‘What is a woman?’ Today’s trickiest question

10 Rachael Forum web

Gender ideology is a dangerous ideology that causes real harm to women and children, but there are positive societal developments in some areas and people can make a difference on this issue.

These were some of the points made by New Zealander Rachael Wong, in a presentation titled “What is a Woman? Today’s Trickiest Question” at the Forum on the Family at Manukau on September 6.

Ms Wong, the Sydney-based CEO of the non-profit independent think tank Women’s Forum Australia, noted the difficulties of public figures writhing in discomfort when trying to answer the basic question “What is a woman?”, when the obvious example is “an adult human female”.

Ms Wong discussed terminology, including terms like “biological sex” and “gender”, over which there has been much debate. But more recently a different position has emerged. “There are those who view gender as non-binary or fluid, which is why we now see transgender people who ‘identify’ as a gender that doesn’t correspond with their sex, and a range of ‘gender identities’ which are completely unrelated to sex,” she said.

“This third notion of gender is what I will broadly refer to as gender ideology. In short, it is the idea that gender should trump biology.”

Ms Wong acknowledged the distress that can arise from the psychological condition of gender dysphoria.

“Until recently, this distress was categorised as a disorder or mental illness, but international bodies and individual countries have sought to move away from terminology” that points to a problem or pathology, “and to normalise the notion of being transgender”.

Ms Wong said that “this shift has come about as a result of relentless campaigning by transgender rights activists”.

“We have now come to a place where gender ideology has so deeply infiltrated our culture, that people are scared to proclaim the truth about biological reality, and to answer what should be obvious, non-controversial questions like ‘What is a woman?’ for fear of being abused, ostracised, fired from their employment, or subject to a discrimination lawsuit.”

Ms Wong stressed that, while her organisation and herself speak against the ideology, she is always “careful to ensure that we don’t ridicule the individuals who are genuinely suffering from gender dysphoria, and being harmed and exploited by this ideology”.

The harms arising from this ideology corrode the fabric of the entire society, but it is mostly women and children who are suffering the consequences, she said.

In the area of language, women are being referred to in “dehumanising terms” like “uterus owner”, “people with a cervix”, and “birthing person”.

“The word ‘woman’ is being erased in policy and culture, in an attempt to be ‘inclusive’ of trans or non-binary individuals,” Ms Wong said.

“As a result of such language, women are being erased from the reality of their own biology, crucial data informing public policy and services is recorded incorrectly, and biological males are able to identify into a range of women-only sports, spaces and services.

“When we deny reality in the name of inclusiveness, the actual effect is the opposite. Eroding women as a sex class impairs the recognition of their needs, vulnerabilities and rights. And taking away the words that women need to speak about their bodies and lived-experience robs them of their voice.

“Yes, we have to be compassionate and sensitive to those with gender dysphoria, but we also have to take a step back and look at the harmful and absurd impact that this is having when it comes to public policy, and our ability to use language in a way that makes any sense.”

Ms Wong went on to detail the impacts of gender ideology on the safety and well-being of women and girls playing sport, and on their participation in sport.

“Everyone should have an opportunity to play sport, but we need to make sure we have a fair playing field. Biological sex differences clearly matter in sport, and ignoring them negates the very purpose of having a separate female sporting category in the first place, namely, to provide a forum in which women and girls enjoy a sporting chance of success.”

Ms Wong also pointed out that it is in the area of women’s-only spaces and services that gender ideology has become more pervasive and “arguably more dangerous” to women and girls.

Such spaces and services “include bathrooms, changing rooms, fitting rooms, rape and domestic violence refuges, hospital wards, swimming pools, prisons, events, social apps and more”. Some men who identify as women still have fully-intact male genitalia. There is a “spectrum” of medical interventions.

Ms Wong detailed three horrifying examples of rape and sexual assault of women in such facilities.

