A number of respondents objected to being referred to as ‘gender critical’, saying they reject gender altogether and are not simply critical of it. They stated that gender is a social construct that serves to maintain patriarchy. Another reason given for objecting to it is that recognising material reality should not be considered a view.

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “Radical feminists are not “gender critical”, they are gender abolitionists… and there is a massive difference.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I actually resent the term “gender critical views”. Because to me, knowing what biological sex is, is not a view. It is simply knowledge of facts. But I have to accept that’s how we describe it nowadays.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “It’s astonishing to me how biology which has been around since human beings evolved is now seen as ‘gender critical’, rather than evidence based fact. It’s as though the fact that the earth is round, not flat, should be called ‘flat earth critical’.”

Question 23: Have you been threatened/subject to verbal or physical abuse because of your gender critical views?

Fig. 29

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I was very scared for a long time, especially after being publicly shamed, having my execution and death discussed by former friends, being misrepresented, lied about and denigrated. Over time, though, I’ve found other people on Twitter who grasp these issues and I am rarely afraid now. Distressed, angry, worried, yes. But not afraid.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I was physically attacked twice at protests for handing out radical feminist flyers criticising the transitioning of girls. I’m a writer about to publish my first novel, and I’m worried about being attacked for my radical feminist views. Please note that I do not agree with some so-called gender-critical views as I have the feeling that they don’t criticise the concept of gender per se but only the fact that some people of the male sex claim a gender identity associated with the female sex. I think the concept of gender is regressive bullshit no matter who it is assigned to.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I was doxed on social media, had my house daubed with TERF and both myself and my daughter threatened with rape and murder, this began after I asked a question 2 years ago, all dealt with by the Police. I receive threatening messages on a regular basis. I am wary about engaging with any open debate on gender issues although I still share and highlight the predators and sex offenders amongst the trans movement and ‘community’ and mentally prepare myself for the abuse and threats that invariably follow.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I was threatened with death during a demonstration against violence against women.”

Question 24: Have you been called a TERF or other derogatory names as a result of your views on gender identity?

Fig. 30

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “It’s actually quite terrifying to realise that the trans movement really is sexist and regressive – to realise you are gender critical, a dreaded “terf”. When I started to realise that these women I’d seen abused and threatened were actually in the right, and that I couldn’t just nod along with pronouns and repeat the mantras, it was like looking over a cliff. It took a long while to reach a point where I was ok with my decision to point out the flaws in gender ideology. It still makes me afraid to be in certain social situations.”

Question 25: Do you experience self-censorship because of your gender critical views?

Fig. 31

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I am most worried about ostracization. I have to self-censor so much online to not be kicked out of groups or have my account deleted, and I already have relatives who do not talk to me or interact online with me anymore because of my views. My brother even compared me to Trump! I am extremely far left, so of course the notion is ludicrous, but in the moment, it felt like a slap to the face. I hate how these people insist that they are “on the right side of history” and “why can’t I just be nice”, but they do not care about the women being raped in prison. They want to reframe their minds and look the other way, because they care more about being accepted by their peers than helping women and children. I wish I had started speaking up sooner. Maybe I could have prevented people from believing this shit. I did get my aunt to listen on the women in prison being raped by male prisoners’ issue, so that’s great.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I think most people hold these views in private but are too afraid to speak out in public. Many are even too afraid to ask questions never mind give opinions.” 

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “Feel am part of an underworld of gender critical people, largely forced into secrecy.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “A couple of years ago, I helped to organise an exhibition of old Women’s Lib posters in my local town. There was to be a discussion about 1960s and 70s feminism during the exhibition and I volunteered to publicise it amongst the women I knew. However, once I discovered the constraints placed on any discussion, for fear of offending any transwomen who might attend, I had to back out. In my view, none of the women I’d planned to invite would be prepared to join any feminist discussion in which we were expected to self-censor.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “The punishment of vocal women is part of the process. It silences others.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “It puts my own children at risk if their friends find out. They tell me they will have no friends if any of them knew my views. They are worried.” 

Question 26: Are you concerned about being accused of bigotry or not being “inclusive” because of your gender critical views?

Fig. 32

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “This is a really stressful aspect for me. If I speak up, as should be my right to do so, for the rights of women and children based on sex, then my job is in danger. This causes me to censor myself which then makes me feel oppressed and very distressed that my views, based on fact and science, is viewed as bigoted when I am an extremely compassionate person. I even got the point of questioning myself and my values before realising that I am not a transphobe, but it was a process I feel I shouldn’t have had to go through.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I find the false view that gender critical feminists are bigoted or aligned with conservative/right-wing values to be hugely upsetting and offensive and a powerful weapon against feminism.”

Question 27: Are you concerned about being forced out of political organisations, community groups, and/or workplaces because of your gender critical views? 

Fig. 33

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “The bigger problem here is how difficult it is to talk about this subject in leftist circles. Accusations of being fascist and right wing are really common and the poisoning or the left wing in regards to this issue creates awful divisions in the left.” 

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I have been expelled from my local CLP for stating women & girls are legally entitled to single sex spaces so left the Labour Party. It seems anything pro women is automatically anti-trans.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I HAVE been expelled from my political party. I HAVE been accused of being a bigot because I refused to centre trans women in a march about murdered women.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I was hounded out of a political party because I asked questions about trans identifying males taking women only places as candidates. The attack was verbal, but fierce, unexpected and quite unjustified. I was cleared of transphobia in the internal investigation, but the incident scared me and I left the party.” 

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I have personally been impacted in the following ways: I was removed from local and national Liberal Democrat social media and campaigning groups (initially for objecting to the use of ‘terf’ in party literature, and then one by one from every group during the GRA consultation). I was verbally abused, told repeatedly I was a bigot/transphobe, received the ‘baseball bat out of car window’ meme. I was removed from my local town’s ‘Diversity’ facebook group (for objecting to video of ‘Desmond is Amazing’ and calling this out as child exploitation). I have lost a very close friend, and several other friends. Only two of my ‘in real life’ friends will talk about the issues. I have been called a terf and bigot by friends of friends and by a close friend of my new partner. I’ve been lucky as I haven’t been working and so haven’t been subject to the threat of sanctions/job loss, and have therefore been able to shout out into the facebook and twitter voids. I can’t envisage going back to the kinds of work I did pre-kids – in welfare advice/university admin/non–profits, as these have all been captured by the ideology. There have been strains in the relationships with my new partner and children at various points (though thankfully they now all, to varying degrees, see what is happening). I became aware of the issues in 2015, and in 2018 moved from the UK to the US. It is even worse here. It is hard to manage the tension between upholding positive relationships with my children’s teachers and explaining how these teachers we respect have such ‘blind spots’ that mean they have pronouns in their emails, promote ‘gender identity’ in the classroom, and promote an ideology that is so harmful and abusive. I have recently lost my only close friend, and friend of the family here over my countering her belief in ‘trans kids’ and their needs being ‘the new gay rights’ – she now believes me to be a bigot and transphobic. I am no longer upset by being called these things – and no longer ‘defend myself’ or try to prove my (lifelong, liberal) beliefs, as I spent three years doing in the online groups. The accusations have become – personally, because I’m not at risk of losing a job etc – meaningless. They just feel depressing and alienating. I spent many years in an abusive and controlling relationship with my children’s father. Just as I emerged from this, and just as I found my voice, I found it silenced, in one group after another, predominantly by men and by men masquerading as women, using all the same techniques as my ex. This, personally, has been very distressing – to be verbally abused, and then silenced, over and over and over.”

Question 28: Are you concerned about women receiving death threats/rape threats because of gender critical views?

Fig. 34

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I first learned what” TERF” meant when a MTF individual told me he wanted to violently assault and rape someone for the crime of being friends with one.” 

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I have to use a pseudonym on social media in order to be able to air my concerns. People who hold gc views are being terrorised by TRAs for daring to challenge their orthodoxy. Death threats and rape threats are common, and even the police are colluding with it (Marion Miller, Ceri Black). High profile women such as JKR, Joanna Cherry, Joan McAlpine, Prof Stock, and Rosie Duffield have been hounded and vilified, but it is also happening to ordinary women. Thanks to Maya’s case we can have a little more confidence from a legal perspective, but in everyday life it is impossible to express gc views unless in a safe space.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I have friends being threatened – verbally and physically. They even found out where they lived and threatened them violently. This is shocking to me and scary.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “Three or four years ago now I was put on a list of women to be doxxed and raped for holding gender critical views. By the time I found out about the list (by someone online), it had been removed from facebook. I have young children and while I know that the majority of people wouldn’t do anything, it just takes ONE to cause severe damage. I was afraid taking my children to and from school for a few months. I was generally cautious too in terms of the routes I took. At the same time, however, I was FURIOUS. I’ve lived under an actual dictatorship and I know what it is to have to be careful about what you say and how you say it. I know what this really means – it’s not imaginary for me. I’ve also been raped, more than once, and I know what that has done to me, but I was not going to cower in fear of people wanting to silence me, even though I was afraid and it stirred up difficult memories. Until then I’d read a lot, but almost never written anything myself. So, after that I wrote a lot, although within my FB circle or anonymously – I wanted to strike a balance between attracting crazies, keeping myself sane and speaking out.”

Questions 29 and 30 – see Racism

Question 31: Are you concerned about attempts to compel women from marginalised groups into support of gender identity ideology?

Fig. 35

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I am concerned about marginalised women and the situation in prisons especially. But also rape shelters, DV shelters and even small arts groups for women only.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I think women from marginalised groups are quite capable of seeing through gender extremism, especially as they are more likely to be affected by the worst of it. More marginalised women are in prison, for example.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I don’t know where is the right place to put this in the survey. I do not talk about it to my friends, I did a few years ago. Some know I am gender critical and share my views, we talk about it. Others know and we don’t mention it, just so we can stay friends. It is very difficult policing my language with some very close friends. I set up (with others) a local anti-racist group. Three of us are gender critical women. It got around amongst all the anti-racist/anti-fascist groups in the south of the UK that our anti-racist group was run by TERFs, no-one would work with us, even the black lives matter campaign and protest in our town did not include our anti-racist group in the event. An alternative ‘inclusive’ anti-racist group, with a very similar name to ours was set up, as no-one will work with TERFs. I used to enjoy going to punk gigs, one of the people who is very active in the local punk scene (he is at all the gigs and very popular) sent me a very abusive email describing me as a bullying transphobe, who he didn’t want to work with. It shocked me so much that I am very reticent to attend any punk gigs in the future. I know if I go with a friend and I am ostracised she will stay away from me as she does not want to be guilty by association. I used to teach English voluntarily with our local welcome refugee group. I was told about one family who wouldn’t go to lessons because the teacher was a trans-identifying male, but the family were taught that their identity was valid and they had to have lessons with him, or not at all. I am so angry about this that I cannot speak up, because I cannot deal with a lot of stress, I am a coward? But I could not just stay within the group and accept it as ok. I used to be active in left wing activist groups in my local town, but as I am known locally by them as a TERF I would certainly not be welcome at the actions, protests, organising meetings. The activist/punk scene is very insular and one person spreading news that I am an actual fascist transphobe means everyone in my old network of acquaintances and comrades now sees me as the right wing baddie. I left the Labour Party after a discussion about teaching children they could change sex. I was sickened by the smug joy on the faces of the trans activists within my CLP when they won the vote easily (by saying, it is just like the section 28 anti-gay law). My life has certainly got smaller, and scarier since I learned about gender ideology, mostly in real life, I am too scared to post much stuff online. On the plus side I have met some amazing women since I have been involved in this issue. But it would be nice to see a left wing person from the past and say hello, and have a chat knowing we both saw the world from roughly the same perspective.”

Question 32: Are you concerned about the possibility of legal action or police action and women being falsely accused of hate speech/crime?

Fig. 36

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “My friend was arrested for tying a ribbon to a fence. Police resources are being abused.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I can honestly say that given the recent behaviour of the police, that I no longer trust them and would actively say I am afraid of them (this may read as hyperbole to some but with a history of sexual abuse against me, PTSD and ongoing acrophobia, anxiety the fear is very real to me).”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “It has come to the stage that when I hear an unexpected knock on the door, my first thought is that it is the police. I have never so much as had a driving ticket. Now I don’t trust the police. If someone in my area sees a women’s rights sticker, there will be a witch hunt to find the offending witch by a very loud minority, but no one is willing to publicly challenge them.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “In the state where I live anyone declaring publicly that men cannot be women, could go to jail. This is the hill I will die on. I am prepared to go to jail for speaking the truth!”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I’ve always been gender critical so in that sense this hasn’t been a big psychological struggle for me; but I am very alarmed by the fact that the police are allowing themselves to be used in a political battle against women and that so many of our institutions have been captured by it. I’m cautious in the workplace, but some of my colleagues are on my Facebook and know my views.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “The cops came to my house 3 times for putting up I heart JK Rowling stickers! Gender cult members are toxic narcissists.”

Question 33: Are you concerned about being accused of causing physical or emotional harm if you “misgender” or do not affirm people who claim to be the opposite sex?

Fig. 37

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I am a Quaker faced with the insistence on inclusiveness – there is no room for debate. There is a trans member in our Meeting so I do not wish to express views that might cause emotional harm.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “The emotional blackmail and manipulation of gender ideology is exhausting. You can’t describe who is affected because the word ‘women’ has lost meaning and you can’t describe how they’re affected because you’ll be accused of bigotry or causing emotional harm.” 

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “My daughter’s claim that we must support trans-everything because if we don’t people may kill themselves, including my grandson. Bullshit!”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “I’m more angry at the accusations re being the cause of self-harm etc. This kind of blackmail is infuriating and unfair.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “Throughout one social media conversation with a male person, who identified as transgender, I politely asserted my need for same-sex carers for non-emergency intimate care, and the fact that other people’s identities aren’t relevant to this intimate boundaries. After failing to convince me that sex isn’t real, that male people who take cross-sex hormones and undergo cosmetic surgery literally change sex, or that my boundaries make me responsible for trans identifying people killing themselves, he told me I’m going to be raped by a male carer. That he knows it’s going to happen and that, when it does, I’ll deserve it. That’s stayed with me. The more calm and polite I remained, the more enraged and manipulative he became. Would the CQC give him a “she/her” badge, if he works as a carer? I already know the answer and it makes me feel unsafe.” 

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “The notion of ‘misgendering’ and ‘harm being done’ feels like it’s coming from a very privileged place. We (women) are being bullied into affirming men as women, however men are not receiving the same treatment. It is outright violence towards, and hatred of, women which has created this movement. Whether that’s internalised misogyny or external, it is no wonder that so many (particularly girls) do not want to be the sex that they are when the options are so challenging for them. I have moved from a more moderate position to a much more radical position in a few years – purely because I can see how much women’s rights – and particularly the rights of lesbians – are being decimated.”

RESPONDENT COMMENT: “The claim that misgendering is harmful is classic manipulation – do what I say or else…”

Question 34: Would you like to say more about holding gender critical views?

1,038 women commented on holding gender critical views. 

Thematic coding revealed the most common concerns of women regarding holding gender critical views to be:

Fig. 38

Women’s Comments 

“I went to a woman only event a few years ago. Although it is not a political event the women who ran the group (mostly older lesbians) had been targeted by trans activists for being “exclusive”. Most of my feminist internet presence has been under anonymous handles, but for this event there was a FB rideshare group to organize transportation. A trans activist infiltrated the FB ride share group and after the event started sending threatening messages to a lot of us. The messages he sent to me (before I blocked him) referenced my place of work, he had stalked my FB (where I didn’t list my place of employment) and then done a deeper dive with my name and city to find my works website and my public job profile. It was awful. Luckily I was able to block this individual and as far as I know other than the threatening DMs to me he never directly contacted my employers, but it was terrifying at the time. I know at least one woman who afterwards completely deleted her FB and all her other social media connected to it, as the infiltrator triggered a massive wave of TRAs bullying her in her hometown, she was a young lesbian whose social circle was made up of a lot of self identified “queers” who felt that her involvement in the gathering was deserving of extreme social bullying and shunning. She even had to change her phone number.” “It’s isolated me from my usual spaces, which are now “safe spaces” for everyone except women. Sometimes it’s even made me question my sanity! Am I imagining it all? Why doesn’t anyone else see it?!”

“I’ve been driven out of my job after 23 years by trans activist bullies. They were allowed to condone death and rape threats against JK Rowling on internal social media channels.” 

“All this is a terrifying attempt to silence critics of transgender ideology especially to silence women. I personally usually avoid ever saying anything publicly online about transgenderism because I do fear I could theoretically lose my job over it. Now we are seeing the prospect of having a criminal record because a trans activist makes a hate crime complaint against you. This could bar women from many jobs.”

“I have been marginalized because of my female sex. I should have the right to organize with other women as a sex class to end that marginalization. My views that gender is a socially constructed tool of oppression against women are valid and not hate speech. In Canada sex has been replaced with gender identity and gender expression in their human rights codes. This leaves zero protection for women as a sex class or as individuals.” 

“Holding gender critical views shapes my life in big ways. For example, I had an interest in going back to school for a teaching certificate, but I tossed that idea in the bin when I came out as GC. Being GC is an immediately sackable offense in the teaching profession, no questions asked. I see so many headlines about the teacher shortage, and it’s particularly dire in the subject I would want to teach. Yet there’s no point in spending the years, work, and money it would take to get a teaching certificate only to be fired instantly. I think both society and I are losing out here. I also have an interest in pursuing an advanced degree, but I have no desire to be in a university environment right now where gender ideology is everywhere. Even if I could get in and not be kicked out for my views, I fully expect I would be bullied and shunned and just overall constantly surrounded by demands to accept this ideology. I’m hoping the pendulum will swing the other way eventually, but for now, this is part of the reason I’m putting off applying to grad schools. It’s very hurtful to be accused of causing harm. I value kindness as one of the most important traits a person can have. I strive to cultivate it in myself, and growing up, I think “nice” would have been one of the first words most of my peers would have used to describe me. So it’s very hurtful when people accuse me of trying to harm other people. I’m not trying to be hurtful; I just think that the gender ideologists are trying to hurt women, and they’re making unreasonable demands, then telling us we’re hurting them by not complying. Of course, the most frightening thing is the idea of legal action or police action. We are at a truly Orwellian stage when people can be arrested for referring to objective reality. That a person could be jailed or fined a small fortune for using sex-based pronouns, or for putting a non-threatening sticker on a public fixture…it’s ridiculous, but it makes me worry, and it makes me more cautious than I otherwise might be.”

“I am scared of talking in public and the possibility of a violent confrontation.”

“I stopped talking about my views except in private gender critical groups or towards people who share my opinions. I don’t want to make myself vulnerable to threats.”

“I am very angry and upset that so many lies are being told about women who do not support this ideology and that attempts are being made to embed degrading sex role stereotypes into law under the name of gender identity, yet we are unable to speak about it. I am also very angry that people who claim to be the opposite sex are also claiming to be victims and to be oppressed when I know they are not oppressed in a society that will do anything to meet their demands. So I am constantly being compelled to lie and to listen to lies in the media, from politicians and so on. No political party now represents me, I feel I am living outside of mainstream society now, not in line with how most people view the world, yet I know I am not because in real life most people I know agree with me, but feel unable to say so openly. It is as though I am having to live in a secret, almost underground, world when I have always participated in society, openly and with good intentions.”

“They can jail me, call me names accuse me of whatever I will not be silenced.”

“I am on a visa that needs to be renewed every 18 months. If I get a non-crime hate incident it could lead to deportation and my kids growing up without me. It’s a constant struggle to make sure I stand for my rights but also appreciate how much they want to hurt women like me.” 

“I have lost trust and respect for many people I used to be fond of. Seeing people I like and thought of as intelligent and kind support this ideology has had a massively damaging effect on my way of being in the world.”

“I have been verbally abused in the street, walking back to my flat. The man doing the abusing called me a ‘stupid slut’, which is misogynistic and harassment specifically because of my sex. He did not face repercussions for this action. If I, hypothetically, ‘misgendered’ this same man on social media or posted a picture of a ‘menacing’ Suffragette ribbon, I could be facing a visit from the police and the prospect of losing my job. In what universe is this fair? Abuse and harassment of women is so commonplace that men face virtually no repercussions for it, while women who stand up against misogyny risk having their lives torn apart. Never have I felt the second-class status of women so acutely as in the last few years with the rise of gender identity ideology.”

“The whole ideology seems to use the approach a cult uses into silencing critical views and dissenters.”

“I have not experienced abuse or been excluded from places or lost friends/family over it because I choose not to engage in discussion about it a lot, especially not online. But if I did, I’m sure I would experience verbal abuse, especially on platforms like Twitter or Reddit.” 

“I have chosen to be outspoken in my small circles. I’ve lost two friends, and caused a rift with one tangential family member.”

“I’m self-employed (so no job security) and the only earner. I fear that my young start-up clients would flee if they learned of my views.”

“I do not share them beyond a couple close friends out of fear. I worry I could lose my job at a university.”

“I have kept my views private at work and among many of my friends. I am an academic, and have seen nearly all of my department post their trans rights views on twitter, as if it is a consensus among liberals. I fear being able to speak out without being labelled a bigot. I fear that I would be shunned by colleagues and friends, and passed over for promotion and collaboration if I am clear about my views on women’s rights.”

“”Gender critical” or “reality based”? Sex and the cost of being female remain however people try to label themselves, but we risk losing the ability to measure and counter that cost even as it increases due to the destruction of sex-based safeguards.”

“I believe sex is immutable and gender can be performed any way. This is entirely up to the individual; but to say children or anyone are born in the wrong body is unforgivable; whilst I know body dysphoria can exist, this modern movement is making it so that it’s almost fashionable to be Trans! I see this as deplorable and dangerous.”

“This is having a major effect on my emotional wellbeing. I feel I have to share my childhood and adult abuse from men to justify why I am speaking out as I am. That is my past life from 30 plus years ago. Why am I not listened to if I don’t share. Women don’t need a reason to want to protect the safe spaces of women and girls.”

“I still find it astonishing that saying something so simple and true creates such shock waves. If I express my gender critical views, I am often either insulted or patronised. If I express my concerns for the welfare of women and children, I am sometimes attacked online by other mothers even. I am shocked and saddened that the general public and policy makers are going along with such dangerous and deluded ideas. This can only spell disaster for society in the long run. Where are the adults? Where are the safeguards?”

“I have returned to higher education as a mature student and it’s shocking how captured my university is and how uncritical academics and students can be (at least publicly). I find myself self-censoring and feel like a coward. This issue has had a very negative impact on my study motivation, and I no longer enjoy seminar discussion or lectures like I used to. However, I have decided that I will never be compelled to openly endorse the new doctrine. I refuse to use their language and if I am to write an assignment on women/feminism, I try to introduce critical views subtly, e.g. by deliberately using the words ‘female’, ‘sex’ and ‘woman’ as much as possible – and by refusing to even mention ‘trans’ in any context.” 

“The words ‘transphobic’ ‘racist’ ‘coloniser’ ‘ TERF’ have been so over used being labelled as such is meaningless. I’m not at all bothered now. The first time I was called a bigot online, I recoiled, now the debate is here & I understand why they resort to hyperbole, they can’t have the debate, they have nothing only dodgy science & faith-based beliefs.”

