'Let A Woman Speak' Observer Letter

[R0wantrees]

Observer 14/10/2018
"On 28 September, Leeds city council cancelled a room booking by Women’s Place UK, which was planning a meeting that night to discuss government proposals to change the Gender Recognition Act.

When the consultation on changing the GRA was launched by the minister for women and equalities, Penny Mordaunt, she said: “We particularly want to hear from women’s groups who have expressed concerns about the implications of our proposals.” However, the action by the council is only the latest in a series of attempts to halt discussion among women about GRA reform. Harassment of those organising, speaking at or even attending meetings is now routine; one woman had the details of her children’s school posted online with a view to intimidating her into desisting.

Earlier this year the Mercure hotel in Cardiff and Millwall football club were successfully pressured to cancel bookings made by women’s groups to hold panel discussions about proposed changes to the law. In Bristol a meeting was picketed by masked activists blocking attendees’ entrance in an attempt to prevent it going ahead.

In September 2017, a 60-year-old woman was violently assaulted when she was part of a group gathered at Hyde Park Corner waiting to be directed to the venue of a meeting to discuss the GRA.

Professional intimidation and attempted ostracising of, in particular, female academics is also rife. In September this year the Sunday Times revealed an orchestrated campaign, coordinated by a lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London, to report academics who had questioned some aspects of transgender ideology to their institutions for “hate crime”.

On International Women’s Day, a trade unionist was hounded off a picket line by activists because she had attended a meeting. Girlguiding has removed two guide leaders from their posts for questioning policies that anticipate changes to the GRA.

We believe the right to discuss proposed changes to the law is fundamental in a democratic society. Public authorities, academic institutions, unions and NGOs should be facilitating discussions and protecting the rights of people to take part in them without harassment or intimidation. We find it troubling that institutions have not condemned these actions and in some cases have expressed support for them.

Marina Strinkovsky, feminist organiser; Beatrix Campbell; Graham Linehan, writer; James Dreyfus; Pragna Patel, Southall Black Sisters; Abigail Rowland, retired head of faculty (English); Professor Adam Swift, UCL; Alice Bondi, psychotherapist; Dr Amanda Maclean; Amina Lone, secularist and women’s campaigner; Anoma Jacobs, N Surrey Green party; Councillor Amy Brooks; Ann Day, musician; Ann McTaggart; Ann Sinnott, former Labour councillor and author; Professor Ann Stewart, University of Warwick; Anna Bluman; Annabella Ashby; Anne Morch, social worker; Annie Gwillym Walker; Annie Thomas; Andy Healey, play worker; Angela Stewart-Park; Anya Palmer, barrister; Ashlee Kelly (Rose of Dawn), social commentator; Betsy Stanko, OBE, emeritus professor; Bronwen Davies, Labour party member; Caroline Spry, TV producer; Dr Catherine Butler, Bath Spa University; Catherine Muller, business adviser; Cathy Devine, former senior lecturer, University of Cumbria; Celia Wangler; Ceri Tegwyn; Ceri Williams; Charlotte Ayres, student; Chetan Bhatt, LSE; Chris Holt; Claire Graham, intersex advocate; Clare B Dimyon MBE (L-GBT), educator and broadcaster; Clare Davies, PhD student; Clare Davies, PhD student; Dale Rapley; Darren Johnson; Dawn Furness, opera singer and film-maker; Debbie Hayton, teacher and transgender activist; Professor Deborah Cameron; Dr Deborah Dean, University of Warwick; Dr Diane Brewster; Diane Jones , teacher, Labour party member;

Donna Stevenson, school librarian; Elizabeth Mansfield, North Surrey Green party; Emma Aynsley; Emma Flynn; Eva Poen, University of Exeter; Dr Fiona English, academic author, former branch chair (Labour) Tottenham Green; Fiona Montgomery; Fionne Orlander, transperson; Frances Barber, actor; Frankie Rickford; Freda Davis, poet, artist, feminist;

