Anne Sinnott vindicated - she was right!

Whether tigers or vipers, you are collectively formidable - politicians quake, grown men groan

It's me that's doing the purring right now - you're all so kind, and bouquets and whoops too, and a glass of wine - lucky me.

Those who haven't already done so, am sure you'll do the GRA consultation. Some of you have commented on EA. I intend to weave in comments about the EA when I do the consultation. The two Acts can't really be considered without reference to the other, because of the interplay between the two, it's crackers to have two different pieces of legislation, they should be folded into one - and, to my mind, the single-sex exemption should be opt out not, as it is at present, opt in - and the opting out should only be exceptional. You probably don't need it but pass on FairPlay and/or Woman's Place guidance
fairplayforwomen.com/how-to/
womansplaceuk.org/wpuk-guidance-on-gra-consultation/

Will drop in again an other time!

original thread (includes the minutes detailing Cllr Sarah Brown's role in the change to Equality Act policies in Cambridge) :
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3322389-labour-councillor-quits-in-row-over-facilities-for-trans-people-the-times

Ann Sinnott in discussion with Venice Allen:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3327625-venice-allen-speaks-to-anne-sinnott

Thankyou Ann! (from a resident of Petersfield who voted for you, and was sad to see you go).

Don't worry, worse things have happened than having my name misspelt!

for you Ann and thanks for coming here to see us!

fantastic work Ann - local politics seriously needs more like you

The state of those men in the photos

@AnnMSinnot wrote: Hello Tigresses of Mumsnet!

I'm loth to disagree with you after your splendid work but we're vipers.

Prepared however, to be whatever a tigress viper hybrid would be as that sounds like an excellent heraldic symbol. :)

A very unMumsnetty whoop whoop from me Ann.

Ahem, as you were...

sorry, Ann

Anne, thank you and well done.

Also from me to you, Ann -

Hello Tigresses of Mumsnet!

Am so glad to be on the receiving end of your purrs and not your famous claws! Big "thank you" to all of you.

It's a partial victory but a victory nonetheless and more than enough to have got former Cllr Sarah Brown and partner Cllr Zoe O'Connell up in arms! Strange that they think an unlawful local policy has more weight than national legislation.

My standing down forced this change. I have no regrets. And I'm now free to speak my mind. My former ward is safe in the hands of Petersfield's other Labour cllrs, including my replacement, and my work on domestic violence/abuse has been picked up by other cllrs and will continue.

NotAnotherJaffaCake If we don't already have contact in some forum or another, please follow me on Twitter @AnnMSinnott or Facebook www.facebook.com/ann.sinnott.01 - so I can PM/DM you. Thanks.

Keep your claws well-sharpened you wonderful women!

FatherBuzz I think a lot of local papers are like that now (and are owned by the same people, I think it's the Mirror Group?)
Articles are written in a way to get as many comments as possible on social media to generate more clicks. Presumably this sells more advertising space. I saw the CEN article on the homeless woman. Her daughter was posting in the Facebook comments section. I'm sure the paper considered that a win

It is a good outcome but shocking that Ann had to lose her job over it. However, the tide has turned on this madness and perhaps councils and other organisations are going to be reviewing the wording of their policies re sex v gender in light of recent events. The issue is definitely becoming more widely talked about. There's peakety peaking going on left right and centre methinks!

Honestly this lot shouldn't be allowed anywhere near policy-making for women

"'Why three in a bed isn't a crowd' - the polyamorous trio
"When Sylvia's husband said he wanted to become a woman, she stayed with him. But then Zoe, formerly a married man, joined the relationship"

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/apr/20/greatest-sexual-taboo-polyamorous-transgender

the tone of the article was very sympathetic to Sarah Brown. The headlines and bold sections such as “disappointing and worrying” show lots of empathy for SB and ZO’C

That's just shit-stirring from the Cambridge News. It's a poisonous rag aimed at elderly bigots - a poundshop Daily Mail with a target audience of the kind of people who moved out of Cambridge to the villages in the 1970s because the city was getting too 'colourful' (in my sister-in-law's charming phrase). They're constantly running articles on wanker-baiting topics, full of fake concern for the poor homeless woman who blew her inheritance on drugs (to take one particularly repellent example). This toilets article is more of the same.

I’d be interested to know who gave the specific legal advice on this. I am engaged in correspondence with the Corporation of the City Of London who said they’d taken legal advice and think that what they have done so far (ie massively biased consultation) is legal. It would be interesting to show them the legal view that persuaded Cambridge to put their house in order.

As a Cambridge resident: thank you Ann.

She still left her job over this so it's not a win exactly. Women still suffering for supporting women's rights.
She's been replaced by another woman - someone who seems like they're going to be a serious, committed local councillor.

I don't see Sarah Brown losing anything.
The by-election, for starters. Thank fuck.

women were encouraged to comb council websites and point out where they've omitted 'sex' and explaining the law to them Yes, we did that from here, can't remember who set it up, but I quite enjoyed adding the hits and misses of local council sites

More reversals would be good... anyone?

The LibDems seem to be the preferred party for trans politicians.

I realise the article vindicates Ann, and for that I’m very happy.

But despite that, my reading was that the tone of the article was very sympathetic to Sarah Brown. The headlines
and bold sections such as “disappointing and worrying” show lots of empathy for SB and ZO’C.

Whereas Ann’s vindication was given as a cold factual statement that policy has been brought back in line with the law. Nothing about the relief women might feel, nor indeed any implication about the fact that SB had been responsible for changes that were heavily in SB’s own interest. Indeed from Ann’s statement, I gathered SB should never have been involved.

Sorry to be a downer, but I’m frustrated that the LibDems still fielded SB as a candidate, despite the fact that SB’s actions were questionable, to say the least.

It’s that trans-Teflon effect again.

There was a campaign on Facebook (?) where women were encouraged to comb council websites and point out where they've omitted 'sex' and explaining the law to them.

Looks like Cambridge was one such council....