“My gender critical views include being critical of men, heterosexism, and the forced feminization of female children. My views have never been welcomed by heterosexual and liberal feminists. If truly gender critical views were taken up by more mainstream feminists, we wouldn’t have the trans movement we have today. You can’t fight people’s sense that gender roles are oppressive with cries for a return to ‘normalcy’ and tradition. Feminists need to acknowledge that our collective inaction on traditional gendering of children has led us to contemporary trans activism. Men need to be held accountable for abusing children in devastatingly high numbers. Heterosexist culture needs to be held accountable for attempting to heterosexualize all children. Women need to stop feminizing their daughters. It’s all creepy and wrong. Too many so-called gender critical people only think its creepy and wrong when trans/queer culture influences children and can’t see how their compliance with gendered norms influences children as well.”

“It can be career-limiting in my line of work – voluntary sector.” 

“My workplace values transgender employees over others and allows them to bend/break the rules where we others cannot. We others (some gender critical, some not) fear to complain about this inequality for fear of being reprimanded or fired.” 

“I am treated badly by some colleagues, for my gender critical views. The comments I get are offensive and personal. I am a health professional, so I find this very hard to accept. I have been cancelled from the associated SM pages, for my posts quoting gender critical data and opinions. I am told to stop looking at data, and read articles (anecdote and opinion in other words) by trans lobbyists. It feels like I am being asked to deny reality or in other words to consciously be mad and crazy. Why would I do that??”

“In Victoria, Australia, legislation has been passed that deems it “domestic violence” for someone to “misgender” a trans person – this enables abusive husbands to state that they are the victim if their current or former spouse misgenders them, or for kids to be removed if a parent misgenders them. Fines for doing this are around $10,000.”

“While I have never been called a “TERF” or any other names specifically, I was told I was “not safe” for trans people to be around. (Simply because I stated that I don’t want to be called “cis” and don’t do pronouns, but that I think everyone should just express themselves how they like and be free to do so.”

“It is tough to speak up. I would imagine that there are twice as many of us but so many need to stay secretly GC.”

“I have been frozen out of a political party due to my views and have been targeted for “cancellation” (mostly online by people who don’t know me but it spilled into real life). I have been called names and have had my views misrepresented both in real life and online. The latest tale is that I worked with local Nazi’s. I am far-left. I try not to worry about the lies and just get on with it. If people think calling a man a man, particularly a violent one, is violence I can’t really do anything about that.” 

“If I can just say: since I spoke out my self-censoring has obviously gone down and I am less concerned about it as time has gone on as they’ve already robbed me of a great deal that was important to me.”

“It’s reality, not belief, not view. it just is. I already can’t apply for jobs, use trains. gender ideology has ALREADY narrowed my world significantly.”

“I work for an NGO and if I was ‘outed’ as gender critical it would have repercussions on both my own employment and my organisation’s reputation. This adds another layer of worry. I am considering leaving this area of work as I find it too stressful. NGOs in Ireland are for the most part quite ‘woke’ and the majority are captured. I worry that I’ll be in a situation where I have to avoid ‘misgendering’ someone, I have no respect for otherwise qualified and incredibly competent people who put pronouns in their signatures and twitter bios. I feel like I’m in a weird dystopian world where everyone is gone mad.” 

“Women from marginalised, or cash-strapped groups have been known to accept transgender ideology to keep or increase their funding. Similarly, women, often single women with children, holding gender critical views are threatened with legal action for questioning transgender ideology. They will capitulate as they do not have the means, time or energy to fight it. The transgender lobby seems to have very deep pockets. It is also very difficult to have an open debate on the subject because the accusations of transphobia are aggressive and the threat of deplatforming and cancelling are so often successful.”

“I am not self-censoring because I am in the lucky position of being self-employed and no boss can sack me. I am not scared anymore to speak my mind but this has taken me years to reach that point, I am already out of political groups or organisations partly because of this. The accusation of bigotry makes me laugh but again it has taken me years to get to that point. I get misgendered all the time and I survive, misgendering is not violence.”

“Q32 and 33 need “a very very great deal” option”

“It is beyond my comprehension how quickly this ideology has taken over, that women were finally finding equal footing in the world only to be displaced by men who claim to be women.”

“I was hounded out of all my local community Facebook group by two TRAs who targeted me in every group, accusing me of hate crimes and encouraging other members to report me to the police. I was scared to leave my house during the period of harassment as I had been outed as a TERF to my local community. I was worried it would impact on my children.”

“It has become easier now that more people have woken up to the real-life implications gender identity ideology is having on women’s worlds. Our sex protected spaces, accolades, our biology, language, our family structures. Everything is flipping on its head when we have to include males in all those categories then we are no longer talking about women. Some people don’t care enough to understand what that means, we have a duty to nip this in the bud and protect future generations of women from being imposed upon by males with mental illness, propped up by those who hate us, would abuse and exploit us and those who simply don’t care enough to protect us. It is not a moral panic to ask for the same protections as we have always had in place to remain in place and for our second classification to be deemed inimitable and protected in law, no more and no less than any other group of people under threat in society.” 

“I believe it’s vital we scrutinise significant changes in our culture especially those that are obscured by ‘inclusive’ language designed to coerce society into accepting it without critiquing what’s being proposed.”

“Four years ago, I didn’t realise I ‘held’ views that were controversial. I still think my beliefs – that sex is immutable, that sex matters in many cases, that gender is imposed by society and can change across time and place – are rational and reasonable. But I am still regularly shocked to be denounced as a bigot and hateful for simply expressing something that is likely still the views of the vast majority of people.”

“These views should be protected under law. Gender ideology is nothing more than a religion and I should not be compelled to participate in it.”

“The lack of honest and open public discourse and reporting on this topic has allowed TRAs to class anyone that disagrees as hateful and bigoted. Painting women as hateful for holding opinions that are based in reality causes me to question my sanity some days, and I get very frustrated that we are self-censoring our voices for fear of being accused of transphobia.”

“Most people hold these views, I wouldn’t even describe them as views, they’re simply fact. We’re being compelled by our governments and the authorities into espousing yet another fantasy religion, concocted by men, at the expense of women, children and LGB people, along with other minority groups being even further marginalised.”

“It’s hard feeling that I have to be cautious about speaking freely.”

“I’m not personally concerned about rape and/or death threats as I am not vocal enough to elicit them. I am concerned for others and the normalising of these threats.”

“My stance is I never say anything I don’t believe and so am often quiet, but am generally open with gender-critical views. Trying to normalize asking questions again.”

“At times it is difficult to comprehend how quickly Canada has arrived at a place where stating that Women is an Adult Human Female – is considered wrong think. I have been punished by twitter for stating Laurel Hubbard is a Man. My account was removed for 24 hours and I was forced to remove the tweets. I think the social media platforms are ideologically possessed as well. We are in grave trouble, as Universities are graduating students who believe this cult-like movement and are willing to silence anyone for the sake of Justice…and feel virtuous for doing so. My imagination takes this line and the outcome is violence.”

“I have had arguments with a trans friend about his misogynistic attitudes (he called me a lesbian for dressing a certain way). I’m sure that if I told him what I really felt there would be all kinds of hell to pay professionally and personally as we share many friends. It’s been extremely upsetting.” 

“I consider gender ideology a new religion or belief system and I do not subscribe to any religion or belief system. I have the right not to believe, same as people have the right to believe.”

“Have been abused verbally and through spatial closeness and shouting at me intimidating.”

“As a lesbian, I’m never going back into the closet. Therefore, I’m bound to offend people on a daily basis. This worries me a little, not so much for myself, but for the people around me who find my political stance uncomfortable – even if I don’t talk about this issue at all. People who were friendly before have started avoiding me, which makes me mad and sad.”

“The fear around expressing gender critical views is particularly difficult to dispel because you know your opinions are well reasoned, factual and commonly held but the vitriol and hysteria of TRAs is alarming and vindictive. The volume tricks those new to the issues into thinking that maybe they are misunderstanding the issues and trans identified people ARE being murdered en masse by roving bands of feminists or that JK Rowling’s thoughts on gender identity has people committing suicide in droves.”

“I don’t give a flying fuck if a *********** ***** when I call him man. I am protected by Forstater 2021 bc I am in NZ, and am classed as a citizen of Britain, therefore her laws apply to me. In reality I’ve been threatened for saying ‘only women get pregnant’ the dude wanted to rip my uterus out through my throat. I lol and said ‘joke’s on you bro I had it out in 2016.’ www.terfisaslur.com shows me their agenda. * ****   *** *****. I don’t give a fuck. They’ll have to jail me, which they will, in NZ, bc their hate speech laws are going to make it illegal to discuss gender. To discuss it. It’s a crock of shit. I’m ready to go to jail though. Hope my GC friends come visit me. #TrueStory this is my hill. Fuck this shit and I don’t give a flying fuck about anybody else’s self-image. I don’t have to participate in it. I don’t have to validate any fucker. And I never will. LMAO. Tiptoeing around the mentally ill. #Hilarious”

“Holding gender critical views is accepting reality! I will not be silenced as men take over women’s spaces.”

“I think “hate speech” as it has come to be known and how these battles happen in the courts, will hopefully shed light on the theatre of the absurd trans activism is.”

“I have to be careful who I talk to about it. I’ve been thrown out of mental health support groups for having even basic feminist views and another based on someone accusing me of ‘transphobia’. There were no transgender individuals present.”

“How TRA’s can say that even discussing these issues is literal violence towards trans people? It’s so crazy and wrong. It is misogynistic bullying.”

“Associates of sex-role critical people are often in danger, too.”

“I’m more vocal about my objection to gender identity ideology but rarely bring the subject up.” 

“I have been thrown out of a pub because of my assumed views, along with some friends. This resulted in a weekend of hideous lies on social media about me and my friends. Lies that were supported by elected politicians, despite the trans identifying man who threw us out having a social media profile that was offensive and pornographic. It was shocking and upsetting how women just going about their lawful business could be vilified in this way, and that this man’s public language and profile was no bar to him being taken seriously and believed. The misogyny was so stark. Our views were the excuse.” 

“I am definitely careful in what I say. I know my mother shares my views and she is normally very outspoken but self – censors herself on this issue.” 

“I am aware this is ANOTHER stick with which to beat women. As it’s all going on all the time anyway in every sphere and on every issue.”

“I will use a transwomans requested name and pronouns (unless they behave in a physically, verbally, or criminally aggressive and/or physically violent (male) manner. I will use a transmans requested name and pronouns usually without question. I will NOT conform to ‘compelled speech’. I will not allow myself to be called “cis” not use the term with others. I assert women are women; transwomen are transwomen et al. IMO: sex (including intersex) = biological fact ‘gender’ = archaic/patriarchal stereotypes of behaviour. Let kids be kids & not restricted by labels, respect women’s hard won rights, have female spaces when needed/wanted, have unisex spaces when needed/wanted, have trans spaces when needed/wanted, play sport by the rules. All this ‘transitioning’ malarkey is such bollocks. If there’s no such thing as sexual dimorphism then there’s no such thing as being wrongly assigned to the ‘the other’ sex at birth. This is just logic, right?”

“My responses to questions 23 and 24 is only due to self censoring and I don’t know how long I’ll avoid slipping up publicly.”

“It’s frightening; I can’t believe I live in a country that is free in thinking but I am afraid to say how I think; I have gently approached others with my ideas and their eyes cloud over – I don’t think they understand; if you haven’t educated yourself how could you realise that women are being erased? I talked to my dr about it yesterday; he said he is very worried about puberty blockers and the effects on young people. He is against it but would he speak out? I doubt it. I am elected official in a local organisation – there is no way I can speak my mind on this subject. I would be attacked I am sure of that. To preserve my role elsewhere I cannot speak out. If I lose the next election – then I can!!”

“I have my husband and three friends I share this stuff with. I live in a very, very liberal area and people are quite smug about the “correct” way to be a lefty.” 

“I censor myself around old friends and it pisses me off that I have to do it.”

“It takes a toll on your mental health and sense of peace, to know something is true yet live in a world where its publicly decried as evil. The two don’t gel in your head and you begin to think everyone’s crazy.”

“I am concerned for the women in the UK about the hate speech issue. I have to say this has not come up in Australia, mainly because the issue is not very much in the public eye, and we do not actually have many people speaking out yet. It will come though. I am not sure about our hate speech legislation and how that would apply.”

“Few people want to talk about gender identity ideology. It is more comfortable to look the other way.” 

“My views are not gender critical in the sense I am pro heteronormativity at all cost. As a lesbian I am happy to see moves away from traditional views in this area. Trans/non binary merely reproduce traditional notions of gender. Sad actually. I thought we were getting somewhere in eliminating gendered stereotypes related to females /males. Clearly not.” 

“RE Q27. I feel I have to keep my mouth shut at work in the NHS. The gender issues come up rarely. I would love to join a women/female only group but can’t find them as they don’t openly advertise.”

“GC views to me appear rational, secular and sane. I struggle to see why others don’t see it that way”.

“I think women need to push back on the phrase, ‘literal violence’ which reveals a complete lack of understanding of English by those who use it. It is good to see mainstream media starting to represent gender critical positions more accurately, rather than just repeating slogans from lobbying/campaign groups”.

“Gender critical views are not one thing, but I think that they make the most sense to me and my analysis of sex, gender, class, race and sexual orientation. The idea of gender identity being innate is regressive, sexist and homophobic.”

“I’ve become much more open about these views recently, mostly because I’ve found like-minded people who are supportive if there are verbal attacks on social media. Also I am much more aware of the issues than I was just a few months ago.”

“I am not here to affirm other people gender dysphoria and find it extremely inappropriate to have to affirm a man as a woman when he is clearly not.”

“I’m less concerned for me personally as I’m determined to speak out and know my views aren’t bigoted. That doesn’t lessen my concern for other women. I’m just careless about my safety and repercussions.”

“I am in roller derby. WFTDA has long been accepting of trans ideology. We often have “women” and “mixed” events, the first is supposed to be for women only and the second primarily for men but also women who want to join. This is a recognition that in this high-contact sport there is an increased risk to women when they play with men, and they need a “safe” category. … but you are allowed into that if you self id as anything other than a man. So we have intact males skating in the women’s, and that is allowed. We have rules upon rules about how you should feel safe, and to bring it to someone’s attention if you feel unsafe, but we cannot question this. When trans identified males come to our practices, we are usually given advanced notice, telling us to be welcoming and to make them feel safe. This only goes one way – we are never asked if WE feel safe. And as such I know I would get kicked off my team and blacklisted from any team if I say anything remotely gender critical.”

“It is very hard when friends and comrades (from the Labour Party) want to silence you and condemn you for being bigoted – it takes a huge toll on one’s wellbeing and one’s sense of justice. It is very distressing to be aware of the harm that is being visited on children and women and lesbians/gay people in the name of transgender ideology – and not to be able to stop it, or to convince people you like and have worked with politically to see what is happening and stand up against it. I hate being made to feel ‘reactionary’, but I remain certain about my GC beliefs and thank goodness for GC allies. They make all the difference.”

“I couldn’t care less what I might be accused of. I’m not here to be popular; I’m here to tell the truth. But I have panic attacks as the prospect of being punished, even imprisoned, for staying true to myself. Words don’t hurt me, but the law CAN.”

“It’s like the Stasi all over again – being reported or threatened for holding views that support biological facts, or bullied into accepting changes to language. I’m a writer, I feel a lot of fear with regards to airing my opinion or views – the arts/creative sector has always made those who do not fit a Left-leaning narrative uncomfortable at the least, now we are open to ridicule, cancel culture or being dropped by publishers. It has to stop.” 

“It’s essential. We are in a fight for our survival. If we lose, we lose everything. Men will have unchecked power over women & we will have no basis, no identity to resist. It will become illegal to say women are different from men. It already effectively is. Men abuse, kill, rape, subjugate women. It’s already becoming difficult to organise just for women. A generation of men & women think it’s respectable to abuse & attack women advocating for women’s rights & safety that doesn’t include men. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious.”

“There can’t be debate on the subject in the current climate for fear of backlash. It feels very like people are being fed a big fat lie which we are not supposed to find the truth out about. Women are being put in potential danger and they are unaware of it because of mainstream platform it occupies.”

“I am a detransitioner and have lost nearly every single friend from my “former life” because of my views.”

“Holding GC views does NOT make one any sort of phobic, facts before feelings, period.” 

“I have found that most people just do not want to know or think it’s no big deal, and do not see the implications for females or for society in general. This is puzzling to me, as to me it is clear as day what is happening before our very eyes.”

“Most women I know have gender critical views but are afraid to speak about them in work for fear of their careers. Many of us struggle with demands to use ‘preferred pronouns’ in work emails or wear rainbow lanyards to exhibit daily our dutiful worship of this particular cult.”

“This world has become beyond scary for women. We have not even achieved the things women need to survive and thrive in this misogynistic world and now we are forced to deal with the reactionary forces of trans ideology that will force women back into a defensive position, holding ground and protecting spaces rather than forging forward to greater achievements.”

“I’m not sure I want to label myself at all. I just believe what I thought was something basic not just to feminism but to reality – sex exists, you can’t change it, you can’t will it to stop mattering or undo your socialisation by declaration, and we don’t have “sexed souls” that exist separate from our bodies.”

“I have already been rejected and silenced for having views that are not “acceptable” to those who elevate trans identified men over EVERYONE else.”

“It feels like living in the Twilight Zone. I am 100% accepting of being Gender non-conforming, but this ain’t it!! This is like sex stereotypes on steroids.”

“The more I know about this issue, the less afraid I am of speaking up. I have not received dangerous threats, mostly slurs online. I was attacked in a feminist group which I founded and used to chair. I decided to leave, because I don’t think men are women. People did badmouth me (I work in the audiovisual industry, super woke). One kid tried to get me sacked by writing an email to the association, about me being a TERF. But I was already gone! Somehow, I am less and less afraid to speak up and started to talk in the press and on the radio. People contact me to thank me. Maybe I am lucky because the tide is turning? I am still not being completely honest about my views when I speak out. I go back and forth with using the wrong pronouns. I wish to be like Julia Long and Kara Dansky and Karen Davies, Rex Landy, Exulansic and Posie Parker and all these women and use clear language. That is what I still struggle with by fear of being thought off as a transphobe.”

“I am not concerned as such as I keep talking and advocating for our sex based rights. Angry yes. I will correctly sex people.”

“I have not yet experienced any of the threats or doxxing etc., that many gender atheists – especially women – get. That is because I am anonymous and no one in my social group or in my work know my views. I am self censoring in public all the time because I *know* I will be at risk of disciplinary action in my work. I am not interested in the concept that my views may “cause” physical/emotional harm. It is not possible for words to do that especially when they are the truth. I am concerned about my family being adversely affected if my views were known and the fallout that would create. In a major part of my social life, I know of FIVE young girls who have gone down this route. It is what peaked me and I started to look into this horrific ideology and was appalled. Politicians should hang their heads in shame to allow a concept that is entirely based on individual perception or desire of oneself, as something that needs to be a “protected” characteristic. Characteristics such a sex; sexual orientation, disability, race (in the widest sense of a group of people historically from a specific area) – are characteristics that **cannot be changed**. A person with a disability cannot “identify” into being not disabled. They can pretend as much as they like, but reality, biology, is real and the day to day difficulties/pain etc., is still there regardless of “identity”. A person’s religion can be chosen or rejected. It is effectively like gender identity as one cannot “prove” that a God exists. It is entirely faith based. But, society has learnt to accept it as long as the individuals/groups do not *impose* their beliefs on others. Likewise, religious atheists cannot impose *their* views/lack of belief on others. Children still learn about religions to foster acceptance of differences, highlight commonalities in those religions, recognise that in many ways a “religion” was a way to ensure society was civil and caring of others (it also shows how humans can use such “good ideas” in bad ways – to impose authority and wield power). The gender ideology is the same way. Starting as a way to ensure that individuals were not actively discriminated against for their self expression, it is now demanded for all to agree with the fantasy. This must stop.”

“I self censor constantly. I will not express how I feel on social media because of fear of abuse or losing friends. I wish I was braver in this regard.”

“With Canada expanding its hate crime legislation I worry that people are going to be criminalised for recognising biological facts.”

“I wish Maya Forstater’s case was more widely publicised, so that trans rights activists would know that our beliefs have a degree of legal protection.”

“Honestly this movement is so offensive and misogynistic I no longer feel any discomfort at being unpopular, but I am concerned about men becoming violent. The first threat I received irl was from a trans identified male in response to hearing I had a degree in biology. I sometimes self censor around men who seem particularly unhinged, but that’s not new.”

“Abusers threaten to hurt themselves to control their victims all the time.”

“Fortunately I live in retirement in a remote area and see very few people. However, I have always spoken my mind and am used to being the odd woman out and even of being shunned, sent to Coventry etc. The only time I would guard my speech would be if it could impact negatively on my children.”

“I try to be as neutral but truthful as I can with my GC views. I don’t do hate, but I am accused of it anyway.”

“The gender lobby is an atrocity. I feel angry about recent additions into legislation by democrats who are owned by pharma and represent the more insidious liberal misogyny. I’m angry with the pornification of it all. They are engineering us to be less in connection with Body and more compelled to dissociate with reality. They think that because they can conceive of the notion “transwomen are women” that is makes them intellectually elite. And we know that it does not. We must resist.”

“It’s strange to see people deny the reality of sex. I’ve been shamed for being literally heterosexual and saying I wouldn’t date a “transman”. Our lesbian sisters get it worse! It’s disgusting how rape rhetoric is being accepted in the name of “kindness” and “inclusion”.”

“I cannot believe that if I go to New York and ‘misgender’ someone I would be committing a crime – ridiculous!”

“I don’t feel free to be public about my views and at the same time I feel angry that women are being treated in such derogatory ways and I feel angry that I have to make my voice heard as the parent of a gender-questioning child in a small country where it could harm my livelihood.”

“I cannot speak openly about my views because of my profession for fear of being branded transphobic and a bigot.”

“I have to censor myself a lot, lest I lose my friends.”

“I feel this ideology is damaging to free speech and to women’s and children’s rights and boundaries. It gives enormous power to men to wield over women.”

“A woman is a biological reality not a feeling.”

“Gender critical views needs to be more widely accepted and should not be seen as something harmful. There is evidence to support every aspect of gender critical views yet the trans ideology doesn’t have this. For example, trans ideology states that sex is a spectrum. I can point out several surveys which disprove this. The entire ideology needs to be scrutinised especially before being openly fed to children.”

“I do not ‘hold gender critical views’ rather, I acknowledge the biological reality of humans as mammals, being a sexually demographic species. Gender is a poisonous social construct.”

“I am o.k. with saying ‘they’. I am happy to clarify that I am a MERF lesbian: male exclusionary radical feminist lesbian. I like to remind people that I am part of the Rainbow community, being a lesbian. But I never want to be in a Rainbow environment so I won’t be having discussions with LGBTQI+ if they ever stopped the ‘no debate’ idea”.

“I know that I am unable to debate this topic in any rational and civilised way in my place of work or I would lose my job as good friends have warned me. My work is with young people so this is a huge concern to me as having to collude through my enforced silence with.”

“Upholding science should not be a crime or considered hate speech. Protecting women and children should not be considered hateful.”

“I work for a Stonewall Diversity Champion which means I have been effectively gagged at work from expressing my concerns.”

“It feels like being gaslit. It feels like emotional abuse to be told you are wrong about yourself.”

“I hardly participate in social or online discourses anymore. I left my political party where I was an office bearer in a regional branch over it.”

“Women seem to be held to account much more than men in this area.” 

“I rarely speak openly now and will never talk about it in work as I need my job and have to consider the safety of my family.”

