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the Stumble Bees šŸ's avatar

Beautiful article, thank you for writing. Unfortunately, I've wondered a few things myself. Please don't take women's views like these too harshly šŸ¤. After self reflection years ago, I realized I was just mad at the perceived loss of childhood that comes with being a woman, and was secretly jealous that boys got to experience childhood as boys. (Don't get me wrong, I fought fervently against sexism which is why everyone thought I was fine.) Secretly however, I would have traded my girlhood for boyhood who, my boomer parents claimed, could go outside by themselves, ā€œnot be a burden of needed to be watched all the timeā€ i.e. prime kidnapping target, and go on vacation to other places (we were just poor, they just started blaming everything on my gender, an easy out).

I think a lot of us, me included, have wished they could experienced american boyhood: or as I call it, childhood with ā€œdefault fearā€. Stepping outside, travelling, standing up for myself against men (or anyone 2x, 3x, 4x bigger) without fear of physical retaliation, has literally been trained out of me and I struggle everyday to be a functioning adult because of how terrible they stressed womanhood to be in every aspect. When I find joy as a woman, it's beautiful and rare, raw energy, that I built, without support from any woman, mothers included.

Please don't take hateful comments to heart šŸ¤ My trauma-dumping means nothing if people don't understand that terrible, bigoted comments are really just people crying for community, or mourning the loss of childhood freedom we never got the chance to experience.

Entirely NOT your fault, apathy has always been high in women and girls as we struggle not to define ourselves as prey. I believe that is why so many women paint a target on anothers’ back, including the ā€œnew girlsā€.

Im so sorry if you have faced cruel interactions, and am terribly sorry for the legislation changes. Please understand the average woman with a brain has never hated you or any Trans individuals. We have been politically weaponized in a way where no one can see us, unless they want to speak over us on the topic of our safety šŸ¤. We don’t hate you, anymore than Americans ā€œhateā€ Canadians: not at all, just politically weaponized in the media right now.

As for the obtuse comments, You really wrote a beautiful article to demonstrate what that is like from the other point of view. Will be showing to my friends if anything like this ever comes up in conversation. šŸ¤

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