Wish I was at this lunch

I hadn't heard of Rosie Jones before yesterday, and I must say she hasn't made a great first impression on me.

I had a "mad angry cry" unless you've been bereaved or had some really bad news, is up there with "how's your Boxing Day, I just killed a fox with a baseball bat" in making you look completely unhinged.

Absolutely disgusting though how she treated those women in the previous tweet, where's her sense of community here? Women are liars again eh? #Metoo mmmm

Thank you NecessaryScene for posting Magdalen Berns' video. How sad to think that she too should have been a part of that lunch. She'd have fitted right in!

Um, when Rosie is saying members of the community need to stop attacking each other, is she projecting there? or as my mum would say ‘ that’s the pot calling the kettle brunt arse’

While I'm here, let's contextualise "mad, angry cry".

You may remember a BBC article about samesex attracted women (aka lesbians) being pressured into sex by some transwomen (aka male transitioners)

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-57853385

This is how Rosie Jones reacted to that.

Thrilled to see that lesbians were trending, until I read why. I am not sharing the transphobic article, but I AM going to say that that piece of trash is not the consensus of all gay women. Next time when 'lesbians' are trending, can it just be loads of fit pictures of me?

So I take it she didn't cry for the lesbian whose rape was described in that BBC article.

However, some lesbians take photos of each other with JK Rowling at a restaurant and it's:

Just had a mad, angry cry about the photos of JK Rowling at the Terf gathering. It's disgusting how members of our community can be so hateful. How are we ever meant to break through barriers, and stop discrimination if we're too busy attacking each other? Stop. Hate.

Seems to me that Rosie has some seriously screwed up priorities here.

People are completely unhinged about Rowling.

I was at a friend of a friend’s house and her daughter was talking about reading and someone goes “oh, is she reading Harry Potter yet? I loved those books!” And the couple hosting got all huffy and said “we don’t allow that in our house.” So I played dumb and I said, “Oh, is it the witchcraft? I had no idea you were so religious!”

So then of course they said “no, it’s the transphobia and blah blah” so I played dumb again and said, “oh I had no idea! How dreadful! What did she do that was transphobic?” So then of course they starting seething without actually explaining what she did, and had the nerve to say “she weaponized her sexual trauma against Trans people.” So I said, “oh no! That sounds bad, do you mean she assaulted a Trans person?” Like the whole thing was so ridiculous. They couldn’t say what she did that was so bad but they were entirely convinced that stopping their daughter from reading was the right call.

Roald Dahl had horrible beliefs, but they’re not in James and the Giant Peach. Imagine refusing to let your child read a book because of your view of the author’s beliefs that you can’t even explain.

I should rather hope Dr Jones is not a Theory of Forms fan. I'd have to get her checked for a concussion if she were.

I'm just so happy how public they are with all the photos & having such a good time. It's a real don't give a fuck attitude & as someone with no friends in real life who totally agree with me on this subject, it's so heartwarming to see. Women who have been attacked, getting together & raising a banner. So glad of #respectmysex

I have to admit that I rarely go on Twitter but I did go on to have a look at the pictures and I really can’t get over the sheer venom and vitriol directed at a bunch of women having what appears to be a great time.

It is quite amazing that the group contained a SNP MP, a Labour MP and several other well known left wing supporters who it would seem, if Twitter is to believed, having the cause in which they are vocal supporters of, being funded by right wing extremists in America. It’s truly amazing that these highly intelligent women from across the political spectrum didn’t clock this

That looked like such a great event.
The twitter response has been overwhelmingly positive with some hilarious mantrums from people who just don't understand women.

Craig Murray's venom, being a Scottish Nationalist, is due to JKR's often vocal and financial support, to the 'NO' campaign in the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum.

That was a vicious campaign. I reckon Jo propagated her garden of No Fucks then.

I identify much more with lunching and cake. I have deeply held beliefs about cake.

Cake Matters.

Anyone here furious?

Yes me, about lots of things to do with the erosion of women's rights. Craig "six bedrooms, not nine" Murray isn't one of them. I'd never heard of him before today, is this the most well known he's ever been? Let him enjoy his moment in the spotlight.

@NitroNine 🤣 I'm enjoying your sarcasm. 👍

And would agree about the lobby. We lack awards, public funding, the imprimatur of a Stonewall, we even lack the support of women's organisations from the Women's Budget Group or Fawcett Society through to the WI! The NHS doesn't care about us.

Yup. And the government are failing to pay... well, whatever group we're presumed to belong to.... millions to lobby them. Odd that.

I agree. I don't 'hate' anyone or anything. Not being twelve. Or living in a country where sufficiently terrible things happen to justify the word. Mildly exasperated is about as good as it gets.

Is anyone else here a Veep fan? There’s a bit where they don’t want to be seen as lobbyists so they use some repurposing of language Stonewall would be proud of.

If I identify as a lobby can I get room service?

Furious? Weary of the repeated and wilful misrepresentation.

And would agree about the lobby. We lack awards, public funding, the imprimatur of a Stonewall, we even lack the support of women's organisations from the Women's Budget Group or Fawcett Society through to the WI! The NHS doesn't care about us.

Are we a 'lobby' btw?

If we are, we're doing a bloody awful job of it, since the funding is crap, there's no group think and the government won't let us in to discussions never mind have cosy little cups of tea behind closed doors while we fix policy to suit us.

I identify much more with lunching and cake. I have deeply held beliefs about cake.

I infuriated the anti-trans lobby

Anyone here furious?

Not so much. Amused, yes.

Embarrassing

Secret Barrister makes the point that advances in law and the resolution of injustices all too often involve people who are deeply unpleasant or with whom one might not wish to be associated but everyone recognises (as you do) that that has nothing to do with how fairly the legal/justice system should treat them.

I completely agree with you in principle, although I sometimes find the application of the ethics difficult to stomach.

However, I begin to suspect that Craig does not. In between finalising his holiday preparations (he leaves today), he did a twitter thread.

If you would, please chorus You're spoiling us, former Ambassador on the count of 3.

1,2,3! Thank you. As you were.

excerpt from Craig Murray's thread

My mistake was to take exception to a tweet showing Suzanne Moore and J K Rowling having a swanky lunch while portraying them as victims.
By querying their heroes, I infuriated the anti-trans lobby.

I dislike Moore very much for the horrible Blairite bile she poured continually on Corbyn and the relentless campaign against Julian Assange, even when he is in prison. Moore is an awful Establishment bully.
Rowling is a Blairite and a Unionist.
I don't like them to be lionised.

(SEVERAL TWEETS OMITTED)

But the unreasonableness that is manifesting itself now really makes that sort of understanding very difficult. What worries me is this. If I attract so much hatred for querying the sainthood of Rowling and Moore, how much more hatred is directed at trans people?

twitter.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/1513648335269289997?t=AGsXQcYz5dNAdtk9vA-zWQ&s=19

Thread there, if you can bear it. So this is all ultimately about how he doesn't like JK and Suzanne, so he doesn't care if they (or, by extension, women who associate with either of them) suffer injustice.

As for "hatred of trans people", I suggest that he watches this video of Onjali Raúf giving that speech I quoted above. You can hear the hateful voices screaming outside, and hear them hammering on the windows.

P.S. Like vast numbers of people, I can't afford to go on holiday, Craig...

Reading through the thread again I’m feeling even more joyful. Even more proud, truly, to stand amongst such strong, courageous, beautiful women of absolute integrity. Together we are STRONG.

Bloody, at times, but always and forever, unflinching and unbowed.