Gemma Aitchinson, Yes Matters; Georgia Testa, University of Leeds; Harriet Wistrich, lawyer; Hazel Pegg; Hazel Turner-Lyons; Dr Heather Brunskell-Evans; Helen Gibson, former Labour councillor; Helen Jackson; Helen Mary Jones AM, National Assembly for Wales; Dr Helen Mott; Helen Raynor; Helen Saxby, writer and campaigner; Helen Steel; Helen Watts, former leader, Girlguiding UK; Helena Coates; Hilary Adams; Holly Sutherland; Ivy Cameron; Jack Appleby, web developer; Jacquie Hughes; Dr James Harrison, University of Warwick; Jane Galloway, autism parent advocate; Dr Jane Clare Jones, writer and philosopher; Jalna Hamner; Janet Veitch OBE; Jayne Egerton, radio producer; Jean Bartrum; Jeni Harvey, writer; Jenny Randles, author and broadcaster; Jessica Goldfinch

Jill Mills, Green party member, retired nurse; Jill Nichols, film-maker; Joan Smith, journalist and human rights activist; Joan Scanlon; Jonathan Best, former director, Queer Up North international festival; Josephine Bartosch, Critical Sisters; Judith Green, co-founder, Women’s Place UK; Judith Jones; Judy Maciejowska; Julian Norman, barrister; Julia Pascal, playwright, director; Dr Julian Vigo, writer and anthropologist; Julie Armstrong, Gateshead CLP; Julie Bindel; Justine Potter, producer; Karen Ingala Smith, CEO, nia; Katheen Stock, University of Sussex; Kay Green; Kim Thomas; Councillor Kindy Sandhu; Kiri Tunks, co-founder, Women’s Place UK; Kristina Harrison, trans campaigner; Kym Barlow; Laura McGrath

Leonora Christina; Lin Harwood, lecturer; Linda Oubridge; Lisa-Marie Taylor, CEO, FiLiA; Professor Liz Kelly; Lolly Viv Willowes; Lorraine Roberts; Lorenzo Obi Abadinas, Barnet Green party; Louise Evan Wong; Councillor Louise Paine; Louise Somerville, Women’s Voices Matter; Lucy Masoud, firefighter and FBU London regional official; Lynn Alderson, Totnes CLP; Councillor Lynne Caffrey, Gateshead; Maggie Saxon, arts manager; Maire Smith; Marina Strinkovsky, feminist organiser; Marion Gow; Councillor Mary McGarry; Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, director, Women’s Budget Group; Marta Garcia de la Vega; Maureen O’Hara, Coventry University; Michael Biggs, University of Oxford; Professor Michele Moore, Patient Safety Academy, Oxford University; Mike Shon, ex-mayor of Stafford; Miranda Yardley, transsexual rights activist; Dr Miroslav Imbrisevic, philosopher; Nick Rogers; Dr Nicola Williams, Fair Play 4 Women; Pam Isherwood, photographer, former lecturer; Dr Patrick Turner, Bath Spa University; Paula Dauncey; Peter J Hughes, N Surrey Green party; Phil Rose; Phillipa Harvey; Pilgrim Tucker, academic researcher and community campaigner; Professor Rosemary Auchmuty, School of Law, University of Reading; Professor Selina Todd, University of Oxford; Professor Victoria Rimell; Rahila Gupta, Southall Black Sisters; Raquel Rosario Sánchez, feminist writer and campaigner; Rebecca Gill, consultant; Rebecca Lush, environmental campaigner; Richard Byng, University of Plymouth; Rosa Freedman, law professor, University of Reading; Rosey Bennett, councillor; Rupert Jackson; Ruth Conlock, social worker; Ruth Serwotka, co-founder, Women’s Place UK; SJ Atherton, writer; Samira Abdi, accountant; Sarah Jay, consultant; Sarah Tanburn, writer; Shahida Chudhry; Sheila Jeffreys, University of Melbourne; Sian Sullivan; Sioned-Mair Richards; Solange Hughes, N Surrey Green party; Dr Sophie Allen, Keele University; Stephanie Davies-Arai, Transgender Trend; Steve Trafford, writer, N Surrey Green party; Sue Parrish, Sphinx Theatre; Susan Matthews, Roehampton University; Tania Glynn; Tom Farr, human rights researcher; Tony Green, freelance writer and tutor; Tracey Smith; Veronica Quilligan, actor; Wendy Sarah Davis, Rooms of our Own; Wendy Savage, MBBch FRCO; Wendy Wheeler, professor emeritus, science and culture studies

