Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Any chance of a review of the FWR moderation rules in light of Maya Forstater's success in court please?

915 replies

ViperAtTheGatesOfDawn · 10/06/2021 13:02

The belief that transwomen are men and that transmen are women has been accepted as a legitimate and protected belief, yet we are not able to state this on Mumsnet under the current rules.

It has become increasingly difficult to discuss feminist issues on the dedicated feminism boards as a result of the moderation rules.

In light of Maya's success in court, and that 'gender critical' beliefs are considered protected under the Equality Act, would it be possible for the FWR sex/gender mod rules to be re-visited please?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
AthelstaneTheUnready · 10/06/2021 15:02

Agree with you, OP.

Albgo · 10/06/2021 15:19

Agree with OP.

Fallingirl · 10/06/2021 15:22

@Datun

Yes it's just been established that gender critical feminism and believing that sex is real is not transphobic.

It's now a protected belief.

Hopefully, it will give HQ some leverage with their advertisers. They cannot be compelled by their detractors to flout equality law.

Indeed. Flouting equality law would be a bad idea.

As I understand it, it is perfectly legal to say you believe any given trans woman to be male, and refer to them in the third person as “he”, but setting out to directly harass that individual is still illegal, same as it would be to harass anyone else.

NotTheFunKindOfFeminist · 10/06/2021 15:24

Yes please Mn! Smile

NotTheFunKindOfFeminist · 10/06/2021 15:24

Yes please Mn! Smile

Mytholmroyd · 10/06/2021 15:25

Yes I support a review of this please!

WhereYouLeftIt · 10/06/2021 15:28

Yes, I really would like if the 'guidelines' could be reviewed.

Beamur · 10/06/2021 15:29

Glad to hear it will be discussed. It's a really helpful precedent to have been set and should make it easier to discuss this issue without posters having to use extremely convoluted speech to make a point. Respectful discourse as ever should be maintained

Voice0fReason · 10/06/2021 15:35

Yes absolutely.
I'm not looking to insult anyone, but I do want to be able to talk openly about scientific facts.
Both this judgement and the clarification from the EHRC that sex is a protected characteristic.
I also think it is relevant that in the ruling in this case, not all transpeople are covered by the gender reassignment protected characteristic.

Mulsteadly · 10/06/2021 15:40

Just adding my support too - thanks for starting this thread OP

Igmum · 10/06/2021 15:41

Yes yes yes please!

CuriousaboutSamphire · 10/06/2021 15:58

@soniamumsnet

Hi - just dropping in to say we'll discuss this in the virtual MN office. Flowers
Thank you
FlowerArranger · 10/06/2021 16:01

Absolutely - totally agree with OP!!

Alternista · 10/06/2021 16:04

@AnneLovesGilbert

It’s the actual law. So would be good for MN moderation to reflect it.
This, please.
AlfonsoTheMango · 10/06/2021 16:08

@DelilahDingleberry

Confused by the slightly defensive replies to my comment. I wasn’t implying anyone hadn’t read it.
The replies aren't defensive. However, your post was patronising.
GiantToadstool · 10/06/2021 16:11

Yes please.

IBelieveInAThingCalledScience · 10/06/2021 16:13

Totally agree.

CardinalLolzy · 10/06/2021 16:15

I suspect the problem is, no-onec wants to misgender, yet sometimes needs to refer to biological sex to avoid confusion (eg some ppl think that trans men are males who transition to women, etc) but no-one can specify what terms refer to gender and which to sex. Generally male/female were accepted as sex-based terms and man/woman as identities (with a lot of disagreement about that) but the lines are so blurred now no-one can tell how to get it right while being accurate.

A clear and accurate definition of "gender" as opposed to sex would be welcome, but it seems to mean different things to different ppl.

Pickersgill · 10/06/2021 16:15

Agree

WotgunShedding · 10/06/2021 16:16

Agreed!

It seems to me that mis-gendering and mis-sexing are two different things and the conflation of both leads to much confusion

Packitupwillya · 10/06/2021 16:27

I support OP’s call. I won’t say please however because @MNHQ should be respecting the law of the land.

OvaHere · 10/06/2021 16:34

Adding my agreement with the OP.

Crispychillibeef · 10/06/2021 16:37

Whilst we're on the topic, can we also have a separate board for discussing trans issues? I have had to unfollow FWR because it's literally all that's talked about over there and it's a shame because I care about other aspects of feminism.

Prepares to be flamed.

Bonheurdupasse · 10/06/2021 16:37

Agreed!

CardinalLolzy · 10/06/2021 16:39

@Crispychillibeef

Whilst we're on the topic, can we also have a separate board for discussing trans issues? I have had to unfollow FWR because it's literally all that's talked about over there and it's a shame because I care about other aspects of feminism.

Prepares to be flamed.

If you'd popped over to the FWR board recently you'd see a long discussion about this very topic! Please can I request you change your username because it's making me incredibly hungry!