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Gender Critical is the belief that someone’s sex is biological, unchanging, and cannot be combined with someone’s gender identity (Observer Editorial, 2021). This belief is sometimes paired with a belief that the oppression of women is based on their biological sex, and that women have a right to have single-sex spaces. Some with this viewpoint often question or deny the recognition of trans women as women and may be against changes to gender recognition laws which "allow those who feel they are the opposite sex to change their birth certificate without surgery, hormones or a gender dysphoria diagnosis” (Samuelson, K., 2021).
“Gender-critical feminism, at its core, opposes the self-definition of trans people, arguing that anyone born with a vagina is in its own oppressed sex class, while anyone born with a penis is automatically an oppressor. In a TERF world, gender is a system that exists solely to oppress women, which it does through the imposition of femininity on those assigned female at birth.” (Burns, K., 2019).
Those who voice gender-critical views are often labelled as transphobic or as TERFs (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist) by the Trans communities; even when the speaker doesn't believe themselves transphobic. The view can be as simple as stating that sex exists as a distinctive category separate from a person's gender identity. Using the lens of intersectionality, there may be cases where a person's sex and gender identity are at a cross-roads (Suissa, J. & Sullivan, A., 2021a). However, when a trans woman or man is not considered their gender and denied those gender rights, that crosses into transphobic views.
Gender critical feminists say they support LGB rights and that trans issues have overshadowed the rest of the LGBTQ+ community, which has lead to the creation of the LGB Alliance (Ricketts, A., 2021).
One main view of many gender-critical feminists is the view women are suppressed by their biological sex, and men are the oppressor. Unfortunately, these views of men continue onto Trans Women as it is believed that the masculine way they were raised continues to affect them. This viewpoint does not carry onto trans men.
Trans author Jay Hulme described in a blog post how transphobes interact with trans men differently than trans women. He explains that for transphobes men are dangerous predators and carry that thought process to trans women. On the other hand, they see trans men as “brainwashed victims of the patriarchy” because to them being trans is something they see as fundamentally wrong and we must have been coerced into it (Hulme, J, 2019).
"As a trans man, I am, and always will be, belittled, disrespected, spoken down to, and patronised, by transphobes. After all, they think I have been brainwashed and fooled into “thinking I’m a man” what could I possibly know? What value could my words or experience possibly have? This is the same with all trans men. No matter how old they are, they are treated like children by transphobes. (Hulme, J, 2019)."
Gender-critical feminists will most often point to the laws and policies around trans women using female bathrooms, changing rooms, or other female-only spaces. “When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman – and, as I’ve said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside” (J.K. Rowling, 2020). The relaxation of policies has allowed transgender people to change their identity and gender on their identification cards without requiring gender reassignment surgery and this leads gender-critical feminists to believe they will act in dangerous ways. “I read that the Scottish government is proceeding with its controversial gender recognition plans, which will in effect mean that all a man needs to ‘become a woman’ is to say he’s one” (J.K. Rowling, 2020). However, as Zanghellini, points out "a trans person can only obtain a gender recognition certificate after a relatively lengthy process, requiring them to provide evidence of having lived in their acquired gender for at least 2 years, as well as a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria" (2020, p.2).
Dr. Kathleen Stock believes that women-only areas should not allow transgender people who still have male genitalia (Doherty-Cove, J., 2018). Dr. Stock says “Most trans people are law abiding and wouldn’t dream of harming anyone. However, many trans women are still males with male genitalia, many are sexually attracted to females, and they should not be in places where females undress or sleep in a completely unrestricted way.”
“Gender-critical propaganda is almost entirely focused on the supposed depravity of trans women, citing rare cases to paint trans women as threats to women and children” (Burns, K. 2019). One area which does support the gender-critical concerns is assault by trans people within prison. However, the opposite is also true, that there are also assaults on trans people. In this section, describing cases in prison, I use the terms they use in the articles which is self-identifies as male or female, but legally/physically is a female or male.
