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We’re Still Here Conference 8th September: A report from the inside

408 replies

TheHarpySings · 18/10/2018 20:28

Hi all

First off, I’m a regular poster, have been here for years under various usernames, it I’m posting here on a name change as I don’t want this traced to me.

On 8th September there was a conference held in London a Bloomsbury Baptist Church which was called We’re Still Here, which featured a variety of panels and workshops and was attended by many prominent people in the pro-GRA reform camp.

I decided to attend to find out what was being said as it was clear that they did not want anyone to attend that wasn’t a TRA or an ally.

What follows are my notes from the day. But first a few notes on attendance:

There were probably 80-100 people in attendance. Overwhelmingly white. Mainly older transwomen. A couple of transmen. Some Mermaids delegates. Some fellow travellers/ allies. And me.

Okay. So here’s my notes

  1. Health Panel: Chair was Dr Ben Vincent of GIRES.

Part of the discussion on this panel was around GPs reluctance to prescribe “bridging hormones”. GPs are reluctant/afraid to prescribe them for liability reasons. Apparently a brand of T-Gel was withdrawn and GPs are reluctant to switch brands.

There was then a bit of chatter about whether a person’s sex was relevant for healthcare stats.

Then there was discussion about trans children. Dr Vincent was very scathing about GIDS-said there was disgusting and unethical practices. BV spoke about dispelling the myths about desistance and the myths of ROGD- BV called this “concern trolling, malicious and ethically bankrupt”. BV would like a review of the whole system.

Then Dr Vincent said that they’d received a review copy of “Born in your own body” edited by Heather Brunskell-Evans and Michele Moore. BV is reviewing it for some Royal College and said “I will tear it a new arsehole”

Also (and they didn't want this tweeted) BV is also planning a book called Terf Wars which will be a “rigorous takedown of terf arguments” which is getting serialised as articled in some peer reviewed journal- I’m sorry but I couldn’t catch which one.

Dr Stuart Lorimer, of the Tavistock and Portman who was also a panellist- said that ROGD is “evidence free”.

There was a great deal of discussion as to the health risks for transwomen taking certain brands of hormones- one person said they knew three other people who’d died taking them, and they’d nearly died as well.

OP posts:
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CharlieParley · 20/10/2018 02:18

And thank you TheHarpySings for the report. Altogether chilling and not something I want to believe if I am entirely honest.

That anyone could so cynically state that it's a winning strategy to pretend that they care about women and children - no it's not a new thing this, of course, but to state this publicly? That betrays a breathtaking level of arrogance, cruelty and misogyny. Because they could earnestly campaign for women's and children's issues and gain the same advantages. But they choose to pretend.

OlennasWimple · 20/10/2018 00:48

Fuck...

It's almost word for word what I would have written if I had had a guess on what they wuld have said but I would love to have been wrong

JonnyBest · 20/10/2018 00:18

Thanks for gathering and sharing this.

CharlieParley · 19/10/2018 23:52

There was a transwoman (or someone who said they were) on Reddit a couple of years back who was inviting teens whose family weren't sympathetic to her home so she could help them get hormones.. Not like that could be dodgy, eh?

There is unfortunately a good reason to be weary of any concerted effort by late-transitioning males to socialise with transkids.

Here are a few quotes from the page Advice to Parents of Transkids from a former transkid who transitioned decades ago who has since extensively researched the science of transsexualism, campaigned for trans rights and who also has a lot of experience regarding this issue:

The single most damaging thing that could happen in a therapeutic setting would be to include your transkid in a support group for older adult transitioning transsexuals. Simply put, their etiology, experiences, motivations, and especially sexuality, are at complete odds with transkids’ experiences and needs. Asking youngsters to expose their innermost feelings to others is best done with those like themselves.

Similarly, do not allow your transkid child to socialize with older transitioning transsexuals. Instead, help your child to find and maintain friendships with other transkids of similar age.

Under no circumstance allow your MTF child to share a room with an adult MTF transitioner. The hospital administration usually has no real clue about the realities of transsexuality and transsexuals, and think that we are all the same. No one would think of asking a young lady to share a hospital room with an older straight man… but that is in effect what is happening in hospitals on a regular basis.

Autogynephilic MTF transsexuals are sexually attracted to women, and often, even especially, to young MTF transkids. Further, a fair number of autogynephilic individuals sexualize the very act, the process of changing sex, both in themselves and in others. Due to a lifetime of socialization as men, and only limited experience in their new gender role, these individuals often do not recognize appropriate boundaries. Do not allow your child to be so exposed when they are at their most physically and emotionally vulnerable point in their young lives!

(I myself had a very upsetting incident when I had SRS. A few years ago, I accompanied a transkid to that very same hospital, who had a similar experience, 28 years after my own.)

P.S. This is not a gender critical person. It's someone who'd probably consider us all to be transphobes. And this wasn't written to provide arguments for our side of the debate as regards the safeguarding of children or to slag off late-transitioners but solely to protect her kind of transsexuals - homosexual transkids.