“For my own well being I felt I had to let my membership of Alliance Party NI lapse as I didn’t feel my views would be tolerated. This was confirmed when the Alliance Lord Mayor of Belfast called women stickering despicable.”

“A lesbian friend has been reported to PSNI [Police Service of Northern Ireland] for pointing out the safeguarding issues with trans ideology. She’s been told by PSNI that she will be arrested if she doesn’t voluntarily go in for questioning under caution.” 

“It is not society’s job to validate people with gender dysphoria. We are not psychiatrists or counsellors. Society at large is not responsible for these people’s mental health. We should not have to walk on eggshells, fear for our livelihood or housing because we “mis-gendered” someone.”

“It’s clear that the media are not allowing gender critical talking points.”

“It feels very unsafe.”

“A very small number of people have forced through their ideas on gender identity aggressively, vilifying anyone who disagrees with them. I have for a number of years had concerns about men who decide they are now women, they invade our safe spaces and bully and political and social organisations I belong to because of my belief that women are born not made.”

“Criticism of GII is logical, compassionate, respectful. Hatred of women is none of these things. In my 69 years I have never encountered so much woman hatred as now.”

“We are clinging to the reality here. We have science, biology, established taxonomy and language on our side and yet it’s the fight of our lives. We have been sold out by politicians.”

“I don’t want to have to police my speech in order to conform to this ideology. You don’t have the right to make me agree with it.”

“It is impossible to hold these views publicly without risking job loss, police persecution, social exclusion. So everything has to be conducted in secret and very cautiously. It is dangerous. It is insane that we are here.” 

“This is also a spiritual issue for me. I follow a female centred goddess movement and for millennia women have needed ‘female sovereign spaces’ I am concerned about child safeguarding and women’s sex based rights. I am a lesbian feminist witch so this effects me on many deeper levels and we must protect that. This is a witch hunt in a different costume.”

“It seems that all that makes women unique is being eroded as are any safe spaces or the language to express ourselves.”

“Re Q33 – I used to be concerned about it a lot, but the fact is, the people who’d be concerned about me misgendering them don’t give a flying fish about their impact on women whose views dissent from theirs, so f*** ’em.”

“It’s hard to believe the term ‘gender critical’ is a thing considered a view or belief or ideology. A baby knows the difference between a man and a woman and a bunch of crazy perverts have managed to get everyone debating a simple fact. If I had been on the ball around 2004 I would have drummed it in to my children that man is man and woman is woman but I didn’t know I had to. It’s always been OBVIOUS. And these are the same people that believe we evolved from monkeys and this is pinnacle of progress. Monkeys know male from female, everything and everyone knows. If there are other life forms outside this planet they must think we’re the biggest dumbasses ever to exist.”

“I can’t speak up about this at work because I will be fired.” 

“I feel like GC people are the voice of sanity on this issue, that gender ideology is completely ridiculous, and that its advocates are swept up in a delusion, driven largely by misogyny. Most members of the public do not realise what is happening, but if they did they would strongly disagree.”

“I feel very isolated in my workplace – I work in the third sector. I don’t discuss my views on social media. But I am ‘out’ when it comes to face-to-face relationships outside work. I also donate to legal cases and organisations and write letters to MPs etc.” 

“Again, because of my child, I have experienced almost all of the above. To make matters worse, I am a doctor at a medical school that has a “captured” curriculum. So I can barely contain myself most days.”

“I am afraid to talk to my kid’s school about not socially transitioning her because ‘misgendering’ has been called ‘family violence’ and implicated in Ministry involvement (i.e. threat of removal from the home).”

“I was a labour party member but was unable to continue due to the shutting down of any views discussion around the trans ideology so I resigned and left the party.”

“All my social groups support gender identity but I have a teenage child who identifies as trans therefore I have spent months researching and I know the actual facts. I cannot get this through to anyone.”

“I never admit to holding these views unless I trust the person I’m speaking to. I work in a university and gender ideology is rife.”

“I feel that trans activists get carte blanche to behave however they want and behave in ways that would be unacceptable if anyone else did it. For example – attacking women on their way to a Women’s Place lecture. If a group of men had done that they would have been arrested but the authorities are terrified of being labelled transphobic or being cancelled and harassed. It is the intolerance of differing opinions. Racism is disgusting whenever it happens.” 

“I hold radical feminist views. I worry about ‘gender critical’ being used as a catch-all when it’s not as all-encompassing as a feminist perspective.”

“It is shocking that so many institutions and organisations have been captured by gender identity ideology in such a short space of time when it is founded on denial of reality. This has been achieved by ostracising and bullying anyone asking questions, and it is alarming that so many have given in to this bullying.”

“I do not believe that men can become women, so I do not accept males who claim to be women into women only spaces. I believe that transgenderism is a toxic ideology dreamed up by mostly straight white middle class men to fight back against women’s liberation and equality.”

“I try to find different ways to express them in order to have productive or insightful conversations.”

“I’m now old enough not to care much what anyone else thinks. Most people I respect understand my point of view and agree. I think it’s important to have respectful conversations where possible, as a lot of younger people, and especially those who are keen to be fair and inclusive look at the whole issue in very simplistic terms. I had a conversation with the HR officer at work about why we need to record sex and not “gender identity” on monitoring forms, and I think he understood my point – and I understood that he was trying to be fair (even though as we know, it isn’t fair!!) I have been a little worried that if I’m too out and strident about my gender critical views at work, that could lead me into problems with my board of trustees (I’m a charity CEO) but I’m retiring in May so I’ll just carry on saying what I think! There will be no enforced pronouns in signatures under my watch.”

“I am against compelled speech – when it goes against scientific fact. I am against words like mother being erased. I don’t want men to be able to tell me who or what a woman is – even if they say they are a woman.”

“I haven’t faced heavy abuse for my beliefs but I have been accused of being hateful, not compassionate, needing to do more research, supporting something that causes violence against trans people etc. Most of what I experienced was framed towards “other women” being horrible TERFS even though I was expressing the same views. I think sometimes people didn’t have the guts to say it to me about me, or perhaps they knew me well enough to know I’m not a horrible person they’d like to imagine gender critical women being. I work in the arts (opera singer) and gay men are incredibly powerful in this world. The conflation of being gender critical with being against gay and lesbian people makes me feel very vulnerable to being shut out from social circles and networking if my views were known. I’m your standard gender critical (sort of rad) feminist, and have no issue with homosexuality or breaking gender roles. I don’t want to be mistaken for being homophobic.”

“It’s tough that there are a lot of people who know that you are speaking the truth but who stay silent, although I completely understand why they do.”

“Gender critical views are simply recognising the truth of immutable biological sex, while not supporting sex role stereotypes.”

“It’s stressful to hold gender critical views in a world that seems to have gone insane — especially on the “left”. People in positions of power (private foundations/funders, teachers, doctors, lawyers) have joined a predatory movement that victimizes children, youth and women. Those who don’t agree are afraid to speak up. If I wasn’t working in a coalition that includes organizations which have drunk the trans kool aid, I wouldn’t be afraid to share my views. I feel guilty for not speaking up, but know it would destroy my organization which still manages to do good work on child rights.”

“It has cost me work and gigs and therefore caused me depression and to be in the closet about myself.”

“Yes, please can we stop calling them that!  99% of the world’s population ACCEPT (stop also saying “believe”) biological reality. NOT accepting it is the marginal position – in fact, a highly privileged, white western one. Calling belief in facts gender critical separates us off from the sane, rational majority of people and makes them think we believe something weird or unsayable. I understand why people have felt the need for the term: the reality is that within the feminist movement these days, we are marginal, and also not all gender critical people are feminists, but the more ground we cede, the more we make it harder for the majority to agree with us. Can we also please stop talking about sex-SEGREGATED spaces!  And stick to SEPARATE /SINGLE sex spaces! SEGREGATION is what is done by the oppressor to the oppressed because they see them as inferior e.g. what whites did to blacks before Civil Rights in the USA or men do to women in patriarchal Islamic societies like Saudi Arabia, Iran or Afghanistan – or anywhere in the world e.g. here in Britain. As someone who has been forced my whole life – even now in certain situations – to endure sex segregation because women are seen as lesser than men/unclean/sexual temptation for men etc., that word is absolute anathema to me. I find it utterly baffling that well-informed, educated white western women cannot see it is the exact opposite of what they mean: separate/single-sex spaces are AUTONOMOUSLY chosen by free women in order to preserve their hard-won rights and liberties in a society where in most situations they are free to mix with men and play an increasingly equal part in society (no matter how far we are from full equality). The perfect example of this is that whilst loathing sex segregation, I have worked in at least three single-sex girls’ schools and passionately believe girls come out of them with higher academic qualifications, confidence and self-esteem – the opposite of segregated Muslim girls schools, which exist because Muslim men see them as inferior. Confusing the two terms and saying sex-segregated allows trans activists to accuse us of behaving like Christian fundamentalists and I even recall James O’Brien accusing Posie Parker (who called in to his show with her real name on the subject of gender-neutral changing rooms) of wanting Islamic-style sex segregation. It’s dangerous also therefore because it strengthens the perception that we are aligned with right-wing religious bigots. I recently raised the above point in a Zoom meeting with other GC feminists and many admitted they’d never stopped to think about it and had been using the term segregated in an unthinking way. I’m also working on making my language in this debate much more precise.”

“I have anxiety and fear for girls and women now and in the future, ever increasing sexual violence, resurgence of sex stereotypes, women’s bodies as commodities for porn, sex trafficking, surrogacy etc and with representation in government and management disappearing and policies never being analyzed for their effect on women and girls as a sex class.”

“The only reason I haven’t experienced threats and called derogatory names as a result of my GC views is because I am extremely careful in who I speak to about it. I anonymously left some GC leaflets in a place, and later found that I had been referred to as a bigot and reported to the police for ‘hate crime’, but thankfully they did not know me or my name.”

“I’m angry about police time spent investigating words and speech re gender ideology. I don’t believe there is a solid evidence base to suggest that such transgressions as misgendering result in serious injury. It’s safer to say nothing than risk saying the ‘wrong’ thing. I avoid company where the ideology is accepted as a norm.”

“I’m becoming less concerned about upsetting others and although I’m not a belligerent confrontational person, I refuse to call a rapist she and am becoming more hardline and less polite. I will not be compelled to lie.”

“We can’t challenge gender stereotypes by insisting that they are fundamental to identity.”

“Just that I’m self-employed and a lone parent so I try and ensure I’m only talking to trusted people about this, save losing work / contracts.” 

“Holding gender critical views has affected my whole life. I am actively involved in campaigning against gender identity ideology. I think about it a lot. I am furious at how it is spreading around the world. I am frightened for the future of our children. I am furious that I am now politically homeless. I have to censor myself when speaking to three close friends (one of whom supports gender identity ideology in her profession (medic) and two whose niece now identifies as a man and has had a double mastectomy. I am angry that so much of my retirement is now taken up with campaigning. I am incandescent that this ideology is so prevalent in schools and it appears that no-one is championing women and children, particularly girls. I often cry about it.”

“A lot of my acquaintances hold GC views but are too frightened to stand up and say so. This is not a good place for society to be in. I find the threat of ‘hate speech’ particularly worrying – e.g. ‘adult human female’ and the arms of the state (police) starting to persecute women for speaking the truth.”

“I work in a university where gender identity ideology is almost always taught and promoted as unassailable and beyond question. My colleagues are either of that faith (and very loud about it) or not interested. When there are colleagues I don’t know in a meeting wearing rainbow lanyards, I have no way of knowing whether they’re harmlessly virtue-signalling, or whether they’re fully signed-up to the ideology in which case they’ll likely know who I am and believe that I’m a bigot.”

“I pick my places to share and live my life in constant fear of being outed, losing my support system both economic and emotional. I feel like I’ve lost a lot of it already, as I’ve found out my work colleagues and my ‘friends’ who would turn on me. I am afraid of my friends now. I am afraid of my colleagues. I feel unsafe. There is no safe space for ME.”

“I am very secure in my views, but I only share them with my feminist circle and one close friend. I have a radical feminist account on Instagram where I post more GC stuff and have connected with a lot of like-minded people that way, but I sometimes worry that someone from my personal life or work life might find it. Work is the last place I would ever express my gender critical views; I work with about 75 other adults, most of whom would probably agree with me more than not, but if the loud minority knew anything about my views I believe that they would do anything in their power to ruin my career. That’s how vicious this “movement” is–they seek to destroy women’s lives for the sake of men’s feelings.”

“I’m very careful about who I have these discussions with in order to protect my job, relationships and to protect myself from the possibility of a negative reaction from others.”

“I can’t be open about it in work, school, political engagement not regarding feminism (socialism, environmental etc.). I do “play stupid” and do not lie if directly asked, but I am way too afraid to ever talk up about it because I’ve seen what happens to women who do.”

“I feel that I avoid making my position clear in discussions because of the repercussions.”

“It’s about time hate speech towards women was a criminal offense. Misogyny is still not classed as a hate crime yet it is entrenched in our society and no one seems to care you can insult, threaten or degrade a woman as much as you like no one cares, we are disposable.”

“I feel like I have been thrown into an absurd alternative world, without logic and reasoning. Ruled by totalitarian gender-lords. Fighting against this means fighting against state financed, well-organised organisations. No debate is allowed, and any critical view is immediately labelled “hateful”.”

“It puts me and my family at risk.”

“A young lesbian relative of mine was the target of a social media hate storm that almost broke her down.”

“It is a concerted attempt to silence women. Women won’t wheesht.”

“How anyone chooses to identify is only ever half of the story. How people are seen is the other half. We recognize sex subconsciously, instantaneously and instinctively. Our perception is valid. Incongruity is an alarm bell we are being urged to ignore. To be compelled to see people as they wish to be seen and not as they are is abuse. What about our rights?”

“In time, we’ll be vindicated.”

“I’ve not shared my views publicly hence not having received aggression for to my views yet.”

“I work for the NHS and tried to raise the issue of our trans policy which permitted everyone under the trans umbrella to choose whatever ward they wanted. I explained that many of my female patients have been traumatised by male violence and would be frightened to share a ward with a male regardless of their identity and also I pointed out that cross-dressing males do not even classify themselves as women and so the policy was not based on law. One man in the meeting reminded me that cross dressers were protected in the Hate Crime Bill and I became frightened for my job but pointed out that this didn’t mean they should be allowed to share sleeping accommodation with women.”

“So many lies, brain washing and distortion portraying GC as discrimination against trans people.” 

“Women who are gender critical are silenced. There would appear to be no room to have meaningful debate & discussion.”

“I ‘came out’ as gender critical unwittingly in 2018 – not realising at that time that understanding basic biological facts and being a feminist made one ‘a transphobe’. My work life was made unbearable for many weeks; there were meetings with me and about me. Tall young men I didn’t know turned up at my office. My boss told me to keep my views to myself and implied I was indeed transphobic (or ignorant). I have had to hide my views at work ever since. I have come off social media under my own name because I could not say what I wanted under my real identity. I am only anonymous online now – it is my only way of saying what I know to be true, and important, and finding community to cut against the feeling of isolation and ostracism.”

“Experience of criticism and bullying is growing… new additional, irrelevant labels being applied! I have been called anti-Semitic.”

“Re; Q26 – I feel very certain it will happen. But I don’t much care to be liked, except insofar as it is useful to keep my job. Re: Q33 – it happens, but I don’t care about the accusation. Some people are trying to frame facts as hate speech, and we cannot let that stand.”

“Once peaked, I found it impossible to give up the fight for women.”

“Stating biological facts that you cannot change your sex, and that there are only two sexes is not racist, a hate crime or discriminatory. It matters because when it comes to protecting the sex based rights of women and girls.”

“I have been accused of transphobia within the labour party and forcibly silenced.” 

“I feel more confident since recent court successes in the UK, and the increased publicity for our campaigners in mainstream media, especially GB News.”

“I am experiencing flashbacks to when I was abused by my first husband. Coercive control is a major tactic utilised by gender activists.” 

“As a doctor I feel under threat of complaints and censure and possibly job loss should I refuse to use the wrong pronouns. Or refuse to accept people can change sex uncritically.”

“I have always been on the left of politics and I am very concerned that people I once thought were sensible and of similar views to myself are now completely captured by the ideology.”

“It is not my role to validate someone else’s identity.”

“I am in the leadership of two feminist organizations and this issue is very toxic: it stops us from dealing with important women’s rights, srhr issues, it misframes the true feminist agenda, it fosters virtue signalling, it puts us, acc. to gender identity propagators, on the same page as fascists?!”

“My roommates claim they can’t have trans-identified friends over to visit because my presence in this household makes it an “unsafe” place.”

“This is such a ridiculous thing happening, but it doesn’t matter that it is, since so many in society falls back into ancient patterns of blaming and punishing women for standing up for ourselves. What is happening today is very compatible with what happened to women when they demanded access to higher education or demanded the right to vote.” 

“While I am straight, the targeting of lesbians and coercion, guilt tripping and shaming of lesbians to include males identifying as women in the lesbian dating pool sickens me. I also refuse to use terms such as cis, “birthing parent”, menstruators, and ridiculous pronouns – I will not be forced into “validating” people’s gender identities, particularly when, for many men identifying as women, the whole point of seeking and enforcing validation is for them to get a sexual thrill.”

“I am a woman and I will not stop using words that describe my experience of being a woman. I will not conform to pronouns and I will not conform to accepting men who “feel” like a woman into my spaces. I’m concerned about being legally prosecuted for my beliefs of sex based biology.” 

“In the three years since I queried (from a position of genuine, unbelievably naive ignorance of gender ideology) a gay friend’s statement that ‘not all women have vaginas’ I have lost friends, I have lost work, I have lost peace of mind. On the other hand I have grown closer to a few GC friends and found support in GC groups on social media.”

“My husband of 54 years has told me recently he is 75% woman (we have 3 sons who he has since also told). I am keeping a dignified silence as I do not want to hand him the opportunity to play the victim and divide our home leaving me to live the rest of my life in considerably reduced circumstances.”

“I have been investigated in work due to my GC views on twitter. No case to answer found. I am scared to come out in work.”

“Most who understand these issues deeply are self-silencing right now. Parents of transgender kids especially because their fight is also private and for their kids and they cannot risk losing the relationship with children who have been inducted into this cult. They cannot speak out for themselves or their children and when they do they are considered bigots. They are working to support and stay connected with their kids and be available to them when they finally decide to detach from the cult (often after its harm has been done). It is wrong on every level.” 

“It is forcing people to keep their opinions under wraps because we are all so open to abuse or even losing our livelihood and careers for daring to assert reality and scientific facts. It is heart-breaking to see more and more bright, articulate and influential women being shut down and cancelled, it sends the message to all of us that we must keep quiet or else, it is a toxic environment that threatens the very existence of free speech.”

“I do not engage much on social media and am not in paid work so I have not had experience of engaging with too many people about my GC views but I am aware of having been dropped by friends because of my beliefs.”

“I resent the fact that, because I believe in the biological facts of binary sex and that sex is immutable, I am made to feel I am a hateful bigot. I am particularly concerned that the media, my university and many politicians and major organisations appear to promote this view. This makes me afraid to talk about my views in case I get abuse (although I truly believe my opinion is the majority opinion which is why this situation is absurd). I have had conversations with young female students at my university who are terrified of speaking out about their GC views. I do not agree with the mantras TWAW/TMAM but that does not mean I do not recognise some people are more comfortable ‘living as the opposite sex’ and these people deserve a life free from discrimination. But we need debate to find appropriate ways to do this – not just give women’s rights away. The lack of debate and silencing effect on women (and men) with GC views is very worrying.”

“I work for a small organisation run by women but providing services to anyone (though it’s mostly women who use our services). The founder and ‘boss’ is gc but has had to take the decision to keep quiet on this issue and ask all gc women working for the organisation also to stay quiet. Even without gender woo woo, she receives on average 2 complaints every week from men who object to a women-only organisation in a male-dominated field. She is also constantly fending off trolls on the organisation’s social media, again the theme being how dare women threaten the livelihoods of the men in the field. She believes that if any of us were openly gc the organisation would be subject to much worse targeting and wouldn’t survive.”

“They are the great unspoken among many women. We are too scared.” 

“Yes – the usual mantra against people like me is to call me a TERF or transphobic, I do not accept these definitions particularly when they are used to simply silence me.”

“I am now immune to “shaming” for my gender critical views, but am furious that livelihoods, safety and freedom of speech and association are threatened by this totalitarian gender dogma.”

“I’m getting braver and have put my head above the parapet on social media and I know that will cause problems with some family members. But this is just too important.”

“I’m sick to death of this whinging about “”hurt feelings.” Affirmation is pandering to their narcissism.”

“I’ve been reprimanded in one feminist group I’m involved in for the very mild position that women deserve at least some spaces that are sex-based and women-only on that criterium, and in several other professional and volunteer contexts I avoid the topic as best I can because I know it’d lead to trouble and possibly to getting kicked out / being denied opportunities. But I also think it’s important to not lie when it does come up and to keep talking with women, because there is such a big taboo on talking about it that sometimes just having one conversation can kick loose a lot of thoughts and a lot of women have doubts in private, in my experience.”

“I cannot believe that the left, which I belong to politically, is not seeing that the emperor has no clothes! They are allowing women, once again, to take the fall for men’s feelings.”

“I call myself a TERF, I know others disagree, but if it means being like Caroline Criado Perez and J K Rowling etc., then I’m ok with it.”

“I self-censor in that I only comment in situations where I know I have relative anonymity (I use my name, but there are no further details), and moderation is active. Generally I only comment in the Times (surname and initials only), and occasionally in the Spectator. I never say anything on Twitter. I would be happy to go to a physical demonstration or meeting. But social media feels dangerous to me.”

“I think more would be open about this if they were aware of what is happening and that trans ID men are fully intact males.”

“I have already experienced the pushback which comes when you take a stand. Signing a document to support an academic who is bullied for her GC beliefs makes students feel unsafe, or so they say.”

“I generally feel supported by my friends, family and social groups, though I have lost friends and agree not to speak about it with some others.”

“Radical feminists are not “gender critical”, they are gender abolitionists… and there is a massive difference.”

“I cannot say what I believe because I fear losing my work. I am a freelance filmmaker, many of my clients are charities and NGO’s who have all swallowed the doctrine.”

“I fought for women’s rights & gay rights. The idea that I or any other GC woman might be bigots is moronic. Until recently I was probably live & let live. I lolled about feeling sad watching Pose, amused when watching Ru Paul etc. But the torrent of violent abuse that targeted JK astounded me. This was misogyny plain & simple. Like some warped revenge for MeToo? (Or so it sometimes seems)”

“Please help.”

“I haven’t been threatened but heavily insulted.”

“I am Russian resident and gender ideology has no influence here on the official level, only among young middle-class people. But the majority of local lesbians are queer, one step away from gender ideology.”

“I’m especially scared because I live in Scotland with the new hate crime bill, I also need a PVG or can’t work so I worry about it a lot.”

“In Germany a proposed bill would lead to misgendering being fined up to 2500 Euro that’s basically 2 entire months of earnings on average. I also believe it stands in opposition to our freedom of speech.”

“It is tough. It feels like playing some fucked up version of Game of Thrones but in real life, and there are no dragons or magic, just crazy people with pronouns. I have to hide what I think most of the time or I get thrown to the dragons, but I also do not believe in silence and doing nothing. So I have to work around this mess to get my point across. But it seems like most people just avoid conflict and either ignore it or go along with it. Even the most conservative people I know usually go along with calling a trans-identified male a “woman” and argue that he must be a woman to some point, whereas the issues of actual women are usually “just hysteric women” to them.”

