Mermaids vs LGB Alliance and Charity Commissioner - First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chameber) Thread 2

Gosh, Co In Ci Dence.

So - what was it an analogy of?

She's such a gabbler!

I can't find the 'born without sex' bit on threadreader. Can anyone help?

I still can't join the live court proceedings!! Anyone else having problems?

Oh shame gifs don't play properly- it was this one!

Oh thank you everyone for updating the thread! Me right now 👇🏻

Another one here unable to watch live and very grateful to everyone here for the commentary (and humour!).

Thank you all, I'm following with interest (and incredulity!).

Yes, thank you from me as well. Can't log in as not in the UK. Would love to be viewing in real time, but the commentary here and the tweets from tribunaltweets on Twitter are really giving a flavour of the proceedings.

Quick thank you to everyone keeping us updated - riveting!

I'm sure it's not lost on the judge that mens reaction to mixed saunas is going to be vastly different to that of women. Gay or straight.

All this “I’m not an expert”, “It’s very complicated” and “I’m not a medical doctor” reminds me of Father Jack Hackett being coached to only answer “Yes” or “That would be an ecumenical matter” to the bishops.

Video clip while we wait for proceedings to resume.

Thanks for the new thread and brilliant commentary.

Re Scandinavia

Some women aren't bothered by being naked in a space with men. Like in some Scandinavian countries

I spent a happy holiday in Gothenburg quite few years ago with a friend who lived there. We caught a tram to a place by the sea where there were separate female and male bathing areas (with high fencing all around for privacy). It was lovely. Mostly naked women, not all, elderly ladies with their hair in curlers, mahogany tan, mopping up some sort of evil alcohol and pickled herring rolls.

In recent years I have read reports of these places going the same way as the Ladies Pond at Hampstead Heath. Such a shame. And definitely not welcomed.

As regards private saunas I once worked with someone who recounted how, when she was a teenager, her family moved to Sweden for her father's job. He blagged an invitation for her to go to a party with his work colleagues' teenagers. At some point they gravitated to the sauna, mixed and naked. Being shy she wasn't sure what to do so say there sweating wearing her thick Norwegian hand knitted sweater!

Lesbian gay and bisexual people should not support lesbians, this should be medically qualified people only as they are too specialised and complicated.

This.

Bloody hell. Is she actually saying there is an agenda to pathologise homosexuality?

Jeez.

Did you manage to read the WHOLE tweet?
including the bit where Malcolm describes David Davis as ‘a champion for freedom of expression?’

Or were you too busy rushing over here to make a dick of yourself?

Do you understand that freedom of expression that David Davis champions was and is an absolute necessity for minority groups to be able to campaign for their rights?

and that some principled people stand up for freedom of expression for all, including those they disagree with?

Did you actually participate in the various national discussions that led to equal marriage for same sex partners?

I’m guessing not as if you did you might remember that there were plenty of ACTUAL HOMOSEXUAL PEOPLE who rejected the entire concept:

www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22758434

(and yes, some people objected on religious grounds! And some objected on lesbian feminist grounds!)

it’s *having a debate^ about all this, a free and fully expressed debate, that eventually made same sex marriage legal.

Fuck me, the standard of public debate really has plummeted since Twitter was founded.

I'm watching with my earmuffs headphones on and subjecting DH to random outbursts as he is wfh

I have also deployed my muffs and keep annoying DP with quotes, he didn't look impressed or particularly interested until the born without a sex quote, that got the rant I was looking for 😅

This. It's religious mania.

Too much of what is coming out is incoherent burble.

Lesbian gay and bisexual people should not support lesbians, this should be medically qualified people only as they are too specialised and complicated.

How bloody homophobic is that?!!!! So bloody complicated and specialised I need a medic do I? What exactly is so fucking complicated about lesbians all of a sudden?

Imagine her response if it was suggested that trans kids should be medically mediated only and protected from any other form of support or organisation?

Brilliant post RedToothBrush.

Some interesting text here:

"Mermaids, another transgender charity, received £10,000 in the 2019-20 financial year from a fund administered by UK Youth, a charity which receives hundreds of thousands of pounds each year in government grants and lottery funding.
The charity has been criticised over its campaigning for children to be allowed better access to puberty blockers and other medical options. Mermaids declined to comment and UK Youth did not respond to requests for comment."

and

"Trans activist charities that promote “dangerous” agendas are receiving taxpayers’ money because of a loophole that ministers have now vowed to close.
Controversial groups including Mermaids and Gendered Intelligence are being given grants by other charities that receive government funding, because of a lack of oversight by Whitehall."

I’m reading this in awe with the knowledge that it was Mermaids who brought this case to the courts
WTF