One of the largest and most public cases in the United Kingdom, is that of Karen White who began transitioning in a men's prison to a woman but legally remained a man with male genitalia. Karen requested a transfer to a women's prison where she sexually assaulted multiple women in a short period of time (Parveen, N., 2018a). She has been sentenced to life because of these jail assaults. Karen is now at a male prison although is undergoing gender reassignment surgery (Parveen, N., 2018a and 2018b).
The Ministry of Justice (UK) updated their policy in 2016, to allow trans prisoners to transfer to the prison they identify with on a case-by-case basis and with the permission of a transgender board. The Ministry of Justice has apologised for moving Karen White to the women’s prison, saying that her previous offending history had not been considered (Parveen, N., 2018b).
In 2020, most incarcerated trans people in America were still housed in facilities based on the sex they were assigned at birth (Neus, N., 2021). In 1994, the US Supreme Court ruled that “failing protect trans people in custody is unconstitutional because it qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment” (Farmer v Brennan case) (Neus, N., 2021). A 2007 study on California correctional facilities found “sexual assault is 13 times more prevalent among transgender inmates, with 59% reporting being sexually assaulted” (Jenness, V., Maxson, C.L., Matsuda, K.N., & Sumner, J.M., 2007).
Although opponents housing people according to their gender identity fear that men will falsely claim to be transgender so they can assault women in a woman prison. Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, the executive director for the National Center for Transgender Equality believes that there is no evidence of false claims and that "there are criteria for determining that someone really is transgender... It's not as simple as simply declaring that you are transgender" (Neus, N., 2021).
J.K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling has been labelled a TERF and anti-trans. She wrote a blog post describing the seemingly innocent journey which led to this description - a few innocent tweets, an accidently liked tweet, and following certain twitter profiles (J.K. Rowling, 2020). She explains that these incidents began as she was learning and researching the concept of gender identity. She lists 5 reasons why she worries about new trans activism and why she is speaking up.
“So, I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe. When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman – and, as I’ve said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth.” (J.K. Rowling, 2020).
However, in her blog she questions the amount of youth who are identifying as trans and transitioning. She worries about trans women regretting the transition and detransitioing only to discover their bodies have been altered irrevocably. She is firm that ‘woman’ is not a costume or stereotypical ideas that a man thought up (J.K. Rowling, 2020) and so are many others who are gender critical. But in defining ‘woman’ or ‘trans woman’ even gender critical feminists fall into the trap of using stereotypes – if a trans woman is wearing pink and jewelry they will state that not all women are girly and the tran woman is trying to fit a stereotype. And yet, if a trans woman wears more relaxed clothes – they aren’t trying enough to ‘pass’ or appear feminine. Women come in all shapes, sizes, and styles and there is no one definition that fits all of us.
J.K. Rowling states that most gender-critical feminists do not hate trans people, and most “became interested in this issue in the first place out of concern for trans youth, and they’re hugely sympathetic towards trans adults who simply want to live their lives, but who’re facing a backlash for a brand of activism they don’t endorse” (J.K. Rowling, 2020).
However, J.K. Rowling is firmly on the side that believes your sex matters more than your gender, and her experiences as a woman can’t be defined or discussed without that distinction.
"If sex isn't real, there's no same-sex attraction. If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn't hate to speak the truth. (J.K. Rowling, 2020a).
Kathleen Stock
Kathleen Stock was a philosophy professor at the University of Sussex for 18 years. Students protested, created poster campaigns, and called for her resignation. Kathleen Stock began speaking about her gender critical views in 2018 and since then has received bullying from a small group of extreme colleagues which combined with the students protests, lead to her quitting the University of Sussex in 2021 (Barnett, E., 2021). She says that her views are being misconstrued and that she is not a bigot or transphobic - that she is sympathetic to people who feel they are not in the right body (Moorhead, J., 2021). However, Kathleen is concerned and opposes “the institutionalisation of the idea that gender identity is all that matters – that how you identify automatically confers all the entitlements of that sex” (Moorhead, J., 2021).
