Women's rights general conversations

Also - what the hell is wrong with - you’re a woman and you’re a man and you know what? You can live however you want, wear whatever you want, shag whoever you want, do whatever job you want, express your sexuality however you want… you don’t have to say you’re the opposite just to get to do the things you think the opposite sex has a monopoly on…

except.. that would mean equality, and opportunity, and tolerance, and truly fluid gender roles (woman engineer, male nurse), and no one giving a fuck about it. And it would mean living in a world where men didn’t deliberately want to predate upon women when they are at their most vulnerable (hospital, refuge, prison) without getting caught.

I’m so angry.

Hello, I’ve lurked for a while, joined up thread , and want to say two things -
firstly, Thank God for this thread and this space. It is unbelievably important for women to have this discussion (largely) uncensored. I’ve felt deeply uncomfortable with these developments for some time and now I’m furious.
Secondly - I talk to DH about this and he gets it (he’s always been feminist). He had a conversation in the pub last night with a close mate, who also got it completely (“there goes 40 years of hard won women’s rights” - I think Mrs Friend is one of us) - but I do think the GBP are, as you say, alive to the dangers of this flimsy web of deception and can see straight through it - but have had no opportunity to comment or participate.

I also live in a safe Labour seat, in Wales. I hope to God the Senedd don’t go mad as well.

I'm just the same, Sinner, safe Labour seat.

duc748

In the past I've banged on at the Old place about how everyone should vote, and spoiling ballot papers was rubbish.

It's with a heavy heart that I contemplate it. Unless there's a decent independent, it's what I'll need to do; it's a Labour safe seat, anyway. I first voted, in the local council elections, not long after I turned 18. I've missed a couple, being away at sea, but otherwise, I've always voted.

And even worse, I think we need Labour to reduce the harm to the NHS.

I think we're all on the same page there, bnbn.

Gah, sorry - didn't mean to quote that post! I'd been going to reply to it saying "sounds exactly like my constituency" and then got sidetracked in adding to my previous one.

Actually that's not quite fair - it's not the fault of those two threads as such, the whole place has stood aloof, or gagged, it's just that those threads would be the natural venue for a conversation if the world hadn't lost its mind.

I was thinking about the other place this morning. There is a long-running multi-iteration feminism thread there, and a similar one on Scotland. So, while this legal shambles has been parading through the Scottish Parliament (and with the potential for a major constitutional crisis as a result), the pair of those important threads have stood aloof, Three Wise Monkeys in an Ivory Tower. As the philosopher, Eric Cartman (whom I far prefer to Butler) would say: Weak, dude.

I live in a Tory safe seat and my MP is a waste of space who just does what he's told. Unless there's a photo opportunity, he's never seen.

Sad thing is, the country is in a state, the NHS is on its knees, and in many ways a Labour govt is very much needed. I've never been a Starmer fan, but I'd rather have him than the Tories. But if Labour can't get this most basic thing right, they don't deserve support. And the position of senior Labour women MPs (including my own) is very disappointing.

I won't vote Labour until this shit stops and if that's never then so be it, I'll spoil my ballot. As far as I'm concerned the Labour Party is finished.

This is the tragedy isn't it? Women haven't left labour. Labour have abandoned women and most egregiously children with their deliberate choices. Not a word about social contagion, Cass, unethical medical experimentation on children. Just appeasing men who self identify as women and placing them on a pedestal at the top of the oppression charts.
Yet they'll knock on my door like they did the other week still wanting my vote.

Jog on dudes and gals - not happening.

In the past I've banged on at the Old place about how everyone should vote, and spoiling ballot papers was rubbish. And I pretty much still take that view. But, as things stand now, I shan't be voting Labour, or Green (who, as Sinner says, are even worse), and I certainly won't vote Tory. If there's another candidate who doesn't share these looney views, fine, otherwise spoiling it may have to be.

I liked this from Johann Lamont:

My advice. Don’t justify the unjustifiable. Just say you made a choice. Picked a side. Decided who was expendable and who was collateral damage. But never tell a survivor of male violence that you feel their pain. Just tell them other things mattered more. And live with your pick.

twitter.com/JohannLamont/status/1606097050252165120

Justin Webb - speaking to Baroness Kennedy - used words like legal fiction and untruth.

Excellent.

I've always been a natural Labour voter, but they're not having it this time, despite the local MP being pretty decent. We've asked him for help twice and he / his office came through. I also didn't vote for them, after Iraq, until Blair flounced.

As a non-man, the Greens are out, as are Labour.

I voted Green twice, before I became aware of this whole disaster and learned that the Greens are entirely onboard with it. I don't know who's on the slate in May, but I may end up spoiling my ballot.

They only got back to me after about three months, Cyan!

They haven’t even bothered to reply to me!

From the Times article:

Much of the parliamentary process was quietly rigged. Quite rightly, the Holyrood committee considering the bill heard from plenty of transgender witnesses; mystifyingly, it refused to hear oral evidence from female survivors of male violence.

I was a Labour member too but left in 2019. I wrote and told them why and got a reply that basically said 'Okay, bye'. Fuck 'em.

Just been talking to my brother who has a lot of friends in Scotland and he said most people there are only just starting to realise what's happening and they're horrified. All the noise that women were making was ignored and people blithely looked the other way, but now it's too late.

I am still a member, and haven't resigned, yet. But membership is falling, and here's one of the main reasons. I think maybe if you're a member, and you state publicly that you're voting for someone else, say, on Twitter, they throw you out anyway?

Nor mine. I was a Labour member but have now resigned, and made clear exactly why.

And I'd never, ever vote Tory, but Labour aren't getting my vote whilst they support this madness.