non-man-identifying prizes for fiction writing

The UK's 'Women's prize for fiction' is open to anyone who 'identifies' as a woman, as is the Stella Prize in Australia. I'm not sure if this is for political or legal reasons.

These prizes are meant to give women an opportunity to get income and publicity in a male-dominated culture and industry.

Affirmative action literally cannot work for women if males can simply 'identify' themselves into such opportunities.

Why are women being abused for objecting to this? (Currently a trans woman is shortlisted for the UK's prize.) To object to this is not to take an anti-trans stance, but to assert a pro-female stance in an anti-female patriarchy.

These prizes can, of course, do what they like, especially if they are privately funded. But perhaps they should stop promoting themselves as women's prizes. They are, in reality, "non-man-identifying prizes." It would be much clearer and more honest if they simply promoted themselves as such. Is "woman" merely a marketing strategy now?

#australia #unitedkingdom #literaryprizes #womensprizes #thearts #writing #literature

discussing sex & dating with gender identity activists

I have been really sympathetic towards the experiences of transgender people and as supportive as anyone can be; a member of my own family is struggling with gender identity issues. I wish nobody any harm, but things are heading somewhere that I am very uncomfortable about, and women-only spaces (which in certain situations, are entirely appropriate) and a woman's right to even decide who and what she is attracted to is being made out to be hateful. This cannot be right and it makes me really scared and sad.

I am a heterosexual woman in her twenties and sit on the left of the political spectrum, and in a conversation with friends, expressed that I would personally not be "into" sex with a transgender man, because I am attracted to men who... well... look like men. We are close friends, so I was not "cancelled" or anything, but they all immediately began aggressively over-affirming that trans men are men whatever they may look like; so I went quiet and will say no more about it. As far as I am concerned, it is fine for them to have sex with who they like, but I am not into vaginas on men personally... no more than I am into them on other women!

While we need to be understanding and inclusive there are certain spaces, my personal sexual desires and right to realise them, for example, where my right to say "no thank you" matters. And since it is rude to ask a trans person what their genitalia looks like (I do think it is rude and intrusive by the way), how do we move forward respectfully and reasonably in situations like this? I am at a complete loss and am quite honestly exhausted by it all.

#unitedkingdom #sex #dating #genitals #sexualorientation #attraction

prize for women composers now open to men

The International Alliance for Women in Music has posted a call for its "40th Search for New Music by Women Composers Competition", stating this year that "This call is open to IAWM women-identified composers." A series of commissions and prizes therefore that have up until now, I believe, been reserved for women - historically and currently grossly under-represented in the field of music composition - is now open to "women-identified" composers - obviously including biological males.

Men have been stealing women's sports medals, and are now being invited with open arms to appropriate commissions and prizes intended to benefit female composers.

#international #womencomposers #composers #musicindustry #prizes #womensadvancement #underrepresentation #thearts