No British - No Women

[MrSpoc]

I have just come across this article:

www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Huntingdon-St-Ives-St-Neots/Playgroup...

am i being unreasonable to be disgusted at how this can be legal.

mayorquimby - I could see no problem with it, once again if it's a private group and not a commercial entity then they can set their own criteria for membership

Ermm, no they can't. Whether an entity is commercial or non-commercial, they still have to abide by the Equality Act.

There is broad scope under the Act to restrict membership to, or provide services (paid or un-paid) to particular groups. What would be problematic is defining the group in terms of who you exclude.

So:
"Francophone Toddler Group" - fine
"Over-70s Club" - fine
"No Blacks or Irish Society" - not fine

The "No Brits Allowed" toddler group is on dodgy ground.

Nicely avoided? Oh do shut up. I've lived in Bradford and Leeds, areas where xenophobia is rife.take your smart arse comments and see if they think you're clever.

No wonder more and more people are turning to mthe right when even people such as myself who have received death threats from the BNP get accused of being xenophobic,.

You have no idea. None.

it seems that the group in question only excludes white brits. i definitely think tehy should be called on that one.

Psammead how do you no this group is aimed at people who speak your language. The group is for every nation except the British. you would not be garanteed to meet anyone from your home nation.

Can you not see how wrong this is.

If it was a small group for example, samali women to offer help and advice then that would be fine.

This group is for everyone except they wish to exclude a country which they have chosen to live.

Psammead
However, as soon as I see a group aimed toward people who speak my language or who share similar experiences with me of being a foreigner, it sparks my interest and I check it out

This isn't a group of people who speak one language or are promoting a culture or language

It is all nationalities with the exception of the british can#t you see that's offensive? I would personally never set foot in a place like that.

TheSecondComing and yet you understood what i wrote. i can only assume you r a cock

TheSecondComing and where have i said that i hate on the basis of ethnicity? Please re read any of my post.

You are coming across as a snobish child who cannot win a debate and resorts to sly tactics. now jog on.

Why would you WANT to go if the majority of the women cannot speak English? Just to be there and make a point you made it in?

Ridiculous, if there's "plenty of other clubs" for mothers to go to, then go to them.

posie, can you explain the middle sentence of your last posting please. It didn't make sense.

How do you know that if you went the other women do not speak English?

The group is for every nation except for British people. There are loads of countries around the world that speak English as thier first language.

Hogsback what if it was called;

"International mothers' group" or

"Foreign mothers' group".

Would it then be ok? Is it the wording that's pissing everyone off or the fact they can't get into a club they probably wouldn't be bothered about if it weren't to complain?

I'm guessing Caucasian Americans were welcome then?

It seems to me that this is a group set up for people who have experienced the common factor of being foreign.

This is a daunting thing is a real uniting factor. It could easily be the case that in regular toddler groups these women don't understand everything that's being said, or they can't keep up with topics of discussion or they want to discuss other topics such as bringing children up bilingually, and feel somewhat excluded and not catered for. Why begrudge them a place like this?

Perhaps it's an opportunity for women who are not local (in the sense of British) to get together and talk about things;

English lessons
Joining the library
Driving lessons/licence etc

Perhaps it was an opportunity for them to feel alien together.

What on earth is the problem?

There is no problem but some people get very insecure and think they are missing out of something. It is fear and prejudice in a very simple form.

LadyOfTheManor

Maybe because some people want to intergrate with different cultures and would like their children too as well?

"Perhaps it's an opportunity for women who are not local (in the sense of British) to get together and talk about things;"

but then why was the non-white british woman allowed to stay?

But are the two mutually exclusive, evildead? It is very possible that these women belong to other groups too and that they are giving British children the benefit of learning about their culture.

How is this being prejudice?

as far as i can tell everyone has said that if this was a group set up for a simple reason as:

A french speaking group (to aid with their language french language skills)
A Asian women group (to offer support & advice)

then this would be fine. its that fact that it is for every other nation except British and is only a toddler group not a supporrt group of any kind. Why is that ok?

Surely that would happen at school? WHen the said mothers were not discussing breast feeding/language schools.

Perhaps they would like a few weeks to find their feet with local cultural things (market day/buses etc).

I don't understand what the fear is of not being included in that.

I as a foreigner would never step foot in a place that excluded an entire section of people like that.

When I lived in Europe I sometimes went to expats meetings where Englsih was the common language but never to the exclusion of the locals (who would come to expose themselves to a different culture and language) It was also a chance for to me make friends with the locals and then later practice my language skills with them.

"Like I said MIF it's a prerequisite and common goal. I did understand. This is not the case with the playgroup, they just enforce the rule NO British."

Yes - but if the REASON for the rule "no British" is "we want a couple of hours a week breathing space from the dominant culture" then I say, forget the law, let them get on with it.

I have spent a lot of time abroad and, though I try to avoid expat communities like the plague, I am very aware of the burden that places on you, not just as a Brit but as a FOREIGNER. The assumption that you share the common values; the assumption that you get the jokes; the assumption that you understand what all the foods on sale in the supermarket are made of; the assumption that the weather is no problem because you have grown up with it; the assumption that you understand the culture and its taboos; the assumption that you watched the same TV programmes as a child ... this is immensely physically and mentally tiring and a saftey valve with others in the same boat would often be a welcome thing. Ironically, the better you are at the language and fitting in, the harder it is, because the assumptions just get more automatic.

And the cost is £5k? Councils spend more than that every week on photocopying. Let them have their fun, I say.

But why wouldn't you want British people there?? Thats the point? Why would they actually say "no" to a mother who had come in with a child. How humiliating. WHy would she ruin their group?