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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Social Worker/Probation Officer Reported to Employers for Supporting JKR Tweet

65 replies

ArranUpsideDown · 30/12/2019 15:00

Quoted tweets:
In case some of you were wondering why there are not many social workers and safeguarding professionals on Twitter my experiences may illuminate you.

Following on from my tweet supporting JK Rowling and espousing the sanctity of childhood a number of the GI crowd took umbrage.

They reported me to Social Work England the body that regulates social workers in an attempt, I assume, to bully and intimidate me into silence. They are attempting to have me removed from the register of social workers for tweeting in favour of safeguarding children. [Thread continues.]

I don't know anything about Andrew Thorne. I am heartsick of people being reported to their employers about notionally one-off comments on social media.

twitter.com/athornehere/status/1211635970644336641

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GCAcademic · 08/04/2020 07:49

It's time that this persistent intimidation stopped.

The only way that is going to happen is if employers stop taking seriously every bloody crackpot on Twitter who "reports" their employees. Why on earth would you give credence to people who openly express their adherence to the Church of Satan, prison abolition or weird kinks in their Twitter bio?

truthisarevolutionaryact · 07/04/2020 21:41

It took a long time but that's great news. It's time that this persistent intimidation stopped.

Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons · 07/04/2020 21:29

That’s really great news very pleased

but 4 bloody months of worry & uncertainty because of two youknowwhats Angry

OhHolyJesus · 07/04/2020 21:13

So thrilled to hear this news, it's so unnecessary though, all those resources thrown onto an investigation....but I am pleased it was thorough and found no fault...but all that because of two Gender Ideologists who have an axe to grind.

It's not the same thing but there were just two complaints to get the Woman Definition flag removed on Sefton Council buildings, just two and it takes a veritable army of complaints to get a standard response from them or M&S, or the NSPCC...anyway, I'll stop being grumpy, this is Good News!

Melroses · 07/04/2020 21:10

Excellent news.

midgebabe · 07/04/2020 21:10

Yeah. Thanks for the update

littlbrowndog · 07/04/2020 20:58

Fitness to practice cos 2 arses of twitter reported him fo4 fuck all

Ffs

littlbrowndog · 07/04/2020 20:56

Andrew. 💪😎😎😎

He gave us a shout out

I hate hate the arses that did this to him. Fuck em all the way to,where th3 fuckers that are totally cowardly fuckers should go

R0wantrees · 07/04/2020 19:41

These are the comments (form twitter link above) by Dr Andrew Thorne (Social Worker) that some transactivists tried to supress & have him sanctioned for posting:

"Thread.
@ jk_rowling understands that childhood is a sacred space and time to be protected, as does UK law. That is why a child is deemed not competent to have a tattoo until they are 18. However, now an 11 yr old can be deemed competent to decide to take puberty blocking drugs.

These drugs do not cure cancer. These are a medical first response to gender dysphoria, a state of mind where a child feels that their gender identity is in conflict with their natal sex. This approach might be understandable if there was such a thing as "gender identity" (GI).

There is no medical/scientific basis for GI. It is postmodern ideology emanating from Queer theory. No child is born with a gender identity & in the wrong body as GI theory states, & there is no support for GI theory in mainstream child development science. It is an adult belief.

Yet we allow children to make decisions that will harm their pubescent development & will have long term implications on their adult lives on the basis of their 11 yr old sense of identity? Children cannot know their future, so we as adults must protect their future adult selves.

No child has the capacity/competence to make decisions that will impact on their adult lives. An 11 yr old cannot predict how they will be at 15 or 35 -Could you? How can they know what type of society will develop in that time, in which they will be living their 11 yr old life?

But we promote the idea that children who are confused about one part of their ever changing identity - their gender - should as a first step take drugs which are known to be harmful to their physical development as well as impact on their mental and emotional development."

Dr Andrew Thorne
21 Dec 2019

ThinEndoftheWedge · 07/04/2020 19:32

Hero

Lettera · 07/04/2020 19:26

Excellent outcome.

