The transgender debate has impacted hugely on midwifery, and resulted in what is essentially a battle of ideologies, where transgender activism has either commonly misunderstood or been ignorant about feminism (its philosophies, history, politics and language) or sought to undermine it in some cases. Feminist midwives have borne the brunt of accusations of transphobia, of hosting "unsafe" spaces, and of bullying, and the word feminist has been used by some other women and transmen as a misogynistic insult. Transactivists have sought to impose their world view on feminist midwives despite clear differences in the understanding of gender and the origin and meaning of gender stereotypes between the two groups.
What seems clear is that there is currently no meeting ground other than [possibly, hopefully] that of kindness, good will and the acceptance that we are going to have to learn to live together WITHOUT agreement about the origins and meaning of gender, about medical and surgical transition, about self-identification, about the safeguarding of teenagers and children, about the importance of biology, about gender-related language, about women's spaces, and about the law. As trans and non-binary folk have a right to their world view and use of language and choices, so too do feminist women, mothers, midwives, and birth activists.
A group of respected Australian birth workers/midwives has published a paper that demonstrates insight, common-sense, realism and thought-out suggestions for how language might best be used in maternity-related fields. It deserves wide readership.
