WPUK meeting in London 20 May with Meghan Murphy, Julie Bindel, Selina Todd

What a great evening! So many lovely women

I love the sisterhood. They're my friends with vulvas and vaginas. The ones with penises I call my brothers. Simple words to explain simple differences. Love 'em

Really inspiring evening. Particularly struck by the message that individual choices cannot overcome oppression. There is such a thing as a society - and there is such a thing as a sisterhood!

I heard back from someone who went and she thought there was a really positive atmosphere during the speeches.

But then when it came to the questions at the end the first 2 looked planted to score points and it really bought her down. (Unless women really hadn't sent in questions)

The questions were to ask the speakers about their attitude to working with right wing groups from Jean Hackett and Rose Freeman.

The friend who was telling me about this in fact does not think it justified (working with right wing groups), but felt that it was stage managed to make a criticism of WNTT etc., and turned a positive women must come together message into the sort of political squabbling that we see in party politics everyday. The platform were heckled for this but fobbed it off with some procedural thing about the correct way to contributed was to have submitted a question.

Meghan Murphy deflected the question well apparently.

There's some shit going down on Twitter about Julie and Selina saying we shouldn't be in league with right-wingers. Joani Walsh furious that the efforts of the Times, Spectator, Mail, etc are seen as redundant. Other women saying they're Conservative AND gender-critical and why can't this be more partisan?

I'm inclined to agree, as I do think it transcends party politics. The left v right in the US is very divisive, much more so than the UK and thankfully we have no huge majority of the kind of fundamentalist religious Right in our parliament.

I can't see a problem with respectable journalists of all persuasions writing for their newspapers about a potential change in law which will affect half the population. Just because they're 'right wing' doesn't mean they've got no common sense or compassion. And it doesn't mean we automatically agree with their views on everything else.

Or am I being naive?

Anyway, it was all brilliant, and fab to meet some of you

It was a brilliant night and all the speakers were fab.

I am feeling really inspired by Julie, I have been quietly gender critical for so long worried about work but she’s right, they can’t sack everybody.

It was brilliant! On such a high going home. Even though I couldn’t identify any of you amazing women I could definitely feel the viperish solidarity in the room.

I’m definitely going to watch it again on YouTube, particularly Selina, so much to learn from her talk

In walnut whip news, there is a solitary survivor

I’m sure there’s an audience for that sort of niche content.

I am not it

What a wonderful evening.
Does anyone know how long it will take before the film of it will be online?

I'm sure a livestream of Bernard eating walnut whips could be arranged

Of the meeting, not the walnut whips, obvs.

Glad to hear everyone had a great time and no mum botherers in attendance.

How many walnut whips have you got left, Bernard?

Is there a recording on YT?

If they could get a bigger venue they could definitely fill it

I recognised so many faces! Very impressed when Maya said that Francis Wheen was there-I love him!

Agree that I enjoyed Maya Forstater and Selina Todd most. Maya gave me three of her 'Radicalised by Mumsnet' stickers!!

Unfortunately there is a right twat in my carriage who's holding forth to his poor girlfriend about the annoyingness of this 'equality thing'. I don't want to butt in so have had to block them out with Aretha Franklin. Lovely ball-busting Aretha....

That was an awesome evening, so many amazing and inspiring speakers. And no protesters! A big change from last time in London. I overheard one of the organisers saying it was 550 capacity and it sold out in two days.

Very impressed by Maya Forstarter too, a smart and thoughtful woman

One of the reasons her experience in economics and development finance is so disturbing is that there are (rightly) bold and ambitious global health initiatives at present and an understanding of sex is vital to those.

E.g., Building a tuberculosis-free world: The Lance Commission on tuberculosis

In 2017, 1·6 million people died from tuberculosis, including 300 000 people with HIV, representing more deaths than any other infectious disease. Moreover, in many parts of the world, drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis threaten struggling control efforts. The world can no longer ignore the enormous pall cast by the tuberculosis epidemic. Going forward, the global tuberculosis response must be an inclusive, comprehensive response within the broader sustainable development agenda. No one-size-fits-all approach can succeed.

Lancet link

The literature on tuberculosis has examples of the impact of sex, both of treatment and the delivery of treatment; of why sex brings particular vulnerabilities that affect susceptibility to treatment and the ability to complete a course of treatment without defaulting (and inadvertently increasing the risk of multiple-drug resistant TB).

More when I get a signal back.

I only have 2 walnut whips now!

Yes, I thought Selina Todd’s speech was the best, so interesting

Very impressed by Maya Forstarter too, a smart and thoughtful woman

of Bernard's walnut whips. Having three when I have none is just not in the spirit of sisterhood

XXcstatic and Bernard - The speakers were all rousing and after the setback for women in the US and everything else that's been happening recently, it was just what I needed.

I was very moved by the speeches, each for different reasons.

Selina Todd's tour de force will be worth catching on YouTube when it's available.

Such a good meeting. I’m sat on the train now with supplies from M&S food. Cheese rollitos and a 3 pack of walnut whips

Hands hurt from clapping

Inspired by Julie Bindel saying we should stand up and be counted, and by Helen Saxby, I’m going to get hold of the Children’s Rights Impact Assessment from Transgender Trend and give it to the head teachers at both my son’s schools

I didn’t want to be awkward, but actually this is too important to worry about that

That was me, arran

Wasn't it a fabulous night?

XXcstatic - I possibly saw you racing off to the station (I was the one with the walking pole aids!

Very interesting evening and sorry that I could join in the post-event gathering.

Me too - thought I'd be staying but DH has returned home after nearly 2 weeks away and I've surprised myself by actually missing him a bit