“It is no coincidence that these three horrific examples involve the sexual assaults of females by trans-identifying males. Males are much more likely to be the perpetrators of sexual assault, and females are far more likely to be the victims. This does not change because the male perpetrator happens to be transgender. Gender identities do not rape women, male bodies do. This fact, coupled with females’ inherent vulnerability when it comes to their smaller size and strength, is one of the key reasons men should not be allowed to identify into women’s single-sex spaces, and why such spaces must be based on biological sex, not gender,” Ms Wong added.

She also discussed the great harm being done, in not a few cases, through medical attempts to transition people to their perceived gender identity. There are other possible routes, such as taking a holistic approach, and examining the underlying causes that may have led to gender dysphoria.

Women and girls, Ms Wong said, face “unique pressures” in the “areas of sexual violence, sexual objectification in porn and entertainment, and the more general body image issues resulting from phenomena like social media, eating disorders, and unhealthy interpersonal relationships, which can cause them to hate their bodies, and indeed, being female”.

“It is no surprise then, that we are seeing a huge surge in girls wanting to change their gender,” she said.

But “transition has not only failed to address the complex social and mental health issues these young women are suffering from, which generally involve a backdrop of family dysfunction, sexual abuse, eating disorders, crises of sexuality, mental health issues and behavioural disorders, it has often exacerbated them or added new issues”.

And a growing number of women are regretting their gender reassignment and are seeking to “detransition”. One such woman, who has had a lot of publicity, is Keira Bell (UK).

Among the other societal harms arising from gender ideology listed by Ms Wong were the erosion of parent-child relationships and a loss of free speech and conscience rights.

But the pendulum is swinging back, and there are some positive developments in societies around the world, she added.

Momentum is building for protections of women’s rights in sport – with sports like swimming, boxing, rugby and triathlon moving in that direction.

The world’s largest children’s gender clinic, the UK Tavistock clinic, “upon which many others throughout the world are modelled, was ordered to close its doors after an independent review found that it was failing vulnerable young people”.

And two UK women have won high-profile discrimination claims “against their employers, who had discriminated against them for their views about the reality of biological sex, and importance of women-only spaces, services and so on”.

“The overall narrative also appears to be changing,” Ms Wong said.

More people are speaking out on this issue, and media is allowing broader views to be put forward, notably in the UK, but there are also promising signs in Australia.

Ms Wong gave several suggestions for pushing back against the harms of gender ideology.

First, try not to comply with what it demands, and second, “where you see the promotion of gender ideology or its adverse consequences, call it out”.

“. . . [T]he more people raise their voices, the more likely someone is to listen,” she said, pointing to how the public conversation is shifting in Australia.

Ms Wong also suggested that people educate themselves about the issue and talk about it with others. She also asked her audience to support public figures and organisations that speak out, and to work together with other people in this area, even when there is disagreement on other issues.

Ms Wong finished her talk with a reference to St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein).

The saint said: “Do not accept anything as the truth if it lacks love. And do not accept anything as love which lacks truth. In other words, speak the truth with love, and speak the truth to love.”

“The issues we have discussed,” Ms Wong said, “like trans athletes in women’s sport and the medicalisation of children, are ones which provoke strong emotions, especially in some trans-identifying people who are already vulnerable, and may feel that they are being personally attacked.”

“That is not a reason to remain quiet, but rather a call to engage in this conversation with respect and compassion, while also being firm and resolute when it’s called for. Questions like ‘what is a woman?’ help to expose the illogical and harmful nature of what we’re dealing with, but at the end of the day, we are trying to genuinely love people by attempting to promote and protect their safety and well-being, not simply trying to win a battle of words.”

Photo: Rachael Wong speaks at the Forum on the Family, organised by Family First NZ (Photo: Bob McCoskrie)

 

 

 

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Michael Otto

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  1. Gregory says

    Why then, is the Bishop’s recent guidance document to schools “Aroha and Diversity in NZ Catholic schools” so unhelpful to someone like Rachel Wong? This document gives her ideological “opponents” plenty of plausible cover. Why is a speaker at a non-Catholic conference clearer on this than a conference of doctors of divinity?

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