“I actually resent the term “gender critical views”. Because to me, knowing what biological sex is not a view. It is simply knowledge of facts. But I have to accept that’s how we describe it nowadays.”

“I am not as affected as others because I am retired. I already left The Scottish Green Party because of their refusal to even debate their prostitution policy. I then joined SNP and have now left because of their refusal to consult with grass roots women’s groups and slavish determination to push through the GRA and produce a census which will skew important data.”

“I am too scared to publicly state my opinion on social media.”

“Holding gender-critical views, especially as a person who leans left-wing, has become taboo. Someone working at university confided in me that they are afraid to voice criticism of gender politics and compelling people to state their pronouns. The climate is one of fear and intimidation and many people are worried about social exclusion, bullying and losing their jobs/career. Many people don’t seem to be very well informed about the many implications of current gender (self-ID) politics and believe the issue is much less complicated than it is.” 

“I’m afraid that gender ideology is a highly flawed ideology full of fallacies and wrongly interpreted theories and translations.” 

“Q26 and 33. I’m not concerned because I know who I am and that those accusations are projections.”

“Q33 I prioritise women’s safety and health over hurting a male’s feelings.” 

“I’m worried about being able to find a job as I’m known to hold gender critical beliefs.”

“Being critical of gender ideology is akin to atheism, I do not accept this belief which has no evidence for it and causes great actual harm and changing of words and shutting down debate, I should be allowed to not believe and to not take part in someone else’s belief.”

“You risk everything by even questioning it in public. You can be fired/expelled. You can lose all your friends. You can be shadow banned and mass blocked on social media. It’s straight out of the mccarthyism playbook with the side effect of making targeting lesbians, gays, feminists, and women in general not just fair game but a civic duty. They also co-opt all other causes for themselves. I’ve seen climate change, black lives matter, universal healthcare, and obviously feminism presented as being centered around trans rights.”

“I am afraid it will not only affect my livelihood but also that of those who associate with me whether or not they share my views.”

“I do not make my gender critical views known at work as I fear being ostracised at best and subject to disciplinary action at worst. Most of my friends share my views so I can talk freely amongst them, but I self censor in other social situations.”

“I have become afraid to discuss the topic unless I know peoples’ views, such is the hostility I see. This is not healthy honest debate.” 

“We are practically being silenced, because with the self ID law we can’t even say we are women (loving women) without being called bigots or being accused of hate speech. Scares me.”

“I don’t even like the terminology gender critical. I think of it more as the truth.”

“I am proud to be gender critical and a gender industry abolitionist. I have no apologies about that.”

“I work in child protection. I objected to us inviting in groups that included Stonewall, Gendered Intelligence, and Mermaids (the list was in fact huge). I cited the Biggs paper on the Tavistock experiment and my concerns that pushing children down a pathway that meant they might never achieve sexual function as adults. I also pointed out the dangers of breast binders. I said I was worried that children were not being given space to grow up and figure out who they are. I was told I had been homophobic and to apologise or stop work on that work. I refused to apologise. The coordinated, baseless complaints were then never made formally. My colleagues were appalled but managers lacked backbone. The experience was awful. But I now also know that if you refuse to bend, it can and will come to nothing. Processes and complaints have to have roots in facts – which is where gender ID falls down.”

“I keep getting kicked off Facebook for months at a time for innocuous statements.” 

“It feels like open season on women and girls. We are being silenced even as we and our lived experiences are being erased from language, punished by laws and policy, and our oppression is obscured. This is terrifying.”

“I’m fairly open with my views when it’s relevant, but I don’t post much on social media so most of my conversations about gender ideology are in person with people I know well. I think this limits my personal experience with negative reactions. Also due to covid I don’t see many people outside of work, and I don’t express those views there for job security reasons as it’s a VERY trans positive place.” 

“The current dogma contests basic feminist understandings.”

“I felt so much relief after the Maya Forstater hearing declared that Gender Critical beliefs are now protected by UK law. Also when the BBC published their article on the cotton ceiling, I felt that my sex-based experiences were finally being acknowledged as sex-based, not gender identity based. It disturbs me just how pervasive the gender identity ideology is in every facet of life, that I have to be aware of it even in situations where it should be less than relevant, such as at the workplace.” 

“I have never experienced so much vitriol and hatred from others than I have since speaking out about my views on gender ideology and the harm it causes. I have to remain anonymous to speak about my views online for fear of my old friends who are still deep in the ideology looking into what I’m doing, getting angry about my views and doxxing me. I have to hold my tongue and pretend to be one of these people in person so I don’t lose my friends, my job or my sense of physical safety. I am terrified to even wear a shirt in public that says the definition of woman on it because I live in an extremely liberal “woke” city and I genuinely believe I might be attacked.”

“I might be expelled from my university for being open about those.”

“I’m only able to answer “no” to #s 23 & 24 BECAUSE of the great deal of self-censorship, I believe. I’ve witnessed it enough that I know what I have in store if I open my mouth.”

“I don’t know how to make friends anymore because the first thing anyone wants to talk about is gender. I can’t participate in online discussions about media because the only discussions being had are about gender. Gender doesn’t occur in nature. Gender isn’t “real”, people made it up. I’m autistic and lying causes me a great deal of physical distress, and feeling like I have to lie to talk to anyone until I know they’re “safe” just makes me want to become a hermit. The stress on my adrenal glands is causing me kidney problems. Popular gender ideology is physically, literally lowering my quality of life.”

“I’m “out” and while my conscience is clear, it has really impacted my career.”

“Since sharing my views with my girlfriend and being broken up with, I feel more brave in speaking up. I’ve been speaking up in my leftist organizations but only to close people within that organization. It’s been difficult to have these conversations. Overall I feel that I am constantly policing my language and having to be careful because I have internalized the idea that my views are bigoted + the danger of someone else believing so and taking action against me.” 

“I feel that I have to hide my gender critical views from almost everyone, or risk bullying, harassment, doxxing, losing my job, and physical violence.”

“I am a minority at lgbt group meetings. All attention now is on the MTF trans and their experience as senior LGBT.” 

“I’ve found that most people in real life either haven’t heard much about gender identity or still believe in gender critical tenets without knowing that’s what they are. So I’m able to have surface level conversations with friends about my “concerns” without diving into the heavier, more complicated stuff. But I still feel that if I do bring up my legitimate viewpoints, then I will be judged and scorned for it.”

“I retired as a teacher this year [I’m ashamed that I never really looked at SOGI–not working as a classroom teacher so…]. I could not have spoken out against SOGI and kept my job.”

“I am in despair that we are the minority, that there is no place where we can debate safely. I don’t see change in our direction coming any time soon, I feel defeated.”

“I hate how ppl think being gender critical means you dislike trans people or don’t think their struggles are valid.”

“I was more concerned about expressing gender critical views back in 2017. As a war on women has been declared by TRAs I am now only concerned about people I know irl like my grandson and his friends I don’t want to antagonise him as I love him, but I am totally out in all other social situations it’s lucky I am retired with no dependent children as it’s easier then.”

“It’s scary because I know most women agree with me on a base level, what a man is and what a woman is, but the few who hold fringe gender identity views are protected at cost of my freedom of thought and speech.”

“I really wish I dared to be open about it in my social media but I’m so afraid of being eaten alive or losing more friends.”

“It has become difficult to talk about the subject, as a lesbian I feel like my opinion is not valued because I’m suddenly a bigot for not accepting the gender ideology.”

“My place of employment has stated unequivocally that it will terminate any employee not allowing a person to use the bathroom that ‘aligns with their gender identity’ and does not prop up a person’s delusional identity. My age and sex make losing my job a lot more of a risk for remaining unemployed in my current profession.”

“It spills over into all walks of life. It also points to a trend of being totally divorced from reality.”

“I feel very cautious about expressing my opinions in a way I never have. I absolutely do fear malice from trans-identified males especially, even online – things like the “shingami eyes” app (to track “TERFS” & “out” them).”

“I work for a liberal “inclusive” media company that is also criticised by trans activists of being transphobic. I am scared of losing my job over my views, and am also afraid of being attacked by those who deem my employer transphobic.”

“I’m now too old to be silenced. I was banned from Twitter, had to delete my Pinterest account, Instagram and Tumblr have a lot of trans thugs on them so I have to use the block function. Only safe space is S******* for me.”

“They are more cogent, sane, and observant of reality than gender ideology could ever be. Gender critical views are legitimate and count as a protected belief and people should not be penalised for holding them.”

“I am aged beyond being out on the streets. In my restricted social excursions I have to beg for rational discussion of issues as the gender ideology group goes silent and often say ” we know what you think” when they DON’T.”

“It makes me feel isolated from my super leftie friends.”

“The discrimination is everywhere: In mandated ‘Gender trainings’ held by Transwomen, local women’s support centers now hiring and catering to trans and non-binaries, getting no mentoring at universities.”

“A small group called “trans women” (and assistants) is terrorizing the rest of the western world.”

“The whole thing has become toxic and polarised. It’s not where I imagined women’s rights movements to be in the 21st century.” 

“I am also concerned that women still today have a strong need to be nice and that therefore even gender criticals use wrong pronouns and talk about “transphobia” in order to be a bit safer. I am concerned that even feminists have such a strong desire to be liked by others.”

“I am concerned about the amount of people willing to accept these views when they are clearly not based in reality and are dangerous.”

“I’ve isolated myself from people who don’t hold gender critical views. And when I’m not sure of someone’s views, I’m careful not to bring it up like a sledgehammer, but do it tangentially.”

“I have had to stay silent and not speak out due to my work and a project I am attempting to complete. Were I to speak up now I would never get my work finished, I would be a pariah in my industry. Too many women live in fear, and this is also an issue when women who do feel safe to speak out, shame those who do not. Many of us do work “in the shadows”, sharing our views and educating others quietly, one person at a time.” 

“I play for a small local football team (grassroots) and noticing a growing number of male (transwomen) players. I am afraid to speak up about my concerns over this even with my own teammates and have considered leaving my club rather than engage in a difficult conversation about my views and be labelled transphobic.”

“I am not concerned about accusations for myself. I am doing nothing wrong. I can get angry, but I’m not afraid of them.” 

“It is pretty sad that a woman of the view that women exist as their own category is now thought of as “gender critical”. and I’m very sad that somehow our tweets are seen as hate speech and yet TRAS can threaten to rape/kill us and that isn’t seen as anything at all.” 

“I started the lgb community where I live. I was part of the group that began our Pride marches. I gave many speeches at those marches and was well received. But now I am a pariah for my understanding that biology matters and for seeing the misogyny in the gendah identity cult. I had a sign stolen at a Pride march for my critical stance.”

“I will NEVER call a man a woman and it is not misgendering as I do not believe the trans ideology LIES I call a man in a dress a man because that is what HE IS, A MAN!!”

“I feel more confident expressing my views following the Maya Forstater judgement and the gender critical views becoming more mainstream but I remain anonymous so to be sure that my family and income will be protected.”

“I’ve been “outed” for holding gender critical views myself, been ostracized from some political groups I used to work with. In my case it’s mostly the young people who are ostracizing, in fact I’m now considered to be part of a group of “old leftists that need re-education,” because we focus on class issues and not only identity politics. I have been accused, loudly to my face, of having “blood on my hands” and surely causing local GNC (now “trans”) children to commit suicide, for the sin of saying that “women are female” on the internet and at a local library forum on sex and gender. Neighbors who used to come to my house for pizza from time to time no longer will, because of my harmful “hate speech.” In some ways I will say this is a relief, to no longer be hiding it so much anymore. I’ve found my people, with similar stories to mine. Thankfully I have a public sector job with zero notoriety and doesn’t face the public so I am not really worried about being fired.”

“I think biological sex and Gender identity must be completely separate legal categories so the hard won fights against sex and sexuality based oppression cannot be consumed by a notion too individual to generalize beyond one’s self.”

“After a lifetime of being tolerant and accepting, it’s pretty weird to feel that you’re suddenly on the wrong side, even though you haven’t changed.”

“I do not socialize with anyone who is not gender critical. All of the energy I used to spend on legislative feminism is now poured into supporting underground social spaces for gender critical women.”

“Being told to affirm girls at school in their self identification as boys is the enforcement of an ideology on the school community as well as leading the girls to potentially damaging and lifelong medication. In the beginning of my speaking out against this I was offered more ‘training’!”

“It is not an “umbrella term” for “any woman who questions gender identity ideology”. To hold gender critical views is to be critical of gender in its entirety, including roles and stereotypes.”

“I work in a media industry and have felt relatively free to be openly GC among colleagues and have been able to allow my views to inform my commissioning work, although still with some restrictions. I know that others have not enjoyed the same privilege and I am extremely concerned about the testimonies gathered on the ‘GC Academic Network’ site, as well as the recent events at Sussex. I am also a lesbian and was raised to believe that categories of ‘man’ and ‘woman’ should reflect reality – that is, should not indulge in assigning undeserved meaning to our sexed bodies, but should reflect the collective experiences of the two groups who are a) expected to one day become or choose to become pregnant and b) expected to one day choose to impregnate. I oppose gender ideology on two grounds: first, that it further entrenches sexism, and secondly, that it endangers women with little respect for their relative vulnerability. I am scared because many attempts to publicly work the issues out logically come to nothing because ideology is impervious to reason, and this ideology is imposed on us by various totalitarian strategies and tactics.”

“I was doxxed on social media and some local TRAs attempted to target my livelihood. It was terrifying. But it had little effect (apart from on my mental health). So I’m less concerned than I was!”

“I say do not wheesht! Talk about it, drop seeds, open people’s eyes. Be brave, stand up for reality and truth, and support other women.” 

“This is a dystopian nightmare. I wish people would wake up to the seriousness of this situation.”

“I am gender critical because I don’t believe men who call themselves women are actual women. Women are adult human females. All males are excluded. We have to keep speaking up. We cannot allow men to use female language for themselves.”

“I am concerned about the physical and emotional harm people are doing to themselves because they *believe* they can become the opposite sex. I am also concerned that I’m not allowed to say things like that in public for fear of being labelled ‘transphobic’. You cannot change your sex!! Of course trans people should be able to live how they want, but not at the expense of the safety of others. We need third spaces.”

“Everyone is entitled to freedom of views. GC’s should not be harassed for our views which are based in truth, biology and sensible reasoning.”

“I worry more for women as a whole than myself in particular – I am always calm and considered when challenged and find it’s the opposition that lose their temper. I will not lie – I do not purposely seek to upset anyone but I will not twist reality to spare feelings, I will not affirm the delusion. I work in a school, if I lose my job then so be it – My integrity and credibility and self worth are more important to me. I find with staff at the school, that once they realise I can challenge their thinking with reasonable, reality based questions and logic, they become defensive and sometimes hysterical – I am always polite and calm, I am always honest. I find that one thing that infuriates people is that I am a Lesbian, they can’t fathom why I am not captured.”

“I am currently unable to voice my concerns questions or opinions as I would most certainly be in danger of losing my job and being alienated by my peers. I know of many women who feel like this. I have to remain silent for fear of the repercussions which causes me enormous distress.”

“Why is critical thinking seen as not acceptable.”

“I say not at all to Q33 because I really don’t care if I’m accused of “harming” someone by stating reality.”

“All of the above is having a detrimental effect on my life and that of my family.”

“I often find myself self-censoring gender critical articles that I’d like to post on Facebook because I am nervous of a backlash, and possibly being reported and banned from Facebook. However, pretty much every time I post something gender critical someone messages me privately in support. Whilst this is encouraging, it’s telling that they don’t feel that they can speak out publicly.” 

“The views I hold would have been considered mainstream views until relatively recently. They are the same views I’ve held since discovering feminist writers in the 1970s. I think sex is immutable & gender stereotypes are damaging.”

“Misgendering does not cause harm. Over the top emotional claims using false narratives are being used to manipulate the debate without evidence.”

“This is particularly difficult for those of us who work in education!”

“It is frustrating when talking about it and people think I am exaggerating because they haven’t heard of what is going on.”

“I’ve recently found a couple of groups via Twitter and started to interact more with GC women and it’s so heartening to know you’re not alone and can openly discuss these issues.”

“I would say that I’m pro-reality. I want to abolish the industry created to profit off of sterilizing kids, selling medical self harm, and turning kids into lifelong medical patients all for an anti-reality based lie, that there’s such a thing as a “gender soul.””

“I used to only disclose my atheism to people I knew well & trusted not to judge me as immoral due to non-belief. I worry much more now about the reaction to being GC than I ever did about the reactions to my atheism, as the reactions to GC beliefs are far more vicious & vindictive.”

“Fortunately, my workplace has not been captured by gender ideology and I am in any event nearing retirement; if I was younger and/or working in a ‘Stonewalled’ environment I would have to self censor far more. As it is I now rarely post on FB, and had to set up an anonymous Twitter a/c to vent my frustrations; with that outlet I think I would explode. As for political organisations, I left Labour because of their self i.d. policy and will not vote for any party that subscribes to this new religion.”

“The vast majority of people in the UK would hold these views. Sex is real. Gender is a stereotype.” 

“It’s a scary time for women and children and for free speech.”

“I work in a law firm and would never speak up.”

“I volunteered at a rape crisis centre and male trans-activists would constantly protest, yell violent threats, and intimidate us women who were fundraising for the centre. I have received both in person threats and have witnessed colleagues discuss how much hate/contempt they have for “TERFs”. It is extremely disturbing and has created so much fear.”

“I have more freedom because I am self-employed. I would be extremely concerned if I was employed.”

“The hate crime bills being introduced are causing real world damage to women. Having the police sent to your home for stickering or being almost bankrupt because of photos of ribbons is just dystopian.”

“It’s a minefield. So many people don’t understand it and don’t think it’s a big issue.” 

“I feel gagged by our government in Scotland with the likelihood of prosecution should I speak out publicly.”

“I’m concerned about the impact of holding GC views on employment. I was doxed.”

“I’m a former academic. I’m lucky I’m no longer employed in an institution because I would have lost my livelihood. I am not cancellable in that sense but I have been cancelled by lifelong friends and former colleagues and have felt its impact greatly despite my freelance status. Not so much economically but very much so emotionally and mentally. I have also been disregarded for some projects but they were not of great consequence -yet.”

“I don’t work (mostly due to mh issues) which bizarrely gives me free speech privilege right now. I would like a pt job but am unable to even contemplate it because I might have to use female words for men, share toilets with them, announce my pronouns etc. And I am incapable of doing any of that. I can’t sit and lie and thereby tacitly support this ideology, it makes me feel ill to even contemplate being coerced in this manner.” 

“Fortunately this insanity has not gone as far as it has in the UK or in the US. I live in Mexico, but I see there are more and more people going along with this ideology and they are very open and even violent about their beliefs.”

“I won’t participate in the mass delusion on any level.”

“Maya Forstater’s victory had made a significant positive difference. Now, instead of saying to my employer that *hypothetically* they shouldn’t discriminate against me on the grounds of my non-belief in gender ideology, now I can tell them with confidence that it’s a breach of my rights under the law.”

“I like to think of myself as not being sex critical i.e. being in touch with reality.”

“Clear rational thought is now ‘blasphemy’ and established verifiable truth is now ‘hate’. This is not a society I wish to participate in.”

“I feel like I’m in a constant state of anxiety and always watching what I say around people. Recently I just missed out on a job that I wanted, I would have been good at, and where I could have had a significant impact on this topic. However I actually felt relieved. This was because the nature of the role would have required me to offer opinions on such subjects and thereby ‘out’ myself. Given I had already done so with one member of the team with whom I had been friends and been branded a transphobe and cut off, I wasn’t keen to re-live the experience, both with her or with others.”

“Already in Australia a woman was sued for ‘liking gender critical posts on social media – a matter of time before this sort of thing happens again. In many parts of Australia thanks to gender trumping sex – single sex spaces are no longer allowed. Many women I have spoken to are worried about their jobs or are stressed bc they are forced to gender and not sex.”

“I am already in a precarious situation in my work and I cannot afford to be ostracized. I feel like I have to use camouflage in my work environment because I am in an enemy territory. But I don’t think I will shy away from an open confrontation if push comes to shove. I luckily have quite a number of close women friends who share my gender critical views.”

“I am critical of gender because gender benefits no one. Adhering to social stereotypes is not progressive.”

“I’m hardening my resolve to speak truth to power regarding transgender ideology and lies.”

“I am lucky that I don’t have a job to lose so I can be quite vocal. Also Maya Forstater had to go to court to make it easier for women’s GC views to be respected.”

“Gender critical views are those which state that a woman must behave in a certain way. To say that a male cannot be a woman is not gender critical. It is a fact. Holding any other view is bigoted and misogynistic. The unlimited nature of females and their abilities, the unifying nature of their experience and troubles, mean that the only possible definition of ‘woman’ is ‘adult human female’. Any man who ‘identifies as a woman’ is a dangerous, arrogant, narcissistic misogynist who needs psychiatric assistance.”

“My husband censors my speech when he is around and does not allow me to speak about it either with him or with others when he is around.”

“Being retired keeps me away from workplace pressure to conform to GI methodology, but I am concerned how it creeps into neighborhood values and the inadequate awareness of what it is doing to women’s rights.”

“Having been purged from my Left political party, shamed by my former psychotherapy work colleagues, and watched my teen daughter expelled from her social circle … for holding views that don’t agree with ‘ transgender ‘ ideology … I am deeply concerned by the bullying aggressive and cruel modes used by transactivism to silence and punish women and girls who disagree/ stand for their own rights to safety privacy and dignity.”

“I have been cautious about revealing my GC views but increasingly I am considering making them known. I have already expressed them to my MP and will look at other ways to get more active.”

“I am old, retired, don’t get out much, though I keep up contact with the world. Were I to use social media – I don’t – there’s no way I’d say what I think. I don’t hold with ad hominem attacks and don’t make them, so it’s not that I don’t know how to make an argument. It’s many others feel free to make personal attacks and worse. They don’t have the facts and resort to attacks.”

“It is similar to being a non-believer in a fervent religious community.”

“I feel like there are many of us with these views that can’t express them. I also believe there are so many who are totally clueless and go along because they don’t understand and just go along with the “human rights” talking points.”

“I am at risk because I refuse to play the pronoun game and won’t identify as cis. As a lesbian it is extremely difficult to find young women who will even use the word lesbian let alone identify as one.”

“I think any woman in a public position who holds & voices gender critical views is at risk of verbal, physical, sexual abuse & death threats from transactivists. The coercion, bullying, intimidation & threats are obvious on most social media sites, on most University campuses, in guidelines from HR departments, police activity with their non-crime accusations, schools with mandatory pronouns & gender education etc. Any woman who speaks out to defend women’s sex-based rights is likely to be cancelled, hounded out of her work position, her family can be threatened.”

“If activists cannot debate they cannot make the case to take our spaces. We say no thank you.”

“According to trans activists, any opposition to their views counts as a ‘hate crime’. They don’t appreciate the irony of their death and rape threats.”

“I am retired and not vulnerable to attack by trans ideologists, so I make no secret of my gender critical views. All of my friends, without exception, share these views, and I haven’t come across anyone whose opinion I value who supports trans ideology.”

