Open letter to advertisers on mumsnet

[Ucantarguewistupid]

To all who advertise on here

I am a female, born as such and with the chromosomes that identify me as female.

I am horrified that mumsnet has caved in to a vocal minority and has effectively banned free speech that is factually correct. I accept people should not be abusive to one another but to insist that correct terms used in constructive and educational debate should not be used is an attack on freedom of speech.

As mumsnet have caved in to this abusive minority - a minority who often try to use intimidation to prevent women from gathering to discuss issues that affect women, I will have to reconsider my presence on mumsnet. Should I choose to withdraw from visiting the site you will have lost a potential consumer and will certainly have lost an audience member. I am also going to go one step further should I withdraw (or be banned) from mumsnet - I will make a list of all advertisers and will actively boycott your products and encourage all I know to do the same.

Oppression of females must not be tolerated. We must be allowed to speak freely, to feel safe, to have safe spaces, to be free from violence both verbal and physical, to have equality, to be allowed our identity, to be listened to. In short, we must not be oppressed.

There are women who support those who are trying to erode women's freedom of speech and identity - this does not make them right. Women opposed women getting the vote and equality. The majority of women who did want the right to vote and equality eventually made enough noise that they were listened to. At the moment a vocal minority have mumsnet and others in their thrall. The majority of which I am a part are starting to wake up. I urge you to not give in to a minority intent on distorting truths and subjugating women.

[Lifesavingorange]

Hear hear. Me too.

[womanformallyknownaswoman]

I agree

[Southfields]

Never give in to bullies.

[Ineedacupofteadesperately]

Hear, hear. We have enormous purchasing power and we will not accept companies pandering to an ideology that will harm our daughters and sons. I have already withdrawn my custom from M&S.

[MipMipMip]

I hope you will consider me a co signatory (even though I did none of the work!).

We are ones who make purchasing decisions. We choose household goods, cleaning materials, food. We choose children's clothing and toys. We are the majority decision makers on holidays and days out. We are the ones you don't want to piss off. You know this, that's why you advertise here. If mumsnet get this wrong I will boycott anyone who advertises on here. I can promise there will be no click throughs from me. I won't pick up your products in shops. And I will tell everyone I know why.

[CalloftheHaunted]

Hear hear

[InLoveWithDavidTennant]

Hear hear

[thewitchofwentworth]

If you decide to boycott advertisers, it might also be worth sending an e-mail or a letter to the company to explain your reasons why. If enough women do it then someone might take notice.

[Terfulike]

Hear hear

[UtherSonofUther]

hear hear

[Southfields]

The people who carried out the targetted harassment of MN and its advertisers are a tiny group of men who have a secret Facebook group in which they discuss and plan their strategy.

They are very angry, very determined and very focussed. They seem to have all day free to spend on this stuff. They decide on a plan of action, and then they all started targetting. They write from multiple twitter accounts, multiple email accounts, and sometimes phone or text from multiple phones and even put on different voices.

One of them accidentally exposed all this and I screen capped it.

They are a tiny, tiny group. We are thousands. And, as has been pointed out many times, it's us that does all the shopping.

Why, then, are MN advertisers knuckling down to the harassment and bullying and threats from a group not 0.1% the size of our group?

[ChristmasTablecloth]

Totally agree.

This whole issue is a shambles. Weren't we recently congratulating Justine on her tough stance? What has happened to that then?

[ItsNotUnusualToBe]

Aye and just to add that I was actively boycott any companies that I understand to be supportive of “trans women are woman”. As much as I would any company that would isnt aupportive of a a man or woman to behave love or live in a non-conforming way

[CrackersForPolly]

Hear hear!

[Chaotica]

Hear hear from me too. Just when the issues discussed on this board were getting a wider, fair hearing at last, MN towers seems to have caved in to a minority. I will avoid all companies advertising on this site.

[KittyKlaws]

@Southfields

One of them accidentally exposed all this and I screen capped it.

Do you have those screencaps - I'd be interested to see them if you do.

Please and thank you.

[SticksOutLikeDogsBalls]

Count me in!

I would also be interested in the screen caps.

[Hyppolyta]

Im in total agreement.

I shop not just for me, but my four children. We, as women, have a lot of purchasing power.

I already boycott any shops which refuse to provide safe single sex changing rooms.

[averylongtimeasspartacus]

I too will boycott any advertisers who put pressure on MN. In our house I do all the shopping, I buy the clothes, I choose the appliances, I book the holidays. All major expenditure is discussed and I can and will use my "veto".

So, what's it going to be: 12 million users every month, or a handful of arrogant misogynists hiding behind their computers? Who spends the most?

[Marmaladdin]

Totally and utterly agree. I'll jog on for good this time. We could set up our own site. MN can rebrand as something terribly PC. Answers on a post card...

[Goldmonday]

Count me in

[Giddy99]

Please do boycott the shops and advertisers as it will make shopping and trying on clothes in places like M&S less stressful for those minority’s you object to. So thank you.

[Juells]

Has something new happened?

[AtreidesFreeWoman]

Hear, hear 👏

[GibbertyFlibbert]

www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/04/24/india-willoughby-transphobia-opinion-worried-for-my-life-mumsnet/

There is lots more coverage like that. It was inevitable that sooner or later advertisers would start questioning whether the risk of association with Mumsnet had become too high. It is easy to blame TRAs but I think the real issue was the sort of content posted on Mumsnet on a daily basis. Commercially, I am pretty certain Mumsnet needed to do something.

So write to advertisers, but I bet 99% of them support Justine and Mumsnet for doing something to reduce the reputational risk to advertisers.

And remember many women and feminists disliked all the transphobia and the new policy is likely to make Mumsnet more popular, not less.