Datun · 07/04/2020 19:23

That's really good news.

It's appalling that it took four fricken months, tho.

I guess they were looking at it from every which way, to make sure they had covered their arses.

They had, and they said so. I hope to God other people can make a shortcut on the back of it.

Solidarity.

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 07/04/2020 19:16

Great news!

R0wantrees · 07/04/2020 16:59

This is great news, thank you for sharing it here

Dr Andrew Thorne twitter comment:

"The allegations against me referred to a number of Tweets dating from December 2019 for which two Twitter users had reported me.

twitter.com/athornehere/status/1208303344948850688?s=19 was the thread in support of JK Rowling's tweet which was the offending one.

These two had previously argued, threatened, and insulted me on Twitter. Having not managed to silence me this way, they reported me. Their motives I assume were to frighten me and bully me into silence.

Well that worked.

Social Work England have now thoroughly investigated the tweets and found no evidence that I breached professional standards or that my fitness to practice is impaired. I have been completely cleared.

The key take out for social workers from the ruling is that debate in this contentious area should be conducted in a respectful manner and also based on evidence. This standard is not always easy to uphold on Twitter, but it is a good standard to aim for.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone here on Twitter and on Mumsnet for their support. It meant more to me than I can say in a few words. I hope I can repay your kind thoughts and words in the future. It has been a difficult period but I have come through it.

Special thanks to those that signposted me toward/gave me their time and advice free of charge. I will not name you publicly, but you know who you are. I could not be more grateful to all of you

Some I already have met, others I look forward to that day

I know one other social worker who is undergoing the ordeal of this investigative process due to Tweets he posted.

Solidarity Brian.

If there are others please do contact me.
Dr Andrew Thorne
@athornehere

Finally, thank you @ SocialWorkEng for taking time to properly investigate my case. You have demonstrated that evidence based, and anti oppressive practice are at the heart of social work. You have shown moral leadership. My faith is restored.

Onwards."

Wine Andrew & solidarity Brian.

SunsetBeetch · 07/04/2020 16:49

Great news!

"Some great news🥳🥳
Social Work England after a full investigation into my fitness to practice have concluded that there is no case to answer.

The allegations against me referred to a number of Tweets dating from December 2019 for which two Twitter users had reported me."

(Full thread can be accessed via the link below.)

twitter.com/athornehere/status/1247486129579925504?s=19

Siameasy · 19/01/2020 08:10

There will be conflict with the Human Rights Act if public bodies are telling employees they “can’t be political on social media” in their own time where they don’t reference their employer anywhere.

TinselAngel · 18/01/2020 23:19

This is really awful - a friend has just got a new job in social work after spending some time in another sector (only a 3-4 years) and she said that she has been told she now cannot be in any way shape or form political on social media.

Just under her own name or even if she was anonymous?

AnyOldPrion · 18/01/2020 23:02

Neurotrash, your post worries me. It might be that the investigation will be about being political on social media and the actual politics might not even be relevant. In which case, much as I admire Andrew Thorne’s courage, any court case might be doomed.

On another note, curiosity killed the cat and ballet shoe fetishism is a thing. Just sayin’!

Speaking of which, I received a threat on Twitter that I might be reported to my professional body. Sometimes it’s safer to block than engage...

PJsatMidday · 18/01/2020 22:17

Hoodathunkit thank you for that information.

Honestly, I have no idea who any of these people are. Reading this board has led me down the rabbithole of right wing politics, conspiracy theories and tin foil hat world. I don't know who to believe. I thought Sonia Poulton was a legit investigative journalist, she's been referenced quite a bit here and I think she is a MN poster too; but she seems to have had some collaboration with Ike, so who knows. She is the only reason I looked at SA's youtube videos and came across Wedger. Is any of it real?

hatgirl · 18/01/2020 19:55

Social Work England have only just taken over as the regulatory body for social workers from the HCPC.

