Did you know that women are victims of harassment and online bullying simply for expressing that men can never be women? Did you know that women have lost jobs and faced other professional consequences for saying a man is a man?
Have you heard of women being banned from social media platforms for the same reason? The Women’s Human Rights Campaign (WHRC) intends to fight back.
Women report having their social media accounts suspended or banned for presenting or sharing factual information on “gender identity.” Some have even lost jobs for expressing their views. Sasha White was fired from the Tobias Literary Agency for stating “transwomen” aren’t women. Nothing within her comment advocated for or implied violence or hate. Dr. Loretta Ross, a professor and activist with over 40 years of experience, faced a backlash for accidentally misgendering someone. She endured a Title IX complaint that, thankfully, was dismissed. Our society has reached a point where a woman will face persecution, harassment, and professional consequences even for honest mistakes. This cannot stand.
One of the aims of WHRC is to assert the rights of women to state facts about biological sex vs. gender without consequences. Article 4 Section A explains that women should have the right to hold and freely express opinions on “gender identity” without having to worry about or experience harassment or bullying from any individual or organization.
Section B calls on the US government to protect women’s rights to express and present views on “gender identity” whether through writing, art or all types of media without consequences of any kind. It is not hate speech for a woman to state that biological sex cannot be changed. Still, women that hold this view are being treated as though they are spreading hate. Recently a male elected official used the hateful term “TERF” to demonize women who advocate for sex-based rights and received no censure for using this slur. His comment serves as an example of the harassment women face and how the views of women are policed compared to those of men.
Similar policing occurs with respect to gender identity language. Article 4 Part C explains that states must protect the rights of everyone to describe others on the basis of their biological sex instead of “gender identity.” States agencies, private organizations, etc are discriminating against women when they demand that individuals use terms related to “gender identity.”
For example, women should not be compelled to identify their pronouns in professional settings nor should they have to refer to themselves as “cis.” Cis is innappropriate because it implies women are a subset of their own sex class and compelled pronouns can lead to gender stereotyping.
Further, medical professionals should not be forced to use language such as “birthing people” or “birthing bodies.” It’s important to emphasize that the use of such language discriminates against women because, to put it simply, it erases women. It reduces women down to a “bodily function” instead of acknowledging their full humanity. Biological sex impacts medical care so our health depends on accurate sex-based language. Demands on anyone to use these “gender identity” terms instead of sex-based language violates freedom of thought, expression and accuracy. WHRC will be proactive in the fight against compulsory gender-based language.
Finally, Section D says that it should be illegal to impose any form of sanctioning, prosecution, or punishment on those that identify others on the basis of sex instead of “gender identity.” Correctly identifying individuals according to their sex is essential for many reasons. For example, a rape victim should be allowed to accurately state the sex of her attacker regardless of how the rapist identifies. We must prioritize the mental health of victims over perpetrators. It is unethical to compound the trauma of victims by burdening them with guilt over using pronouns that accurately describe perpetrators.
In conclusion, attempts to impose “gender identity” langauge on women and in discussions of sex perpetuates discrimination against women. Article 4 of the Declaration addresses why it’s crucial that the citizens of this country be able to correctly identify others on the basis of sex instead of “gender identity” because the ramifications will be catastrophic.
The Women’s Human Rights Campaign is unwavering in the fight for the right of women to freely express their views on gender identity. WHRC USA will continue to advocate for the protection of women against compulsory gender-based language as a form of discrimination against women.
Want to read the previous posts in this series? Read our explanations on Article 1, Article 2, and Article 3 of the Declaration.
*Please note that the Women’s Human Rights Campaign USA (WHRC-USA) is now officially known as Women’s Declaration International USA (WDI-USA)
Very well done, Lorraine! Thank you!