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Original poster

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 Apparently a brand of T-Gel was withdrawn and GPs are reluctant to switch brands.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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Original poster
TheHarpySings · 19/10/2018 15:00

hellandhairnets
Anything not in quotation marks is summarised or (in this case) paraphrased. So that is not a direct quote but it is an accurate reflection of what JM said- it was all about appearing to be concerned with women and children’s welfare to build a likeable profile, rather than genuine concern- and often that support would be with a caveat eg with period poverty it would be encourage the women’s charity to use “inclusive” wording or mention transmen and NB people.

Am happy to clarify anything else if I can.

OP posts:
PersonWithAVulva · 19/10/2018 14:58

He said the TRAs need to build allies in mainstream women and children’s organisations so it looks like they care about them.
so it looks like they care about them

Dear god...this is disgusting but not surprising.

GatheringHerBrows · 19/10/2018 14:56

Maybe they should have thought of that before trying to steamroller over women's rights.

R0wantrees · 19/10/2018 14:54

"He said the TRAs need to build allies in mainstream women and children’s organisations so it looks like they care about them."

This has been going on for sometime.

The whole 'be good allies' is a big Stonewall thing.

hellandhairnets · 19/10/2018 14:53

is

hellandhairnets · 19/10/2018 14:52

Oh wow, Harpy - great work. I too am a bit worried about you and hope there is no way of tracing you. Stay safe - and thanks so much for putting yourself there to get this info. Now, that IS what I'd call proper brave and stunning. Flowers Wine

One question re- "He said the TRAs need to build allies in mainstream women and children’s organisations so it looks like they care about them."

Is that so it looks like they care about them a direct quote from that speaker or is it an inference made when note-taking?

I have no doubt that's what was meant but it is extremely damning if it IS directly what they said. The key to much of how sinister this it.

waterlego6064 · 19/10/2018 14:49

OP, thank you for taking the time to write this report. And thank you for these absolute gems:

Notable misogynist Adrian Harrop

She then quoted at length from a song from “The Greatest Showman”. I wish I was making that up.

He was dressed like Tweedledum. Or, if I’m feeling generous, a Mario Brother that doesn’t get invited to Xmas dinner anymore.

waterlego6064 · 19/10/2018 14:44

Yes, LM has been tweeting about period poverty. When I saw it, I thought there must be an ulterior motive and then immediately convinced myself otherwise, because I STILL tend to give people the benefit of the doubt- it’s so deeply ingrained. It’s amazing how cynical it all is. I’m so naïve.

TheCountessofFitzdotterel · 19/10/2018 14:43

The rather young and naive pro trans guest on Politics Live this morning, Maya something, said
'The trans lobby...is not some shadowy organisation...'

And then we read this.

placemats · 19/10/2018 14:34

Thank you for reporting on this.

This is what investigative journalism is all about.

Of course no one will do anything about this until the horse has clearly bolted.

HedgehogPoo · 19/10/2018 14:34

Wow, thank you Harpy, I am in complete awe! You are a total shero for doing this and flying under their radar.

The idiots will have to have me arrested too, as I've joined in the changing rooms fiasco and had photos taken by both DP and another activist on different occasions and in different cities, to show just how easy it is for a photo to be taken under or over the cubicle panels or through gaps in the curtains. They will also have to arrest all of the girls and women who take photos of each other trying on various outfits as a normal method of selecting clothes. Good luck with that, then! Wink holds out hands for police handcuffs

GiantKitten · 19/10/2018 14:32

Good idea, fidgetspinner - I have now.

fidgetspinner555 · 19/10/2018 14:04

NB: has anyone screen shot this in case it's taken down?

fidgetspinner555 · 19/10/2018 14:02

"He said the TRAs need to build allies in mainstream women and children’s organisations so it looks like they care about them."

This doesn't surprise me.

ohyesiknowwhatyoumean · 19/10/2018 13:54

i can also testify for the truthfulness of the OP.

birdbandit · 19/10/2018 13:47

I assume the next logical move would be to consider it "babying" our kids by not being cool with their rights to a sex life? After all some cultures do allow kids to have sex, fight in wars, and take drugs/have surgery to sterilise themselves.

birdbandit · 19/10/2018 13:43

Well as a trans widow I can assure you all that my "immersion therapy" was very much what brought me to the GC side.

They might not want to talk about the grim, but ignoring the Kare Whites won't make them disappear.

People can only be manipulated so far.

Verify2Terrify · 19/10/2018 13:29

I can verify the OP is genuine, and this information has been known by a few of us for a while, thanks to OP's excellent undercover work. This is only scratching the surface too - there's more but it's up to OP to decide how much more she'll reveal.

But, she is a total SHERO!✊🏻

BoreOfWhabylon · 19/10/2018 13:28

Thank you harpy

Chilling.

WomanAndProud · 19/10/2018 13:22

Thanks for going, sitting through this, writing it up and sharing it. Confirmation, horrible confirmation of what we knew. I feel sick.

QueenSock · 19/10/2018 13:20

Thanks for posting, Harpy.
Interesting times, indeed.

BettyDuMonde · 19/10/2018 13:16

I knew about this before it was posted on Mumsnet and will happily verify that OP is a respected regular poster on this board.

GatheringHerBrows · 19/10/2018 13:12

Wow, we're in this for the long haul 💪🏻.

tobee · 19/10/2018 12:52

Well done op.

Its not surprising. It also reaffirms the belief that even if, by some amazing good fortune, the plans for self ID don't go through this time, they will not go away.

TigerDrankAllTheWaterInTheTap · 19/10/2018 12:46

Blimey.

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