Cancellation of WRN NI event at Féile festival.

Looks like a face-lift or botox.

Sex Matters have posted a blog entry on the rearranged WRN panel in Belfast:

https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/speaking-up-for-respect-rights-and-reality-in-northern-ireland/

Not the point at all but did anyone else think Mary Lou looked totally different?? I can't put my finger on it, I know she's had a haircut but her face looks different?

Her and that Mayor and the "feminist" sitting down are all traitors to their sex. It's appalling.

What cowards, they haven't even got the courage of their own convictions. They always react the same, eh? Face down and ignore.

While I agree with everything Helen wrote, I wish she had stuck to countering the initial article written by Morris rather than the debate she had on the radio (if it could be called that) She could have still made all the salient points but might have had more chance of it being published. Then again, maybe not. It's such a shame that the public won't get to read a balanced viewpoint on this issue.

Oh she legitimately does do some good work, and has status accordingly. I think that's potentially why she felt comfortable dealing with the issue in the dismissive way she did.

I saw a good tweet, can't find it now, where someone raised the point that whoever came up with the idea that the story was best covered through an opinion piece rather than something more meaty could usefully reflect on that decision.

It seems she does some good work.

But the viciousness with which she attacks WRNI etc is clear defensiveness. They are, at worst, women with a different opinion. Why would that inspire such rage? A journo would normally want to look into a pertinent matter, not reject it furiously. Surely.

I reckon the day a man pretending to be a woman gets the hard edged nasty voice in an interview instead of the softly softly dontyoulookjustlovely voice, he will know he has passed.

What an infuriating interview. "Tristan this, Tristan that". "Isn't it remarkable that Tristan was an orangeman last week and is a transwoman this week?".

No, it's not remarkable. Tristan was a man last week and is a man this week, and he should continue to be treated as one when it comes to the law, despite now wanting to be called Isabelle. Why do people, such as this presenter, completely lose their minds when a man announces he is a woman? It's baffling.

I could tell Fiona was losing patience by the end, what with constantly being talked over and then the presenter demanding to know how it impacts her to use female pronouns for Tristan. And then he wouldn't let her finish her sentence when she tried to explain exactly how it would impact her and other women.

Mary Lou McDonald (leader of Sinn Féin and member of parliament in ROI) asked for comment on the cancellation of WRN by Féile. Mary Lou was reticent to give her thoughts (most likely, in addition to political reasons for this reticence, there are family reasons also):

https://x.com/RoisinMichaux/status/2084804940401139797?s=20

https://nitter.net/RoisinMichaux/status/2084804940401139797?s=20

Fiona McAnena interview on BBC Radio Ulster yesterday. Needless to say, Fiona didn't get the 'sympathetic voice' easy ride from the presenter that previous trans interviewees received recently:

https://x.com/JournalismSEEN/status/2084761493342445617?s=20

https://nitter.net/JournalismSEEN/status/2084761493342445617?s=20

Morris is a bit of a star columnist for them, and she has made tackling VAWG in NI a big part of her writing. This fact is why Morris traducing WRN is so disappointing and frustrating.

So much for a free press, I guess they didn't want to publish an article that would reflect badly on the competence of someone they employ. 😤

Helen Joyce wrote an article in response to Allison Morris’ factually incorrect column (about WRN being cancelled by Féile An Phobail). The article was rejected by Morris’ paper, The Belfast Telegraph.

www.thehelenjoyce.com/p/the-article-beltel-rejected

Thats me in then 😂

Thank you, sounds great! Any protests outside?

It's Toilet Karen bingo! 😄

The WRN event is going ahead at a new Belfast venue. I found some live tweeting from the event by Róisín Michaux for anyone who's interested:

https://x.com/RoisinMichaux/status/2084557451328700903?s=20

For those not on TwiX
https://nitter.net/RoisinMichaux/status/2084557451328700903?s=20

Nice to know that certain sections of the NI press are so reasonable and open-minded when it comes to women's rights:

https://x.com/Toby_1979/status/2084013305555747155?s=20

https://nitter.net/Toby_1979/status/2084013305555747155?s=20

It says that the venue is in Belfast city centre but details will be sent to participants who have tickets closer to the time.

Brilliant. Is venue TBC?

I see the WRN network tickets sold out very quickly and I missed the boat! They will be doing a free recording which will be available afterwards.

I used to teach biology, not religion. Biology is factual not a belief system.

Hate the word 'belief' in this context.

such as a belief that sex correlates with biology rather than identity

It's not a belief, it's a fact!

Quite a good statement, we are so used to the 'both sides are toxic' line that it's a relief that her statement is more thoughtful and even-handed that that.

It doesn't say so in so many words, but I think the obvious conclusion to draw from it is that WRN were denied the right to participate in 'public debate'.

I have doubts about this though:
Employment tribunals and courts in Great Britain have accepted that people who hold, or do not hold, particular beliefs about gender identity may be protected against unlawful discrimination. That protection may apply both to so-called ‘gender critical beliefs’, such as a belief that sex correlates with biology rather than identity, and to so-called ‘gender identity beliefs’, such as a belief that everyone has a gender identity which may differ from their biological sex.

This implies that 'gender ID' beliefs are the same as 'GC' beliefs, but only the latter have been ruled WORIADS.

But overall, it's good that somebody is keeping a firm hold on the concepts of objectivity and fairness!