Often the lazy, idiotic, and uninformed like to poke and prod at those who critique trans ideology with questions which are not intended to elicit a response, or to offer an answer to a needed question- but to provoke and shut down any conversation. They intend to offend you. They don’t actually care about your response. However, I’ve been asked these questions enough to have formulated responses to them- though I doubt those who ask actually care to hear them.

One of the most common questions is: Why do you care?

Quite simply, because gender ideology is not a fringe movement. It has thoroughly invaded all aspects of life, from culture, to medicine and legislation. The definition of ‘female’ has been replaced by a religious reinterpretation which is misogynistic and sexist at its core; which prioritizes gender identity over material reality, and defines womanhood by stereotypes in order to allow men who fetishize womanhood to identify as such and for that fetish to be protected by the law.

Because I care about other people

Young men and women are being told that hormones and surgery will cure their dissatisfaction with their bodies, and are serving as profitable experiments for the medical lobby without informed consent. Not only are many of these individuals simply homosexual, and uncomfortable with the pressures to conform to gender stereotypes, but many are uneasy with the increasingly misogynistic treatment of women and girls, and seek to avoid it by identifying out of their sex. Ignoring a problem does not make it go away, and the minority stress model, which argues that accompanying mental health issues like depression and anxiety will be alleviated if a person transitions. Rarely are the sources of these ailments investigated or treated on their own- such as past abuse, PTSD, or lack of offline social support. The assumption is that any opponent to transitioning simply doesn’t understand, rather than acknowledging that many who oppose transitioning have experienced similar gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia, or mental illness; in turn, the underlying compassion in those who are gender critical is written off as cruelty, because that better preserves the victim narrative.

Because I have a right to self-preservation

Feminism is often written off by the western world as a bygone conclusion, as a result of the past few generations living with the hard won rights of previous women- from the right to vote, to being able to work, have a bank account or own property. However, with each gain, there is pushback, and gender ideology is this generation's opposition to feminism- but shrouded in the language of liberalism and progress. Rights such as to single sex spaces or against sex based discrimination are being eroded in law. Hard won rights to compete in sports, to be safe when vulnerable, such as in jails, hospitals and changing rooms, and to be able to campaign against unjust treatment based on being female are all being pushed aside in order to concede to delusions. I, and all women, have a right to preserve the recognition of my sex and the way I experience life as as result of being female.

Because I oppose bigotry

Laws against discrimination based on sexuality were built on an acknowledgment of biological sex. As in, the expectation for a woman to marry a man, and the rejection of same sex relationships was built on sex based stereotypes. Therefore, it is considered sex based discrimination to discriminate against people based on their sexuality. The presentation of gender identity as equally important to biological sex perpetuates stereotypes as natural and indivisible from sex, and makes it impossible to argue against misogyny or homophobia in law. And all of this doesn’t even cover the resulting homophobia of pressuring GNC and homosexual people into transitioning, instead of striving for acceptance.

Because material reality and truth matters At its core, anyone who values truth, and understands the necessity of facing reality in order to affect change should oppose gender ideology for the way that it requires individuals to blatantly deny generations of scientific and rational knowledge to protect the feelings of a delusional few, all while destroying modern science. After all, the recording of gender identity over biological sex ruins data collection, and makes it impossible to use that which does not make this distinction, in turn impacting medical research, legislation and more.

Another common question is: Who hurt you?

This question assumes that I am opposing you out of misguided spite and hatred born from an individual's treatment of me, rather than rational analysis. It assumes that my personal experiences are unimportant, and thus can be discarded. It ignores the value of pattern recognition in determining my behavior going forward.

Finally, it’s a quip meant to delegitimize experiences of women, when gender ideology itself posits that individual and personal experiences should shape law and culture. At its core, the question is ill-intentioned and misogynistic.