BigotedWoman · 19/10/2018 23:24

Can you imagine if they'd said that about anyone else? "Yes, say a few things in support of a group for disability rights/Jewish community/ethnic minorities so it looks like we give a shit about them."

Scientistranswidow · 19/10/2018 23:21

Thank you very much OP for attending and writing detailed notes. A lot to think about.

OvaHere · 19/10/2018 23:15

Like they give a shit about period poverty. They've demanded a whole consultation and law change in part because a one off cost of 140 quid for a GRC is deemed too expensive and exclusionary. I wonder if any of them have worked out how much women have to spend on sanpro from puberty through to menopause?

theOtherPamAyres · 19/10/2018 23:11

...and then you throw in an analysis of Stonewall's capacity and influence to make these plans happen,

theleedscitizen.wordpress.com/2018/10/19/influence-groupthink-and-fear-leeds-and-the-stifling-of-the-transgender-debate/

and we may be too late to turn the tide.

lakeswimmer · 19/10/2018 22:48

Dear God, Dawn Butler is a bloody idiot.

Makes mental note to never vote Labour

oneWeirdReSister · 19/10/2018 22:44

Apparently small acts like helping to campaign about period poverty or retweeting the local branch of Women’s Aid will make a difference and result in some reciprocation. They want to make it look like they care about Women's issues so they don’t appear threatening

This is exactly what happened when I spoke at Liverpool City Council last month - the TW who spoke before me had a long word salad-y speech with a few sentences about period poverty tacked at the end.

moimichme · 19/10/2018 22:34

The forces behind this 'movement' are even more frightening than I imagined. Sneaky bastards.

You are a brave woman, Harpy. Thank you on behalf of women everywhere.

NewWomensMovement · 19/10/2018 21:47

What a bunch of slimy, duplicitous fucks. Its sickening. They are the definition of creepy.

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 19/10/2018 21:18

I'm so grateful for your courage, TheHarpySings. Flowers Take good care of yourself. It's chilling stuff. I hope the media become aware of this shit.

There was a transwoman (or someone who said they were) on Reddit a couple of years back who was inviting teens whose family weren't sympathetic to her home so she could help them get hormones.. Not like that could be dodgy, eh?

Original poster
TheHarpySings · 19/10/2018 20:11

I also snuck into the Lib Dem conference fringe meeting on Trans & Intersex people and the media this year. I’ve posted the notes for that on this thread about Sarah Brown and her friends as it’s relevant to the discussion there:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3399104-Times-Lib-Dem-trans-activists-hounded-abuse-victim-Natalie-Bird-Article-refers-to-Zoe-OConnell-Sarah-Brown?pg=5

Oh, and everyone who has kindly enquired about my safety: thank you, it means a lot! I know it was a risky move but we really needed to know what they were saying behind closed doors.

OP posts:
NibblyPig · 19/10/2018 20:08

Unfortunately this is legit. But Harpy is even more amazing than you imagine, and we're lucky she's fighting with us!

theOtherPamAyres · 19/10/2018 18:51

It's worrying that LBG diversity units, HR departments, allies and 'champions' are seen as the infrastructure for infiltrating public and private sector organisations by stealth.

It's almost as if they are afraid to make a case on its merits and of being open and transparent.

The parallels with the Paedophile Information Exchange are too stark to ignore - more so when they seem so focussed on recruiting children.

MsMcWoodle · 19/10/2018 18:43

Harpy, just to let you know you are all over twitter, Glinner etc retweeting. excellent stuff.

nononsene · 19/10/2018 17:38

Quite. They know that when a spotlight is shone on these issues that they don’t have the general public onside. I guess they would say that’s due to transphobia (which it ain’t) rather than the fact that none of it is logical, it’s anti science and relies on expecting everyone to deny reality.

All of this reminds me of a meme that my aunt tagged me in once which was something like “a worried mum does better research than the FBI”. They’ve underestimated mothers, they should never have come after children.

bluetitsaretits · 19/10/2018 17:22

Exactly nononsene -it's the reason they've got this far.
We need sunlight and a tanker of disinfectant poured over this.

nononsene · 19/10/2018 17:16

They know it’s wrong deep down don’t they? Otherwise they’d be totally open instead of all these underhand infiltration techniques and trying to push things through without people noticing.

bluetitsaretits · 19/10/2018 16:51

Bloody hell OP -well done. That's chilling stuff.

Really hope journalists shine a dirty great spotlight on this shit show -and it will have to be big to make an impact as too many people still have no clue.

SonicVersusGynaephobia · 19/10/2018 16:44

This is very chilling.

LorettasBox · 19/10/2018 16:35

I didn't think I could loathe The Greatest Showman more, but every day is a fresh surprise.

BettyDuMonde · 19/10/2018 16:34

‘When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
This is brave, this is proof
This is who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come (look out 'cause here I come)
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum (marching on, marching, marching on)
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me’

Grin

I prefer this drum, it’s a different drum: