I found GenderCritical several months ago after I saw it referred to as a vile hate sub numerous times and got curious what all the fuss was about. After spending some time lurking here, I feel extremely disconcerted. It was (and still is) very bizarre to me that posters here are classified as "hateful bigots" for little more than acknowledging basic biological reality. Meanwhile, I see the dangerous rhetoric of trans activists being espoused even by people who consider themselves part of the 'skeptic, anti-SJW' crowd. For example, I routinely see posters on subs like TumblrInAction, a place devoted to making fun of woke SJW types, come out of the woodwork to cry bigotry and transphobia anytime someone expresses any criticism of the trans movement.

I'm left wondering: how on earth did the trans cult become so widespread so fast? Why are people who consider themselves logical, rational people still buying into the bullshit? Why are people allowing mentally ill individuals dictate how we should behave and think? I refuse to believe that anyone actually considers a TIM to be a real woman, so why do people fall all over themselves enforcing everyone else to believe it? What really baffles me is the support and mindless praise heaped on TIMs when meanwhile incels are reviled by everyone. Plenty of the rhetoric coming from TRAs could very well have been said by the incel crowd. Claiming that women should be obligated to have sex with undesirable men is disgusting when Incel Ian says it, but somehow it's progressive and woke as soon as he puts on a dress and demands to be called Isabelle? WTF?

What really scares me is the sheer hatred directed at women who don't buy into the narrative. I don't even consider myself a feminist - I don't label myself as anything really - but I felt I needed to make a throwaway just to post here because of the rabid responses I got for even hinting at agreeing with some gender critical views. Is it really so hateful to say that no, I don't think "feeling like woman" makes someone an actual woman? Saying that I don't feel comfortable sharing a public restroom with a man wearing makeup is now hate speech? Can I really not acknowledge situations in which women and girls face adversity specifically because of our sex without being slandered as a 'crazy TERF'?

It's shocking to me that we have come to this point, and lurking here has opened my eyes in so many ways. I have to believe, for my own sanity, that society will eventually look back on the trans trend with a deep collective embarrassment and shame.