The baroness issues a call to arms *title edited at requ of OP*

Women Uniting was initially quite simply the collective of all the party political pledge/petition groups. Petitions are generally ineffective, but they are a good way of raising an issue and allowing people to show their support. The petition is a small part of what WU have been doing.

WU are doing a lot of work behind the scenes in talking to decision makers and also in promoting the campaigns of other groups who have similar goals.
It is now an alliance of both political and non-political groups, working together when they can, and providing support to each other.

forwomen.scot/21/06/2020/women-uniting-press-release/

I got an email back from the Baroness. I'm giddy!

I’m not sure about the aims on the petition. They aren’t legally specific enough for what I would like to see for changes to the GRA (amendment is needed and then ideally repeal) or to protect kids who are being offered physical transition at GIDs. There’s no ask for a select committee enquiry or any other kind of objective investigation into where we are with this at the moment which would be an important starting point.

Asks that are very non-specific are too easy to dodge; like: ‘data used to inform government policy is correctly recorded‘. Do they mean data recorded by the government or other data? Government policy is informed by all sorts of data from many sources. Government don’t have powers over how other orgs collect data.

‘Publish guidance explaining and enforcing the single sex exemptions in the Equality Act 2010’ That bit is the job of the EHRC.

‘Ensure all new laws, amendments, and policies are assessed for their impact on 51% of the population, women and girls’.
We already have Equality Impact Assessments, is this different?

I really welcome the spirit of this of upholding sex-based rights, but I don’t understand enough about who Women United are and what they are campaigning for beyond this petition and I’m not sure that the petition is going to be able to achieve more concrete outcomes aside from signalling political feeling to Liz Truss.

Yes I was pleasantly surprised to received a personalised reply!

Does anyone think we will actually receive a statement on the GRA by Wednesday?

I emailed here about an hour ago and got a reply -- signed Emma! Oh, I love her!
Sharon

I had a personalised email too. She is a class act. Also got a personalised email from JKR’s office.

These women are awesome. Compare and contrast with the cut and paste generic pushback letter we all got from Asda until the Baroness gave them a talking to.

Well said, Michelleoftheresistance.

The Baroness isn't tribal in the least.

Indeed, she's changed parties twice, she spent half her political life in the Lib Dems.

We have been naive in the extreme

The really sad thing is that women have been accepting. And kind. And trusting. And generous. And keen to listen and to help.

And now, after several years of this, it becomes apparent how this is taken advantage of and how one way those values have been, by those born male. 'Identify as' appears to equate to 'but give no fucks for, and have no fellow feeling with'. It's a very sad reality, but it proves, all by itself, why females need female only provision, and it needs strong protections.

Because this is how males behave towards females given the chance, and how those males choose to identify makes no difference. There is no honour, there is no care, there is no reciprocation, there's a fuckton of taking advantage, dominating, subordinating and entitlement.

Signed and shared on Facebook 🤞🤞. Baroness Nicholson must be working her way through the emails as I haven’t had one yet (and tbf if I don’t get one, while I would be so delighted, I would understand as she must have a bazillion things to do now). Wonder if I’ll lose any friends?

This is the petition text:

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Welcome back to Change.org!

A new petition wins every hour thanks to signers like you.

WOMEN UNITING CALL ON THE GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT OUR SEX-BASED RIGHTS
Women Uniting started this petition to The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, Minister for Women and Equalities (UK Government)
Women and girls have sex based rights. 'Sex' must not be replaced with 'gender identity'.
We call upon the government, specifically the Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP, Minister for Women and Equalities, to commit to the following;
Clarify and further enshrine in law the legal definitions of 'Woman' and 'Sex' in order to make current legislation clear and unambiguous and ensure data used to inform government policy is correctly recorded.
Publish guidance explaining and enforcing the single sex exemptions in the Equality Act 2010. A new statutory Code of Practice must help everyone be clear on what “single sex” means, as recommended by the Women and Equalities Select Committee in July 2019.
Ensure all new laws, amendments, and policies are assessed for their impact on 51% of the population, women and girls.

I’ve just had a reply to my email which she clearly read as the reply actually relates to my comment

Compared to my SNP MSP who hasn’t replied to my last 2 letters, my labour MSPs & SNP MP who all sent bog standard lalala TWAW replies

Late to this party, who are Women Uniting?

What is the Petition?? Some clues please

I don't think it is against Mumsnet rules to post a link in a thread when there is mention of a Petition as an aside, ie. as opposed to posting a thread that is just about a petition.

If it is against the Rules then I am sure some sneaky lurker will report it to the Mods and they will delete the post anyway

I've emailed to support.

along with positions intended for women and girls etc open to all who identify we have self-id in place through the back door as though it is legally acceptable.

I get so angry when I read stuff like this. I wondered why there were so many transwomen in positions where they could install their agenda. This has been a serious, long term plan

We have been naive in the extreme

The Baroness isn't tribal in the least.

I finally got around to sending her an email.

Excellent list Happydappy2. Ill try and join too

Signed the petition.

Ooooooo!!!! The Baroness did her "Call to Arms" quote-tweeting me doing some signposting to discussions on Mumsnet!!!

Faints!

NC for this BTW - not wanting to out myself in my regular Mumsnet guise.

It is obvious from my Twitter profile pic where my political affiliations lie. I wonder if the Baroness noticed that? If so, I am taking it as an indication of a genuine wish for cross-party collaboration ❤️

Excuse me while I faint again!

Brilliant ! more power to her (very hard working) elbow I say

The link is a few posts down on this thread.
MN tends to delete petitions.