Do we need to distinguish between transgender women and men who identify as women for the purpose of gaining access to female-only spaces? Because it does sometimes sound like there are predatory men who see this as some sort of loophole. That obviously needs to be stopped.
To me, it seems the obvious criterium is: have you transitioned? I don't think that's an unreasonable standard, although it can be hurtful to transgenders who are still transitioning and eager to finally get accepted for who they are.
In cases of single-gender events, it also depends on what the exact reason is for making it single gender. There are fuzzy edges around gender, and if you're going to draw a line somewhere, it doesn't hurt to stop and think about why and where exactly you're going to draw it.
In such situations, how does one distinguish a male with bad intentions from the others, though?
That they may insist on access to spaces they know are intended to be female-only, despite being well aware that many women are uncomfortable with this male imposition, is already an indicator of dubious intention. Perhaps not directly predatory, but certainly a violation of boundaries.
I don't think that an advanced stage of transition can broadly override this, in reality. Becoming a modern type of eunuch isn't the same as actually being a woman. It seems unreasonable to compel women to accept these as being equivalent.
To me, it seems the obvious criterium is: have you transitioned? I don't think that's an unreasonable standard, although it can be hurtful to transgenders who are still transitioning and eager to finally get accepted for who they are.
In cases of single-gender events, it also depends on what the exact reason is for making it single gender. There are fuzzy edges around gender, and if you're going to draw a line somewhere, it doesn't hurt to stop and think about why and where exactly you're going to draw it.