“I was called a terf just because I haven’t supported as a social worker the mastectomy of a young woman. Another social worker organized the operation and had an affirmative approach (typical for social work – you have to accept/respect everything the clients do/want, otherwise you are being called intolerant/hateful). I called the approach of the social worker out and pointed at the consequences and told her examples of detransitioners. Many other social workers insulted me, told me that I shouldn’t work in that field and that people like me are the reason for the high suicide rates of trans people.”

“At work I have to try to remember a child’s pronouns. I work with 16-19 year olds. If I get the pronoun wrong I am corrected and judged. Any assumption that a group of students is all female or all male at a table is swiftly rejected and I am made to feel like I am in the dark ages. It is difficult to remember pronouns when someone looks so obviously the opposite. I also object to being called cis. I’m just a woman. Cis has been derogatory from the beginning. Also, I spent decades campaigning for the acceptance of fluidity in gender… and against biological determinism. Now I find myself being very clear about what woman means and is not something that can be ‘put on’ for the night. Femininity is something to experiment with, not ‘woman’ as a legal category. I do not want to share a changing room with men… no matter how they feel about their identity.”

“As a trained nurse and midwife, I can only see sex as binary in all mammals.”

“I recently found out that a coworker, newly hired, was fired for being “anti-transgender.” I was trained for my current job by a transgender person and I have trouble remembering to say “he” instead of “she”. I am now concerned about keeping my job.”

“It’s been extremely heartbreaking to feel politically homeless and increasingly be told I’m being hateful for understanding basic biological facts. I have two college degrees – nutrition/food science and exercise physiology – and I’m sick and tired of being told to “educate myself” by scrapping everything I know to be true, important information to support gender ideology. Forced tolerance feels an awful lot like intolerance.” 

“Here my main concern is the self censorship that I and others have experienced. It means our voices are not as loud and confident and collective as they should be although I think this is starting to change.”

“I will not affirm a lie. I will be respectful and have been to the trans people I have met who if I’m honest have been incredibly humble and kind. There just seems to be the activists who have hijacked this for their own misogynist ends.” 

“There is a concerning culture from trans extremists that vilify and threaten anyone (especially women) that do not agree with their ideology. This stops media and politicians discussing this rationally.”

“I am gender critical on Facebook. Someone researched me online and then reported me to my Professional Association and they cancelled my membership. Thank goodness I am self-employed and can choose to be gender critical as generally it doesn’t matter.”

“I am in some social media groups for counsellors and self censor myself a lot in these groups. I see counsellors taking views and actions that I think harm children and young people and I rarely speak up as those who speak up are called bigots and all sorts of names. I am concerned that if I speak up my working reputation will be damaged and I am equally concerned that if I don’t speak up many in the counselling profession are colluding with an ideology that harms young people and alienates them from their parents and family members who are usually the people most concerned about the wellbeing of their children.”

“It can be a very lonely place. And the ‘game’ of trying to subtly find out where someone else stands or what you can say in front of them on this issue is quite psychologically damaging and exhausting.”

“I was prevented from joining the labour party because I believe that sex is a material reality.” 

“I also am fully aware of the London Met police and the haste with which they would put me on the hate register. I’m a teacher in the community and I cannot afford to not pass a DBS check. Otherwise I cannot work. I don’t want to be racially harassed by the MET police who have antipathy towards black women. They do frighten me. I have to admit. I like social media posts. I sign petitions and letters. I attend online closed meetings. I don’t write or broadcast anything in my own voice. I do self censure because the consequences of my being prosecuted would be dire. I don’t have savings or funds in which to defend myself. I don’t want to lose my only home at my age. So I operate from the margins as best I can. I know that I do not enjoy the right to freely express my gender critical views because the backlash against me would be swift and harsh. I don’t have a following or know a lot of people who would support me in any legal battle I might face. I try myself to avoid having any direct encounters in person or on social media. It simply isn’t safe for me – I would lose my livelihood and possibly lose my home in order to cover legal bills to stay out of prison. That’s the severity of my situation.”

“I have withdrawn from a group I was very active in because one of the other members labelled me a terf and transphobe after seeing a post I made on social media – I do not wish to be a divisive person in the group and so have felt it better to absent myself rather than have these issues play out in a public setting. It is concerning that I feel the need to ensure there is no link between my business page and my home page to ensure that I am not boycotted or suffer a loss of business due to my gender critical beliefs.”

“I have left the Labour Party after 45 years an active member fighting for women’s rights because of the Party’s stance on this issue.”

“I am concerned we are not allowed to debate gender ideology at work – even though our policies state we have to accept there may be uncomfortable conversations.”

“Since my views are not public, I have not been the target of attacks. I worry that should they be known, the organisation I lead would be targeted and would lose funding (working in services for women victims of violence). I also worry about potential verbal and physical violence for myself should my views be known. I live in an area with a very high concentration of gay men, gay bars and influential trans activists.”

“I won’t be silenced or bullied by this dogma. I have been reported at work but nothing came of it. More and more women are questioning why having opinions on this issue is subject to threats and abuse. If you have to threaten and bully people into silence, you have something to hide.” 

“I am at a loss to understand how a very small group of people have moved so quickly and radically to disrupt women’s hard won rights to meet, provide services to women in need, to close down women’s and lesbian spaces, create monsters of women who speak out, capture organisations so completely… while the majority of the population is continuing to live, love and believe that women and men are born girls and boys, as they ever have.”

“I have not experienced Q23 & Q24 because I self censor, the threat of abuse is enough for me to be quiet.”

“Misgendering is a red herring. It is not uncommon I am misgendered as a GNC woman. No one cares.”

“I used to be more accommodating regarding the gender woo but having joined some sex based rights groups have decided not to go along with the nonsense”. 

“I am concerned about laws being changed to accommodate a tiny proportion of society and those laws having a very negative impact on women and girls to the point that men can identify out of their sex and crimes, leaving women and children more vulnerable.”

“My GC views have caused me to fall out with friends, family and neighbours – none of whom seem to understand the issues.”

“Gender critical views are, in my mind basic and gentle tenets of my feminism. It is how I have viewed my life as a girl and a woman and a defining part of my character, personality and interests. To suddenly find these basic views framed by my peers as hateful means I must now consider myself hateful when I know I am not. This makes me feel so suffocated at times, almost as if I could have a panic attack.” 

“I am a filmmaker and I make my living directing TV in the UK and US. I have been writing a black comedy TV show centred around two teenage girls getting sucked into gender ideology. My US managers told me that my script is ‘undoubtedly good’ but that there was no way they could send it out in the current climate. I then took the risk of sending it to my US agents. After much delaying and circulating my script among ‘the team’, they fired me. They did not tell me it was because of the script but it very clearly was. I deeply resent having to be furtive about what I believe but I am paranoid my career prospects will suffer further if I’m not. I’m currently being put forward for the new show by ***……………………….*** (redacted to maintain anonymity) And my concern is that my social media footprint is already damning. I follow a host of terfs and have commented on numerous discussion threads. But of course I also really want to connect with kindred spirits in this fight.”

“I can strongly defend misgendering Pronouns as an autistic person. My brain doesn’t work like that and any criticism of it is ableist. People tend to woke themselves into a corner with that info.” 

“Evidence from WPUK protestors from SWP was chilling but no media coverage and no response from SWP despite repeated requests on social media.”

“The Forstater EAT should have enshrined the legality and acceptability of holding GC views but large unions like Unison are still tabling motions to label ‘terfs’ and LGB Alliance as “hateful”.”

“Re: Qs 23 & 24, the abuse was as I was going into events such as Filia and Women’s Place conference as well as on a lesbian strength march.”

“I’m very worried about a future where I cannot openly talk about my life and identity as a woman and the discrimination natal women experience.”

“I have never experienced anything like this: where it is scary to raise the topic. It seems to spill over into many other areas that are promoting gender ideology, yet I am fearful of raising any concerns even gently and ringed about with pro-trans statements. For example, the rules for sport at my university have mindlessly adopted a policy where males can just claim to be female and take part. It’s not fair but it is so difficult to point this out and I’m really concerned about being labelled a bigot.”

“I’m not concerned about being accused of bigotry or of misgendering insofar as I don’t care if that’s how I’m viewed. I’ve been accused of both, but that’s not MY problem!”

“It’s difficult and frustrating, but I and many like me will not give up. I know I am on the ‘right side of history’, as I cannot believe that enforcing sexist stereotypes and erasing women is the ‘right side’.”

“My gender critical views are something that I only share with people very close to me that I know hold similar views but I do engage in a great deal of self-censorship in my university, the workplace and with certain friends for fear of being labelled a bigot, ostracised or disciplined.”

“The abuse is worth it as the future mental and physical health of children are at stake along with the safe guards for women and the right to free speech and dissension. No one will gaslight me into believing such an absurdity that people can change sex.”

“They used to be standard feminist ones not 20 years ago??”

“To correctly refer to someone’s sex is a neutral, factual thing to do. To demand, expect or compel, by policy or law, adherence to someone else’s personal belief is unacceptable in a civil and democratic free society. Any such expectation is exacerbated if the belief in question is demeaning to you personally, or indeed other people. The belief that “woman is a gender label” and males should be called “women”, “+women”, “girl”, “she” or “her” if they believe they are “women” is based on regressive and demeaning views about women. It is systemic, sexist discrimination against women as a class to seek to redefine, and impose the redefinition of, the word (and class/category of) women and other sex specific female terms as being applicable to male people on the basis of beliefs, especially beliefs which are inherently demeaning to women and demonstrably false.”

“The persecution of (mainly) women for holding critical views is the new witch hunt. The most damaging aspect is the “no debate” stance, unsurprisingly: because once both sides are heard, there is no doubt that gender ideology is empty and unreasonable, it wouldn’t stand the debate. But the capital exemplary punishment is threatening enough to even feel safe to probe with questions.” 

“I have had quite a bit of hate of me online for writing gender critical books and articles. On Amazon reviews of my gender critical book, for instance, until they were taken down. I do not consider it safe for my home city or address to be known. I could not join any organisation which required that I reveal my address. I am ex directory for my home telephone and not on the public voting registers, this has been so for many years now.”

“I self-censor and omit using sex based language in certain situations. I am worried that expressing normative language for women and women’s sex based issues will see me labelled as a transphobe. I’m not.”

“I worry that I may be accused of bigotry by our new Inclusion Officer.”

“To stay safe in certain circumstances, women have to correctly ‘sex’ people and to be calling it misgendering is cruel and undermines our safety and our right to correctly sex people.”

“I feel as if I cannot even discuss certain subjects in case it comes up. Then you get attacked and vilified for not drinking the Kool Aid. It’s so very cultish and so very aggressive. All the “Kill TERFS” stuff on social media is scary.”

“It is difficult to speak up about my views because gender identity rhetoric is so deeply embedded in all aspects of society. I feel it is a determined and deliberate attempt to silence women.”

“It’s dangerous to talk openly at work, socially and online.”

“I feel that, like any form of expression, being transgender or non-binary should come with criticism ESPECIALLY if it is a minority position. If they can’t accept it they should blend in with the masses.”

“My vocal support is losing me work and I’m freelance. I try to tread carefully but also keep my integrity but this is an almost impossible act.”

“Rather call it holding to truth and reality.”

“I would say that I keep my mouth shut – this is in part because of a history of getting punished for being ‘the angry woman’, despite the anger being justified. I tend to not say anything in order to stay safe – and the anger male energy of the trans community – makes me duck and hide.”

“I have been excluded from social and community groups that are crucial to my wellbeing (I am a boater). I have been silenced at work, and am in a secret union group because of fear of reprisals.”

“Campaigning for or researching – as I do – girls and women is being hampered at every turn: any explicit focus on girls and women immediately raises the charge of trans exclusion.”

“Expressing views I thought to be completely normal has woken me up to the amount of sexist views held by my male friends, who mostly seek to defend men at all costs, all while constantly claiming to be feminists. I didn’t really appreciate the Germaine Greer quote before: women have very little idea how much men hate them.”

“It should not be a crime or seen as hateful to question the utter lunacy of gender ideology, yet we find ourselves being treated as witches in witch hunts. As GC, I care about science, truth, safeguarding, privacy of women, equality of women. The hard work of our female trailblazers is being trashed.”

“I read you use GC as an umbrella term; I wouldn’t even label myself anything. I have a REAL problem with being forced to use pronouns; already, that is about controlling “other” people. That is very dark. You control your self – you don’t control others.”

“Q33, I’ve said I’m not concerned about it. This is not because it does not happen – it has happened to me. But the idea that saying biology exists is ‘harmful’ is so daft that I find myself laughing about it rather than getting stressed about it.”

“For my generation (I am 19) gender ideology is everywhere and gender critical views are enough to get you completely outcast from most social circles. So I completely silence myself.”

“I feel as if I’m constantly censoring myself. I can’t have honest conversations because I ‘believe’ in what was once known as basic facts. I no longer ‘come out’ as a lesbian in case the person thinks I’m the wrong kind of lesbian, i.e. exclusively same-sex attracted. It’s been difficult maintaining friendships and just as difficult making them because of this.”

“Gender critical views are dangerous to the current GI ideology because they expose its hypocrisy and expose the myth that GI is a radical vs a deeply conservative approach to notions of patriarchal gender stereotyping, so I’m proud to hold GC views.”

“They’re not views. They’re the unadulterated truth and it’s driving me crazy that everyone’s pretending otherwise. Also, gender critical views aren’t just about the transgender nonsense.”

“It isn’t hate speech to express concerns or one’s views in a respectful way. Being constantly called a bigot or a fascist for holding GC views is extremely upsetting.”

“I’m only “A Little” concerned about being accused of bigotry, because even though it happens all the time, I don’t care so much.”

“I don’t get called out because I have gone completely silent on social media. For the sake of my children, I have decided to withdraw and pretend I’m not on social media rather than be called out on my views. We are going back to some dark times for women, who are afraid to speak freely, without fear of verbal or physical violence, or other repercussions such as job loss.” 

“Somehow it has become impossible to affirm biological reality without risking personal harm. The conflation of sex and gender has led to situations where men sit on all-woman panels, yet women who object to this are vilified. I believe that most people, when asked outright if they believe that males who have undergone no surgery should be allowed in women’s safe spaces would say a categorical no. I think people who have not concerned themselves with this issue believe that all trans women are fully transitioned physically after a medical assessment rather than being males who are declaring themselves to be women. There should be no barriers to publicising and discussing this issue openly. It cannot matter if feelings are hurt when discussing a matter of such importance.” 

“This is a scary time for women and men fighting misogynistic folk trying to access single sex spaces. I am being branded a thought criminal!”

“I haven’t been subject to direct abuse but appear to be on ‘terf’ blacklists, especially amongst academics – my work intersects with academics though I am no longer an academic. This must be because of people I follow as I do not publicly comment on these issues. This affects my ability to engage & raises fear of exposure for me.”

“The hate speech laws on Scotland are a real headache.”

“I am a second wave feminist from the 70’s and have spent most of my 72 years working to show gender sex stereotyping for what it is and to break it down. It is the cornerstone of patriarchy, and it is a vital component that keeps it in place.”  

“It’s a lonely path but one I can’t NOT take for girls and gays everywhere.”

“I’ve lost some close friends of very long duration – nearly 40 years because of “entirely divergent” views which they won’t discuss. As well as many less important friends and comrades. Am rejected as a Labour Party member on reapplication, and now waiting 21 months for appeal hearing.”

“It can be difficult explaining them even to otherwise well informed people if they are not aware of what’s happening or have only heard propaganda from trans activists and complicit organisations.”

“I consider it my moral duty to try and ‘peak’ whoever I think has got it wrong. It can lead to some pretty long but enjoyable debates!”

“It is the same, to me, as the forced speech I endured in an abusive marriage. I was not allowed to speak the truth.”

“I spoke out on this because I consider this movement to be the most harmful movement I have experienced in my lifetime. I would not have been able to bear the cognitive dissonance of not doing so. This has come at a cost. Some people from my circle have distanced themselves from me. I have been called mad, hysterical, equated with a Nazi, called a transphobe. I have been completely open with friends and family but I self-censor somewhat in a community group I work with. I was called a transphobe there for stating that I do not believe people can be born in the wrong body and asserting my belief in the importance of single-sex spaces and services in certain settings (in line with UK Equality Law). I have mental health issues anyway, and have experienced periods of great despair owing to my involvement in this issue, at times. But my anger somehow keeps me going! Since the pandemic lifted I have begun to meet with a feminist group and am starting to build relationships there. I think I may have been doxed, as some odd things happened at my house, but this did not persist. I have been through a phase of feeling frightened for my physical safety, but I think I’ve got over that now.”

“I think “gender critical views” are really just reality. Although I was pleased by the latest judgment in Maya Forstater’s case, it is not acceptable that gender ideology is seen as real and gender criticism is seen as opinion, even if the opinion is allowed in a democracy.”

“Whilst I am sympathetic to people who are uncomfortable in their bodies, it is not a new phenomena. Many women have experience of body dysmorphia, hence anorexia/bulimia. It is important that gender identity is determinedly separate from sex and more money is invested into the treatment of the minds as opposed to the bodies of this group of people.”

“In my country it is illegal to state the right sex. It is really worrying.”

“The idea that I could be fined or jailed because I use correct sex pronouns is insane. I’ve already been blacklisted from real life activities and social groups simply for saying “pass” when I was asked to give my pronouns. When told I couldn’t pass, I replied “Use whatever pronouns you think fit me. I’d assume it’s obvious.” (I’m a large breasted very femme looking woman who had long hair and was wearing a dress that day). I was taken aside and told my attitude was transphobic and if I didn’t apologize I’d be kicked out. I apologized if I hurt anyone’s feelings, as that was not my intention. However, I was kicked out within a couple months anyway when I posted my support of JKRowling on my Facebook page.”

“Misgendering not yet a hate crime in my country but woman adult human female is frowned upon. Friends ignore my gender critical posts.”

“I live in a mostly conservative area so I haven’t seen the level of silencing women in more “woke” areas experience.”

“What evidence is there that actual harm arises from misgendering or ‘deadnaming’ someone? Other than hurt feelings or a performative Twitter tantrum by a man cosplaying a woman.”

“Q 26: I said “a little” because I am not concerned about being called a bigot by ignoramuses. It’s not pleasant, of course I don’t like it, but I’d be greatly concerned if I let them silence me! Not a good question.”

“I generally don’t get too loud about what I believe due to concerns of being judged/ challenged.”

“Before you judge, understand how a woman’s experience can shape their beliefs of this, there are many women who are afraid to speak out or who have been influenced to think gender ideology.”

“My view is that gender ideology reinforces the gender stereotypes that the women’s movement has always fought against. Femininity and masculinity are not an identity and don’t need to be associated with a person’s sex.” 

“I have been blocked from 2 Facebook lgbt support groups because I challenged trans women on their homophobia and sexism.”

“I have twice been accused of transphobia and lost work because of this. It is be silent or be sacked.”

“I don’t express my GC views. I am not willing to risk my job or my safety for this. I feel terrible about it because I would like to think I stand up for what I believe in. But this is too frightening.”

“It feels totally forbidden.”

“Because of working from home, I haven’t ‘come out’ yet as gender critical. But it concerns me that my org- Civil Service- has been Stonewalled and that when I return to the office there might be moves to push gender ideology which I will have to push against.”

“I self censor at work as I work for the public sector. I engaged in a very polite, nuanced debate on FB re: this issue, and lost mutual FB friends. I left the Green Party last year over this issue, and am now politically homeless. The only party starting to make any kind of sense on this is the Tories, but I’m left wing and could never vote for them!”

“It is a shit show: utterly ridiculous and I am still dumbfounded that so many institutions are supporting it, universities, amnesty, crazy world.”

“I believe that people should wear and do whatever makes them happy. I do not believe that choices of clothes or activities changes your sex. An ideology should not be forced on anyone, compelled speech goes against free speech and the law of this country. Saying that only women have a cervix/womb etc cannot be hate speech as it is the truth. If being gender critical is hate, what is next? If safeguarding children’s rights is hate how can we defend children from harm?”

“I am concerned about the things listed, but I can’t go back and pretend. I sometimes feel like the entire world has gone mad. At my children’s school, in my local Labour Party. In activist movements I was previously involved in and then felt intimidated away from. It’s also difficult to switch off from the subject and I am finding myself feeling lonely and isolated, always paranoid that I won’t be welcome in places I used to inhabit. Trying harder to prove my credentials in other areas, or giving up and then not wanting to be involved with the things I used to be passionate about.”

“GC, to me, seems to be the ONLY logical position to hold if you believe in truth, science & reality. There seems to be a distinct lack in common sense and critical thinking amongst those pushing gender ideology. There also seems to be a large group of males pushing it as the new way to hate women and be feted for it.”

“I feel completely coerced into silence in this matter. I haven’t joined many community or political groups because of this. It means that I struggle to engage politically on any issue (even unrelated) or to integrate into my local community.”

“I oppose gender identity ideology because it enforces sex-role stratification, erodes the rights of female humans, and inflicts other social harms, especially upon children who don’t conform to binary sex-role stereotypes.”

“I am acquainted with trans women socially and will refer to them by their preferred pronouns out of politeness. Avoiding conflict in social situations is one thing – that the whole of society and public institutions should accept gender ideology, which is baseless and detrimental to women, is another.”

“I’m retired and live in relatively isolated circumstances, which is why I don’t worry about my views causing problems for myself in real life.”

“There a difference between hate speech and speech that you hate.”

“I do not believe men can become women and would not be comfortable using pro-nouns as it is a capitulation to an ideology that damages women and children’s safeguarding and rights. Further to this it is compelled speech which is very frightening in a country where I’ve never been made to say anything I don’t believe in.”

“I’ve had large suffragette ribbons on my handbag since the start of the Marion Millar case. Not had any reaction. I’ve got past the point where I do not worry in public, however do keep social media accounts on Mumsnet and Twitter anonymous. I’m cautiously GC on Facebook and have had a good level of engagement. Only one long standing friend has said anything critical to me about it, but later came back to ask for more info. Not willing to be silent anymore.”

“I deliberately keep my thoughts to myself – it’s a lawful view but I self censor constantly.”

“I think women are women and men are men. I share my views on Facebook. None of my friends responds to my posts. I think that they are afraid of expressing a view.”

“Since when did facts and biology become a view? It’s common sense.”

“I feel intimidated against expressing any form of criticism of gender ideology in mainstream spaces because I know strangers will immediately call for harassment and death threats towards me and attempt to take away my livelihood.”

“I’ve developed these views over 10 months, I’m still careful who I talk to about them. Some people in my workplace started using pronouns in emails but I’m ignoring that trend in the hope that this will pass.”

“It has destroyed the relationship with my daughter.”

“Biological sex is a fact not a belief.”

“I make an effort to avoid talking about this subject day to day. I make sure I don’t talk about my GC views in public.”

“I feel like I can’t express my normal beliefs about the immutability and importance of sex and clear language, shared by most people, and this cognitive dissonance is painful.”

“I feel speaking up for safeguarding is of higher priority than my right to identify as a coward. So I choose not to care about others opinions on my views. Because not speaking up for my daughters when I understand the risk gender ideology poses is no different to all the people who knew Savile was sexually abusing children and did nothing out of fear. However I’m also in a position that means I have no job to lose, no organisations or political groups to be thrown out of if they don’t like my rational, reasonable views, unlike many women. I also think that thought police is incompatible with a free democracy and that silencing or cancelling dissenting views limits critical thinking and dangerously narrows the Overton window. Our free speech laws matter.”

