From: martinharran@gmail.com   
      
   On Sun, 30 Mar 2025 22:00:04 -0400, Kestrel Clayton   
    wrote:   
      
   >   
   >The last day of March is the Transgender Day of Visibility, a day to   
   >improve awareness of transgender people, to draw attention to the   
   >challenges and oppression we face, and help people understand us better.   
   >The TDoV is more important than ever in 2025, as the Trump   
   >Administration has put us squarely in its target sights.   
   >   
   >One of the ways I can fight for my existence, and that of several of my   
   >friends and loved ones, is by being visible as myself, answering   
   >questions, and demystifying trans people.   
      
   Fair play to you for standing up and being counted!   
      
   I am involved in some religious activity at the moment that is   
   somewhat similar in terms of standing up. Catholics in recent years   
   have tended to keep their heads below the parapet largely in response   
   initially to the dreadful abuse scandals that happened but also, I   
   think, because religious belief has become distinctly unfashionable,   
   at least on this side of the Atlantic. In the activity I am involved   
   in, I argue that if we sincerely believe in our religious faith and   
   truly regard it as the greatest gift that we can give people than we   
   should not be shrinking from talking about and demonstrating that.   
      
   I'm not trying to equate the problems that religious believers have   
   with the problems that transgender people have, simply making the   
   point that problems with people's perceptions can only be dealt with   
   by facing up to them, not hiding from them, and I respect you for   
   doing that, especially in the context of today's hate-filled social   
   media.   
      
   >   
   >I am a transgender woman. I am visible. Ask me anything.   
      
   I'm aware of two particular areas where problems seem to arise. One is   
   the area of participation in sport which other here have addressed.   
   Another one where I have been involved in a lengthy discussion   
   elsewhere is that of transgender women using female-only toilets and   
   changing facilities. I personally don't think there should be any   
   issue where facilities are cubicle-based but can see problems where   
   casual nudity is the norm and some (many?) women might not appreciate   
   the sight of male genitalia on display, whoever they belong to.   
      
   I think some of this goes back to the latent fear that women generally   
   have of men - a fear that men generally don't really grasp - and their   
   worry that they have no real way of knowing whether a transgender   
   woman is a genuine woman or some male seeking to satisfy his prurient   
   desires. This, of course, is not helped by cases like the one in   
   Scotland where a male rapist, claiming to be transgender, was sent to   
   a women's prison.   
   https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64729029   
      
      
   Any thoughts on how such problems can be dealt with?   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)