I decided to start with For Women Scotland Ltd (Appellant) v The Scottish Ministers (Respondent) since it is the most controversial case at the moment. That, and it appears if you agree with the ruling then you must be against the Trans Community. (I also had to remove a LOT that I wrote because it was far too long for a blog post!).
To quote J.K Rowling’s original tweet from 2020 (which I’m sure will anger a lot of people from the get go) ‘The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women – ie, to male violence – ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences – is a nonsense.’
What I’ve found following this, and my own lived experience, is that even when you articulate your support for the Trans Community and the real life struggles that they face, people ignore everything else you’ve said except that ONE part that you don’t agree with.
India Willoughby expressed her concerns in a metro piece following the ruling where she quite rightly voiced her disbelief and worry, and what that meant for her and the future of the Trans community. Everyone is allowed to feel strongly about the ruling no matter what side you’re on, and I’m so happy that we all have an outlet to express our opinions. This is mine…
Both sides of the debate have their concerns about the use of single sex spaces for example. Trans Women feel unsafe using male only spaces (understandable, women also generally feel unsafe in male only spaces), and (some) women feel uncomfortable with Trans Women being included in women only spaces, due to their past experiences with men. I can already hear the ‘Trans women are women’ mantra as I write this. To a point, I don’t disagree with this statement. However, let me explain one of the biggest reasons I agree with the ruling which has nothing to do with any reasons I’ve heard people talking about.
Medical Research.
Women’s inclusion in medical research and clinical trials have been (to put it very mildly) lacking. The British Medical Journal states ‘Sidelining women reduces the wider applicability of research findings, because biological characteristics may influence disease presentation, pathophysiology, and responses to treatment’…’They argue for greater focus on social and economic factors to overcome implicit biases, and their demand is clear and unarguable: “Researchers should recruit both sexes equally, disaggregate data by sex, and be aware of gendered assumptions and expectations that can lead to hidden biases.”
Obviously when the BMJ article was written it was not in connection with any current debates on sexuality. However, it’s important to understand that the legality change on sex could influence an already under-represented demographic.
If the legal ruling was that Trans Women are legally Women, then how would that affect future research? Yes, there could be additional questions asked to determine if someone is Transgender or not, but would this then encroach on their legal right of their chosen sex? Why should they have to disclose anything other than they are a woman?
Side note: I’ve heard and watched online clips of Trans Women having ‘period pains’ after they started their hormone therapy, and this gets a lot of women’s hackles up as it feels as if their lived experiences are being diminished. Trans Women do not have a womb to be able to have periods, so therefore can’t have period pains (I genuinely never thought I would have to explain this). However, Medical News Today has a great article which explains in detail the reasons for the PMS like symptoms that Trans Women can experience while on hormone therapy, and how to ensure you are sensitive to their experiences.
Just as we should be sensitive to the experiences of the Trans Community, we should also be sensitive to Women’s lived experiences. We do not disagree that Trans Women need to feel inclusion in society, however we cannot disregard that Women also matter.
Women also matter.
Let that sink in for a second.
This is not a Transphobic slur, or an attack on the Trans Community. This is a statement that should remind you that we all have lived experiences that matter.
I’m just some random Woman kicking about the world right now who feels so deeply about the fact that she was born female, that she feels scared that her identity and all she knows may be taken away from her if somehow the ruling was overturned.
I didn’t want to get into all the issues that are raised online about this ruling due to the overwhelmingness already. I wanted to bring just one new perspective that also has real world consequences on the health and wellbeing of Women. Something we’ve been fighting for so long for.
On the subject of periods, it’s only in recent years Endometriosis and Adenomyosis has had the awareness that it deserves. Forever and a day we’ve been told that ‘it’s normal to have painful periods’, and told to take painkillers and a hot water bottle or a warm bath. Yet I know Women who have been on birth control since the age of 13 because they were in so much pain and doctors said it would help, and only now in their 40s they find out the truth of what this pill has masked.
There is room in this world for everyone. But we can’t ignore one demographic to suit another. We need to make space for everyone.
Anon
It's Only My Opinion 
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