It will be interesting to see how they handle this.

allmywhat · 18/01/2020 19:46

I see twitter user Nicola Jayne (nicolajayneh) - an ex HCP, now transwoman ballerina

to anyone seized by curiosity at this description, I recommend indulging it. Sometimes there is light relief to be found amidst all the sinister stuff.

NeurotrashWarrior · 18/01/2020 19:35

This is really awful - a friend has just got a new job in social work after spending some time in another sector (only a 3-4 years) and she said that she has been told she now cannot be in any way shape or form political on social media.

hoodathunkit · 17/01/2020 21:53

Does anyone follow Shaun Attwood? I ended up watching some of his videos after he did an interview with Sonia Poulton. The one linked below is about exactly the scenario you have described, Uncompromisingwoman . A policeman blows the whistle on the police and social services' failure to investigate chid prostitution in Haringey care homes. He is told off for doing so "by a leading children's charity" (which he doesn't name, but since there is only one that has statutory powers and a liking for employees wearing their fetish gear at work, I have made my own conclusions). He is then hounded by the police himself, for neglecting his own child (15 year old, in the care of his 26 year old brother, while his policeman dad is at the bedside of his other son, who is on life support). It's beyond sinister.

PJsatMidday

Unfortunately the man you refer to in your post is considered by skeptical, rational people to be a fake whistleblower.

His name is Jon Wedger and Private Eye magazine has reported on his activities in a highly critical manner.

Issues of concern about Wedger are as follows:

Wedger is a promoter of conspiracy theories about satanic ritual abuse (SRA)

Wedger has links to the Jesus Army, a controversial new religious movement (many say cult) that disbanded following multiple serious allegations of organised child sexual abuse

Wedger is an associate of number of evangelical christians who promote the theory that abortions are a form of satanic blood sacrifice. Possibly the most prominent of these are Wilfred Wong and Victoria (Vicky) Ash

link via the archive to Vicky Ash being interviewed by Wilfred Wong about abortions being satanic blood sacrifices and stuff

archive.is/DVMKO

Videos of Wedger with Ash and Wong are all over the internet.

Wedger has been fundraising via multiple channels and crowdfunding platforms, ostensibly to fight child abuse, however there has been a lack of transparency re where these revenue streams have been invested and the money seems to be unaccounted for.

Jon Wedger is involved in the International Tribunal on Natural Justice (ITNJ) a fake / pantomime investigative commission composed of various fake judges, con men and women, quacks, anti-vaxers and worse.

The ITNJ has a subsidiary entity the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Human Trafficking and Child Sex Abuse, which sounds very impressive but is just a fake comission making bizarre claims about satanic ritual abuse.

for example

Here is a video of The ITNJ Chief Council Robert David Steele presenting a talk titled

"CIA And Elites Torture Children & Drink Their Adrenalised Blood"

text reads

"The International Tribunal for Natural Justice launched the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Human Trafficking and Child Sex Abuse at an inaugural seating in Westminster, London on April 16-18th 2018.

CIA operative, Robert David Steele, with impeccable credentials, openly states the elites are torturing children and drinking their adrenalized blood. Some family's are breeding children for the purpose of abuse."

Here is Wedger addressing the same fake arsed pantomine "comission"(unsurprisingly the comments are turned off)

I used to like Shaun Attwood's videos as I am very interested in policies around crime, punishment and rehabilitation.

Recently he has interviewed David Icke and has fallen down the conspiraloon rabbit hole so I only watch his videos if one of the grifters on my attention list, such as Wedger, pops up

apologies for the derail, just couldn't let a post about Wedger go unchallenged

LayAllYourLoveOnMe · 17/01/2020 18:30

could someone who is in twitter contact draw his attention to this thread.

StillWeRise · 17/01/2020 18:18

hopefully he can see this
if there's anything useful we can do let us know
of course, it might be most useful to do nothing

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