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@frankconway STW statement and following discussion here: https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/singletrack-world-response-to-nadine-dorries-comments-on-trans-athletes/
@markie I cancelled my subscription because of that. I like the magazine a lot and the forum a great deal, but I think I’m not as torn as you because I only discovered it and subscribed in lockdown.
Of course I understand others feel differently, but as I see it STW has chosen to become politically active in a way that discriminates against women and will be detrimental to my daughter’s chances as she grows up. I don’t want to help them by giving them my own money. Obviously I’m still helping them with my clicks, but that’s as much as I’m prepared to do while using the forum.
Markie - ah, that one.
I shouldn’t have gone into details - I don’t want to rekindle that discussion and won’t say any more here. To put it more as Markie did, if a previously apolitical organisation you support in some way decides to become politically active on an issue, then your own politics become a factor.
Is supporting inclusion and diversity political?
The thread linked above is prob the right place to carry on a conversation about the claim that allowing men into women’s spaces is supporting inclusivity and diversity.
You brought it up but ok - great, thanks.
Is it possible to pay a bit more for your sub? Buy the crazy Piñata gloves, they’re ace! Also the innertube belt and the shirts!
We are working o a solution for that. But in the meantime you can drop Zoe an email and she’ll adjust your existing payment manually. Subs@singletrackworld.com
I don't think I ever talked about my feelings on the 'political' statement that STW made so I'm going to do that now.
I subscribed because because I wanted to read the article on Jamie Hibbard back in issue 139. I remember him suddenly disappearing from the scene and thinking that was a bit odd but I didn't realise the levels of homophobic hate mail he was getting or that he was getting abused in the street and on the trails for being gay.
Ironic, given the fact he was entirely hetrosexual, at least as far as I know.
This brings me to why I think the statement STW made was so important. Back in the 90s it wasn't enough to just be straight if you wanted to avoid homophobic abuse. You had to 'appear' straight at all times.
In the UK now the country is drifting towards a stance where more and more limits are going to be imposed on trans people. This is not going to stop with trans people.
If you are going to put up barriers people are going to feel it is their duty to police these barriers. It won't be enough to simply 'be' cis-gender. You will also have to appear cisgender at all times.
Many of the comments in support of Nadine Dorries talk about protecting our children. They don't seem to take into account the fact that our children are going to be pressured into 'appearing' cis-gender at all times or risk accusations, persecution, and abuse.
I'm a fairly terrible father in many many ways. One thing that I am at least sure of is that I am going to support my kids no matter how they choose to see themselves. I don't want my son to have to present himself as 'masculine' or my daughter to have to present herself as 'feminine' in order to live a quiet life. I want them to grow up to be themselves, nothing more or less.
This was a really important statement and one that you'll be able to look back on with pride in 10, 15, or 20 years. I understand how risky it was given the state of the 'debate' in the UK right now (it's worth remembering that the UK is far behind most liberal countries in terms of trans-acceptance).
I may or may not have renewed my subscription before your statement but you can be sure that I will always renew from now on (assuming you wanted an argumentative **** like me in the first place but you've made your bed now 🙂 ).
@Mark, I’ve tried to email Zoe as you said. I’ve used the subs@ address and received a mail delivery failure reply. I tried again to make sure and the same happened.
Anything you can suggest?
@BruceWee said (I paraphrase)
It's like homophobia, innit?
No, it's not. This is about the entitlement of men (which I mean in the sense of human males) to take from women (which I mean in the sense of human females) as they deem fit. Same as it ever was.
It's not progressive. It's sexism upon sexism upon sexism.
First, you claim that people can be grouped by their female brains. This is Victorian era 'ladybrain' bioessentialism with the twist that female brains can now be born in male bodies. Bioessentialism 2.0.
Second, you claim the name for female-brained people should be the word we currently use for female people - that the word 'woman' should be taken from female people, leaving them no word at all to decribe themselves. This is intentional becuse...
Third, you claim that every right, space and service women that fought for to allow them to particiapte in a male-dominated society now already belongs to men if they want them, because you just redefined 'woman' with some semanic slight of hand.
I cancelled my sub to STW because I don't wish to fund a men's rights movement.
