No such thing
Sarah Phillimore tells us of someone who wrote to ActionAidUK asking them to use the word “sex” rather than “gender” in their mailings because
These words are being conflated on a regular basis and it is causing issues. Women and girls are being discriminated against and abused on the basis of their sex. Words are important and it needs to be crystal clear who is being subject to the violence so we can help those most in need.
You can write their reply in your sleep.
We agree that words are important. As ActionAid UK is an organisation focused on supporting the most marginalised women and girls in the world, it is important to us that we are clear that when we are talking about women and girls, we are including transgender women and girls in our definition of women and girls.
In other words transgender “women and girls” are the most marginalized so yes we will continue to “center” them instead of actual women and girls.
ActionAid UK defines women and girls as anyone who self-identifies as a woman or a girl. Allowing self-determination of our bodies is a basic feminist principle.
Yes self-determination of our bodies. Ours. Women’s. That’s not to say that men shouldn’t have that self-determination too, just that it’s not and can’t be and shouldn’t be an issue for feminism because feminism is for and about women. Literal women, not pretend women, not identify-as women, not feelings in the head women.
ActionAid UK understands there is no such thing as a ‘biologically female/male body’
Does ActionAidUK understand that the UK is a half-eaten doughnut that Athena dropped while she was watching “The Real Housewives of Pittsburgh”?
Sarah Phillimore comments:
ActionAidUK declares itself to be a charity ‘that works with women and girls living in poverty’. It apparently recognises the harm done to women and girls by violence. Women and girls do not ‘choose’ to become victims of violence, rape, sex trafficking, FGM or abortion from their mother’s wombs. They haven’t ‘self identified’ into this condition. It is immediately obvious to those who hurt and kill them, who deny them an education, who force them into marriage aged 12, what sex they are. For about 99% of living humans, it is immediately obvious what sex they are.
But now we’ve forgotten all that.
My days now seem to consist of an endless cycle of remote court hearings, Zoom meetings, walking the dogs and sending emails to various organisations that can be distilled to a simple scream of WHY.
WHY does recognising the vulnerabilty of people who feel unhappiness with their ‘gender identity’ have to come at the expense of reality? Why does biology have to be denied to ensure that we treat everyone with compassion and humanity? WHY is it always women and girls who have to move over and abandon their rights to claim their actual, physical identities as members of the female sex?
WHY?
Many of us would like to know.
How oblivious are these people? When they have to alter and expand on the definition of a word in order to include themselves in that word’s definition, that’s a great big lolloping clue that maybe they don’t belong in there after all.
“We agree that words are important.”
Biology, not so much.
Does that mean there’s no such thing as a female body? Or do they mean that the female body is something other than biological — metaphysical, perhaps, or mental? Imaginary?
If there are no male or female bodies, then how could someone’s ‘gender identity’ fail to match up with their body? All bodies would be androgynous, like blue jeans, and should work with any identity.
But I thought TWAW, therefore when talking about women, that includes trans women, otherwise trans women aren’t women. And if trans women aren’t women then why do they claim to be women? I think I need a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down.
Really, the best way to solve the relative suffering of women worldwide is just to define everybody as women, that way women aren’t suffering anymore relative to men. Job done, and thanks for the donations!
In which ActionAid UK admits it is no longer engaged in advocacy of the female sex per se.
That would seriously work, because nobody would know any more which people to pay less.
If ActionAid UK has defined itself as engaged in advocacy for women, then it would be transcharityphobic of us to ask for receipts.
I know this has been said (many times) before, but in what sense is this a definition?
What is a woman?
Someone who says they’re a woman.
Yes, but what is it?
They’re a woman if they say they are.
No, I mean what does “woman” mean?
It means you’ve identified as one.
Is it a kind of fruit? A mineral? A measurement in music?
A person.
Good. Okay — what type of person?
A self-identified woman type of person.
I’ve seen clearer definitions of God.
I identify as a whpzl. It’s simpler.