In 2021, Kathleen published “Material Girls” a book which sought to answer the question “do trans women count as women” (Moorhead, J. 2021). Her view of women is at the biological level, and therefore trans women can have the gender identity of a woman but cannot be a woman (Stock, K., 2022). She worries that trans woman are no longer required to have reassignment surgery, take hormones, or appear as a woman to use woman only space – that a man simply needs to say they feel they have a female gender identity (Stock, K., 2018). In a review of “Material Girls”, Stock is described as “concerned about harms to non-trans women that ensue when gender identity displaces sex as the criterion for demarcating access to women’s sports and women’s only spaces like locker rooms, bathrooms, shelters, and prisons” (Briggle, A., 2021). Stock points out that not all trans women are bad however in the book most mentions of trans women are not in a positive light. She highlights Karen White who is indeed the transexual pretender, rapist, and violent offender that she worries most trans women are – but is it in fact that White has a penis and is a trans women or is it that White is a convicted pedophile detained for multiple rapes and other sexual offenses against women (Briggle, A., 2021)? She has also written journal articles and blog posts on the topics of biological sex, and academic freedom to discuss gender.
Since quitting the University of Sussex, Kathleen has been using her freedom to voice gender critical views and fighting out against institutional silence over gender discussions and debates. She said she is the voice for many of her colleagues who are unable to speak up about these issues without being censored professionally and by their employer (Women's Liberation Now, 2020 & Barnett, E., 2021). An open article from 12 philosophy scholars are alarmed over recent “proposals to censure or silence colleagues who advocate certain positions in these discussions, such as skepticism about the concept of gender identity or opposition to replacing biological sex with gender identity in institutional policy making” (12 Leading Scholars, 2019).
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer wrote “The Female Eunuch”, which became an international bestseller and is considered an important text in the feminist movement. The book describes women as eunuchs or castrates, robbed of their natural energy by the patriarchal society. “Greer famously drew attention to deeply entrenched cultural constructs that linked sex to shame and disgust, calling out the hypocrisy of a society that blamed women for men’s misogyny” (Nelson, C., 2020). Her views on what makes a woman a woman are clear and do not include transgender women. Germaine has stated that men are welcome to have gender reassignment to make them more comfortable in their body, that is fine but that does not make them a woman (BBC, 2015). Although she has backed away from her transphobic views in various interviews, her underlying thoughts of transgender women are the unfairness that “a man who has lived for 40 years as a man and had children with a woman and enjoyed the services—the unpaid services of a wife, which most women will never know... then decides that the whole time he’s been a woman” (Wahlquist, C., 2016). These views match those of the gender critical feminists and Germaine Greer’s book and views may be one of the foundations on which the gender critical movement was created.
Gender has become a controversial topic as our understanding of the topic has grown beyond a binary system based on biology. Do we allow discussions of gender in academic situations? Is there a way to hold discussions about gender while maintaining a welcoming and inclusive environment?
Gender has historical significance through the lens of many different disciplines which we should be able to remember and discuss. Grace Lavery, a trans woman and professor of 19th-century British literature at Berkley, says “Historically speaking, issues around sexuality and gender have been of relatively marginal importance for philosophy departments, and relatively significant importance for humanities departments and the literary or cultural studies” (Burns, K. 2019). However, LGBTQ+ is not a new phenomenon, it is only in the most recent centuries that the choices and lifestyle of LGBTQ+ communities has been allowed to be free. By discussing history as the binary, we mistakenly believed it was some of the LGBTQ+ communities may feel left out, dismissed, or suppressed.
There must be a way to balance understanding our historical gender perspective and the significance that perspective had on literature, historical decisions, politics, and the economy (for example) with respecting our current understanding of gender identities, including LGBTQ+ people and not causing harm to any one. Are difficult conversations appropriate for the academic environment? And how do we make sure difficult conversations can be discussed, fair and yet not harm others?
Videos
The first gender reveal party was in 2008 and began as an excuse for a party for Jenna Myers Karvunidis 
(Schiller, R., 2019). With the evolution of ultrasound technology and the accuracy of learning the fetus’ gender, gender reveal parties have become a secondary party before the birth of the baby – at times larger than the baby shower.
