Who's going to the WEP Conference this weekend? Fancy a thread?

[RhymesWithOrange]

I'm the only person I know going. I would be interested to get others MNers thoughts on the conference and the agenda as it happens.

And of course the emergency debate.

[UpstartCrow]

I'm disabled and can't travel. Can you report back?

[drradfem]

I'm not going but I'd like to hear about it so please let us know what happens

[WhatTheWatersShowedMe]

I’d like a thread, please!

[R0wantrees]

relevent thread with important questions, OP Procrastinator1 wrote:

"As set out in a previous thread, //www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3318961-Ultimate-betrayal-by-the-WEP
the WEP are going to be debating a motion which includes self ID of sex in September

Before the debate on the motion they are holding a question and answer session with two barristers who have advised the government and are thought to be very sympathetic to trans rights proponents. Twitter thread about the Q & A session //twitter.com/Indy_Leya/status/1024703148236132353

One of the barristers, Michelle Brewer, is involved with an organisation called TENLI, Trans Equality Legal Initiative, with our favourite, suspended NUS trans officer, Jess Bradley

I wonder if any WEP members who will be attending have any questions for the barristers, for instance, about the impact of self ID on natal women or how Jess has shaped the trans argument over the last few years, or whether the personal proclivities or motivations of policy shapers should be taken into account when assessing the policies they advocate for?

I'm sure lots of people would be interested in the answers."

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3325882-WEP-conference-questions-for-panel-of-trans-rights-advocating-barristers

[SPOFS]

If you're going, please be careful! These debates get very heated, so I wouldn't go to the emergency one alone. Try and find someone else who is GC before the self-I'd debate.

[WerewolfNumber1]

Is it possible to make representations or comments without actually going? No childcare and certainly not taking the children!

[PyeWackets]

I'm a member but can't attend. I just hope that WEP comes out the other side and officially recognises that females exist, and need to retain their sex based protections.

[RhymesWithOrange]

I will definitely report back

And thanks for the links and concern. I've been worried about speaking out - my employer would probably not be impressed (will start another thread about a GC critical victory I had at work) - and maybe I am being over optimistic but it feels like the tide is turning a smidgen.

In my dreams all the fabulous posters from Mumsnet turn up, speak out and reclaim WEP for women.

[Cwenthryth]

Hi OP, I’m going, signing in. Been a bit poorly and not a lot of time recently, so only just starting to look through the programme and plan which sessions I want to attend. It’s all pretty overwhelming!

SPOFS when you say be careful, these debates get heated etc - do you specifically mean at WEP meetings?

Werewolf there is free childcare available (up to age 14) but the deadline has passed to arrange it now I think, plus tickets sold out. But just posting for future reference, sorry you can’t make it this time. My understanding is if the emergency motion passes and then the GRA motion is changed to a special debate, then it will not be voted on at conference and the wider membership will then have an opportunity to participate in consultation rather than just conference delegates voting.

Or if you know a member, talk to her about what she could say if she chooses to speak. Or talk about it here :-) If we want to speak in the GRA debate (or any debate) we can have 3 minutes, I believe. I don’t know if I’m brave enough, not out of fear of TRAs, but just general discomfort and inexperience at public speaking like this.

[WhatTheWatersShowedMe]

Just to clarify- I’m not going to WEP conference but I’d love a thread to find out how it goes. Good luck!

[RhymesWithOrange]

Thanks @Cwenthryth that's useful.

I know a lot of MNers have written off WEP and SW but it seems our best hope at this point.

I don't have any nervousness about speaking, I would just be afraid I wouldn't make enough sense and I wouldn't do the GC viewpoint justice. I need to do some swotting before Saturday!

[WerewolfNumber1]

Thanks @Cwenthryth - my DCs are too young/clingy to go to that kind of ad hoc childcare and the babysitter isn’t free unfortunately!

I do now one WEP member who’s going but unfortunately she has drunk the kool-aid, so won’t be on the GC side I think :(

[Cwenthryth]

I know a lot of MNers have written off WEP and SW but it seems our best hope at this point.

