Maya Forstater

I certainly would not twitter-shame a panel if it included four men and a trans-woman. That would seem nasty, punitive, and hurtful to her identity (and other trans people). Without much gain. I would of course prefer it if every panel had more than one woman.

Maya, are you saying that trans women are not women? I’m a bit confused...

I wouldn't want to speak for Maya, but I sense her concern is that if trans-women can self-identify as women they may take opportunities reserved for biological women (eg. political reservations, panel spots).

Personally, I doubt a man would do this deceitfully, in order to gain access to such opportunities. I also doubt trans woman taking such opportunities is a threat to women's voice/ access (because trans people are a tiny tiny minority).

I don't think there is any way to tell if someone's feelings of being a woman are 'deceitful' or not. I don't know what it 'feels like to be a woman' - are my feeling womanly enough? Who is to know? I think it is regressive to define womanhood by dress code, behaviour or feelings

I meant deceitful as in masquerading as female primarily in order to access spaces reserved for women (such as a male rapist identifying as female, to access a female prison and cause harm).

As he said "it's synonymous to how a lady may choose to wear a dress, heels and makeup one day yet trousers, flats and no makeup another" I am flummoxed that people think that wearing a dress, heels and makeup is what qualifies someone as woman!