“I don’t believe that my holding gender critical views is hateful. I don’t regard upholding the rights of women and children is damaging to society. However, I am very concerned that any woman defending her sex based rights can be routinely described as ‘bigoted’, ‘far-right’, ‘fascist’, ‘Nazi’, or that she ‘wants trans people dead’. In all of my 54 years I have never been called any of these, until an exchange on social media around a month ago, when I was called ‘a far right, fascist, nazi bigot’ by a very unpleasant man. Indeed, I was unaware of the toxicity and threat of gender ideology until June last year, when JK Rowling published her essay, which to my mind was a reasonable, thoughtful and compassionate piece. I couldn’t believe the violent hatred, the threats of rape directed towards her. This opened my eyes to the deep misogyny of those trans extremists who targeted JKR. I was further appalled by attempts to cancel anyone who expressed solidarity with her.”

“I’m aware that my age (71) and the fact that I’m retired make it easier for me to speak out.”

“I have held gender critical views my whole life – from how I was treated as a female child and the restrictions it has imposed on my life. I am scared of talking about them as I fear for my job – civil service has been captured. I feel embarrassed about not expressing my views but I need my job.”

“I have friends that would disown me if they realised my views. It seems weird, as they are intelligent people – but would rather #bekind than be fair.”

“It is rather ironic that a person can be prosecuted for holding gender critical views but threats of harm and rape on social media are not pursued. Once again men do not seem to be under threat. Misogyny is at the heart of these attacks on women.”

“I am self-censoring so I avoid mentioning my gender-critical views on social media and with friends who may not share these GC views.”

“I am afraid to express my views on gender in case of repercussions at work.”

“I have had limited issues in terms of responses to my views, mainly because I am very careful and selective about to whom I speak.”

“Gender critical views are rational and science-based. Stating that biology and sex matters should not be regarded as a crime.”

“I’ve been involved in politics all my life, so I’m used to getting flak! I’m concerned though that many people, particularly women, are being threatened with loss of employment, etc., if they speak out. So it’s all the more important that those of us who are in a position to speak out, do so and support those brave people who are risking a lot. I’m a long standing member of the Labour Party and it matters that we put our heads above the parapet and stand up to the gender bullies with rational argument and don’t let them silence us.”

“I believe a barrier to me getting paid work as I won’t even apply for jobs (I’m very good at/qualified for/experienced at) if I see pronouns anywhere in the advert (email etc.) as I believe employer will impose that on me in org & I may face disciplinary action, if don’t conform. That’s if even I got past interview-as I won’t be dishonest if asked direct questions e.g. what are your views on diversity or what does “women only” mean in VAW sector. I suspect women not getting posts they’d be ideal for but difficult to prove discrimination due to GC beliefs. Esp if questions ambiguous e.g. what kind of feminist are you or adverts state “intersectional” feminist group.”

“I’m not on social media to be threatened but no longer see friends who would no doubt call me bigoted. They are kind people but unable to understand the impacts for now and unfortunately no inclination to question the stonewall rhetoric.”

“I actually feel more vulnerable as GC (realist/biology matters) woman. And it reminds me of abusive relationships (and marriage, now divorced) and how I felt during those times. I am angry that my reality is being denied. But there is little I can do apart from inform other folk about the madness of gender ideology.”

“I do not post on social media. My main concern for myself is losing work.”

“I don’t care if I hurt trans feelings: they are bullies and rapists. I care that I’m avoiding all doctors because I don’t want to pretend I was assigned a sex at birth and I’m scared they’ll harm me in retaliation for my views.”

“Yes. I am in grad school and censor myself because I don’t want to be expelled from my uni for being ‘phobic’. I’m also a little concerned about the bathroom because the female bathroom welcomes all trans and non-binary people (the male bathroom is just the male bathroom)”

“The only reason I have not been threatened is because I self censor.”

“I keep them to myself and a select few. I am one of the walking wounded. If they can’t get at you, they will go after your children.”

“I self censor, always. I acknowledge the enormous debt we owe to those who can speak out, they’re women of steel, but I could not cope with the level of abuse they get.”

“It’s manipulation and gaslighting at its finest.”

“If you are gender critical and you are also a woman, these TRAs do not see you as a human. You are just a thing to them, some obstacle on their quest for power, some insect to be crushed. It’s terrifying to be a woman right now. Doesn’t really matter if you’re gender critical or not, if you are female you’re always at risk of being TERFed.”

“I don’t really care if people identify as non-binary as long as biological males recognize their privilege and don’t speak over women.”

“I think I hold mainstream views that most people in the real world hold.”

“There is more and more use of pronouns in email signatures in my workplace, I am afraid I may have to ‘out’ myself as gender critical before too long.”

“I hold them in silence mostly, for fear of losing my job.”

“I have been repeatedly banned from multiple social medias due to my views.”

“I feel like no one has women’s back in this issue. Even the National Organization of Women has been captured by the trans organizations. I feel like I don’t even know what organization to turn to in order to support gender critical policies.”

“I am afraid that because I have posted gender critical comments in my own name on social media that I may be barred from jobs. I work in a field and geographic area heavily captured by gender identity, and I already suspect this has impacted my career prospects and even my social and political life in my community. Even though I am a middle-aged, vulnerable woman I continue to speak out, but, to be honest, even as I do, I fear the repercussions, and I don’t have anyone to fall back on. If I lose my job and became unemployable I am not sure how I will cope. I think it is a real possibility that I could become a casualty of a culture war. Mindblowing…”

“I am careful sharing my views and with whom, it feels like we have to be under the radar.”

“Pronouns in emails and rainbow branding at work makes me feel I have to hide my beliefs and that if I objected to this ideology being forced on me, I would be castigated or worse. It is a hostile environment and feels very lonely.” 

“Gender critical views are common sense and truth. They are not hateful at all. We are each entitled to our belief, and to freedom of speech. It is the most worrying thing to have ever happened in my life, politically…and I fear any Self ID promoting Party now getting into power, as women’s lives, girls too, will become unbearable!”

“I speak out as I am retired. Ex NHS, I am appalled at the absolute bs rhetoric being spouted by large organisations who are in thrall of Stonewall.”

“What happened to us? Saying biological facts and fighting for sex-based rights shouldn’t be shameful or fearful.”

“I left a political party because I felt their gender identity policies was hostile and I didn’t have the emotional energy to argue in person.”

“I am worried about losing my career and reputation but there will come a time when I won’t be silent e.g. if I think there is a safeguard issue I will act on it.”

“Both my husband and I were bullied out of our Labour Party CLP by a trans identified man who got himself elected to the position of Secretary, then came out as trans, and then put himself in charge of the Women’s Discussion Page and began deleting all posts he disagreed with. Ours is a small town. This man and his friends spread malicious gossip about us both. My husband was at one time so affected he stopped going out. Our lives in this town are still, four years later, badly affected. We would move if we could but I am tied by my duties as carer to my very elderly mother. Another consequence of this bullying was that my name appeared on the original ‘turf-blocker’ list and later on the obnoxious ap Shinigami Eyes. Only yesterday, I was ‘censored’ by a literary journal. I had submitted a poem and it had been accepted. I was asked to send social media links to accompany publication on line. Within forty-eight hours of my sending them I received an email telling me my piece would not now be published for the ‘protection’ of ‘the community’. My poem was NOT about the trans issue and in no way touched upon it. The email said it was because of my social media but did not specify which posts or tweets. I have emailed them requesting this information. So far, they have not responded. For four years I have tried to defend women’s rights, partly on the basis of my own personal experience. I have had the misfortune to be married to a man who I later discovered was severely AGP. He was *not* trans-identified but this does not seem to matter. The trans ideologists have ‘decided’ that autogynephilia does not exist. I have frequently been accused of lying or ‘making it up’.” 

“I am anonymous on twitter. I’d like to be on there in my own name, but I am self-employed, and my home is my registered business address. I have seen examples of activists going after women, harassing them, causing them to lose their jobs, causing them to be arrested. Such tactics are designed to silence us and they work: I cannot risk losing work (even post Forstater), or having my children’s home be targeted. I will speak out as much as I can anonymously, I will write letters in my own name, and I will continue to have quiet conversations with women to raise awareness. But the elevation by the Police of gender ideology, and the failure of wider society to publicly condemn the harassment of GC people by activists (further empowering them) means that I would not feel confident that my right to free speech, and my ability to state biological reality would be upheld. The truth should set you free, but at present it could see you lose everything.”

“I find I do have to temper my views as I fear 1) potentially losing my job and 2) my safety being compromised. I’ve witnessed this happening to other GC feminists and it’s terrifying.”

“I have 2 university degrees, and I am amazed and appalled that universities are supporting anti science/biology and misogyny and homophobia. These were things my degrees taught me to think about and challenge. Teaching students to lie or bully out of fear or ignorance is disgraceful.”

“I do not consent. Transgender ideology is a men’s issue. Let men make space, accommodate and expand the definition of what it means to be male. Women should not have to compromise or participate in the normalization of a male fetish.”

“I dare not more openly express my views on social media as my daughter works in the university sector and I would be scared to cause problems for her. I am thankful that I am no longer working in schools.”

“It is upsetting and confusing to be surrounded by people spouting utter nonsense who then get aggressive if you try and reason with them. I can’t ignore my own reason and join them, but I know it is potentially dangerous to speak out. Why do women fall for it? It is 100% misogyny.”

“I was concerned about being called a bigot etc., 3 or so years ago. I have become much more emboldened over the passage of time. When you’ve been called a bigot, nazi etc., dozens or hundreds of times it ceases to matter! The first few times I was upset. No longer!”

“My views have been the same all my life – it’s the other views that now throw me outside the gender woo woo world view.”

“Prior to the rise of this issue I would have described myself as having very progressive, live and let live views. As a third former in 1985 I won the school speech contest with my speech in support of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill. So it is very irksome that my position (which I would describe as science-based, rational and concerned with the rights of women and girls and the physical and mental welfare of children and young people) has successfully been painted as bigotry by a noisy mob with outsize influence on the media and public institutions in New Zealand.” 

“I hold them and am in the fortunate position in most of my life cannot be threatened however there is one area of my online social life where I am at risk of ostracism as the view twaw is widespread. I try to be diplomatic but there is really no discussion and capture is complete.”

“I came into this slowly, having been very liberal and not realising what I was enabling. It was actually the behaviour of many Trans Activists (most of whom aren’t trans) towards women that forced me into this apparently polar opposite position. It isn’t, of course. I genuinely feel empathy for people going through confusion or change. I don’t want to see anyone bullied or excluded and believe orgs offering 3rd spaces would demonstrate their genuine commitment to people “on the gender spectrum” rather than expecting women & kids to drop all their very necessary boundaries.”

“I think calling them gender critical views is becoming unhelpful because it sounds negative. It’s reality. Facts. That some people don’t agree is no reason to police my own language. I can be polite without being forced to lie.” 

“I’m retired and don’t belong to any groups except online so my freedom to speak out is higher than many. Those still working are suffering insane pogroms against them for stating FACTS. It’s surreal and has to end.”

“The only reason I am not as affected by this is that in Germany, the debate has not progressed as far as in the US or the UK. Also, I am very careful to only voice my opinions in circles where I am relatively sure I will not receive any backlash.”

“Somehow, women who hold gender-critical views are considered the worst people on earth and Public Enemy #1 to subscribers of gender ideology. Not conservatives who are genuinely “transphobic” because they just don’t like them and they think men should do “manly” things and women should do “feminine” things; not the violent men actually committing crimes against some transgender people; not the transgender people who use their status to get away with harming or exploiting others.”

“I object to being told having a basic understanding of the biological differences between male sexed bodies and female sexed bodies is ‘a belief’. It’s like claiming a belief in gravity.”

“Sex is innate. We need to stop making exceptions for men who have had surgeries or who take hormones. There is no psychiatric condition that requires that society participate in the delusion outside of this. Now this is making society sick. We need to make no exceptions.”

“I find the term “misgender” to be especially funny because, as some TRAs have noted, “pronouns are not gender.” Well if that’s true, how come it’s called misgendering?”

“I won’t ever call a man she/her or a woman. Not even a transgender woman. If I’m forced to, I will just repeat his name instead of using the pronoun- clunky but it doesn’t compromise our rights.”

“I do not believe gender is good way to view or describe people, because it is based on gender stereotypes. SEX is binary. However, we all have masculine & feminine traits no matter what our birth sex is.” 

“I worry about my job. They’ve allowed pronouns in emails, what next? A man in the ladies room?”

“I love living in a liberal area, but I do not love that I could lose my job if I was openly gender critical in my workplace. Thankfully, my office is professional enough to keep political conversations private. I do not participate in social media anymore, but I know that if I did, I would lose friends over my views. I think that most people would agree generally with gender critical views if they took the time to think about the arguments. I believe most people just think of trans people and the trans movement as people like Laverne Cox – sympathetic figures who just want to use the bathroom. I used to think that way until I started reading up on the movement. I used to think that I was missing something — that I just had to “educate myself” on the movement and it would make sense. This has worked for most political movements– even if I disagreed, I had a better understanding of where the movement comes from. With gender identity ideology, the more I read about it, the more incomprehensible it becomes. I truly believe it is piggy-backing upon the gay rights movement (which I have supported my whole life). If people were exposed to the reality of trans culture and the arguments of their ideology, they would be more critical.”

“I am not going to discuss this with work and I am afraid to be open online in case I am sacked.”

“It is very, very difficult right now to hold these views.”

“This is an evidence of things being turned upside down to benefit mostly men.”

“I have experienced aggression from a family member. I’m not in employment so I have no fear of losing a job. Most of the women I speak to, on this topic, hold the same views as I do but some do not and I believe that is because they are not properly informed. Most people I have spoken to do not really know what is going on. I use Twitter regularly and follow gender-critical accounts and blogs. Although I’m older I think I am fairly well informed. I live in Scotland and I’m shocked at what has happened here to Marion Miller. The world has gone mad.”

“I left social media (FB) because I tired of the arguments, attacks and brainwashing I encountered there. I’ll read Twitter, but rarely comment. I keep to real feminist forums & conservative news sites now. I cancelled my NYT and New Yorker subscriptions and never tune into NPR anymore.”

“Thankfully in the US we have the first amendment. I am not too worried about being charged with a crime.”

“I have come into direct conflict with colleagues at work because they consider my views unacceptable and harmful to others. I have been told not to discuss ‘my views’ (such as that sex is immutable) at work. I have been accused of harming others by discussing women’s rights.”

“I am an academic but retired due to ill-health so I do not have day-to-day engagement with the current climate in academia. However my husband does and he is sick to death of being hounded by the inclusion and diversity people. He has asked me not to post GC material on SM sites under my own name, for his sake.”

“Maya Forstarter. Marion Miller. Kellie Jay Keen and many many others have been cautioned by, interviewed by prosecuted by police and the law for having the view that you cannot become a woman i.e. adult human female after being born a male -the reality.”

“I work in academia. I am not on social media, but I have signed a few open letters in support of well-known GC academic colleagues. I have also complained to my university management about the loss of single sex facilities. I know of only 3 other staff with GC views. It is very isolating and quite scary – whenever I see pronouns in colleagues’ e-mail signatures it makes me feel wary and at risk of becoming a target. I feel I have to be ultra careful about what I say and who I say it to – even about the books and authors I recommend to students. The “chilling effect” is very real.”

“This ideology is dangerous to women who are vulnerable. As a disabled woman I want to be able to request a practitioner of the same sex as me to perform an intimate medical procedure or intimate care without being refused & accused of bigotry.”

“The works women’s group responded to an anonymous survey, by saying those with gender critical views were wrong and could leave the group.”

“We are the majority. We all know this but our media is criminally negligent in casting us as thought criminals and hate mongers.”

“I have to supress my opinion that self ID is wrong in my family, on line and among my friends who have MUCH less experience and (I believe) right to talk about it than I do as the parent of a child who has had female to male transition, hormones, surgery etc., but they are sold on the woke ideals and so my view that women are women, men are men and self id is wrong, is supressed. It is very isolating and also very difficult in my relationship with my child. I have also been raped in the past and believe that women must have safe spaces as a matter of risk assessment, and common sense. That this whole matter is about women, and not about men or new forms of misogyny, is really hard to live with day by day. I am for trans rights and women’s rights and it is very distressing that there is not a peaceful way of managing very simple safe spaces for everyone. The issue of trans women in women’s sports is also very difficult after women have had to work so hard in the last 30-40 years to raise women’s sport to a professional level (still woefully under represented) to find they are now having to compete with male bodied people!”

“I hardly have anyone I can talk to honestly about these matters. The intellectual dishonestly and general ignorance of people who defend gender ideology casually baffles me.”

“I only became aware of how the transgender movement was operating in society about 10 months ago. Since then I can almost think of nothing else, because it is so unbelievable that we have got to this place. However, so far I feel I have to be very secretive about my feeling on this matter. In real life only trusted friends know how I feel so far and they all agree with me. I am in a number of facebook groups under a false name and I am involved in a few local activist groups. Because despite my fears I feel compelled to fight back against this dangerous ideology in any more or less anonymous way that I can. But I am scared. I am a single mum with 3 sons. After many years of trying to recover emotionally, financially and job wise from a controlling and psychologically abusive marriage, I am finally working for the NHS and in a good job. I know if my views or my activism were discovered I could lose all that – but what can I do? I can’t stand by and watch children’s lives be ruined and women’s rights and ability to even name ourselves be taken away. So here I am.”

“I operate in a freelance capacity and had to stop sharing [very mild] GC tweets on my main account and set up a GC account where I could share those views and protect my career. Nevertheless I had an anonymous email via my work website saying I was a ‘transphobic nonce’ simply for liking a few tweets with that account.”

“It’s a bit of a minefield, isn’t it? The only way this will become an accepted and acceptable view (i.e. not punishable by sacking, harassment, intimidation) is by speaking up. I am confident that this is the view held by the majority, but the other side are the loudest.”

“I am concerned for my safety, livelihood and social life as a result of this extremist authoritarian movement.”

“I’m reluctant to express my gender critical views openly, particularly on social media, for fear of being labelled a TERF. I have posted a couple of gender critical things on social media and have been lambasted. I’m working up to becoming less fearful as I think this is the only way forward.”

“My views on transing are science based. No one can change sex. My views on gender is that sex role stereotypes are socially constructed to control the behaviour of the population.”

“I have been subject to workplace investigation (in job 22 years) for stating belief in biology on private Facebook account. Charged with gross misconduct, union were so useless I left them. Received written warning.”

“It’s become a joke with the ‘no berate (sic) gender fiasco’. Why is misgendering seen as a serious crime and threatening to kill women in a public forum, online or in the press or politically active groups. What is also disturbing is how school children of all ages and sexes are being groomed by gender dogma to dismiss the sexed based reality of biology in favour of gender construct. Deeply disturbing that school are not adhering to legislated ‘safe guarding’ or the national 2010 Equality Act that has sex as one of the 9 protected characteristics.”

“I am not that threatened because I live in a country where this ideology is not present in everyday life. Anyway, it is one of the concerns (amongst others) that tend to make me not to have any political involvement in the left, since it is widespread in political organisations and amongst militants (especially the younger).”

“Been repeatedly accused of bigotry and transphobia even though I have fought for human rights (including lbgt) my whole life.” 

“I do believe that if a transgender person has their own beliefs that is ok, & none of my business. I object to enforced language, that is illegitimising the actual meaning of words. No government is opposing this attack on women’s rights. Trans people have the right to safety, employment rights & rights to housing. In accordance with the 2010 equality act, trans people have the same human rights as everyone else. Due to the surgery, to change superficial sex, the surgery appears to be brutal & not that successful. The narrative to say we need to redefine what it means to be a woman, is downright offensive & misogynistic. In 2018 at pride women were denied a float because they are same sex attracted not gender. To be gender critical is to embrace reality, no one can really change sex. Women need protection & the government should support reality not ideology.”

“I am fairly confident in my current situation/employment because I am older and have an established career. It must be very difficult for younger women to express their opinions openly.”

“I am extremely threatened by the rhetoric aimed at women holding GC views, it is acceptable to not believe in God or any particular religion but to hold true to biological facts could be a hate crime.”

“As a retired person, I don’t have to worry about being fired but much as I would like to seek and accept support for my distress and alcohol dependency which are a result of bullying by trans activists, I feel unable to. I know for a fact that many medical practitioners buy into this horrendous, misogynistic and homophobic ideology. I do not trust NHS staff or charitable bodies because everyone seems to have been captured.”

“Silencing of women is authoritarian & regressive. Tactics used are psychological warfare. This is an attack on democracy, human rights, our society. To speak biology, women have a cervix, is dangerous. To say Women deserve respect causes trouble. Humour, debate, women chatting are all threatened. Women’s human rights are being trampled.”

“I am self-employed, so I’m not directly threatened by loss of income for stating gender critical beliefs, but I worry about my friends & am saddened that so many feel they have to go along with genderist ideology in order to remain employed. I also have increasing fears over punitive legislation being enacted against the right to acknowledge biological reality.”

“Views can be debated. What concerns me greatly are 1) that facts and reality have been transformed into ‘views’, making them debatable, and 2) that institutional capture has meant that media (BBC, newspapers) will not show what’s going on – why?”

“I have had a trauma counsellor tell me that an AGP abuser was probably struggling with gender and that the abuse including rape and sexual assault was excusable.”

“Many people have not bothered to research this subject and assume that women defending women’s rights are bigots, with out of date views. I’m reality we come from mixed backgrounds but those of Gen X, like me, tend to be left leaning liberals who have close gay friends and have always supported minority rights. It’s offensive and upsetting that we are on the receiving end of abuse for stating mainstream views and scientific facts.”

“There is an erosion of free speech and independent think. Ideology does not trump biology.”

“Views which were held to be normal mainstream views just a few years ago are suddenly bigoted and wrong. Why?”

“I do not tell anyone in person or online about my views unless I know they will either share them or defend my right to hold them. I have not therefore been threatened simply because I am silent. The fear of being threatened keeps me quiet at work, online, and elsewhere.”

“I am not critical of PEOPLE who wish to have a gender identity but I am critical of the system that upholds gender identity as the same or more important than sex and that this impacts society at several levels, especially women.”

“A belief in basic biology and the need for single sex spaces should not place a woman at risk of male violence or of losing her employment in a democratic society, yet that is where we have reached at present.”

“I was totally silenced at work even though I was a laborer! Among the lowest-paid and lowest status.”

“It’s terrifying to know that if activists decide to target a particular woman, that they will destroy their whole life – a report to police about “hate” and the police run with it, your job is at risk, your home is at risk due to finances, your safety, and particularly that of your children, are at risk. All because you said you don’t believe that men can be women.”

“I don’t share these views publicly because I would lose my job.”

“It’s terrifying that what was until 2 minutes ago accepted as biological fact (human sex is binary and immutable) and standard 2nd wave left wing feminist analysis (women are oppressed on the basis of sex, gender is a hierarchy with women at the bottom and is a tool of patriarchy) are heretical beliefs. Transgenderism is the latest incarnation of a patriarchal fightback against women (and children) being seen as human. In Scotland we have seen every state and civil society institution and organisation captured by this gender ideology, this new religion with its mantras and belief in a gendered soul. I have never felt so hated because of my sex, and age, as I do by the Scottish Govt. I do not know what I would do if I was younger and looking for work. I’m in the 3rd sector. It’s full of idiots who spout whatever the latest nice middle class virtue signal is indicated by their tribe of “good” people. They can’t think critically.” 

