to think that people who attack "woke" shouldn't be surprised when institutions like the Met Police are found to be institutionally sexist, racist, homophobic etc

[cakeorwine]

It reminds me of the scene in Casablanca when the police inspector is shocked at finding gambling at Ricks.

The right wing media attack "woke" all the time. There seems to be an issue when people speak up, try to do things differently, try to change a culture at a place.

And then they act shocked when it's found that the Met Police have a culture of misogyny, racism, homophobia etc.

Given all the attacks on people who try to change a culture, to try to get people to see other points of view, to try to speak up about diversity issues, it's not surprising that it doesn't seem to have been taken seriously and tolerated as trying to make changes would be seen as "woke" and the right wing media would turn on them.

The police are institutionally sexist, homophobic, racist and very woke which says a lot about how being woke has been twisted from its original thinking. White sexist males hijacking a movement started by tolerant black women- who would have expected that?

Most people are in between the 2 extremes. They don't want racism, sexism and homophobia and think that people on both extremes behave unacceptably.

Exactly. The Met (and other police forces like West Yorkshire) are rainbow flagging all over their social media and out in force for Pride marches, photographing themselves with leather-clad kink people walking each other on leashes. It serves a wonderful double purpose of entrenching misogyny and gaslighting more credulous members of the public into thinking that they are progressive. Woke-signalling is basically the 2020s version of greenwashing, for toxic institutions and corporations to veil their vile practices under.

Probably and it hasn’t improved things just hidden what’s going on.

As others have said 'woke' is about virtue signalling and putting rainbows on everything whilst continuing to be institutionally misogynist etc. Woke is a smokescreen for some of the most intolerant behaviour I've ever seen.

'Woke' is about pretending you care and then not bothering with, for example, attending domestic violence reports. Or doing anything about rapists in the police force. 'Woke' is sending police officers to interview a woman for being 'untoward about paedophiles' and failing to investigate actual reports of paedophilia / rape / trafficking etc

Woke is about saying you supporting LGBT+ rights and then tell Lesbians they're bigots for not wanting sex with men.

It's good to see so many MNetters are not taken in by the bullshit!

MN - the home of critical thinkers....

I have a disabled friend and she says disability access and accommodations are going backwards at speed. It's like those rainbow crossings that were risking the lives of visually impaired people. But it doesn't matter because putting disabled people at greater risk is fine as long as it's rainbow coloured and 'progressive' tfn.scot/news/rainbow-crossings-could-cause-accidents-say-charities

The right wing media are fanning the flames of the "woke" debate and seem to constantly attack any move towards changing workplaces, looking at diversity, diversity training etc.

You don't need training to tell you that putting bacon in the shoes of a Muslim officer is wrong. They knew that it was wrong, that's why they did it. It's a discipline issue, not a training issue.

You can tackle racism and sexism in the force without getting bogged down in microaggressions, critical race theory, pronoun declarations and all of the other bullshit. Stonewall's Diversity Champions scheme, plus the training offered by the likes of Mermaids are harmful to women.

Frankly, in my experience woke = sexist, disablist and homophobic

AnneLovesGilbert

Rainbow police cars and arresting people for thought crimes go hand in hand with dangerous misogyny, they’re not the antidote to it.

You’re wrong.

This.

OP I think you need to think a bit harder here. Women being uncomfortable with males being in female spaces for instance really isn't the problem....

Dimorphism "I have a disabled friend and she says disability access and accommodations are going backwards at speed"

I live in London and I think this too. Don't know what other places are like.

I don't believe the police are racist. I think there's are a few bad eggs here and there but I don't think there is a material problem. I do think the police are sexist though and they need to fix that.

Why don't you believe the Police are rascist?

https://www.channel4.com/news/exclusive-black-bank-manager-to-sue-metropolitan-police-for-racial-discrimination-after-26-month-nightmare

I think the UK is one of the most inclusive and welcoming countries in the world to ethnic minorities. I don't believe there is a racism problem here and I think we do better than nearly every other country.

@DdraigGoch I think you are correct in suggesting that it's a discipline issue. If the perpetrators were disciplined (very firmly and publicly) for putting bacon in a Muslim's shoes, a turban in a shoe box, or cutting into a beard, it would probably stop. But when nobody is disciplined at school for "laddish pranks" (which seems to be how most men see these infractions) so they continue in adult life and at work. But when it's not controlled, it quickly escalates into scorn for and physical violence against anyone who isn't able-bodied white and male.

This perfectly sums it up. 🙂

If you agree they need stronger discipline you've arleady accepted there's a racism problem that exists to discipline.

And yet the report today finds that the Met police are institutionally racist so I’m not sure your beliefs really come into it.

I don’t know what the ‘woke’ movement has done for black and ethnic minorities in the UK. It’s certainly done nothing for women. Or people with disabilities. And it does seem that it’s set LGB back by years too. ‘Woke’ is a white, male movement. That’s it. It might seem well intentioned but I’d love to see the evidence that it’s actually done anything for disadvantaged groups.

We’re not talking about the country as a whole - this is about the Met police (though I think it could apply to most of the UK forces). Countries can be generally welcoming with rotten institutions in place.

The thing is, though, that such "pranks" or "banter" shouldn't happen at all, not just banned if they're racist or sexist. It's the culture of some organisations such as the police and fire service, that these exist at all, and that is what needs to stop. Pranks against white middle class policemen or firemen is just as unacceptable as a prank against a black woman officer. And that's the crux of the problem - the fight against racism/sexism is a gift to the extremists, whereas the entire culture around pranks/banter needs to stop, whoever it's against!

WTF has that got to do with the Met Police? Met Police have been found to be a racist organisation many times - so your beliefs are irrelevant.

My personal view is that "woke" is all about gays, transexuals, self ID, etc., and nothing about dealing with racist abuse nor sexist abuse against hetrosexual women, hence it's aimed at a minority and not tackling the majority of institutional/casual racism against both sexes, and sexism against hetro women.

What was the first rule of misogyny again?

Ah that's right, women are to blame for what men do.

The OP smacks a bit of that.

Woke is flying the rainbow flag. Most women see the rainbow flag for what it actually symbolises which is institutional misogyny. The Police will not solve its institutional misogyny whilst being an anti woman flag bearer.

In recent time the Police have more interest in pursuing women for wrong think than pursing men for rape. Says it all.

I'm glad that papers like the Telegraph are tackling these issues. The women hating left wing rags won't. Says it all really.

The person with strategic responsibility for the Met Police is the police and crime commissioner for London, that well known enemy of the woke...Sadiq Khan.

Oh.

Woke is an emotive word, people associate it with being a snowflake, trans rights etc etc. When I was young "woke", a word which didn't exist, just meant being a non judgemental, decent human being.
It needs rebranding.

"Woke" has a specific meaning in a black American political context - meaning alert to racial injustice. It's been around for decades.

Unfortunately in 2020 a lot of white liberals hijacked it to use for their personal branding ... and now they are complaining that it's used 'out of context' and 'weaponised'.

There are 9 protected characteristics. Sadly 'woke' people only seem to care about one of them.

It's a shame that 'diversity' these days generally means cheering men in dresses.

Diversity training has become an excuse for privileged white men to bully everyone else. Libraries are paying £150 an hour for men to dress up as women and make sexist jokes about us to impressionable children.