Artistic Director of Queer Up North speaks out on trans activism, Stonewall and women's rights

Great article that helped me understand the issues

Great article. Thanks!

What other tactic do they have?

"Several of the people who protested outside its awards in 2008, myself included, now work inside Stonewall to develop its trans workstream."

Basically admitting they bullied their way in and now call the shots.

"It seemed that we had hit upon a winning formula for protesting against transphobic discrimination."

Well no shit. Harassment and abuse will do that. Sarah Brown sounds like a psychopath.

This is a good one @WarmWishes

Such a great article.
It saddens me to say it, but we need more men in this fight.

Thank you Jonny. Just had a very upsetting exchange with an old (gay) friend of mine who thought my recent FB posts on this were phobic and hate filled (they weren't) and I have shared your article with him hoping he may stop hating me!

@WarmWishes the LM FB thread has around 130 messages. It's still there if you want to learn more about Sarah and Zoe. Mostly dialogue between SB, Zoe and a feminist or 2.

It's weird that you can only get red wine in both bars, not counting the IPhone champagne, Waddle

It's also important to get over to people is that Stonewall - the most significant LGBT charity in the UK - has transformed. It is no longer what it was.

Agreed entirely, Jonny. I was involved with Stonewall in the early days, and just can't believe what they've become. It really is topsy-turvey world.

And thank you for stopping by! Your article really is bloody good.

I have a better stocked bar, everyone can help themselves
🍷🍸🍹🍺🍻🥂🥃🍾

or ? That's the only hard stuff that MN has on offer ;)

Oh, and yes to the drinks and the cookies. Mumsnet is great. You don't get drinks and cookies on Twitter ;-)

Just to pick up on some of the points being made here...

Quite a few people on Twitter are trying to get their MPs to read the article, or borrowing the explanation in the article about exactly why this trans activism is not like lesbian and gay activism. The Stonewall view - also promoted by columnists like Owen Jones in the Guardian - is that this is section 28 all over again and anyone who doesn't get behind the Stonewall agenda and agree to rewrite sex and gender to suit the trans lobby is basically a bigot. If what I wrote achieves anything, I hope it will assist those who know that this is bullshit and are looking for a straightforward way to express that and convince others. It's the most important thing: resisting trans ideology is not bigotry. This is not 1988. You are not 'wrong side of history'. This is completely DIFFERENT.

It's also important to get over to people is that Stonewall - the most significant LGBT charity in the UK - has transformed. It is no longer what it was. It is no longer an honest broker or a source of reliable information. It's CEO has distorted it out of all recognition. The place we would all go - usually - to find good, reliable info on LGBT issues, has lost its integrity. Quite how this gets fixed at the moment, I am not sure - but it is the next issue I will write at length on. And I know there are others working on this too. We'll try, at least! For now, Stonewall should be ignored. (And I cannot BELIEVE I have to write this - but it's what things have come to!)

And as for the formaldehyde pickled balls of Sarah brown...I just hope she doesn't get elected in Cambridge. Poor Cambridge does not deserve THAT.

Jx

It reveals so much about the whole trans movement that you haven't experienced more abuse Jonny. How utterly depressing (but I'm glad for you, obviously). Some people really do not women to have any voice at all, do they?

Oh he's here. That's it then. All the for Jonny.

Soz feministas.

Jonny cracking job

I read this article via Twitter. It is excellent. For me it crystallised the difference between gender as a societal means of oppression (my view) and the concept of gender identity (transgender ideology), and how this plays out in debate and practice.

And so nicely written and argued. Very thoughtful. Interesting to see which colleagues are sharing it on Twitter too.

Thank you

"Off putting vaginas"?

Bloody hell, yes, one-person peaking machine in action.

If you're put off by vaginas then, to coin a phrase, "you ain't no lesbian, bruv..."

Good to see you here Jonny and thank you again for your insightful article. The more allies there are who call out the abuse and intimidation aimed at women the better. Maybe you can persuade some MPs to speak out? We're not having much luck with that - although in private many are listening and agreeing.

Oh well done Johnny

Yes, courage calls to courage

Thanks for sharing that Sanctimonious, great article. Sadly true that women are never listened to for saying the exact same things. Best did cover a lot of ground.

Did someone mention Sarah "suck my formaldehyde pickled balls" Brown? Classic. Brown is a one-person peaking machine, some of Brown's highlights shared in this comment thread at Gender Trender.

I also include that other classic from Brown 'off-putting vaginas'.

and and whatever other beverage that MN doesn't have an emoticon for. Thank you again, Jonny!

This article has made my week. So very balanced and thoughtful.

Hello Jonny! Excellent work!

I said thanks for the article earlier, but heartfelt thanks for your post here too - it's great to encounter a man who really gets it. Twitter pile-ons, internet spaces in general - it's just a whole different ball game if you're female (one of the reasons all of us here love MN - it's one of the very, very few female-dominated online spaces).