Bluestocking lock in!

Rufus
I think your dad is not alone tbh

I posted somewhere else - Ethical Living - about how much the world just baffles me now, but no responses.

I have no idea what anyone is on about anymore. Obviously I have followed the GRA development because of MN but without MN I don't know what I would have understood.

I spent a period of time thinking I must be really thick, but now all politics is beyond parody and satire. I'd like to go totally off grid myself but family etc...

I had a friend say to me "It's horrendously unfair to DC to go off grid". But surely people who do live off grid could argue that the kind of life we live (I mean my family, living in a rough outer London burb mostly because of needing proximity to elderly folks) - you could argue our life is making DC miss out on a whole bunch of lovely things?

It just comes down to what is socially acceptable. And then I think there's nothing stopping them moving back to London later in life if they fancy it.

sorry, that was a rant.

Plus why would a women want to do make only swimming

I can't think of anything worse

Massive generalisation but they seem unable to swim without drenching everyone with their splashing

Thats true...about the recharging

My dad mentioned the man friday thing

He said 'well now women are at it too'

Way to miss the point Daddy

I did put him straight

Rufus "I'm worried ive powered down too much"

sometimes you have to do that to recharge for later?

I'm sure comments of many kinds are a minefield for moderators

I'm disappointed in criticisms - here and elsewhere - of ManFriday. Showing what the law will mean in practical terms is just...an exercise in showing what the law means, or will mean.

I can't tell if it's "how very dare you show your breasts" - irony as I wonder if those people also campaign against page 3? Maybe they do. Or is it "how very dare you be a woman and question things".

Im having a very lazy day

Had a lazy week last week

I'm worried ive powered down too much

Very disappointed in the park run deletion

it surely does Rufus
I would have a drink but I need a cup of tea to wake me up - working at home and it's so dark and dreary outside I'm struggling to get my brain to work if you know what I mean. But don't we only use 30% of light for seeing - the rest is for normal brain function? Or something? Sorry for vagueness.

luckily my team are all battling with planning for something that's happening after I've left so I'm a bit relaxed today till about 2pm I reckon.

woman

Yeah does seem that way doesn't it

just waving and offering coffee/beverage of choice around

I have a feeling freedom of stating biological facts is going to be curtailed here soon. Wonder if the Times will be able to keep it up.

Also want to send & lots of to you awesome women.

Sorry wasnt meaning to be coy!

Ok wont say who my MSP is but he is SNP & not a back bencher.

He started by saying he wasnt aware of the amendment. He nodded along to mammals are male or female & cant change sex. Gender is social expectation & changes over time/place. GRA as legal fiction.
The people you think this applies to arent the people it does apply to (numbers), trans umbrella. (He raised his eyebrows here especially seem to understand the idea of men cross dressing for sexual thrill - he has a lot of knowledge about online sex offences so maybe this is why?) Talked about the constant numbers with GRA v.s the high self id numbers. Read the request from trans alliance that caused the amendment - it actually says it is important that transwomen without gra are included. Said law based on belief was dodgy & very open to abuse because we cant prove who believes what (he nodded & we talked about the lengths some men will go to access women, how can you legislate for indecent exposure/voyeurism if male self id into womens sing sex areas). I said women notice transwomen in bathrooms etc & we are polite. We also notice & ask men to leave & that would not be possible with self id - talked about shark cage type stuff teaching girls to accept men i their safe spaces etc & domestic violence.
He says scottish crime data is recorded by sex (& is confident that police scotland deal with more complex id fraud & wont have a problem with driving licences with sex exchanged on them etc) I pointed out news reporting was confusing. He said women's crime is rising & they dont know why but it's definately recorded as sex not gender. (He then did the politician thing of wittering on about his own pet project that is loosely related!)
We talked about prisons briefly (his staff were telling him to finish by now) & that whilst the committee that decides if men can be held in womens prison are considering the wellbeing of the man were they also considering the women who were no longer being held in a single sex place
His summation was that he could see that self id could have unintended consequences, i said yes & that whilst protecting individual self expression we need to also ask what about women & girls. He told me to come back & speak to him again if i wanted to.

I'm going to write to him to thank him for his time etc & think I will also ask him to get confirmation that the amendment about definition of woman only applies to that bill. i will go back to speak to him if anything moves forward.

Phew you're probably sorry for asking now! X

Thanks woman
So sorry about your experiences. But yes agree that the more womens voices are heard the better in the long run.

Theinconstantgardener It's so enraging the extent of male violence and so under-reported and under-responded to. You sound like a good friend to have. And yes it all needs professional support - it's too much for one person, especially a close friend with no structured supervision in place - it undoes me if I take on too much of someone else's distress.

I'm still in therapy years later and the more steps I take the more casual male violence and verbal abuse is uncovered…stemming back throughout my life. People really don't understand the high price victims pay - in more ways than one.

On the up side another woman reclaiming her history is another person to join the chorus - so to speak.

Sound like a caffeinated coffee might be in order!! Hugs

Also wondering about waddles meeting. My msp replied ( 2 months later) saying hed fowarded my letter to the Scottish equalities minister to address my and another constituants 'very real concerns'
Re therapy agree woman fit has got to be right. Tough though.

Mines a large decaf too please. Iv spend the whole night awake fretting about a woman very dear to me who broke down sobbing in my arms yesterday. Yet another survivor of male violence as a child. I had a vague idea as she had hinted before but was shocked and saddened at what came out yesterday. I made her promise to go and see a professional and said although she is assured of my support im too close to her to be of any proper use I thought. Feeling very dispairing this morning. People wonder why im a feminist...

Awful to hear about MSP "TIM is a woman" - is there a list of questions to ask to encourage their critical thinking and why aren't they concerned about the DV stats etc that show that there are good reasons to have single sex spaces?

Also therapy is tough @QuentinSummers n @0phelia - good luck - it is worth it normally - if the fit is right

Mines a decaf flat white - large!!

And before anyone says it's too early for the pub, the Bluestocking does an excellent americano...

@Waddlelikeapenguin How did your meeting go? I've been wondering when we're going to hear the outcome of the Scottish consultation.

When did the midnight misogynist thread get zapped? I reported but didn't get a deletion message. Christ he's tedious; I do like the random chat we have in response though.

Ophelia, yes, I see what you mean.

Quentin, I hope it helps.

Waddle, I'm annoyed at how many MPs are saying "ugh, sorry, hadn't thought about it" and then Betsy, I read posts like yours and wonder what difference it makes if they do start "thinking".

On my to do list BetsyM00

That sounds like an utterly depressing conversation but it's brilliant that you had it. Water wears though stone given enough time

That sounds promising Waddle. There's a record being kept of all the MSPs responses - if you haven't already done it would you mind pm-ing either me or Badgerthebodger with your MSPs name?

I met one of my MSPs yesterday. She thinks transwomen are women and that humans can actually change sex. I keep going over the conversation wondering what I could have said differently to get through to her. I drank too much wine last night and I'm just scunnered with the whole mess, how can so many politicians be so blinkered?

Quentin please be gentle with yourself

MSP was interesting, his conclusion was that "self id could have unintended consequences" no shit sherlock he has responsibilities around Justice so got the sex differences in crime, the lengths men go to get to women etc easily but said it wasnt on his radar at all.
Got to nag my MP again cheeky sod hasnt replied at all.

@QuentinSummers and @Ophelia

Look after yourselves - I find both your posts really helpful, and I'm sorry to hear life is tough at the moment.

It is exhausting.

Quentin
I had a year of CBT. What style of therapy?

I hope you connected with your therapist. How was it?