P.S. My son and daughter can each do what they like. What I don't do is talk about these things in terms of masculinity or femininity, becuase these stereotypes are what we're trying get away from, right? Not reify as the very definitions of the words man and woman.
It’s like homophobia, innit?
Ah, so you can't actually make decent arguments against people so you've decided to bravely battle strawmen in the name of women everywhere, I see.
Let's put aside the stream of consciousness essay where you took idea from one particular branch of feminist theory and tried to pretend it encompassed all forms of feminism (and that you are of course an ardent feminist yourself) and assume for a moment that you are 100% correct.
If you are going to gatekeep women's spaces (bathrooms, changing rooms, shelters, sports, etc) to prevent transwomen from invading then you're going to have to have some way of identifying transwomen. What is your suggestion to separate transwomen from cis-women?
Are you going to become one of these gatekeepers where you look at less 'feminine' women with suspicion and require them to visit a doctor before you will allow them into a women's only space?
What is your policy on intersex women going to be? Are you going to have a list of allowable conditions or are you going to be an absolutist and use Markie's definition from the other thread, thus making Caster Semenya get changed in the men's changing room?
So yes, you were right. It is like homophobia in that you are creating a group of 'others' who are not always easy to distinguish from those of us who are 'insiders'. Because these others are not easy to distinguish, people who are actually insiders can come under suspicion of being 'other' which means everyone comes under pressure to conform to conventional ideas of masculinity and femininity.
This is the direction your own particular brand of 'feminism' is leading. Women are going to be challenged (mostly by men) in bathrooms, in changing rooms, in shelters, and on the sports field for the crime of not conforming to a definition of feminine largely created by men.
If you think it's somehow going to be different in the UK I'd love to hear how.
Guys, there’s a thread for this, and it isnt this one.
https://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/singletrack-world-response-to-nadine-dorries-comments-on-trans-athletes/
They felt the need to make the point that they are unsubscribing because of the statement. I made the point that I'll definitely be renewing because of it.
But yes, it should never have been brought up on this thread. If you want to go, go. Don't stick around for 6 months explaining why you're going.
Thanks for your honesty, a tricky position for many organisations and folk at the moment. Don’t be too slow to nudge prices up, little and often avoids the “shock” of a bigger step in time. Love the content and mag, and have done for many years, keep the faith. Donation made.
Benos. Why are you still posting? Double standards? You cancelled your subs but still on here banging on and espousing a position that is political and extreme.
I replied to your comment to me on the other thread.
But I will say here that I like the forum, and that I’m grateful to STW for both the free membership and that they’ve allowed free discussion. It speaks highly of them.
I also agree that I should’ve replied to BruceWee on the other thread rather than here.
Nobody has taken me up on the offer of a digital subscription yet *subtley tries to get thread back on track*
johnjn2000 - suggest you start a thread with title 'FREE'
@frankconway, I think you might be onto something there but I was trying to keep it in the spirit of this OP by putting it here. Will pop it up later.
One could argue that anyone who cares sufficiently about the site to be reading this thread is a more deserving recipient...
Oh, I know, gift it to Benos. 😁
Cougar - arf arf!
I was actually thinking of offering a donated sub myself. STW have been really good about allowing criticism, and weird as it may seem I’d like to recognise that.
Count me in.
benos - does that mean you're also donating a digital sub or taking the free one that's on offer?
Donating one, if that works.
I'm a print & digital member, mainly because I tried digital only, and found I missed the print magazine too much, so I switched over. That'll go, sometime after I can't afford bike parts, beer or whisky, and have sold both kidneys... Not that I'll care at that point, as life won't be worth living anyway 😅
Post something as a reminder in a week or so, and I'll pick up some merch after I've been paid 👍
20 years of fun subscriptions. Thanks Singletrack. Just ordered my sweatshirt. ❤️
I got a sweater for my birthday.
I'd have preferred a moaner or a screamer, but...
Any chance of setting up a subscription service for coffee? I'm rather liking my Ride and Shine
Yes. Our subs tech expert Andy is working on that.
Thanks Mark!
Finally got round to subscribing. Sorry it took so long.
My insulated drinking flask arrived a couple of weeks ago and it's very good at keeping drinks hot. My coffee made at 8am yesterday was not gluggable until after 11am, sips only until then. Highly recommended.