I first began to Peak Trans 10-12+ years ago when I first read about Michfest. I'd never heard about it previously and was utterly baffled that there was controversy surrounding the fact that a women only gathering wasn't allowing people with penises - aka men - in. I could certainly understand why women might want to organize without men around, regardless of how said men "identify", and honestly could not fathom that anyone would have any sort of problem with it.

Then, 6-7+/- years ago I heard the word TERF for the first time. As with any acronym I'm not familiar with I did a search and found out what it allegedly meant. I looked up what TERF's believe and... again, could not fathom why anyone would have an issue with what they were saying. People with penises should not be centered in feminism, since they aren't female. How could anyone with any sense argue against that?

I heard about lady-dick. That magical, magical appendage which is somehow female despite no other female mammal possessing of one. I saw what they were doing to the lesbians... and once more, could not fathom that not only were actual lesbians being driven from their communities, but the people doing so were being cheered on in the name of "progress" and "equality". I could not understand how anyone could deny that a lesbian is someone only attracted to the same sex. When did it mean anything other than that?

I joined r/gendercritial several years ago, back.. maybe 5 years ago? when they had a mere 3000 or so subscribers. I didn't agree with what they said entirely, but probably 95% made perfect sense to me. Again, I could not fathom that people though men should be centered in feminism.

Since that time it's gotten worse. All of it. Women's sports. Women's prisons. Women's shelters. The word TERF being tossed around like the worst sort of slur... right up there with racist and nazi.... as if being a woman concerned about the rights of women was a dirty, shameful act of hatred. Lesbians banished from their own communities. Censorship and silencing and autocratic dogma and regressive ideologies leading the way towards pushing women's rights backwards. r/Gendercritical was the ONLY place on reddit, and most of the internet, where these issues could be discussed. Everywhere else you'd be burned at the figurative stake for voicing even the most sensible of concerns (see JK Rowling). And now that's gone, too.

Something needs to give. The TRA's are taking too much from women and girls... and given it to the (mostly white) TIMS as if the women are their oppressors. The censorship and authoritarianism that they've wielded like weapons has to break at some time, doesn't it? Because, once more, I can't fathom how anyone with any sense can see what is happening and think that this is any sort of progress.