I’m with you on this. No other political party is even entertaining the idea that there is a debate to be had on GRA reform, yet alone attempting to facilitate one amongst members.

I’ve got Friday off so that’s my time to get a brief set of bullet points together for any sessions I might try to speak at. 3 minutes is not a lot of time to get your point across.

[Cwenthryth]

Magda Devas published this today

medium.com/@magdadevas/this-is-a-crucial-time-for-wep-99216d6eaeab

[arranfan]

WEP lost my money over Heather and their treatment of her.

I feel duped by WEP. They would need to perform a huge mea culpa and not just signal but actually start doing something for women outside their privileged coterie to win my money back.

[R0wantrees]

from the article by Magda Devas linked above:
concludes;

"If we give up the old fashioned definition of ‘woman’, which is first and foremost based on biology, and allow that biologically males can be women, then we are not only giving up our identiy as women, we are giving up all the rights to the sex-based protections that women have under the Equality Act 2010.

The Equality Act has been shown up as being weak and women are losing these protections. I believe our concerns should be all about strengthening the Equality Act so that women have rights to women only spaces and services, and that these should be maintained under law.

If we can delicately pull apart the boundaries between women’s and transgender people’s rights, and recreate them with respect and consideration, we will be able to create alliances rather than discord with the transgender community and work in alliance to fight the discriminations that we do share."

[SPOFS]

Btw: Fox and Owl are hosting a transgender event on Saturday. This likely means that the WEP won't be overrun with TRAs, I assume.

[Cwenthryth]

So is it really just two MNer WEP members going this weekend (or willing to ‘openly’ admit it anonymously!).

Btw the speakers at the “Changes to the Gender Recognition Act” session (billed as for those who have little understanding of the issue) are Claire McCann and Cath Casserley. Seems Michelle Brewer has either cried off or been quietly dropped.

[RhymesWithOrange]

It's very telling @Cwenthryth. I'm still of the opinion that if you're not in you can't influence. But my cynicism is growing. Really hoping for some sensible stuff this weekend.

Packing now (6 hour drive ahead !) what does one wear to a party conference? Should I start a thread in S&B?

[Cwenthryth]

Have to say am a little bit surprised, I thought more of us would come out of the woodwork.

The point of WEP, and WEP developing policies, is that we want WEP policies to be taken by the bigger parties. It would be huge if we could craft a feminist policy on GRA that stops short of supporting legal self-declaration. And have it ready made to hand over.

If there are lurkers (or posters) who do want to influence and contribute to WEP policy on this, hopefully it will be opened up to wider membership after conference - so join and be heard. The constitution allows for electronic voting on issues so that is my hope.

Membership is from £4 a month or there is a low cost option of £1.96 a month if you need it. If you are a member of another party you can join as an affiliate member (from £3 a month)- you still have full voting rights in my understanding.

[arranfan]

I was fully planning to attend the conference until WEP's WOKE and entitled actions took me to the point where I could no longer support them financially.

I'm wondering if I could manage Manchester in October for the feminist conference but my timetable is very unclear at present.

[Popchyk]

I'm guessing Michelle Brewer didn't want any questions about Jess Bradley, co-founder of TELI.

[mimivanne]

Gaby Hinsliff has a piece about the WEP in todays Guardian,comments are open and there is a comment about MN 'transphobes' and another about 'terfs'
I've responded to one of them ,will check how long it stays up.

[arranfan]

Hinsliff piece: www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/07/womens-equality-party-politics-sophie-walker

When was Sophie Walker mauled on Mumsnet? (Could have done with a link to that assertion.) Is this the context for the booing at WPUK meeting? Janice Turner's account:

Brunskell Evans’s views were anodyne enough to be broadcast on the BBC at teatime, but the WEP sacked her because a single transgender member complained. Eventually on Tuesday night Sophie Walker, the WEP leader, rose to say, in classic mealy-mouthed politician mode, “I’m listening” to fears about changes to the Act. She was roundly booed: I’m not surprised.

[stillathing]

i'm really interested to hear about this from the two of you who are going!