RSPB again

"I would imagine that there might be many women out there who are interested in nature, birds, walking and female company. I imagine many of the target participants are aged over 60 and they might well have (1) had enough of men, and (2) not wish to turn up at a car-park in the middle of nowhere and find that it is them and a bloke that are the first two to have turned up."

Yes. I've got access to nature hides (birdwatching hides) around me - they're great. You just pay £5 for a key and you can access all of them. So often though I go and it's just me and one or two men with their cameras. And they're often in isolated places. It's rare for it to be me and another woman. I imagine it's similar in car parks for birdwatching walks.

I wonder if they have any evidence or other reason to believe that the kind of man who identifies as a woman doesn't mansplain, perv on or otherwise make women uncomfortable - those, apparently, being the reasons for a women-only event.

That might be a question worth asking them.

Already resigned over this - had the same response to my complaint as others. I would love to know how many (real) women members they have lost.

I had no idea about this and am really angry. As a PP said, there is no point trying to attract women who may otherwise not feel comfortable going to these events if men are there, if you're saying "well men can come anyway if they feel like it"...

Email sent to their membership team and if there's not a decent response (which I doubt, going from the replies above) then they can cancel my membership too. Which is a real shame as I'm sure they do some great work, but I refuse to give any of my money to charities who only pay lip service to women's concerns.

Grrrrr

There's a denial on Google that they have a senior non binary director.

The money we donate(d) goes to paying their staff and all the other expenses a business has, because that is what it is, it is a business. A business to promote birds and sometimes help them but a business all the same. They are employing a DEI person, a person whose job it is to try and get disabled, ethnic minorities and, for some reason, trans people interested in and have access to birds. That is where your money is going, it's not always spent on bird seed, hides or nest boxes.

I got the same response - blah blah, waiting for guidance, it's al soooo complicated, blah blah

"We're awaiting the updated Code of Practice and formal guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Once published, we will take time to review the Code and formal guidance carefully, ensuring we fully understand its implications for our charitable activities.

Our goal is always to ensure that everyone feels welcome, included and safe when engaging with nature and our work"

Except women obviously. We don't give a shit about them. Unless they think men are women and believe that men have every right to trample over the sex based rights of women , in which case, come join our circus!

I’ve had similar word salad replies from RSPB

The only ones who suffer are the birds.
If we adopt the #BeKind narrative then we will never get anywhere.

And surely it won’t matter if lots of women withdraw their support, they’ll have all the donations from their trans members that they’re pandering to?
Absolutely. We are always saying on this board "follow the money". We need to make organisations feel the wrath of the (departed) female-pound.

But why should women support a sexist misogynistic organisation? And surely it won’t matter if lots of women withdraw their support, they’ll have all the donations from their trans members that they’re pandering to? So it’ll all work out even won’t it?

It doesn’t take away from the work they do to protect wildlife..which is the point of giving them money. It’s not like they’re using that money to raise money for trans rights. It’s got nothing to do with their work. The only ones who suffer are the birds. If the reason they’re pro-trans is because their director is non-binary, like a PP said, then they won’t change their position no matter how much support they lose. Withdrawing support for a good cause over this is pointless and petty.

Exactly what they said to us!!!

I'm happy to help out with a pair of binoculars if it helps 😊

Key points from RSPB's replies to me were:

• "Events organised by the RSPB and advertised as for women or ‘women-only’ are open to anybody who identifies as a woman;
• We also welcome non-binary people who feel comfortable in a women-only space;
• We are aware of the Supreme Court ruling and like many organisations, we are awaiting the updated Code of Practice and formal guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission;
• Once published, we will take time to review the Code and formal guidance carefully, ensuring we fully understand its implications for our charitable activities".

So they are deliberately choosing to stick with Trans ideology and they plan to drag it out as long as they can.

However the birds don't need to suffer if you give your money to another wildlife charity which isn't ideologically captured.

Got a nice one thanks. You?

My fella too. I don't know how the guardsmen outside Buck House manage to stand a watch.

I agree about prostate issues. Our twitchers are more mature. Mind you my grandsons have bladders the size of gnats. Especially if it's a cold day

So they could choose to jump off it, couldn’t they. Entirely their choice.

Tbf to the RSPB it's not just their reserves and it's generally the less well trodden areas but it does happen. I'd actually rather they piss outside than go into a hide stinking of wee. I try to think it's an old man problem, prostrates and distance from the loos but, being on a reserve, I don't understand why they go in sight of the hides. Obviously NABWALT, i won't see the blokes who are discreet and if women do it we'd be less visible because we're crouching 🤔

really? I’ve been an RSPB member for years and have never seen this.

Plenty of mansplaining, but no other inappropriate behaviour…

The RSPB shouldn't be risking having to spend their members and visitors precious money defending this risible nonsense in court then.

The birds shouldn’t have to suffer just cos they’ve jumped on the gender ideology bandwagon. Loads of organisations are doing the same thing out of fear of being labelled transphobic. Not really their fault. Definitely not the birds’ fault