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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

UN investigates UK human rights body after ‘smear’ on chairwoman

37 replies

IwantToRetire · 08/01/2024 00:05

Unfounded allegations against an equalities chief have led to threats of human rights blacklisting against Britain by the United Nations.

Baroness Falkner of Margravine was cleared of bullying, harassment and discrimination and given an apology after an internal investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which she chairs.

A global human rights body has opened a review, based partly on the bullying smear, that could limit the EHRC’s involvement with UN human rights mechanisms including its Human Rights Council.

A dispute over transgender issues is the main driver of the decision by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (Ganhri) to put Britain’s equality body under the microscope by reviewing whether it should keep its A status as an independent monitor.

<a class="break-all" href="https://archive.ph/o/Rbnrm/www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mps-to-debate-gender-petition-backed-by-jk-rowling-qh0h0bctk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lord Shinkwin, a Conservative peer, told The Sunday Telegraph: “The fact they are using the bully allegations highlights the absurdity of the situation, they are clutching at straws that have disintegrated a long time ago.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/un-investigates-uk-human-rights-body-after-smear-on-chairwoman-vwd900wbw

Original story is in the Telegraph but cant find it.

This Times version can be read here https://archive.ph/Rbnrm

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DrBlackbird · 09/02/2024 08:54

This is just part of the power play by TRAs men.

Its never about TM is it. Always about the men who don’t like being told no.

StealthSpinach · 09/02/2024 06:11

UNWOMEN
UnWomen
Unwomen.

Says it all, really.

PatatiPatatras · 08/02/2024 22:51

Ah the UN. virus? Virus? What virus? Ah eh there's definitely no independent way of verifying the source.
Ukraine was invaded? Must be a local dispute.
They raped who? Are you sure?

The uk said the man is not a woman. Finally, a bad egg!

Farcical.

SinnerBoy · 08/02/2024 19:28

Ah, a circus performer on an upturned tub, clapping and flapping, catching a ball and going, "Arp! Arp! Arp!"

ResisterRex · 08/02/2024 19:17

Behold wims. A man hath arrived! With jobs for us to do.

Hoardasurass · 08/02/2024 19:15

DadJoke · 08/02/2024 18:51

I can't find any evidence that she was cleared or received an apology, merely that Badenoch suspended the investigation. Does anyone have a link suggesting otherwise?

Look harder then

DadJoke · 08/02/2024 18:51

I can't find any evidence that she was cleared or received an apology, merely that Badenoch suspended the investigation. Does anyone have a link suggesting otherwise?

SinnerBoy · 08/02/2024 18:41

From the Telegraph link:

Any decision to remove the EHRC’s so-called “A-status” would <a class="break-all" href="https://archive.ph/o/3pVc6/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/11/27/britain-faces-un-blacklist-over-trans-rights-lobby-ehrc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">see Britain lose its place at the table of the UN Human Rights Council and a number of UN bodies.

Yes, and the Committee has such exalted defenders of human rights:

https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/membership

Algeria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Newcastle United Saudi Arabia, Guatemala, Albania, Hungary...

It's as if they have no credibility as it stands.

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PriOn1 · 08/01/2024 22:17

”Both seem to indicate that those running the show nationally / globally either have no critical thinking skills at all, or have out-sourced all thinking, presumably to unelected special interest groups / global corporations.”

My concern was that people tend to judge others based on what they themselves do and how they act. Which indicates those at the top are both lazy and unethical and therefore assume those lower down the pecking order are like them. Pretty much fits with the evidence emerging about the recent behaviour of the Conservative government.

IwantToRetire · 08/01/2024 18:01

The Telegraph is a much better article so thanks for the link.

I agree with whoever said

They seem to be placing a lot of emphasis on the report of Victor Madrigal-Borloz......

There were threads on this at the time about how biased his visit had been, and I think Reem Alsalem wrote something challenging his report at the time.

