The reach of speaking up. The ripple effect.

Feeling chirpy today. Someone who I have made newly aware of this issue has just called me up to say they bumped into their local councillor and spoke to them at length about this and other matters. They're now following up with a letter as the councillor had been totally unaware of what's happening to women's rights.

The ripple effect works.

Now pubs are open again, talk to the regulars sat at the bar. Men peak quickly!

I like this!! We haven't got long though! (before next Thursday I mean!)

I think sometimes that seed is all that's needed. I think a lot of women haven't really thought about it in a great deal of detail

and

Assume your friends don’t necessarily know any of this

Agreed. I mentioned on another thread that I talked about this for the first time with a colleague I already knew had firm views on gender, or rather the non-existence of it. She really had no idea of the extent of what's happening. I recommended a couple of articles to read about Maya's case, and hoping I've planted the seed. It's only one person though, and it's hard, especially politically.

My grandmother (in her 90's) is a lifelong labour voter, who I'm sure has no idea of how the party are considering women - I just don't have the heart to disabuse her!
My mother is a life-long Lib Dem voter and I'm able to be a bit more direct with her, but I'm sure, that despite agreeing with everything I do re women's rights, she'll be voting Lib Dem again next week, as she feels that is her political home.

Start very small.

Assume your friends don’t necessarily know any of this.

Most middle-aged people I’ve met, unless it affects their own family or workplace, assume ‘transwomen’ means ‘women who transition’ not ‘males/men/dads who transition’.

My parents (late 70s) knew vaguely which way round the terms went, but just assumed ‘transman’ was a new, more PC word for lesbian.

I'm happy to see communications from my nhs trust employer have re-introduced the word women into communications about menopause information workshops after I emailed the head of inclusion equality and diversity, and made sure all my colleagues knew what I was doing. Let's hope a few of them are more aware how important language is.

Now pubs are open again, talk to the regulars sat at the bar.
Men peak quickly!

The main person who I managed to influence on this was my mum. But I think I made a young fellow I was at a beer event with think twice. He was really quite a bright young fellow in his early 20s, quite involved in the gay community, but very much an urban progressive who believed all the right things. He announced to me quite authoritatively the gender and sex were different things, and I pointed out to him that any lesbians were not all that happy with the direction of travel on this as they resented being expected to date people with penises. He was completely shocked, having assumed that of course sexuality was about sex, not gender. We didn't really discuss it more other than I suggested he might google the cotton ceiling, but he was quite pensive afterwards.

Apologies for link failures:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4206745-Rugby-RFU-seeking-feedback-on-its-transgender-policy

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4202090-British-Cycling-Consultation-on-Transgender-Policy

I've been encouraging male relatives who are keen on sport to complete the England Rugby and Cycling trans policy survey (least they can do). Also encouraging them to find 3 more mates to do the same (and on and on).

England Rugby (closes 5th May)
www.englandrugby.com/about-rfu/rfu-policies/transgender-policy

[[www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4206745-Rugby-RFU-seeking-feedback-on-its-transgender-policy]]

British Cycling Consultation (ends 30/4)
www.britishcycling.org.uk/about/article/20210325-about-bc-news-British-Cycling-launches-consultation-on-Transgender-participation-policy-0

[[www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4202090-British-Cycling-Consultation-on-Transgender-Policy]]

I made a stand against turning the men's toilet mixed sex in my building.

I am female but explained why it was important and all about dignity and privacy. Plus, safeguarding (we are a school, the new signs said everyone, not just staff).

Got huge kudos for it which means I now have allies if they try to take away the girls' provision.

They have actually been very good. It was just thoughtless.

They actually told me that sex is not binary and that anyone can be what they want to be

well I want to be a 20 year old millionaire.

I see they are biology-phobes and science deniers too.

@FingernailNibbler

Also *@CatChant* love your post and your DH grinning like a shark as he preps your prey.

Lord Winston came up in conversation today. Someone mentioned they hadn't heard much about him recently. Which was the perfect cue to leap in and talk about his wonderful, moving speech in the House of Lords defending the use of the word "mother" over "pregnant person" in the maternity allowances bill. Sage nods of approval all round for Lord Winston and a lot of lip-curling and snorts of derision at "pregnant person".

I correct 'gender' to 'sex' wherever I see or hear it mentioned.

Here's Posie Parker on meeting the woke feminists

m.youtube.com/watch?v=RVHLh218FJo

Remember, sex in law is male and female, it is binary no matter how much people might want it to be otherwise. Go vipers

My pals are all GC bar one who is all on board with her new feminism, except she has had to acknowledge that her arguments don't hold weight and that the only way to make real sense of it is to see woke in it's political context which is to break down all structures and then rebuilt but when I added that her beautiful home might be part of that destruction, she admitted that armchair socialism was more her thing 😂 At least we haven't cancelled each other and I can make her laugh about it - think it is only a matter of time

A friend’s partner runs the local youth football team, and she’s been discussing things with him. Coincidentally or not, their first transgirl player is staying on the boys’ team with the other boys told firmly to use the new name and not be dicks about ‘feminine’ clothing choices. That seems genuinely progressive to me.

NoraEphronsNeck - Two female managers shared my concerns but only off the record .

This is the reality of how far this ideology has gone. People are so afraid of being labelled a bigot that they are terrified to say that they are even concerned.

Suspect many are indoctrinated by their woke jobs (several are academics).
Or they have ‘trans’ children, or their friends or family do. Even if you don’t believe your teenage niece is suddenly your nephew, you wouldn’t announce that on social media. To name an entirely hypothetical example, of course.

Also @CatChant love your post and your DH grinning like a shark as he preps your prey.

Thanks @Leafstamp for a great and very encouraging thread. I think every conversation helps. Stunned that so many politicians seem unaware of their party's actual policies! I have had some enthusiastic' conversations but can come over as over-invested and go immediately to volume 11, which can come over as too confrontational instead of conversational and persuasive. Need to perfect my banter and get an elevator pitch that clearly articulates the main points without immediately going to most gruesome and egregious specific examples. I have sent emails to companies. At (woke) work I did challenge a "gender instead of sex" in a client's company goal on equality, outlining how that could actually reduce female power in organisations. Was scared but glad I did it.
I'll get my banner and banter ready for a new day
Most of my friends are mum when I post on our group chat ANYTHING relating to sex/gender. Suspect many are indoctrinated by their woke jobs (several are academics).

Well done op

I rarely email but I, and others, wrote to Tampax US after a thread on here with offensive to women language and it’s now changed.

I wfh S/E so yet to face work place or this in schools