Often, parents do not know the gender of the fetus themselves, the doctor or technician puts the gender in a sealed envelope which they pass off to a baker (for a dessert reveal) or trusted friend or family member. Reveal examples include cakes that are coloured on the inside, confetti cannons, coloured balloons that emerge from a box or more dramatic and dangerous means (Jack, A. 2020). One dangerous means included a forest fire caused by a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device and consumed thousands of acres east of Los Angeles (Morales, C. & Waller, A., 2021). Two people were killed after a plane crashed while streaming a sign about a baby girl (Steinbuch, Y., 2021). A car burst into flames after during coloured smoke burnouts, a woman was killed after an explosion at a gender reveal party, another plane crashed after unloading 350 gallons of pink water, a woman received a dart in the foot, and a dad-to-be was killed after a device he was building for a gender reveal exploded (Licea, M., 2019; Blunt, R., 2019; Feuerherd, B., 2019; Sparks, H., 2020; and Lapin, T., 2021). There have also been concerns about animal abuse, as animal
s like crocodiles or hippos have been used to reveal gender with coloured gel inside a watermelon.
Informing parents of the sex of their fetus is the step in “reinforcing misinformed sex and gender binaries” which creates expectations and structures which tighten social gender constraints instead of loosening them (Oswald, F., Champion, A., Walton, K., & Pederson, C.L., 2019). The reinforced rigid ideas about gender are “highlighted through these visual thematic representations – girls are pink, boys are blue, and these categories are very distinct” (Oswald, F., Champion, A., Walton, K., & Pederson, C.L., 2019). The mother who sparked the gender reveal trend “now believes the gender-reveal party has helped conservatives create increasingly restrictive pink and blue boxes for children, which support their anit0liberal agenda” (Schiller, R., 2019).
The focus on gender can hurt the transgender and non-binary communities for while society is -becoming more open minded to gender expression, and gender identity in older children, teens and adults – it also is becoming hyper fixated on the gender of fetus’s. “At least when the child is born, you are getting al l the information at once: the sex, the colour of their hair, who they look like, how long they are what their heart rate is. With the gender reveal you have isolated one aspect of this person” (Jenna Myers Karvunidis in Schiller, R., 2019). The parties elevate the gender as central to the fetus’ future identity and begins the journey of stereotypes, bias, and a disconnect with society’s openness to the LGBTQ+ community.
Although they are considered gender reveals, “they actually proclaim the likely sex of the fetus based on the ultrasound scan to detect the presence or absence of a penis and/or a maternal blood test to identify the fetus’s chromosomes” (Jack, A, 2020). As the LGBTQ+ community has shown us, the gender of a fetus is it’s sex, as gender identity and expression are very different things. Jenna Myers Karvundis, the creator of gender reveal parties, says “plot-twist, the world’s first gender-reveal party baby is a girl who wears suits” (Wong, B. 2019). A new trend is to hold a redo gender reveal party, for when the baby’s gender no longer matches their older selves. The Gwaltney family created a gender reveal party to show off their non-binary child, their new name and their pronouns correcting the mistaken girl gender reveal they did when they were pregnant (Lee, A., 2020). Coming out as Trans parties are gaining more popularity and are considered celebratory of gender self-determination in a direct contrast with infant gender reveal parties (Dockray, H., 2019).
There are also concerns growing over the reactions of some parents and the disappointment they feel when a gender they do not prefer is revealed. The evolution of sex-selection technologies adds a layer of complexity to the already fraught social underpinnings of gender reveal parties and the assumed correlation of sex and gender (Jack, A., 2020). Sex-selective abortions or infanticides still occurs in significant numbers globally, although it is seen as unethical worldwide (Jack, A., 2020).
In rebellion against society’s views on gender, some families are raising their children gender-free. Kori Doty believes in giving her child space to identity and present their own gender, based on their own ideas and opinions (in Matei, A., 2020). In the United States, six states allow parents to label their baby’s gender as X on their birth certificates, however this gender-free parenting style still gets a lot of pushback (Bracken, A., 2020). Some forms of this type of parenting include not reveal their child’s gender to the outside world until they are ready to identify for themselves, others allow their child toys, clothes and activities that cross gender lines (Bracken, A., 2020). Gender-free parenting works best in as early as possible, as children are shaped by their early experiences.
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