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Original poster

What does 2024 hold?

33 replies

LookFor · 20/12/2023 16:00

I can’t envision the UK post General Election - no outcome fills me with particular glee. I’m worried about what the SNP have in store for gender non-conforming children and women’s rights. Will they get ousted or are we stuck with them forever?

On the popular culture front, I’m looking forward to seeing what Chris Sweeney does for the adaptation of ‘What it feels like for a Girl’ by Paris Lees (in a looking-through-my-fingers way - he’s a brilliant Director) I’ve got a feeling it will create a lot of heat as will Dr Who.

I’m hoping Eddie Izzard will give up on politics although I fear he may be a Question Time fave. I’m hoping Ellie Gommersal will disappear off every Scottish News Producer’s speed dial when they want to discuss women’s issues in Scotland.

I feel a lot has happened in 2023 but every victory for women’s rights seems to be met with another appalling travesty of the law. I’ve been on MN for 15+ years and I’m selfishly grateful my kids have navigated school with critical thinking skills in tact. I hope society doesn’t hamper my DD by further denuding her protections as a female.

And of course I pathetically hope for world peace but can’t articulate any words to discuss that right now. If I was the fundamentalist Christian, Right Wing bigot others might think I am, I might offer up a prayer. But I’m not.

How’s everyone else feeling about going into next year? Any predictions, hopes, recipes??!

Oh and finally a big up for ForWomen Scotland and all they’ve done this year. And the Let Women Speak roadshow that I enjoyed attending in Glasgow - and all the countless, courageous women’s groups/individuals who have raised me out of the pits of despair on many an occasion.

Keep on keeping on!

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Waitwhat23 · 26/12/2023 21:54

My hopes for 2024 -

  • the Scottish Government get a haud of themselves (every party is shite)
  • that the I am Sarah case wins and organisations across the UK get the moral courage to actually use the single sex exemptions allowed to them under the EQA2010
  • that the Mermaids investigation finally comes to a conclusion
  • that the Scottish Greens are finally, finally given the heave ho and told to fuck off

This is how I currently feel....

What does 2024 hold?
What does 2024 hold?
lordloveadog · 26/12/2023 07:19

There's going to be a lot of reframing of self-ID in different terms in the hope that we won't realize what's going on.

Proposing a clear policy and having a public debate on it was a disaster for the trans lobby.

Their lobbying will go back into backrooms and opaque terminology.

TheABC · 25/12/2023 20:47

For 2024, my feminist wishlist includes:

  • the publication of the Cass report
  • court cases found in favour of iamsarah, and Jo Phoenix. On the other side of the world, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Giggle's court challenge.
  • A brilliant Filia
  • Decent GE manifestos addressing the NHS, housing crisis, male violence and climate change.
  • The death of self-ID as a political project.
AutumnCrow · 23/12/2023 16:52

Boiledbeetle · 22/12/2023 21:58

Just because one woman flashed her fake minge Merkin at you this time last year suddenly you hate genitalia haircuts! Here have some merkin bunting to wrap round your holly bush!

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All around my twat I will wear the green willow
And all around my twat for a twelve-month and a day 🎶

Original poster
LookFor · 23/12/2023 12:39

Oh and I hope I manage to avoid being arrested by the Met Police for airing my opinions on a hugely supportive, useful, diverse, educational, entertaining, thought-provoking, expansive, revelatory, informative internet forum. Thank you MN for being here.

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Original poster
LookFor · 23/12/2023 12:31

Reading that Janice Turner article just reminds me of the constant battling that’s gone on. I hope we don’t have to battle so hard next year but I’ve got the feeling we will - and I’m here for it!

I’ve lost count of the petitions signed, consultation forms filled in - the hours and hours of reading dry policy documents to ensure I’m properly understanding and not just being swept along. It’s been hard not to cave at the injustice sometimes and retreat from it all. But I can never back down from it as it permeates everything. I’m doing this for my DD as much as myself. And all the while never losing compassion and perspective.

Good luck IamSarah - you can rest assured we’ll be behind you. If I find it exhausting in a rearguard action kind of way, I can’t imagine what it’s like fighting this on the frontline. But you never know when you yourself will find yourself on the frontline, having to battle for your children, for your job, for your sport.

As I say, 2024 is General Election year - there’s going to be a lot of manoeuvring - a lot of fake promises and posturing. How much substance there is behind it all will probably take a while to reveal itself. I think I will be having more frank discussions with people in the run up to the election. More discussions with colleagues and neighbours. And I know that organisations like Sex Matters have made this infinitely more possible - or at least will make me feel supported to have these conversations.

Anyway, bring it on 2024. Peace and strength to everyone on this board and have a lovely Christmas 🤶

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thirdfiddle · 23/12/2023 11:20

I'd be in favour of banning sex specific school uniforms/hairstyle requirements. And maybe something to limit the number of branded items too. There's a step that will make both feminists and gender advocates happy. (Though not those gender advocates who /want/ clothes to be different in order that they can signal gender.)

MargotBamborough · 23/12/2023 07:31

ApocalipstickNow · 22/12/2023 22:12

Schools should definitely not be checking how you style your pubes #whateveritsabovemypaygrade

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Yes, that would be a major safeguarding issue!

stealtheatingtunnocks · 22/12/2023 22:49

I want some talent in parliaments. Preferably ones who know what a woman is. Preferably ones who are women

ApocalipstickNow · 22/12/2023 22:12

MargotBamborough · 21/12/2023 11:18

Can you explain what you think is illegal about the guidance and what a "genitalia-appropriate haircut" is?

