Is this an about-face from The Guardian?

Interestingly Justine has come out and said this echoes Mumsnet's position.

twitter.com/Justine_Roberts/status/1052805973683908608?s=19

I genuinely think they hadn't realised what being a transwoman in 2018 means. I really think they thought it meant full op, hormones etc. Someone's realised.

I think it was the Karen White story wot did it for them, they found themselves backed into a corner faced with having to defend the indefensible.

'They are just as keen and committed as we were but with much less practice'

That's really interesting. It explains the naivety.

The story was that women and girls are very seriously at risk of losing rights and protections we have fought for and when we were concerned, (and the VAST majority were not radfems but regular women - who of course have now be radicalized by their treatment)

This is the bit of the story the press seem to miss, even The Times. It's so often pitched as TRAs vs Feminists.

Obviously at this point I do consider myself feminist (how could I not!) but like many who have arrived here I have zero credentials for that really beyond reading a couple of books whilst at Uni. Until I became involved in this issue I don't think I'd so much as signed an online petition - so hardly much of an activist. I've done more in the last 2 years than the rest of my life combined.

Harrop is saddened

I, otoh, feel a little more upbeat than usual

It may be too little too late for these boards but I still think it's significant. The bastion of wokeness has conceded that, 'Gender identity does not cancel out sex. Women’s oppression by men has a physical basis.'
Even if they try and backtrack, they can't retract that.

With the Guardian printing that, It's going to be much harder to write us off as bigots or in the pay of the far right. Some of us may even feel we can talk about it openly at work now. TRAs may have to come out and debate, and as the only other argument I've seen from them so far is, 'be nice,' I can't see that ending well for them.

The crazy thing is this now became a huge historic story that was completely missed, except by The Times - they got it. The story was that women and girls are very seriously at risk of losing rights and protections we have fought for and when we were concerned, (and the VAST majority were not radfems but regular women - who of course have now be radicalized by their treatment) we were aggressively silenced and bullied in the most heinous way by a small minority of men. They even want to redefine language without our consent, 50% of the human beings in this nation.

Those male activists on the front line of aggression were supported by a misogynistic wall of lobby groups, universities, political parties, media and commercial companies who all drank the kool-aid and took part in a massive effort to silence us and have one narrative only: “No Debate” “Transwomen are Woman” and “Die in a fire TERF”.

Luckily we had Posie Parker and Sticker Woman.

This ball was badly dropped by my industry on this occasion but I think we may have reached a tipping point now.

I really hope we have. What do you think has caused or would cause the tipping point to be reached by these organisations now, if so?

I’ve always been circumspect on here. I don’t like name changing to post anonymously (have reverted to an old username) but I work for one of the organisations mentioned above.

My area of specialisation is not related to this issue so I’m not putting my head above the parapet or anything

I am appalled at the proposed changes to the GRA and the underhand tactics employed by a small minority of trans activists, who misrepresent the majority of transsexuals to trick well meaning individuals, corporations and organisations into endorsing their propaganda.

More pertinently, I was completely unaware of just how far the 2004 legislation had penetrated the hard won protections afforded to women and girls

I consider myself a fairly well informed feminist yet I have no recollection of any discussion of women’s rights around the original GRA.
I’m sure there must have been objections but the whole thing slipped under my radar.

There is no excuse for the failure of news organisations to recognise the TWAW movement as a fraud and an embarrassment. I won’t offer one but will attempt an explanation.

The problem for mainstream news is that the original GRA, woefully unexamined and, arguably, the source of the current conflict, plus the (rightly) protected status of trans individuals conferred a certain respectability to the calls for the 2004 legislation to be reconsidered.

There is also valid argument that submitting an application for GR to an unaccountable and anonymous panel is an outdated relic. More scrutiny of the certification process, plus right of appeal, would clearly be a welcome adjustment.

The well coordinated publicity of organisations like trans press et al, hijacked legitimate concerns from the trans community and yoked them to an extremist agenda. Most of us were completely taken in.