“After the Forstater judgment, I screwed up my courage to contact someone at my workplace and ask that posts on the intranet that repeatedly used the term TERF be removed. As a victim of male violence, I find this term really frightening. There was strong objections on the work intranet from trans identified people to the idea that discussions in the Workplace should be conducted respectfully not using the word TERF. The posts remain on the intranet. I believe that management would fold immediately if any gender critical person complained about how they were treated. And the trans identified people know they have that license.”

“I am really frightened by saying very simple, non judgemental facts like “lots of women don’t want to get undressed around a stranger with a penis” can be categorised as hateful and used to bully, harass and ostracise women.”

“We are entering an era of obscurantism and fascism. Only the approved view must be adopted. I am concerned about compelled speech and the imposition of an ideology that has no base in science.”

“I will never be sex-critical. Gender is stereotypes people, especially women have been fighting against for decades.”

“As an early career academic, I cannot afford the risk to my future livelihood by taking a stand on this issue. Having to remain silent is the only option available to me, as members of my own university regularly insult women who hold my views and participate in online campaigns to intimidate or harass other academics.”

“Many people whom I speak to privately or in small groups respond reasonably to and often in agreement with my concerns about gender ideology. These people would NEVER voice such sentiments in a group or on social media. Everyone is scared of being denounced and this having ramifications for our social lives and future careers.”

“I urge anyone to read about this. It’s almost impossible for anyone who reads about the issue to be anything other than GC. I don’t always say as much as I like. I realised how pernicious it is, as I was put on a Terf blocker list; for liking a joke in a tweet. That scared me: you don’t even have to say anything to be vilified.”

“The term gender critical is not helpful. We need a new label, as this appears negative and like we are justifying our stance. We are the sane position. Join me in “being gender critical ” will not waken up the majority of people who are unaware of this as this seems like a militant position when it’s the opposite”.

“I have to be careful with friends. It is like tiptoeing around the elephant in the room sometimes.”

“I wrote, “not at all” when you asked about whether I am concerned about being accused of bigotry and also when you asked about whether I am concerned about being accused of causing physical or emotional harm. I was unsure of the intent of your question and would like to clarify that I have been accused of both of those things. The accusations only don’t concern me as I believe them to be false ad hominem attacks, which only demonstrate that the accuser is weak and has no answer to the question or statement I offered. If you meant to ask whether I thought I might be accused of those things, then I have been accused of both, but it is (now) water off a duck’s back.”

“I find the term mis leading. I’m a feminist which should mean it goes with out saying I believe interrogation gender norms and oppressive use thereof are essential.”

“Now I know how the suffragettes felt.”

“Aside from clear disagreements at home in conversations with my teenage kids, I have not been threatened or verbally abused, but have been made to feel uncomfortable and I self-censor rather than risk being abused and deemed transphobic. I would like to be honest in my views on social media but have seen what happens to women who speak out and I’m not brave enough. Maybe when I retire in 10 years.”

“Our freedom of speech is under threat by being coerced into saying things we don’t believe – in lawcourts, in schools, in society. Our single-sex spaces are wholly under threat or have been taken over, but somehow making a noise about this is to be criticised as being a bigot!!”

“I do not share my views at work and do not reveal my ID on social media for fear of repercussions.”

“I’m much less afraid than I was 3 years ago and refuse to be silenced.” 

“I’m afraid that women will/are being criminalised for their views. Now with the news that we can no longer be sure that we can trust the Police or the Scottish Government to secure women’s rights we know that we risk everything if we speak out.”

“Too little is being done to protect women from discrimination regarding their gender critical views.” 

“I don’t care what they call me I will never stop speaking up on this matter it is too important for our children’s future.”

“I am a midwife and mother of four daughters. I never wanted to be in this position of fighting this daily, it’s exhausting but we cannot stop our children need us to fight this madness.”

“It is the height of doing someone else’s emotional labor to be expected to do handsprings to accommodate someone else’s discomfort in their sexed body. It is also deeply sexist to dismiss gender critical women’s concerns as bigotry.” 

“They ought to be referred to as “conventional views on sex and gender”.”

“I am very worried that I would lose my job if my views were found out.”

“Genderism is the new way to silence women.”

“RE: question 33, I chose not at all because I dgaf if someone has a meltdown over being misgendered, that’s on them, not me. Women have been getting misgendered for not conforming to stereotypes for a long, long time and somehow we’ve managed to live through it unscathed…”

“Asking questions, wanting correct data and talking about reality and how it affects women and children in real life is not “radical” or “extremist”. Being persecuted for this is pure insanity.”

“Anyone who has questions is deemed Evil if they don’t shortly capitulate and agree with gender identity ideology. It is made worse when they don’t see, or are unwilling to see, that words are being used differently, causing miscommunication. And leading to an often insurmountable effort to break past the language and communication barrier.” 

“I’m actually a Gender Atheist. I don’t believe in “gender” as a thing. It’s like a “soul”. I have never needed either things to explain my life. I find people insisting I have a Gender Identity as offensive & authoritarian as religious people insisting I have a soul.”

“As a retired person who does not post on social media I have nothing to fear. I strongly object to the term “gender critical” being used to label people who do not accept that people can change sex or have a “gender identity” (which is the majority of the population).” 

“I just don’t talk about this topic at work. I’m only friends with sane people so they either understand my gender-critical views or hold the same/similar views.”

“It is scary that we are not allowed to speak our minds in case the tiny minority of trans people are offended (let’s be clear, mostly men). It is unprecedented in UK in this century that we cannot speak our opinions.”

“I don’t believe in compelled speech. Compelled beliefs. Compelled delusion. It’s heartbreaking and I’d rather die. I thought people had realised women have value, beyond porn. I was wrong. I wish I had not had children and if I hadn’t by now, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t bring human beings in to this hate filled society. A society when male violence against women is deemed irrelevant in the face on what men demand. Where little girls being raped and abused is less important than a man’s access. I cry every single day at what is happening. How has this happened? Who is in charge? Having been raped since age 13, I think men already had enough control. Now I cannot get away from them anywhere except at home. So I don’t go out often. I have CPTSD due to rapes and I am registered as disabled. I don’t matter in this new society. I have been told I should just die. My children would be better off. Maybe they would.” 

“I’ve had to set up a separate twitter account. I think I will have to drop out of some of my job as I won’t do the pronouns thing.”

“I am quite open about my views but aware that if I continue to express them in my political party I am likely to be suspended or chucked out. The continual hostility and need to be ‘brave’ can be very wearing. I feel I am at war. That is very stressful and the adrenalin flows in a daily basis.”

“I will not use preferred pronouns. No one has the right to compel my speech. This is madness. I don’t care if people call me a bigot or transphobic. They can think and call me what they like. I know what I am.”

“I’m concerned in the workplace about accusations but not in my personal life – though I keep the two very separate.” 

“I read a lot from both sides to look at things holistically. I have never changed my views. Gender ideology is harmful to minds and bodies, it causes division among friends and families and has all the signs of being a cult.”

“While usually vocal about inequalities of all kinds, I feel I have to be really careful about who I speak to about this issue. Particularly in my professional sector of the performing arts. I am also wary about being open as yet because my daughter has GD and has swallowed the ‘trans doctrine’, though thankfully so far this has been only in terms of identifying and labelling herself as trans. The inconsistencies between government, institutions, law, media and some medical organisations have to be addressed immediately otherwise this situation will worsen and I fear eventually move off social media into physical action and aggressions. It is no longer a left/right issue. The sin of stating biological fact has become the new witchcraft.”

“I’m too angry to.” 

“Gender critical views are held by the vast majority of the population, most of whom aren’t even aware that there is a problem. The press has failed (until recently) to report clearly what is happening, and the BBC in particular has been woeful. Anything that runs counter to the narrative that trans identified men are stunning and brave is either misreported (wrong pronouns and names) or not reported at all. I’d like to know why has this fallen to women to challenge? Why are men not angry on behalf of the women in their lives? My trust in men generally, the police, the NHS, corporations who do rainbow washing, and in particular academia and the BBC has been badly damaged – I doubt it will ever recover.”

“It feels bizarre that beliefs that are so entirely mainstream such as the immutability of sex can lead to one being unable to state them for fear of being called a bigot and a transphobe. Society’s institutions seem to have been overtaken by some insane beliefs that deny free speech and bully and cow us in the interests of inclusion. Women are not included in this special interest group for inclusion, our rights are trampled on and the words to describe us and what is happening to us are stolen.”

“It’s not views, and it’s not a belief, it’s basic biology.”

“I am weary of the suggestion that to reject sexism, to defend women, somehow equals hate for trans people. I am weary that ANY discussion of women’s rights always slides sideways into how trans activists might feel about them – as though women’s rights aren’t a stand alone topic worthy of discussion in their own right.” 

“Holding gender critical views leaves me in a frustrating position where nobody is willing to debate issues in a reasoned way. People who might possibly agree are often silent, presumably for fear of being slurred or vilified. Those who support the ideology hysterically chant mantras like Trans Women are Women, Trans Rights are Human Rights, etc., To me, this behaviour is the equivalent of someone sticking their fingers in their ears and saying Lalalalala, can’t hear you. There’s a horrible feeling of arguing into a hostile void.”

“Yes: male family members agree with me but don’t want to get involved as they don’t see it as their fight. Females are split between the TWAW reality deniers and the “not doing me any harm” brigade. Lonely place to be, sometimes.” 

“I feel that I don’t have sufficient legal protection to openly state my views. Anyone can attack me as I am a woman and we are not protected by any kind of hate crime legislation. But if I even say that I don’t believe people can change sex then I’m putting my job at risk and may be physically attacked.” 

“I feel holding these views should be considered in the same way as atheism vs various religions. I don’t have to declare a religion on official forms, I might use a title out of respect but I don’t have to believe in a religion or take part in their ceremonies.”

“I don’t make my views public for the very reasons stated in your questions. I look on in horror at what others are being subjected to.”

“I mainly learned about gender and sex during biology lessons at school, I was taught to ask questions if there is anything I don’t understand or might be mistaken about, I like to connect with people and I do my best to stay open minded, I’m not the oracle of all, but the accusations of being phobic or hateful make me uneasy about why questions aren’t wanted and I stay out of debates and conversations.”

“I work in communications in local government and have long enjoyed – and sought out – working on projects associated with women’s rights and gender equality. But for the last few years I actively avoided this work as I know it will require me to compromise my principles and accept gender identity ideology. To hold my tongue and worry about what I say. To be bullied and forced to lie to myself and the world. Not being able to say what I think, or to call out sexism and homophobia when it comes from gender identity ideology proponents, is awful. I have never felt like this before. Ever since I was a teenager in the early 90s I have spoken freely in all circumstances when I have seen sexism and homophobia. But now I can’t do so at work, with friends or most of my cousins. I have to try and send out very subtle signals to friends to find out if they are also gender critical before I speak my mind. And I really only have 2 close friends who know what I really think about this issue (and even then I have to be careful with one). I am not free to discuss it with my oldest friends for fear of ostracism. It’s horrific. As I said earlier, it’s like living in a mental prison. To see the erasure of women and not be able to say to my friends who say they are feminists, ‘this is awful, this is madness’ is so cruel to women like me. For the world to force us to deny reality is really damaging to us. I’m glad I’m a bit older (mid-40s) as I have a strong sense of myself. It must be so much worse for younger women. To see the Emperor is naked and have no one believe you is hellish.”

“Very concerned about women being forced to pretend men are women in court if the men say they are (the Judges bench book) and in prison and hospitals or face sanctions. No consideration for women’s privacy, dignity or safety, or material reality. This is abusive as well as coercion. The Church of England is also at it too- it has allowed a group of males who identify as women to write a service welcoming men in their new identity- and says the priest must introduce them as women, and everyone in the congregation must pretend they are women. No mention of freedom of speech or belief, or the material reality of biological sex, of the wives/ children the TIMs have left behind even when there is a history of abuse by these males, no reference to the safeguarding risks of telling women and children in the congregation those men are women. You’d think after all the child abuse in the church they would have learned a lesson- but they haven’t. Female priests who have raised concerns with the safeguarding bishop as they have traumatised children of transitioners/ cross dressers in their congregations have been told to ‘be kind’- to their cross dressing fathers – coercion and misogyny at the heart of the church of England, and lack of care for safeguarding.”

“Everyone I know disagrees with the ideology the problem is workplaces are all pretending there is agreement. I’ve made a personal promise I will not give pronouns even if there is a threat of being sacked. Older women are at risk as the pension age has been moved and they are least likely to submit to this ridiculous ideology. However I’d rather be short of food and heating than say something so harmful. Appreciate younger women care more about what others think (I recall being like that). Hopefully younger women and men ! will be braver in future.”

“I don’t believe in gender ideology, now or in the future – I will be forced to comply but I will give you an example of how I will behave. My workplace (A Scottish National organization, funded by Scot Gov (Art)) in Scotland. They are setting up groups for Equality diversity and inclusion (EDI). I am dreading it because they will be subscribing to stonewall. They have already changed all wording on curated signs and descriptions for artwork. I have asked my sister to phone me with a call saying ” family emergency have to leave” when training is being delivered – I will not attend.”

“The only reason I haven’t been physically or verbally threatened is because I keep my views to within my family. I am trying to find the courage to raise my head above the parapet but I’m the sole earner in my family and losing my income would see us on the streets.”

“The positioning of stating the reality of biological SS, the need for single sex spaces as bigotry and hate speech is incomprehensible, and chilling. For me, aside from the real risk to safeguarding, the denial of reality, that every major political party, organisation, state department adheres to gender ideology is actually frightening to me. It seems like a form of collective insanity.”

“In case clarification is required, I don’t particularly care about being accused of transphobia or causing someone to feel ‘sad’ or ‘hurt’ by my belief in science/biology; I do, however, care about the possibility of losing my job – my only source of income – should my ‘GC’ views become widely known at my place of work (I’m anon online).”

“People assume that I’m racist, homophobic, oppose abortion, a GOP because I’m gender critical. It’s painful! And it sure isn’t easy!”

“They’re not views but simple truths.”

“Its simple fact and basic feminism and yet you have to take a deep breath before stating it.”

“I believe this is a fully reasonable position that the majority of the population hold. When I talk to my friends/colleagues about this subject most of them have no idea this is going on and are utterly shocked and horrified.”

“I was taught that gender is not sex in my Degree for analysis of film and documentary narrative – I am not allowed to discuss what I was taught.”

“It’s the fact that you can be shouted down/accused of transphobia when being respectful about non conforming individuals, but pointing out that it’s not possible to change sex is pretty mind blowing. Especially when pointing out the vulnerability of women in prisons and refuges.”

“I am fearful of speaking out about my views in my housing community, and because I could be impacted professionally as I work for a statutory body that highly supports the transgender ideology. I have been on trans rights training at work where I knew I was unable to challenge the ideology being presented, due to the risk of being accused of gross misconduct, which my views were described as during the training. I am very fearful of being targeted due to my views as there are 3 transmen living within my housing community, who are active in targeting women’s safe spaces for not allowing transwomen access.”

“I have been silenced in the Labour party. I don’t dare raise GC views in meetings as I would not be allowed to make my points. I have spoken to some individuals.”

“I do not publicly share my gender critical views.”

“I think this ideology and policy capture (1) impacts the most vulnerable women disproportionately and (2) discourages discussion. I’m not at as much risk as many women are, but I see that there’s an organised movement to shut women up, and even a relatively privileged woman is going to think twice about engaging if she knows that her partner, children, family member, friends, colleagues – some of whom may be vulnerable – will also be targeted in ways that disrupts lives and cause economic chaos and ongoing trauma.”

“I have to be careful where I voice my opinion, I know some of my colleagues are all for accepting men into women’s spaces.” 

“Working in higher education I feel I have to be extremely cautious.” 

“I feel besieged, silenced, misunderstood and under attack. The Maya Forstater judgment helped in theory but in practice every time I or any woman stands up for sex-based rights, the term ‘terf’ ‘transphobe’ and ‘bigot’ are not far behind. We are constantly on the back foot. It’s exhausting. The other problem is that people think you are crazy when you tell them what’s happening. I probably thought the same at one stage. Feels like Cassandra.”

“Q23 and 24: I haven’t been called derogatory names because I am afraid to talk about it, both irl and online. I said in a Facebook group that I thought it was improper to call another person names because she had valid points concerning women and men in athletics, and then I was kicked out of that group, and of another group where there where admins overlapping. I am afraid to talk about the gender issue.”

“As I am retired I have a cushion against the vilification that other GC women might face. It does mean I have fewer opportunities to introduce others to GC ideas though!” 

“I don’t think that disagreeing with someone should cost you your career, your friends, etc. It is scary to hold these views, and it can feel like the world is going crazy.”

“I’m in academia (on the humanities side of things, so it’s mega woke), and I fear that making my GC views known will make me untouchable if I try to pursue further education. It’s really bad at postsecondary institutions.”

“I am a District Councillor and have had to deal with an official complaint against me with regard to a ‘lack of respect’ in my tweets and fb posts. The complainant wanted me to resign.”

“I do not speak about my gender critical beliefs to anyone at work/ to my friends because even questioning gender ideology is considered to be “hate speech”.”

“I have been harassed online by strangers and criticized/abandoned by two of my best friends in real life when I posted something about the male MMA fighter choking out a female. I was told I was hateful and transphobic. My ex girlfriend (I am a lesbian) became entrenched in gender ideology through her college Gender Studies courses…  within a year she was parroting all the typical TRA arguments and telling me how bigoted and narrow-minded I am for believing that lesbians are biological women. She told me I needed to make my definition of “female” more “inclusive” and after we broke up, she posted nasty things about me on Instagram calling me a TERF and tried to turn other friends against me. It was an extremely painful experience and I am sorrowful not only for the lost relationships, but for the tragic lies I see my loved ones endorsing to be politically correct.”

“I would have said I was sympathetic to trans people until quite recently when the categories became so broad and the neo-pronouns so ridiculous that I no longer care. Of course trans rights are human rights but trans demands e.g. for anyone who says they are a woman to have access all areas, or to compete against women in sport, have become ridiculous and have a negative impact on women and girls. It is not hate speech to challenge this and yet I see women (and some men) being driven out of jobs, college courses and political parties for even daring to raise it.”

“A man can beat up his wife and get no criminal record (unless the police and CPS decide to prosecute and the woman feels safe enough to go through with it and the Judge finds him guilty); whilst if she says he looks stupid in a dress she will have a criminal record as a ‘non crime hate incident’. This will stay on her record for life. The police simply record it without evidence or collaboration. It’s ridiculous that words which cause hurt feelings can result in people being accused of being a Nazi. Women groomed to tend to men’s needs don’t feel strong enough to stand up to this so collude with it, like women who take part in FGM.”

“I won’t comply with it any more. It is not possible to change sex. I will no longer use inaccurate pronouns either. I am retired so there are no work issues.” 

“I think the narrative is that it’s ‘trans rights’ under attack, when really it’s 52% of the population who are being erased is egregious and I am SO angry at politicians cowardice at not tackling this.”

“I am afraid to speak out at work. I was placed on a list for doxxing because I liked a Facebook post. This level of censorship of people’s views is alarming.”

“Compelled speech is totalitarian.”

“GC views simply are the acceptance of biology and recognition of how the two sexes are socialised.”

“I live in Ireland where the population tends to be very uncritical, anti intellectual and compliant with the majority viewpoint. It’s very difficult to hold minority views here. In Ireland nobody wants to take an unpopular stance. Most women I know are gender critical when questioned in private but NONE will stand behind their beliefs. A recent attempt to organise women to protest at government buildings was cancelled due to lack of numbers. The Irish electorate is incredibly passive.” 

“I have told people of the issues, but find colleagues cannot move beyond the mantra of being ‘kind’. I feel like it is an Emperor’s new clothes situation where they cannot see what seems very obvious to me.” 

“When I made a FOI to my local hospital about their transgender care policy (which doesn’t comply with the Equality Act and basically says anyone who feels like a woman any of the time can go into a female ward), their written reply called me a TERF and said those who object are hiding behind religion or GC views and are liable to be reported for hate crime. Yes really.”

“I was threatened with a disciplinary action at work because I refused to stay in my trans-identifying husband’s closet when I divorced him. (We worked at the same university.)”

“Cases like Marion Millar’s have shocked me to the core. I cannot believe this is happening in the UK.”

“Impossible to voice my views to all members of my family or on Twitter for fear of losing account which is necessary to network with other women.”

“Honestly this feels very 1984- Orwellian. Do not believe what you see in front of you. Instead, bow to the demand to support the delusions of men. Same male entitlement, different avenue. Given the continued pontification of nearly everything young girls and women are exposed to, I can also somewhat understand the uptick in young girls and women turning to transgenderism. It provides an escape from the expectation of what they are supposed to accept and emulate in society. Many of these young women are lesbian, and the pressure from that is often unbearable, so, to better please those around them (and their own internalize misogyny), it’s better to be a man than a lesbian.” 

“I was banned from [local] FM community radio station in [town] for interviewing feminists and lesbians on the Access Hour. You can read more about what I have endured in [town] here: [link1], [link2]”

“I do self censor and self exclude from certain groups e.g. not volunteering in a group that has new pro gender identity chair. Not always speaking up. Abuse on social media has been from unknown people and never felt it would get beyond name calling but still unsettling. I was in Labour Party and would get involved in local Facebook discussions on women’s rights. Was negative response from other members. Some accused myself and others expressing gender critical views as being anti trans or having bigoted views. Careful not to actually call us terfs or bigots to stick within rules. The ‘Be kind’ message from self described cis women was as upsetting in a different way. I found these debates very stressful and would get anxious and worried. I have now left Labour as they won’t defend women.”

“Absolutely nobody in my life knows I feel the way I do and I don’t think they ever will. The risks are just too high.” 

“The vast majority of people do not believe in trans ideology and consider men who identify as trans’women’ to be men. It is noticeable that only women are vilified and harassed for expressing this view even though men tend to be more blunt in their expression of dissent. It is pure misogyny, actual outright hatred of women.”

“They aren’t a huge part of my life, but it’s concerning that expressing even some scepticism causes people to call you TERF/hateful.”

“I live in Scotland where women have already been arrested for “hate crimes” for holding GC views. The SNP are planning to pass self ID laws, allowing any rapist voyeur or flasher to simply claim trans status and get a free pass to women’s changing rooms. Opposing this and expressing one’s GC views is dangerous. We have lost the right to free speech, or to state reality.”

“On the one hand, I am not particularly bothered any more as I have become much more robust, resilient and impervious to the critique. Simultaneously I am aware that women in prison may be further punished for ‘misgendering’ men in prison which is abhorrent; and I am always conscious of how, in my professional life, without organisational clarity or support, my GC views and analysis needs to be tempered and kept separate from my work. I cannot make ‘personal’ statements in the name of my organisation; but neither can I move the organisation without governance support- so I will have to engage the governance in a conversation that could potentially threaten my position. This is ok as I could not work for a GII organisation, but it is anxiety provoking and requires a great deal of thought, preparation and commitment as it is a very high risk situation and could also lead to a change of leadership and public comment/visibility for a precarious and small organisation. Holding GC views has led to Selina Todd and Kathleen Stock being publicly hounded, Allison Bailey, Sonia Appleby, Keira Bell and Maya Forstater, James Esses and Raquel Rosario Sanchez having to take legal action and to Marion Millar and many other women being taken to court for vexatious claims against them. This is an extremely threatening environment in which women are having to sustain a resistance. Women are doing that with creativity, humour and enormous support from each other, but it takes an enormous emotional, physical and mental toll.”