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Schools should definitely not be checking how you style your pubes #whateveritsabovemypaygrade

AtrociousCircumstance · 22/12/2023 22:09

@IamSarah Strength be with you. I hope you win big, and your win proves to be a vital domino falling in the right direction.

Boiledbeetle · 22/12/2023 22:05

As to the actual question of the thread I hope more sanity will be on the cards and less WTF moments.

And I hope that @IamSarah absolutely demolishes the other side in the court case!

Boiledbeetle · 22/12/2023 21:58

RealFeminist · 21/12/2023 14:15

#GENTILALIA HAIRCUTS ARE DISGUSTANG

Just because one woman flashed her fake minge Merkin at you this time last year suddenly you hate genitalia haircuts! Here have some merkin bunting to wrap round your holly bush!

What does 2024 hold?
HagoftheNorth · 22/12/2023 21:35

Sarah, good luck for 2024, and thank you for what you’re doing 💐

IamSarah · 21/12/2023 15:19

My case (GCS vs Survivors Network) will be in June 2024.

Hoping to win it obviously. Even if I don't win, politicians will have to address the fact that women no longer have single sex rape crisis services.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61958346.amp

Sausagenbacon · 21/12/2023 14:31

I'd like somebody pass a law that would see misogyny treated as a hate crime
No. Stella Creasey wants this.just as Annaliese Dodds wants transphobia to be a hate crime.
I want all hate crime to be abolished as a category.

MrsOvertonsWindow · 21/12/2023 14:18

School uniform policy (including hairstyles) have been the subject of a number of legal challenges made against schools. There is guidance from the DfE that addresses how schools can balance a school's requirement for a uniform while not discriminating against boys / girls, different ethnic / religious groups. Hair is included if I recall correctly.
I've worked in a school where we struggled to keep gang insignia out of the school - it revolved around certain hair styles (for boys) and carrying a certain colour of gloves at the time. Sounds ridiculous but our boys were being stabbed and attacked on the streets and this spread into the school. So one of our interventions was to formally bar all gang related insiginia. It's a minefield for schools trying to balance so many competing issues.

(sorry for the derail but it's an example of the sheer range of issues schools have to manage)

RealFeminist · 21/12/2023 14:17

MargotBamborough · 21/12/2023 11:18

Can you explain what you think is illegal about the guidance and what a "genitalia-appropriate haircut" is?

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BECAUSE ITS MAIR PROGRESSIVE TAE DEFINE PEOPE BY THEIR GENTILS AN YE CANNAE JUST SAY WUMMAN OR MANNIE

RealFeminist · 21/12/2023 14:15

#GENTILALIA HAIRCUTS ARE DISGUSTANG

IcakethereforeIam · 21/12/2023 14:12

Genitalia appropriate haircuts? Erm! If you're male you can't have a Brazilian?

Definitely looking forward to the results of more court cases, here and abroad. People getting braver at speaking up against this nonsense. Tunnocks - the Musical! Under the Duvet of Darkness - the Musical! And volume 3, of course 😁

MargotBamborough · 21/12/2023 14:03

MrsOvertonsWindow · 21/12/2023 13:58

Oh no Margot - don't ask that (about the haircut) . It sounds like another grim fetish that women will be expected to accommodate 🙄

Edited
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I actually looked in the guidance to see whether haircuts are mentioned.

It says that some schools have different uniform rules for boys and girls, including in some cases haircuts, and that trans identifying students should expect to follow the same uniform rules that apply to members of their own sex.

Obviously any school which still doesn't allow girls to wear trousers is living in the dark ages and needs to be challenged on that.

Otherwise, I assume this means that some schools don't allow boys to wear skirts or have long hair. I think schools should probably relax about long hair on boys as long as it is neat and tidy, but there may be a safeguarding issue if you let teenage boys wear skirts.

MrsOvertonsWindow · 21/12/2023 13:58

MargotBamborough · 21/12/2023 11:18

Can you explain what you think is illegal about the guidance and what a "genitalia-appropriate haircut" is?

Show quote history

Oh no Margot - don't ask that (about the haircut) . It sounds like another grim fetish that women will be expected to accommodate 🙄

MargotBamborough · 21/12/2023 11:18

ButterflyHatched · 20/12/2023 18:12

I'm hoping that with this patently illegal and ridiculous 'genitalia-appropriate haircuts only' school guidance binned, Kemi 'last year's LGBA conspiracy theory is my sincere parliamentary platform today' Badenoch added to the ever growing conga line of failures and the Tories finally given the boot, we'll be able to slowly catch up on a decade's worth of economic and cultural decay.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up, though. Starmer still has plenty of time to screw our future up even further.

Can you explain what you think is illegal about the guidance and what a "genitalia-appropriate haircut" is?

jcakey · 21/12/2023 11:11

I'd like somebody pass a law that would see misogyny treated as a hate crime and people who threaten women online and at women's only gatherings and use the term "terf" to face arrest - what's sauce for the goose etc. And institutional misogyny to be recognised, so police forces face consequences for not taking rape/ domestic violence seriously, and the NHS and other providers face consequences for not providing single sex spaces, a failure to use the word "women" in their provision etc. We could see providers ranked on a star system as to how much of an ally they are to women. I'd also like to see a public inquiry into what has taken place in schools.

PS - I realise none of this might actually happen!