Hello any new people to these Mumsnet FWR fields...

Well now you've said it, stumbledin, and fair point it is too. On the first page still, so this is quite a useful, bumpable intro thread, methinks.

Sorry to be a bit negative but if I had read this when I first joined last year I would have seriously thought about not bothering. The whole point of a discussion board is to be able to discuss not be "directed".

Anyone person's idea of what is a good example could easily turn someone else off.

First of all this is meant to be about feminism and women's rights. personally I think the challenges to women's rights by trans rights is very serious, but it doesn't mean I think that is all that needs to be talked about.

The inability of mumsnet to be engaged on the totality of women's rights is one of the reasons it gets a bad name as it appears to be severly restricted to an obsessive focus, almost as a way of ignoring everything else.

The last thing any forum needs is only for those who already agree to sign up.

Far better to direct newbies to places where there are more succinct summaries of issues eg WPUK, Fair Play for Women, Nordic Model Now.

What mumsnet offers is the opportunity to have a more wide ranging discussion about issues on a chit chat level.

What would be useful for newbies is a link to a reference sheet of acronyms.

So welcome nebies.

But please do not think because current users have a single focus that that is all you can post about.

Why not break the mold and start threads on all the other issues you think are discriminating against women and their / our rights.

And thank you for the thread Pombear :)

Am not particularly new but frequently AWOL. What is this employment tribunal please? I have missed a lot lately.

@midcenturylegs Nothing to do with Nightwatch. Our powers don't extend to locking threads

Welcome new people

Perhaps the nightwatch are erring on the side of MN caution.

Despite the myriad posts, including from some who were actually in court over the last few days, stating that everything discussed in the tribunal was a matter of public record, that no reporting restrictions are in place and that the judge himself allowed live tweeting on the grounds that “open justice” is of paramount importance. But we’re not allowed to talk about the most important case for the future of women’s rights, possibly ever.

Could someone give me a sip of water, this gag is making my mouth very dry...

(Waves at new posters)

There's a lot to digest here because we've been talking this out for a long time, but people are generally helpful about providing links if asked.

Thanks for the post. I've been dipping a toe into these waters and reading these threads for a while now.

I live in a rural backwater, and so many of these issues have passed me by because they just don't happen here. It's great to have my eyes opened, to all sides of the arguments.

@Birdsfoottrefoil I was wondering why I couldn't respond. Perhaps the nightwatch are erring on the side of MN caution.

Great post pom

I absolutely love this board. It’s stuffed to the gills with fiercely intelligent, funny women who have no fucks left to give for any nonsense. They are, however, the only people in the world I would trust the safeguarding of my child to as they are currently the only people who seem to think that safeguarding matters.

Hello everybody - waving from the trenches of academia where normal feminist arguments now attract complaints and the threat of disciplinary action.

A warm welcome to newcomers, whoever you are. Genuine enquiries welcome. And if you come bearing a new TRA/AWA argument, bring your A-game, because we've had lots of practice.

Great post pombear. Ah, it's good to be back.

Thanks for the thread.

Hope you've got crampons for the Peak, newbies. Welcome.

Hi and thank you

If you want to see what happens when women are given permission by a judge to tweet and, by implication, discuss a current court case about women’s rights as the judge feels this is important for open justice, then read this thread (currently locked down and not accepting new tweets): www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3747575-maya-forstater-case-thread-2-for-the-mumsnet-massive

Great post pom. Welcome newbies! You might also find the transwidows threads illuminating, to see something of the other side of the “stunning and brave” narrative, the forgotten collateral damage of those transwomen who come to transhood later in life. They certainly give the lie to the idea that every transperson is a tortured victim of gender dysphoria.

Great post. I have to say, I asked questions v naively, sometimes not getting it (and sometimes I don't still) and was never put down. Am in awe of the wonderful people (mainly women) on this board.
What do they say, "you are born knowing nothing and each day you learn something more".

Hi to any FWR newbies 👋

Great post.