I dont think it is necessarily linked to the party politics of any country, or how effective or relevant the UN is.

I think this is a direct example of just how worldwide the trans analysis is, so that they feel able to say women wanting same sex support or whatever is transphobic and is supported by so many.

This is just part of the power play by TRAs.

What better way to insult the UK for not meekly following the line taken by so many countries that trans rights come before anything else.

And to publicly humiliate (in their eyes) the UK, one of the founding members of the UN post WWII, than saying it doesn't meet the standards of Human Rights practices and so cant be part of making judgements about other countries!

After all this is part of the same thinking at the UN that is writing guidelines on trans care that equate to best practice being affirmation and prescribing hormones.

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EasternStandard · 08/01/2024 17:33

Women are getting it from all angles atm

Males supported by institutions and many

Women speaking up need to be take out - modern day McCarthyism

theilltemperedclavecinist · 08/01/2024 17:25

It's a huge blind spot though, isn't it - not to be able to see that, in terms of the sheer numbers, the vast majority of discrimination, disadvantage and violence in the world is being inflicted on people with a single protected characteristic. You know the ones I mean. We Who Must Not Be Named.

Froodwithatowel · 08/01/2024 17:08

The root of it will be that it's bloody inconvenient to men's sexual freedoms.

There'll be a fuckton of wangling and burble first, but that's what it will all boil down to.

theilltemperedclavecinist · 08/01/2024 17:03

Imnobody4 · 08/01/2024 16:36

This is ridiculous and doesn't refect well on Ganhri. They seem to be placing a lot of emphasis on the report of Victor Madrigal-Borloz......

The SCA also notes the concerns expressed by the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (IE- SOGI) in his end of
mission statement following his country visit to the United Kingdom in April-May 2023.
Following a meeting with the EHRC in May 2023, the Independent Expert expressed the opinion that the action of the EHRC, through its advice on the definition of ‘sex’ under the Equality Act, is “wholly unbecoming of an institution created to ‘stand up for those in need of protection and hold governments to account for their human rights obligations’”.

The SCA is of the view that third party submissions and publicly available information raise serious concerns about the continued compliance of the EHRC with the Paris Principles, including its ability to conduct its mandate independently, to take positions in line with international standards, and its cooperation with civil society.

In view of the information before it, the SCA decides to initiate a Special Review in accordance with
Article 16.2 of the GANHRI Statute in order to determine the EHRC’s ongoing compliance with the Paris Principles.

So Madrigal-Borloz thinks that sex shouldn't be a protected characteristic? How does he justify that?

igivein · 08/01/2024 16:42

theilltemperedclavecinist · 08/01/2024 16:40

I believe they assumed that SPMs had always been skimming, and the introduction of Horizon enabled them to be caught.

Just like the colossal rise in GD referrals means trans kids always existed but were previously suppressed by societal expectations.

It's the seeming inability to even consider an alternative hypothesis that worries me. It's confirmation bias on steroids.

theilltemperedclavecinist · 08/01/2024 16:40

igivein · 08/01/2024 16:16

This might sound a bit left field, but what you said chimed with something I read earlier about the Post Office scandal along the lines of why did nobody consider it strange that hundreds of formerly upright and hard-working postmasters had suddenly turned into criminals.
Both seem to indicate that those running the show nationally / globally either have no critical thinking skills at all, or have out-sourced all thinking, presumably to unelected special interest groups / global corporations. Neither of these possibilities fill me with hope for the future...

I believe they assumed that SPMs had always been skimming, and the introduction of Horizon enabled them to be caught.

Just like the colossal rise in GD referrals means trans kids always existed but were previously suppressed by societal expectations.

Imnobody4 · 08/01/2024 16:36

This is ridiculous and doesn't refect well on Ganhri. They seem to be placing a lot of emphasis on the report of Victor Madrigal-Borloz......

