigot. The tension mounts for viewers. What notorious transphobe could they be meeting? What bile and hatred will she be spewing? /5

Well would you believe it. They bump into smiling Dr Nic in the changing rooms! /6

The celebs circle around and brace themselves for the "hateful views". /7

"We are all having compassion here for the trans person, but where the compassion the women?" /8

Suzi asks her big question - where should transwoman go? Terrible editing here from the BBC mashing up an incomplete answer. But the idea of a mixed sex option alarms Suzi - but what about male violence!! Odd how male violence matters now the first time in our conversation. /9

Suzi "but does that mean we put a transwoman in a male prison?" /10

Now back to Evie for some sound bites
"What people are trying to do is paint us as predators".
"Lets remember, it was unheard of for a black person to use the same facilities as a white person".
"Do we really want to be on the wrong side of history again?" /11

"Does is make any difference to you if a transwoman has had their penis removed?" /12

"There's been a huge increase... you are more likely to encounter a trans person in a changing room and its more likely they will have what you perceive as a male body". /13

"If I saw a person in the changing room with a beard and a penis does it matter to me how they identify? They may have changed their appearance to look more feminine but they are still male" /14

"There are ordinary women with concerns, there are ordinary trans people with concerns, who want to talk about this. And that's who we need to solve this problem for" /15

Back at the house, the celebs mull over what they've heard. Disappointingly most of them have still lost sight of women's concerns. /16

Kirsty Wark steps a little closer to the real issues of encountering a male person undressed in a woman's changing room

"If you were in there with your kids..... I can understand why that might be quite difficult" /17

But its Shirley Ballas who dares to say the unsayable "I'm really not sure how I'd feel".

The others try to convince her that its because they all know some trans people and she doesn't.

"But I probably think I speak for the majority" /18

For me it was a gruelling & hostile interview lasting well over 90 mins, pinned by the stare of a glaring Suzi Ruffell who dominated the questioning. Trying to get me to reveal my hatred - she of course failed. Women like me don't hate. We just think women matter in this too /19

All this plus a 100 widths in the pool afterwards! An exhausting day but happy to have shown on national TV that we are not a bunch of transphobes with "hateful views" engaging in "slagging matches". Suzi's hyperbole was over blown. Sex matters & so do women. /20

You can watch the whole section here starting 66 mins in to the show. /21

bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod…

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