This also falls against a backdrop of unprecedented challenge for traditional news orgs. I got my job by working up through local news. That feeding ground has been completely eroded and most journalists now start on the nationals fresh from postgrad journalism courses with maybe a year at an agency under their belt if we’re lucky.

They are just as keen and committed as we were but with much less practice

Ad revenues are plummeting while readers’ expectations skyrocket - we can’t compete with twitter.

Large organisations are starting to get to grips with the nuances of this debate but they do have a very large turning circle and the bit that actually goes on air/gets published is the very tip of the prow.

This ball was badly dropped by my industry on this occasion but I think we may have reached a tipping point now.

I wonder whether, 'in the interests of balance', there will be a big TRA piece on Thursday.

They have waited until it's too late to influence the consultation to publish these letters and this editorial. Now they are trying to rehabilitate their reputation with gender critical women. Whilst I hope this will open minds going forward, I'm not impressed with the Guardian.

Just read it....

To little and far too damn late as we approach the last few days of the consultation (it's all in the timing ).

No, you won't be getting my subscription back because you throw a few crumbs at the last possible opportunity, having giving TRA's the whole bloody loaf for the last 18 months and more.

I don't generally like swearing but Fuck You The Guardian.

GRA debate aside I still haven't forgot about Cologne

Me neither - Cologne was when I first realised that those who were meant to be on my side politically really couldn't give the smallest shit about women, and preserving the preferred narrative (it had been mine too) was going to be all-important. No "difficult questions" or conflicts acknowledged. It's happening all over the left at the moment. Many a blindspot.

No good ever comes of ignoring uncomfortable truths though - always better to face it head on. The issues raised by the GRA are not going to go away. The genie's out of the bottle now.

Owen Jones @OwenJones84
A relentless media campaign against trans people, relentlessly demonising them, has left trans people distressed, hurt and afraid.

Please fill this in to support giving trans people the rights they deserve. You'll change lives. Please share everywhere

Being used as a play for poor victims of the evil media all out to get trans people, narrative.

Remember the Metro Advert and the wall of huge companies with lots of money and power....

It's interesting that gender critical women are "omg, the Guardian have done a REVERSE FERRET" - when really all it is, is a balanced editorial. A bit of back-covering, no doubt. For when Just in case they find themselves on the wrong side of herstory history.

Twitter TAs to the Guardian: "OMG You literally want us dead"

Honestly, I despair.

I love how in that tweet the Guardian admitting that women have the right to have their concerns taken seriously = absolute hatred of trans people.

I mean, that's the level of batshittery we've been dealing with.

I won't be going back to reading or buying the Guardian anytime soon

GRA debate aside I still haven't forgot about Cologne

Yep. This.

This is what I call a day late and a dollar short.
I don't care though cos I was never a Guardian reader anyway ( except via links on here) Always thought it was full of wank.

Yes, the testeria is palpable - like this rational, well thought comment:

I wonder if the Grauniad is aiming to distance itself from the Stonewall excesses? Position itself as an honest broker but really not?

If I were Ruth Hunt right now, I'd be looking for potential escape routes. Because if it comes to sacrificial lambs, it won't be any of the penis owners at Stonewall that are offered up, will it?

God the hysteria about this coming from TRAs on twitter. A very mild article that merely mentions women have concerns and apparently the Guardian is now a transphobic hate rag. Harrop is saddened . Nothing but complete capitulation is acceptable to them.

Yep, I think the Commons numbers favour Self ID once the whip is considered.

This is true. But I'm beginning to wonder whether long grass is in the best interest of the Tories with regard to the next election.

I wonder if there is another Karen White type story around the corner? Maybe that explains the sudden change? The British public will not be fooled twice.

I think it's just about getting something, anything, through the Commons (and getting what they imagine will be approving headlines) as they know the SNP, Labour and the Lib Dems won't oppose them.

Yep, I think the Commons numbers favour Self ID once the whip is considered.