The SCA also notes the concerns expressed by the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (IE- SOGI) in his end of
mission statement following his country visit to the United Kingdom in April-May 2023.
Following a meeting with the EHRC in May 2023, the Independent Expert expressed the opinion that the action of the EHRC, through its advice on the definition of ‘sex’ under the Equality Act, is “wholly unbecoming of an institution created to ‘stand up for those in need of protection and hold governments to account for their human rights obligations’”.

The SCA is of the view that third party submissions and publicly available information raise serious concerns about the continued compliance of the EHRC with the Paris Principles, including its ability to conduct its mandate independently, to take positions in line with international standards, and its cooperation with civil society.

In view of the information before it, the SCA decides to initiate a Special Review in accordance with
Article 16.2 of the GANHRI Statute in order to determine the EHRC’s ongoing compliance with the Paris Principles.

igivein · 08/01/2024 16:16

theilltemperedclavecinist · 08/01/2024 13:35

... the bizarre supposition that lots of formerly middle of the road and leftist women, who’ve been generally supportive of extending human rights have suddenly entirely changed and have turned into raging anti-human rights bigots.

It's a mystery isn't it?

This might sound a bit left field, but what you said chimed with something I read earlier about the Post Office scandal along the lines of why did nobody consider it strange that hundreds of formerly upright and hard-working postmasters had suddenly turned into criminals.
Both seem to indicate that those running the show nationally / globally either have no critical thinking skills at all, or have out-sourced all thinking, presumably to unelected special interest groups / global corporations. Neither of these possibilities fill me with hope for the future...

500milesaway · 08/01/2024 15:57

I'm at the stage I couldn't care less.
The UK are the thorn in the side of the extremists. They are throwing everything at us for the UK govt to fold and also there are clear indications that the UN are deliberately provoking UK women.

Will it really be a bad thing? As a women living in the UK I don't give a shit if a UN man is upset that I can have access to spaces that exclude all males as per the Equality Act. What will remove the rights of UK women is policies that have Stonewall written all over them. We see today that police forces have a policy that is no more than sexual assault. It doesn't matter if its not legal- its the policy, its happening and women are having their rights removed.

I am just thoroughly sickened at how rotten this world is.

ArabellaScott · 08/01/2024 15:44

FFS. This is outrageous.

Froodwithatowel · 08/01/2024 14:48

It just isnt one topic though.

It's amazing how suddenly all the professed love of multiculturalism and gay coolness and rainbows and social justice and oh wow yes safeguarding goes west the second that person's diversity conflicts with a male person's desire for self expression using them.

And usually once the lid's come off it's quite amazing what starts to come out, and how very shallow and insincere a veneer it all was in the first place. Not to mention the staggering snobbery about anyone not of the same opinions is scum who needs to be made to do what their betters tell them.

Too cynical? Well, trained by pattern recognition and experience from talking with Starmer among others. There's a lot of it about and it isn't a little not really mattering much thing.

theilltemperedclavecinist · 08/01/2024 14:33

Froodwithatowel · 08/01/2024 13:50

And on the other hand there's the mystery of those who identify very loudly and vigorously about their left voting socialist credentials and how evil anyone is who does not vote as they do....

while their actions are all about embracing homophobia, racism, ageism, religious intolerance and misogyny. In a very un left political way.

It's almost like identifying as and in reality being are two totally different things.

You are too cynical. I know many irl who are rational, left-leaning, and not at all hateful, but whose thinking has gone awry on just this one topic.

They think I've been brainwashed by US Republicans/Christian Fundamentalists 'like' Badenoch/stupid celebrities 'like' Rowling/hateful anti-semitic conspiracy theorists 'like' Joyce/Tory-supporting sh*t stirrers in the MSM (they might not be 100% wrong on the last item, although they do also think the Guardian is transphobic FFS).

They think that once Labour are in power it will all go quiet, because they'll be busy fixing the economy, so trans people will no longer live in fear and can go back to quietly living their lives.

😂😂😂