Thread by @AlmostStace

I’ve come to the conclusion I might have to wade in a bit more because of the absolute state of the culture war & its transphobia during the leadership shitshow. So for any followers/@wepbasingstoke #Basingstoke people that aren’t sure what’s happening; I’ll give you what 1/?

https://twitter.com/ShippersUnbound/status/1546046734605975553

knowledge I have. No-one that knows about these issues will learn anything new from my views & I absolutely will not engage with trolls: I just want to summarise for those locally that aren’t familiar. The quoted tweet/its comments are a window into transphobia. 2/?

Notice: this is a row over trans men and non-binary people who are *pregnant*, yet we still predictably descend into “women with penises” territory even though it’s irrelevant - because transphobes are genital-obsessed & also daft. 3/?

They’re slating Penny M for using the words “pregnant people/person” in legislation rather than “pregnant woman”, & claiming this is an erasure of women. This is patently crap, for all of the following reasons. 4/?

When I was a pregnant woman, I was also <gasp> a pregnant person. THIS IS BECAUSE WOMEN ARE PEOPLE.

Think about it. Anyone arguing this point is saying, essentially, that women aren’t people. Something we get enough of with misogyny, no? 5/?

Legal language HAS to include everyone it may apply to. In pregnancy terms that will include trans men, non-binary pregnant people, and cis women like me. “Pregnant people” covers all bets, as legally it should. I am people, so this is fine. 6/?

I was pregnant twice & I felt lost many times but it was never because I was called a person. On the contrary, the words “woman”, “mother”, “mummy” are everywhere in lieu of one’s actual name. The erasure of women is not linguistic; it’s in medical sidelining of their pain, 7/?

self-knowledge, experience, physical differences, and of course all this goes doubly for disabled women, women of colour, & queer women. But that’s a whole other thread. Point is I had plenty shit experiences & none were being called “a person”. 8/?

Every single instance of this inclusive wording at hospitals, docs, etc I have seen barracked about in the media has been a wording change from “women” to “women & pregnant people” or “women” to “women & people with cervices”, or similar. No erasure; just inclusion. 9/

Finally. Who’s this about? Well, trans men & NB people that are pregnant. Those people, in the eyes of transphobes, are women! All the cackling doofs in the comments screeching about erasure of women are SCREAMING ABOUT THE INCLUSION OF THE VERY PEOPLE THEY CLAIM TO PROTECT. 10/

Which is how you can tell that it’s not about women, & certainly not about our rights; fund healthcare properly & get us gender equality in it if you’re so damn concerned. It’s about transphobia. It’s about whipping up fear & distraction so you don’t see the real issues. 11/

It’s about this cartoon. 12/

Penny Mordaunt is as predictably awful as the rest of the venal, racist, grasping Tories vying for the top job but in this regard (& possibly only this) she has the right of it.

Weaponising transphobia to win leadership is disgusting & costs lives. We see you. 13/

Trans rights issues obsess a minority of bigots & often baffle everyone else. As @wepbasingstoke’s leader I’ve learned some stuff & am here to answer any questions from good faith #Basingstoke people that are sick of being played for fools & want to know more in a safe space. 14/

Above all, please remember trans & NB people are overwhelmingly just trying to live their lives safely, with love and respect. They deserve better than being pawns in a Tory race to the bottom. Be respectful & kind 1st, & find cis allies to ask awkward questions of. Ta. 15/15