5 Gateshead councillors stick their heads above the parapet

There's a massive failure of understanding.

It’s not working, either

Its a lot of time devoted to trying to limit/prevent women discussing safeguarding, women's rights, political process etc

If it was only a few people might start thinking it was pointless.

Hopefully a lot monitor, that way I can imagine the outrage at how little is actually deleted.

I do wonder if, given how many TRAs monitor these threads

There's a 'network' apparently as described in this article by Eve Livingstone in December 2018:

(extracts)
Since 2016, Mumsnet—specifically its Feminism board—has increasingly found itself on the receiving end of criticism from trans people and their allies. “When I started using Twitter and engaging in the trans sphere in mid-2017, Mumsnet was constantly referenced both on my timeline and in DMs,” says Joss Prior, a trans woman who is part of a sizable trans community that monitors and discusses Mumsnet regularly. “The whole of the Feminism board was like a spectre hanging over the daily trans discourse.”

Prior points to the now partially-deleted but notorious 2016 “I Am Spartacus” thread in which a user asserted that “men cannot become women, ever. Women cannot become men, ever” and went on to misgender a number of trans men and women, including high-profile campaigners Paris Lees and Danielle Muscato. The post sparked thousands of supportive comments and is consistently referenced in up-to-date threads, with “I am Spartacus” acting as a shorthand rallying call for anti-trans feminists. Attempts have even been made to organize campaigning activity around the phrase.

“It’s a core group of a few hundred hardcore trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs), a tiny percentage of overall users,” says Christine, the mother of a trans child and also part of the network that regularly monitors Mumsnet. (Christine’s name has been changed for privacy reasons.) “Yet the Feminism board is just 90 percent discussions about trans people on any given day.”

broadly.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/a3mn9k/mumsnet-uk-mom-forum-terf-transphobia-feminism

thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3445268-To-be-shocked-that-Mn-has-been-branded-a-hotbed-of-transphobia

I do wonder if, given how many TRAs monitor these threads, we ought to self moderate and not mention forthcoming low profile events unless they are in need of specific support? To avoid the inevitable pile on that such attention can bring

@leighkirkton great work. Thank you for sticking your heads above the parapet.

Thanks to everyone for their support on this thread. I’ve had a pleasantly surprising amount of supportive emails and tweets too.

I also notice they've libeled Linda Bellos, accusing her of 'outright threats of violence against trans people'.

That's really serious.
Linda Bellos did not do this.

This is one of many deliberately misrepresentations spread by TRAs such as Guiliana Kendal/London

Times extract:
"Ms Bellos, 67, a friend of Jeremy Corbyn, was speaking at a feminist event in November last year when she said: “If any one of those bastards comes near me, I will take off my glasses and thump them.” She said the remark was in response to the assault of a feminist by a transgender activist at a rally in Hyde Park last September and that she was speaking about self-defence."

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trans-threat-feminist-linda-bellos-faces-private-prosecution-g6rmzftx9

threads:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3237264-Linda-Bellos-arrested-Title-edited-by-MNHQ-to-make-clear-that-she-was-in-fact-interviewed-under-caution

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3357475-Linda-Bellos-disinvited-to-a-Black-Workers-Group-gathering

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3348613-Linda-Bellos-prosecuted-in-private-by-trans-activist-Thread-title-edited-at-OPs-request

The Chronicle article refers to a statement by a trans org called Be. I found that here.

They say The Government has specifically stated that the ‘Gender Reassignment’ provision in the the Equality Act will be unaffected [10] – and we consider conflating them as this motion does to be a deliberate scare tactic.

Yet the Chronicle article says On its website, the Labour Party's National Executive Committee wrote that the party is committed to reforming the Gender Recognition Act and the Equality Act 2010 to "ensure they protect trans people" and that it will "formulate more policy to achieve that goal".

I also notice they've libeled Linda Bellos, accusing her of 'outright threats of violence against trans people'.

My extended family includes those in the 8000 strong ultra-orthodox (or Haredi) Jewish community in Gateshead. My Greatgrandfather ran away from there in 1915 (over 100 years ago) when it was much smaller.

That’s a large constituent group who strongly believe in sex segregation.

I would love to believe that the counsellers will not only communicate with LGBT labour but also with local women’s groups including women from that community, which may be insular but still accesses local amenities such as hospitals, swimming pools etc.

I hope you're right Cwenthryth. I also hope any meetings are public so people can see the ridiculousness of it all.

I really don’t see bullies winning here - I see bullies flailing. #nodebate has failed for them, now they’re having to meet and actually have the discussions. I expect they’re bricking themselves, they know their arguments just don’t hold water against the legitimate concerns outlined in this motion.

I really thought sense was finally prevailing

This is being pushed from above, it's going to happen, we need to stop thinking those in power will see sense, they are the ones wanting this.

As many people at ground level as possible need to know what's happening, not because it will stop, but because law is useless if the public refuse to follow it.

Am I the only one finding this very depressing? I really thought sense was finally prevailing but the bullies are winning again it appears.

Sorry.

@LGBTLabour.

We only learned about it after @LGBT_Labour sent their followers to pile on to the Gateshead councillors.

Their own reply to the tweet highlighting how disappointed they were included the email address to report transphobia.

What a fascinating post from don't giveadamn.

That's a shut from me and a shut up from him. Any conversation going on feminists must shut up. Shut up or the shutter uppers will have more reason to shut you up.

Totally get the vibe there. Shut up. Whenever there is anything to discuss the recommendations are shut up if you are representing women.

Ta for that.

No.

And who might you be, then?
[Tilts head, smiles brightly!]

Well done you idiot feminists, you could have kept your mouths shut and keyboards silent but no you just had to stir the pot to gain virtue points. This could have gone through without drama. Is it any wonder feminists are despised?

These councillors are playing a blinder, a good one.
"We've had a request to hear representations so we have deferred the motion to allow us to do that.
Yes, they are open to debate. They are willing to meet and to talk and discuss. They are behaving like decent humans.

As opposed to the whole anti-women "#nodebate" stuff.

Because they are men

This is shocking. How do these people have so much power to try and force everyone to see and do everything their way??