York event - We Need to Talk About the GRA

[Betty184]

I've just seen that there's a discussion on the GRA coming up in York:

www.eventbrite.com/e/we-need-to-talk-about-the-gra-tickets-38851437696

[BriechonCheese]

I'm in the north and would be very interested in attending.

[BriechonCheese]

Sorry pressed send too soon.

However I am disabled, is it likely that I will have to park up somewhere and get a taxi or walk a considerable distance. Does anyone know how this type of thing works with them not releasing venues (understandably)?

[wrappedupinmyselflikeaspool]

For goodness sakes I'm away! I’ve been trying to go to a GC event for ages and I always seem to be previously booked. This one is pretty much on my doorstep.

In answer to Briechon, that’s an interesting question and some thing that reveals how selfish the people who want to disrupt these things really are. I don’t know if you know york but it’s practically impossible to park there. There’s a park and ride that’s very good and frequent. Always a line of taxis at the railway station. I think if you buy a ticket the organizers will make sure you are ok and I imagine there might be an opportunity to ask a question at that point but it’s a shame you have to spend your money before you can find out about accessibility.
Perhaps a mumsnetter who is going could meet you?

[Gingernaut]

Saw this on my FB feed.

Would love to go, but I'm busy that weekend.

[Gingernaut]

Or Wednesday even.

[ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets]

@Briechonecheese I’m going.
I’ve bought a ticket and have been in touch with the organiser about it as I may be late and wanted to know how I’d then find out the venue.
They’ve only given a meeting place in the email.
I can PM you the email address if you like?

[Betty184]

And again the organisers had to change the venue at the last minute because transactivists found out the venue and harassed them. They only told four people the venue in advance - the speakers and two people saying they were disabled and needed to know for that reason - so I'm assuming TAs saw this thread and decided to pretend to be disabled in order to harass women and silence debate.

Which will mean that genuine disabled people will be less likely to be able to get information which enables them to access talks. But as we know the rights and concerns of women, disabled people, gay people and pretty much everyone else don't matter.

[FizzyWaterAndElderflower]

so I'm assuming TAs saw this thread and decided to pretend to be disabled in order to harass women and silence debate.

To be fair, I bet some determined investigation could probably have found out too - for the one where they met at Hyde Park Corner the TAs had been ringing around questioning venues etc.

[ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets]

In case anyone thinks it was me, the person on here didn’t contact me for the phone number.
I was there last night, and did meet up with a disabled lady, and the organisers got her a taxi and paid for it.
That’s the way they’ll have to get around it.

I met some really interesting people, the talks were equally fascinating and terrifying.

[ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets]

And in fairness to the venue, they said they cancelled for safety reasons, not because they were trying to silence anyone.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

What was the venue that cancelled?

[SelmaAndJubjub]

Please don’t PM the venue details - it puts the speakers and audience at risk. TRAs pose as GC feminists on social media. How do you know anyone on MN is who she says she is? The organisers have asked attendees to contact them directly for a reason.

[ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets]

Yes, which is what I did.

How could I tell them the venue when I didn’t know it myself?

I was going to give her the phone number.

It was The Priory Rooms that cancelled.

[ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets]

Sorry, to add, you can’t contact the organisers until after you’ve bought a ticket.

[Ereshkigal]

twitter.com/LisaKelly2013/status/928324776590020609?s=17

[ferntwist]

That Twitter thread is shocking - glorifying in having the venue closed down.