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/14/observer-letters-theresa-may-siren-words-fool-no-one

I'm sure many here would wish to add their names to this letter

Wow, powerful letter. Thank you for sharing and to all those signatories.

Women.

Speaking up.

Brilliant!

Yes, huge thanks and respect to every one of those signatories.

Wow! And thanks

Also an article in The Observer on page 6.

guardian.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/iphone/homepage.aspx#_article8c6a15f2-1fe3-4b2a-a04e-6fd0d1d1ec14

Seems quite balanced

I see that Pete Tatchell was quoted in that article.#

Fuck you, Peter.

Wonderful letter, and I am amazed and delighted to see a very familiar and local name in the signatories!

Would love to know the link to him and how you got him to sign it as I would like to thank him profusely and I can't find him on social media and it would out me geographically!

Do we know how many signatories there are on this? I'm sending it my MP.

I think the article says there are 200

Wow! Hardly a small minority of voices. Great letter

Fantastic.

I noticed the guardian was deleting comments under and article entitled 'Grayson Perry: I'm an unapologetic fetishist'

Any comment saying GP is a man or transvestite was deleted. Weird.

so the Guardian/Observer have seen how the wind's blowing have they? Well, it's a bit bloody late for me.

Fantastic letter, and so many signatories!!!!

Very cheering on a Sunday morning.

Any comment saying GP is a man or transvestite was deleted. Weird.

I’m almost certain GP calls himself a man!! Does he not?

Why didn't they send the letter to The Times, or the Spectator?
Given that the Guardian/Observer has been completely unsupportive of these issues (unless you're a TRA) and the Times/Spectator have been the ONLY papers giving balanced coverage, I find it really annoying that printing this letter gives the the G/O some kind of moral high ground.
Journalists like James Kirkup and Janice Turner have put their neck on the line, while the fucking Guardian has been useless, and they choose to send their letter to the G/O! Words fail me.

I think its a deiberate decision.
Observer Guardian readers are less aware of the issues than the Times/ Spectator because of the way it has been covered.

I too think it’s great it’s gone in the Observer, especially as it’s made them also print a (relatively balanced, for them) story about it. We need to get this stuff into the widest possible range of media, not just the Speccy and Times, fab though they’ve been recently.

I don't see it as giving the G/O "the moral high ground", I think the letter's been put where it needs to go as the G/O is the natural home of the woke who are the ones who (forgive me) need to wake the fuck up on this issue.

Excellent letter - and in the Observer as well.

I think you'd have to have lived under a rock for the last few months, if you're not aware of the issues. I think the authors see the G/O as the go-to paper for social issues like this, but didn't join the dots about how hostile the paper has been (until now) has been.

I saw Grayson Perry on the one show recently saying he was a man wearing a dress. He is not transgender and often wears men’s clothing.

I now expect an avalanche of Guardian articles on the subject, questioning Self ID etc.

I’m not sure we’ll see an avalanche of pro-women articles in the Guardian now. But I do think that the outrageous treatment of women who want to discuss an open Government consultation, allied to the high profile being given to the utter nuttiness of the TRAs’ views and the lack of public support for them, means that no major news outlet will be able to avoid publishing at least something about developments. We need to keep up the publicity at our end and rely on the likes of the lovely Karen White to help us out from the other side.

I saw Grayson Perry on the one show recently saying he was a man wearing a dress. He is not transgender and often wears men’s clothing.

He also uses the men's toilets. With purpose,

From what I gather, based on his talks and what he's been exploring in his work of late, he sees his cross-dressing as being about being male and cultural ideas about masculinity rather than being female and those of femininity.