What happens to women’s rights?

Featured image from the Penn State Harrisburg Archives and Special Collections. Follow the link for more historical images.

Genuine question, what happens to women’s rights now that men are becoming women? What happens to female only spaces now that women is a social construct? What is a woman anymore? For the longest time, we have defined women as, as Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire puts it, an adult human female. For the transgender activists, it would appear that “womanhood” is nothing more than a costume to be worn and discarded without regard for the impact it has on biological females (cis-women or women depending on your cultural vernacular). But we are entering into an era where serious considerations need to be tackled, because the underlying understanding of the definitions of words have changed so much in so short of a time.

Women have fought hard for equality. For the longest time I had considered myself a feminist, though no longer (I have a post as to why). I stand for the equality of people. I wish for men and women to have the same legal protections under our systems of laws. But there are a number of glaring issues that I have with the modern feminist movement.

I will start by laying out my own biases, and we’ll go on from there. I personally believe that gender and sex are interlinked. I believe that as a matter of faith and personal belief. I believe in both the masculine and the feminine, and reject the false notion of the gender binary (how progressive of me) in terms of a social construct. You can be a male who is feminine or a female who is masculine, or either that are androgynous. But your inherent biological configuration accounts for something. I feel sad for those who mutilate themselves to “feel more in line with their true self.” I think that we must recognize the reality of what we are given in addition to recognizing the internal soul. To go through procedures that alter the physical being is, in my mind, a rejection of that process.

My personal opinion on someone who identifies as a woman at heart, or a man at heart, is be well. I don’t wish you ill will, destruction, or harm. I want everyone to be at peace with themselves, and I think that these issues are a long process, and should be driven by the person seeking that answer, not parents, not schools, not governments, not religions. My fundamental individual first mentality shines through on many of these types of discussions. And I have to state that no two paths are identical. What works for someone does not necessarily mean it will work for everyone.

There are fundamental differences in the biology of males and females (men and women depending on your vernacular). These differences have been honed over thousands of years of human evolution and biology. We are a species that has, to some extent, sexual dimorphism. Not as widely as say, a peacock, but still present.

But I stray from my original question. What happens to women’s rights (biological females) now that men can identify as women (social construct)? Women have fought hard to create a space for themselves. Women have worked tirelessly to advance themselves in our culture to create places where they (biological females) can compete on an equal footing. The Williams sisters (Venus and Serena) engaged in a friendly matched, dubbed the “Battle of the Sexes” in which they challenged a male tennis player, ranked 203rd in the world, and subsequently lost 6-1 (Serena) and 6-2 (Venus). Currently we are navigating the currents of controversy with Lia Thomas, the trans swimmer who just won the NCAA championship. (She’s on the left of the picture in case you haven’t been following along). Thomas, formerly ranked 462nd, now dominates the competition in many events.

I see several sides on this issue, and I agree to some extent with many of the commentaries. And I suppose that I’m going to at least try to explain where I stand.

I don’t think that trans athletes should be competing against cis-gendered athletes. I think that there are a number of safety concerns that stem from the biological differences between the two sexes (male and female). I don’t think that it is right or proper for a male (man) to hit a female (woman). I don’t think it is right or proper for a trans woman (biological male/man) to fight a cis-woman (woman). I am not opposed to trans athletes competing against cis-athletes if the rules allow. I don’t blame trans athletes for seeking any advantage they have in order to succeed.

But what do we do about women’s rights? Do we accept that being a woman is nothing more that a social construct? Do we agree that womanhood is nothing more than a costume that can be worn like the latest fall fashions? Does doing so devalue the rights and protections that are afforded to women (biological females)?

Me personally, I think we just make two new divisions, for trans men and trans women. Voila, problem solved, at least at the competitive level. Though I do suspect that this doesn’t “solve” anything. We are going to have to resolve these legal definitions and define the specific legal protections of both trans and non-trans peoples, otherwise, we’re going to have a long and deadly future in front of us.

And I suppose even more broadly, I would suggest trying to have a conversation without the snark and ad-hominem attacks. Once you start insulting everyone, then progress becomes impossible.