women's pond, hamstead heath

This is about the Women's Pond in Hampstead Heath, in London, England. There is a women's pond, a men's pond and a mixed pond. For a while now, the women's pond has been opened up to anyone claiming he identifies as a woman.

The women's pond is a peaceful haven for many women. There are open showers there. I have become aware that there are countries in Europe and Scandinavia which have illegalised flashing in women's changing areas. This refers to a recent phenomenon of male genitalia being exposed in women's changing areas. I also saw a tweet by a male apparently identifying as a woman who publicized that he had exposed himself in a women's changing area because he didn't want to feel restricted or inhibited anymore.

I am quite apprehensive and tense when I go to the women's pond now (although it's closed at the moment because of lockdown - opening up in a month) - worried about a possible loss of privacy to men in the changing room or showers. If someone exposed himself, I would want to kick up a stink! I would be furious! Yet in the current climate, I am totally aware that that would probably get me evicted, while the man would be entitled to stay!

I started to swim in the women's pond at a time when I was suffering from severe depression, and was aware that swimming in cold water was a good way of combatting depression - and it worked like magic for me. Although I'm not particularly depressed at the moment, I struggle greatly, and swimming in the pond makes a huge difference to me, as it does for so many women. It is - whenever I've been there so far - a peaceful testosterone-free environment - and there is a mixed pond available for men wishing to identify as women.

#unitedkingdom #hamsteadheath #womenspond #swimming #changingareas

funding for women in the music industry

Funding destined specifically for women can be applied for from the Performing Rights Foundation in the UK. It is available to redress the historical and current imbalance - especially in relation to composers. Female composers are hardly programmed into classical concerts, or played on the radio. Recordings of their music are hardly available in CD stores. The imbalance is phenomenal. As a composer, when I respond to calls for works or submit works for competitions, inevitably it is men whose works are selected and programmed, perhaps with one or two token women. In no way does this side of the imbalance apply to biological men! They are the massively dominant category. And yet this funding - which is so competitively sought-after - is now available to men! I have applied for this in previous years and been unsuccessful. Now I don't know if there is any point in applying at all!

#unitedkingdom #funding #music #womencomposers #performingarts

sexual assault in a hospital

I work in a hospital in which a male patient claimed to identify as being a woman. He insisted on having female-only nursing staff and then sexually assaulted them.

I feel that some in the transgender movement are happy to completely override women’s rights without any admission that this might be an issue. I feel that it’s another case of men oppressing women and again women’s rights taking the back seat. For some reason, we are not allowed to say this without harassment, and for some of us possibly losing our positions at our workplaces. Are we ever going to be equal even for a moment?

#australia #hospital #sexualassault #femaleonlystaff #nursingstaff