“When did compelled speech become the norm why should I have to lie or face mob justice for stating facts. Why is it “literal violence ” to call a biological male he or him i.e., misgendering him yet he can happily misgender me and lauded for it by using the highly offensive term CIS? Why should my knowledge of biological reality be hate? Sex is a scientific and biological fact and so is the fact that humans cannot change their sex yet saying any of this can get me arrested in Scotland for hate speech.”

“It is what it is. Once you see it you can’t unsee it. Sex matters and I will fight to ensure it remains an important accurate data set and that women and girl’s rights to privacy, dignity, boundaries are acknowledged and protected. When male sex offenders are being put into prison with vulnerable women I will resist, when women’s shelters feel unable to offer female only services to those that need it, I will resist, to the girls and boys being taught gender stereotypes as the norm I will resist with every fibre in my being.”

“I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to male sexual violence. I do speak out & stand up, sometimes it is very hard to do. Issues like males in what should be female only safe spaces is very triggering for me.”

“I have seen stuff online that says it is ok to murder women like me for my views and have seen whole groups of people being completely ok with memes and blogs celebrating my death just because of my views.”

“I am retired so I can’t be fired from a job. I was at the October 2nd pro-choice rally in Austin, Texas. The TERF Collective group was yelled at and we were told that “Your kind of feminism is not welcome here. Go away!”. We were told we were “disruptive”. We triggered them with signs that said “Mother No Other, #Our TERF” and “#SexNotGender” They didn’t like it when we chanted “Only women need abortions” and wore our Adult Human Female T shirts and buttons. They yelled “Homophobe” and “transphobe” at us. They chased us and tried to attack us but the Texas State Troopers did an excellent job of protecting us. It was very intense. At my age (60s) I do not give a shit what anyone thinks. We had 8 women from 8 different states. The TRAs really didn’t know how to respond to us.” 

“No one is concerned about the harm or threat to women. I am terrified that colleagues will turn on me. I hate that I cannot trust them, and I hate how this ideology has stripped me of my trust and hope.” 

“It feels very isolating. This movement is so pervasive it crops up in all sorts of odd places and often derails the original purpose of the group/meet up.”

“I am concerned that society at large has not caught up with the decision in the Forstater case and therefore think that gender critical views are unworthy of respect.” 

“I work in a leadership position in a social service setting and have to keep my views to myself because I don’t want my organization caught in the crosshairs of the transgender activists. My work involves a focus on children and youth. Keeping silent about this is very distressing to me.”

“I wish I could be more out about them, but I think I’m doing what I can in present circumstances.”

“As a domestic violence survivor, threats of corrective rape and murder for just speaking about biology have all but silenced me online.”

“I frankly don’t give a damn if I am called a bigot: I know who and what I am and do not require validation by fools. I am a Heretic and I refuse to use compelled speech or lie to affirm a mental aberration. And if I lose friends–well, they weren’t my friends anyway. And political organizations? if they support the transing of kids and the mutilation that goes on, if they support the resulting sterilization, if they support placing intact males in women’s space–why would I care to belong to such an org? I used to be “”a liberal””. No more. Now I am an Independent. This is WHY I answered, “”not at all””. because I DO NOT CARE! I know the difference between right and wrong. I refuse.”

“I do not give a fuck about this misgendering codswallop. I will go to jail before I lie and use compelled speech.”

“I fear I will lose my job if I don’t toe the line.”

“In my workplace, I am in a union. My union does not support my views at all, but they must protect me if my job is threatened because of my views. I do not belong to any other organizations besides Gender Critical ones. I have felt silenced at work in the past, but am becoming more outspoken. I have had friends disown me at work. I tried speaking out on Facebook, but lost friends, and then got criticism from my brother which was very upsetting, there are limits to who I can bear to lose.”

“They are fairly common but people feel they cannot talk about it, also worse in lgbt spaces.”

“I am frightened about the erosion of truth, people being gaslighted, not believing their own eyes. I think it’s coercive control on a grand scale, tell the unbelievable, ask for the unreasonable and when the woman doesn’t agree question her moral purity and make her worry she will be responsible for someone’s suicide. I was once in an emotionally abusive relationship which followed this exact pattern, the Freedom Program taught me to recognise the unhealthy dynamics and trust my judgement again. I will not dump those skills, I see an abusive men’s movement like I see abusive men.” 

“I just wish we weren’t so misunderstood and feared because of it. I’m sure if more people knew what we actually think, they would agree with us, which is of course why they go so far to obscure what we say and make us seem like “bigots”.”

“In our society it is acceptable to not share another person’s belief. It is not acceptable to compel someone to share or profess your belief.”

“I don’t talk about it openly with anyone unless I have already gathered that they agree with me through subtle questioning about related topics.”

“I feel that whenever I try to speak about the issue, anything positive I say is discarded and the focus is on ‘she doesn’t accept that trans women are real women’. It doesn’t matter if I prefix my statement with ‘I believe trans adults deserve all the rights and dignities of other people’ or ‘I think we should support trans people as well as we can, but that might mean questioning whether transition is right for everybody’ or other things that do not denote harm towards them.”

“On this topic they’re the only views you can hold if you have any intelligence or common sense.”

“If I am completely open about my concerns about the impact upon vulnerable children, the safeguarding of children, and the safety and dignity of women and girls, then I will probably lose not just my job but my career. I know there are other paediatricians with concerns, but it is whispered in corners. We fear that if we are in the open, and speak out, not only will we be sacked, but there will be no moderating voice and thoughts left within the health services for these children.”

“We need accuracy in language. We need accuracy in medical records, crime statistics etc. Gender critical views are in fact, scientific fact and reality.”

“My social circle is small and I now don’t bring the gender subject up with new people, it’s like Brexit. And today I have read that female prisoners who miss pronoun their cell mate can have days added to their sentences! Just boggles the mind I fully support any woman brave enough to speak out especially if she is in the public eye. JK Rowling etc.”

“I have lost a friendship with someone whose husband now says he’s a woman. I see no way that I can have a conversation with her, or how we accept each other’s views on this. How can my friend now be a lesbian? What is their daughter’s relationship now to the person who used to be her father?”

“I don’t like the term ‘gender critical’. I understand why people use it but simply comprehending biological reality is not some new viewpoint. It is the people promoting transgenderism who have a novel dogma.”

“I am anxious about the future.” 

“I put in that I did not have negative consequences, however I am also not sharing my views with the general public.”

“I hold gender critical views. I feel immense relief to have other professionals to discuss trans identity ideology with who also have gender critical views.”

“I think being kind did not work for women. We have to stand firm and express the truth. I do not worry about misgendering or not affirming strangers but would be courteous if I personally knew them.”

“My concern is that the police and the judiciary seem to have a bias towards gender ideology. We need to remove Stonewall’s influence from the judges bench book and from all police forces.”

“The aggression of TRAs and other gender ideologues is frightening and the hold they have on the police, schools, and NHS terrifies me.”

“I am expecting to be in trouble professionally because of my views. I have been told formally that my views are “problematic”. I work in sexual health so I know the importance of sex on a person’s body.”

“Gender orthodoxy is not heavily enforced yet where I live. I’d be shocked to hear about it in the workplace in my industry. But I’m horrified to hear what women in other places and industries have been going through, and I hope the wave breaks before it reaches me.”

“No one except my husband and one good friend knows my views which I’ve had since 2015. I’m an academic and would lose my job. Not being able to speak about this is the worst thing. Once you see all this, you can never unsee it.”

“We need to acknowledge the truth. If we allow this fiction to continue it sets a terrifying precedent for how we educate children or record history.”

“I think I might well be ‘accused’ of causing harm, but I would not be actually causing harm. I think we are at present living in a totalitarian state and that women are under immense threat.”

“It means constant self-censoring, especially at work.”

“I have lost a lot of respect for people I assumed to be intelligent and logical – people who claim to be feminist yet will not look critically at anything deemed progressive. I’m afraid people think badly of me for not buying into gender dogma but I think badly of them for believing it.”

“It is a “crime” that doesn’t exist and which you can commit in good faith and without breaking the laws of the land and yet which can be on your police record without your knowledge. It is a terrifying witch hunt, that turns a mob against good women acting in good faith. In years to come people – both TRAs and their allies – will look back in shame at how they behaved.”

“I used to be extremely nervous about my views, but since the Lancet article I’m done. I’m out there. I am fighting this in the open, this IS the hill I am prepared to die on.”

“I am afraid to speak out publicly for fear of threats and actions that cause harm physically or financially for me or my family, because of this I have been not been threatened directly. However I fully support all those who are standing up publicly and will do all I can to support in the background but hopefully in the future be a public voice myself.” 

“I personally would not misgender for the sake of politeness. But I feel worried about my workplace discovering my views.”

“I have fought against gender stereotypes for more than 50 years. I find it deeply upsetting to see the progress we made being rolled back. I see this movement as being rooted in misogyny. I fear that some homophobic parents would rather claim that their child was born in the wrong body, rather than accept their child as gay. The 3 young people I know who are transitioning already had serious mental health problems. The adult I know who transitioned has made 3 suicide attempts, because this did not solve long term mental illness. It’s truly heartbreaking.”

“At first I was a bit concerned and hesitant. Then I started posting articles. A few told me I was being transphobic – only 1 person ‘unfriended’ me. Then people started messaging me to say thanks, they couldn’t say more. Then people started liking posts. And now they can see I’m not being cancelled, they post their own material. Our opponents do not have coherent arguments.”

“Because I’m a nurse I’m pretty able to confidently state biological realities, which is useful. Most people in my local community would not be aware of this gender ideological threat to women’s/girl’s human rights. I pick my people to discuss GC things, & fully intend to visit MPs when local legislation presents opportunities to get involved. I try to support Aus, UK, NZ GC activist women as much as possible on Facebook, & financially at times. Got to keep up & seize opportunities of support & lobbying.”

“I am concerned that acceptance of reality is being reframed as a belief.”

“Shall I write a book? I been at this 30 plus years. From the boycotts at Michfest, the Crown Jewel of Lesbian Nation organized by Camp Trans and many ” queer” groups, including ultimately NGTLF, HRC and National Center for LESBIAN Rights which has never except in one instance, supported ME AS A LESBIAN, tried to boycott Michfest, NONE of which, including the ACLU, I will EVER give a dime, to being kicked off Butch on Butch groups because so many are transitioning to FTM, to being censored and given 30 days every couple months by Facebook, either by the bots, someone reporting me, etc., to no more LESBIAN ONLY groups, Lesbian centered and Female spaces, bookstores, coffee shops, bars, etc etc etc, to being kicked out of two valued communities in the Bay Area, realtime, to so many Butches I know and have known transitioning, to the loss of friends for my views, some whom I REALLY valued, it has made me bereft and anti social largely. Even the local community know my politics, AND EVERY BUTCH UNDER 30 HAS TRANSITIONED, it brings me great and deep grief I have NOONE to pass on my Butch Dyke Amazon legacy to, we look back and they all became “men”. Though underneath it all they do not fool me. I can feel faintly the female underneath it all… And on the other side the MTFs are males, with male assumption of privilege and arrogant. And the moment they are crossed or disagreed with, is the moment they threaten us.”

“Three of my children either been to or currently at university no longer speak to me because of my views on truth & biology.”

“It feels like being in an abusive relationship with society. If I do not agree affirmation is the right approach for my child, I become an abusive, unsupportive parent.” 

“I’ve had attempts made on my employment (partially successful).”

“As part of a group of gender critical women and men, including gay and lesbian staff, I have tried to engage with my employers EDI team. Our concerns are generally dismissed and treated as bigoted. We have tried to be very patient and have asked for compromise. Our suggestions for a mediated discussion with the workplace Pride group has been rejected on numerous occasions, with members of said group suggested that we ought to be sacked and/or arrested.”

“I’ve been misgendered on a regular basis since my early teens because I’m in the 99th percentile for female height. It doesn’t bother me at all, possibly because no one suggested to me when I was at an impressionable age that I should feel suicidal about it. That suggestion is iatrogenic.”

“The only reason I have not been subject to abuse is because I self- censor due to fear of targeted harassment and violence.”

“I have found it deeply upsetting to share my views with friends and family only to be accused of exaggeration or simply disbelieved. I have lost my faith in other people.”

“It is ridiculous that I have to consider my words when talking about facts of biology for fear of offending someone and provoking a violent reaction.”

“I have seen what has happened to other women who have made only mild criticism. I have no family support and work in a small profession which means I cannot afford to be cancelled.”

“I have no concerns for myself, but my daughter works for an organisation that is very ‘inclusive’. She is also looking for work in other such organisations and I would hate her to be put in a difficult position because of my expressed beliefs and opinion. I censor myself a little because of that.”

“I am not against transpeople. I am seriously concerned about the rights of women and children.”

“I have recently retired, but when I was in work (local authority) I was paranoid about anonymity on social media in case I was ‘outed’ at work as a bigot. When I first became aware of the issues, (proposed changes to the GRA), I was very much “oh live & let live” but my attitude has now been changed by all the abuse I have received and witnessed by TRAs. It is all very toxic.”

“I’m very concerned that women may face legal action and even imprisonment for holding GC views. As well as facing attacks which may result in physical and/or mental harm.”

“Women are not allowed to hold gender critical views in public – it is a free speech issue. It is another ruse to silence women.”

“Concerned is an ambiguous word to use here. Do you mean worried or scared? I am worried about all of these things because they are happening and they are wrong. I’ve already lost my job, my colleagues, friends, and career over this so I’m not personally scared anymore.”

“In my line of work, I could be severely affected if I am completely open about my beliefs or do not comply with opposite sex third person pronouns.”

“It is like thought control not being able to say what you mean.”

“Question 26: I’m not “concerned” about being called a bigot because I know I’m not a bigot and people can think what they want, however I have answered your question in the way I think you mean.”

“I am not aware of any compelling of marginalised groups. (31) I would like to see links made with black/ethnic minority, and Muslim, Sikh and Jewish women’s groups so their views can be listened to and incorporated.”

“I speak out publicly, I have the luxury to be able to do that. My great concern does not stop me. But I’d have a lot more personal, one on one conversations if I wasn’t so sure that I would get a bad reaction. Speaking publicly is easier!”

“The social toll has been enormous. Loss of political party membership, long friendships and family member purging. My daughter has been bullied out of her friends circle (for bravely refusing to lie that her 6ft burly male friend was a ‘ Girl’.) It has taken a toll on all our relationships, physical and mental health, and our careers. But we will not submit.”

“I’m mostly concerned about what it means in the workplace. In particular EDI programs and training, whether that’s for all staff or HR in general, when it’s overrun by gender ideology, I think there’s nothing but punishment for gender critical views, it’s seen as transphobia, which is not understood, and just assumed to be similar to homophobia or racism. In effect, GC views are seen as bigoted.”

“It touches every area of your life and the negativity pervades everything. The worst part is the fear that is instilled which prevents so many from speaking out.” 

“I shouldn’t have to stay silent, I wouldn’t lose my job by saying I do or don’t believe in God. I don’t understand why I should or worse, by stating a fact. A male cannot be a female, not in language, not in reality. I’m not transphobic and I have a lot of sympathy for people with genuine dysphoria. But misgendering will happen, it’s bound to. Most people who transition don’t pass at the opposite sex without a lot of cosmetic surgery. Even then the skeleton will always give it away. I should be allowed to apologise and correct myself if I feel necessary, i.e. a legit trans person. Not a man with a beard in a dress. I should be allowed to misgender criminals – Jessica Yaniv. It shouldn’t be crime to call Laurel Hubbard a male, or Alana (the MMA fight who choked a fighter) because that’s what they are and it’s necessary for the argument to address them as so. Calling these people female is a lie, how can we defend women if we can’t define it? It’s a courtesy to call them as they prefer, it shouldn’t be a legal requirement. Plus half the genders change frequently, gender fluid, non-binary, these people don’t often change how they present. It’s hard to know that person who I recognise as female wants to be called ‘them’ or a ‘he’ one minute and ‘she’ the next. How are we supposed to keep up? The word woman shouldn’t be changed to include men and I refuse to be called a body with a vagina. The whole ‘inclusive language’ argument makes no sense, by this logic, it’s not exclusionary to call a trans woman a ‘body with a penis’, ‘a body with a bellend’.”

“I have been bullied into ‘recanting’ my gender critical views at pain of losing my job, and the jobs of my team. I did recant and I am deeply ashamed. It didn’t protect me or my team. I am now out of work and too afraid to speak in case I can’t get another job. My engagement in this debate and what has been done to me because of it has made me mentally and physically unwell.”

“I am not ‘public’ about GC views; at work etc, as I am aware it could lead to abuse/threats etc.”

“I don’t share my views with anyone for fear of repercussions including losing my job and being thought of as a bigot. It’s scary and lonely.”

“I have paranoia and so any threat is magnified. Men seem to be able to target women for simply stating facts. I find it terrifying.”

“I am quite old and have depression. I wish I could be open about my views but I couldn’t withstand the viciousness of the attacks.”

“Most women I know including myself, have been threatened, lost jobs, been silenced, been censored, been banned and it continues daily!! Meanwhile the ones threatening us, men, get away with it!”

“What annoys me is the fact you can go down the street and as a woman be called all the names under the sun but if you accidentally mis gender someone you are a hateful bigot who can get into trouble from the police. We are not allowed to defend ourselves even when I have been told several times from trans that misgendering someone is the same as rape.”

“I do not want my children to be taught to lie and go against their better judgement. Girls, women and children need to trust their inner voices and should not be told that is wrong to do.”

“Part of why I have become an activist in this debate is because I still cannot reconcile in my mind that I’m accused of being so many terrible things for believing in biological reality and that sex is dimorphic and immutable.”

“I keep my mouth shut. I don’t speak online about it in case I get doxxed. I read a lot, but I do not speak. Fortunately my friends and family are of the same mindset so I do have an outlet irl. But social work needs to sort itself out, for that to happen we need to be able to speak up but I can’t if I’m going to get sacked.”

“It’s very difficult especially when you see others who think it’s nothing to do with them or just a social media spat. They won’t realise till something affects them. Perhaps a child coming home from school saying they are ‘non binary’. Or noticing odd language on NHS paperwork. Or being asked/told to put pronouns on emails at work.”

“A tribunal for human rights of British Columbian in Canada ruled that “Not using preferred pronouns is a human rights offense.””

“They are perfectly reasonable views. Those that decry these views are clearly the unstable ones and by very definition, bigots.”

“I often air my political views without fear of repercussions. But not when it comes to holding gender critical views.”

“I do not believe I hold “gender critical “views, rather that I choose to believe in reality.”

“I care a lot less than I used to about being called a bigot or transphobic. Those words have now lost all meaning.”

“This is an attempt to destroy women as humans.”

“I feel worried I cannot be 100% honest about my views for fear of being cancelled etc.”

“I am not silent because I could not live with myself knowing I did nothing to stop this but I am always anxious about losing my job and, to a certain extent my children.”

“It is very difficult to get media to hear you.”

“The US Bill of Rights 1st Amendment should allow anyone to say anything they want about gender ideology and never compel anyone to use fake pronouns.”

“My family find it very difficult and won’t talk about it. I have had lots of rows with my husband about it.”

“Thankfully Maya Forstater’s case makes me less fearful about the spiteful types in the office. I have not needed to go head-to-head with them yet. I am on the side of reality and I am appalled by the capture of the scientific institutions and the medical associations. Putting men in women’s prisons is inhumane and they have no reason to be there.”

“I consider ‘gender-critical’ views to be based on biological science – ‘evidence-based’. It concerns me that the science is being neglected and that the education of our young people towards a capacity for critical and self-critical thought and reflection and dialogue is being neglected. The sex class of women is again being downgraded and ‘backgrounded’.”

“Diversity of thought is important in a democratic society.”

“It is obvious to me that biological sex is for the great majority of people fixed and obvious at birth (there are obviously a small number of intersex people who I do not include in the definition “transgender”) and cannot be changed by surgery or hormonal treatment. I cannot in all conscience say someone born biologically female is or can become male or vice versa any more than I can say the earth is flat or the moon is made of cheese.”

“Don’t mind repercussions in personal life, but am worried about fully expressing views at work.”

“As a Women’s Liberation Movement activist from the 1970s and 80s, I’m distraught at the speed and power of the backlash from the patriarchy, so that merely stating simple things like ‘lesbians don’t have penises’, ‘there are only two sexes and it’s not possible to change from one to the other’ makes one a social pariah.”

“Q33. I’m not concerned about accusations of harming by misgendering because it is patently ridiculous. I’m more concerned about women having death threats from these TRAs/Men.”

“My husband and I quit the political party we were members of when I was ordered to attend an investigation into my ‘transphobia’. I had asked them to examine the violent rhetoric and threats against women being expressed by their LGBT+++ member Twitter feed. We are retired and are answerable to no one. We will never become a member of a group where we have to lie to be part of it.”

“Misgendering is nonsense. Particularly when someone can decide to change what they are that morning. Ridiculous!”

“Twice I have written letters to a magazine that had printed a pro-trans story. Twice I have been refused to be printed.”

“It’s insane we have reached the point where talking about our biological reality is considered prejudice as it doesn’t centre men. And infuriating that the word man hasn’t been changed to be inclusive, just woman.” 

“I have done a lot of reading and research and have supported the trans community for decades I rejected the concept of gender as regressive, controlling stereotypes when I was about 10 as all the things that female’s and women are supposed to like, do and look like did not match me but I accepted and was happy with my biological reality of being born female The natural conclusion was that gender was nothing but a social construct I could see how women were supposed to act/present as part of a gender role had changed across time and between societies There was also a big rejection of gender roles in the 70s and 80s with women being free to be, wear and do what they want and it was something we also saw with the breaking of traditional male roles – I am very comfortable being GC as it is what I have always been I never thought I would live to see the day when I could be sacked or criminalised for it.”

“I deplore the climate of silencing a normal, widely held and factually correct interpretation of biology and safeguarding.”

“As I am now retired I am not at risk of the sack. But I have been excluded from a rape crisis centre I founded and volunteered for.”

“I hold them because I want to protect women’s rights, and there is a direct conflict – particularly with the insanity of self-id. I think this whole trans rights/self-id campaign must be hurting people who have a grc.”

“I will not be forced to use compelled speech. I do not believe human beings can change their sex anymore than they can their age and nationality. I refuse to call a bearded balding man a woman ever. Gender ideology is based on lies and unscientific principles so no no no for me thanks.”

“I believe in sex based reality. Sex matters for health outcomes, women & LGB rights and child safeguarding.”

“I deliberately self censor as although I do not have a workplace to be excluded from, the attacks can encroach on home environments. It’s a dangerous view to have, as such I self censor.”

“I’m in a profession that’s 96% female in the UK (and similar world-wide). How readily the profession accepts the Trans/LGBTQI+ rhetoric over evidence-based practice is harmful. Ok, I’ll say it, I’m an SLT/SLP. Women are being encouraged to correct other SLT/SLP’s ‘misgendering’ of colleagues. This is compelled speech with the *speech therapy* profession. And it’s being led by men, one in particular. And because women in healthcare and education want to be kind and they care, they go along with this sh*t.”

“My experience is that these are mainstream views, and that people are self censoring (including myself) is a bad state to be in.”