In the 19th century women began the modern struggle for our right to full participation in society. After winning the vote, the right to own property, inherit wealth, and more, feminists addressed male violence against women as a major impediment to our liberation. For this, we established sex-based spaces: rape crisis and domestic violence shelters, public bathrooms, changing rooms, women’s prisons, and Title IX for equal opportunity in sports.

We assumed these achievements would be permanent, never dreaming that in five decades they would be dismantled by gender identity ideology, with the support, sadly, of liberal women and politicians.

In 2012 Massachusetts placed into law and policy the unprovable, nonsensical concept of gender identity. This allows anyone to claim an opposite sex identity, and reduces the sex categories of male and female to a personal feeling. It prioritizes gender identity over the scientific fact of biological sex in law and policy.

In reality, no matter the manipulation of language gender ideologues attempt to foist on us, humans cannot change sex, and are never “born in the wrong body.” Males identifying as female remain a subset of male.

What is a woman? Until 20 years ago everybody knew. Now progressives are afraid to say because the language police may call them bigoted, transphobes or, gasp, conservatives, if they speak the truth: women are adult human females.

Gender identity in law and policy has devastating implications for women and girls, and has created a major conflict of rights. On the one hand, males who claim to be female demand entitled access to our sex-based spaces; and on the other, females require these single sex spaces for our safety, privacy and equality.

One example of the distressing consequences for females when males access our spaces, is in women’s prisons. Female inmates, who are often of color, poor, single mothers, and victims of sexual abuse, are some of the most vulnerable members of society. And yet, with utter disregard for their wellbeing, authorities are placing violent male convicts who claim to be female in women’s prisons. Many of these men, who have a history of committing sexual violence against women, continue to assault and even rape these powerless women while in the women’s prison.

Where is the compassion for the women in Framingham Women’s Prison? This cruel and misogynistic practice must end.

Title IX, which prohibits discrimination in education programs on the basis of sex, was enacted in 1972. It established equal opportunity in sport for females for the first time in history. This too has been upended now that males can play on teams aligning with their self-declared gender identity. Males are bigger, stronger, faster, and have many physical advantages over females, at all ages.

Female athletes, in mixed sex sports, are losing awards and scholarships, have experienced injuries, and have had their hopes and dreams of athletic achievements crushed. In addition, they suffer discomfort and distress when males have access to their changing rooms.

One solution to this conflict is for males who claim a female identity to accept reality: they are a subset of male, and thus must use spaces designated for males, or create alternative spaces. That is their decision, it is not women’s role to help them feel validated, safe or fulfilled by sacrificing our own rights.

The ultimate solution is to repeal Massachusetts gender identity laws and policies. The laws which remain give all people, regardless of identify, the same civil rights. Politicians need to return to legislating on the basis of reality, not ideology.

If you are a male who calls yourself a female, or for those believing males can be female, that is your right. But, in a democratic society, what you cannot do is force others to accept your personal beliefs. You need to find a way to live as you wish without destroying female sex-based spaces and erasing the category of female.

A community that cares about women and girls needs to hear us when we say we are being negatively impacted by gender identity ideology. Our safety, privacy and struggles for equality can no longer be ignored by a community that calls itself compassionate, tolerant and progressive. You are none of those things if you continue to dismiss, silence, and name-call women and girls fighting, once again, for our rights.

Karen Bercovici lives in Leeds.