Woman's Place UK meeting in London, 27 Feb

[PlonitbatPlonit]

Just announced on their twitter and Facebook, Woman's Place UK are doing a meeting in London. If it's anything like the Bristol event it will sell out....

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-womans-place-is-making-a-stand-tickets-42865237078

ContemporaryPankhurst I'm centre right/Conservative and I'm standing right there beside you. I'm also mentioning this to friends and family as well as in general chit-chat when out and about where possible. This really isn't a one or two party issue, it's a woman's issue.

LibDemWoman what a great post! I said upthread that I thought you were brave and you have explained why you weren’t - and good for you. I know that I wasn’t brave enough to have done the same. I wholeheartedly agree that there is no reason not to laud the positions of the people who have started and are the driving forces behind WPUK but as someone who struggles with confidence and imposter syndrome I felt that I didn’t belong, and I’m sure other women might feel the same.

Making this known as truly cross party and inclusive is so important as it affects every woman in this country much like women’s suffrage did.

I’m a LibDem member and was considering leaving the party on this issue (the conservative women thing I did was to support/embarrass my DM). If you want to PM me maybe we can start a gender critical LD movement.

LIbDemWoman.... I am one! Long-time Mumsnet lurker but wanted to let you know you're not alone..... Your long post is very similar to my own history/ views/ frustrations. Thanks for speaking up

With Conservative women I have found that they are really 'liberal' in a way, particularly when it comes to women's rights and LGB equality, maybe I am just lucky.

I had a very constructive discussion about self-ID with my tory MP, who is a proper feminist and LGB supporter. She is currently talking to senior people in Parliament about all this. I agree it's really important that this doesn't get turned into a left-wing cause when, realistically, it's the current government that we need to work at persuading. I think it's unfortunate that last night's meeting seems to have made an assumption around supporters being left wing, when this is an issue that affects ALL women.

I couldn't make it but I think you're all amazing. Hopefully I'll be at the next one (probably sitting in a corner like Billy No Mates too shy to speak to anyone!)

It sounds like such an incredible night.

ContemporaryPankhurst crosspost, I’m not a Conservative but I’m descended from them - and I peak transed my very politically active councillor parents recently. I’m pushing them into action too and will get them to do what they can in their positions and with their political contacts.

To be honest, I think the short term aim should be to influence the Tories anyway. They are the ones in government. They are the ones who are beginning to show some signs of increased understanding of the issues - already conceding no changes to the EA, which is as important as changing the GRA.

Labour appear to have doubled down and won't be changing stance during this parliament at least. They will need to lose an election before they reconsider. I think we have to acknowledge this.

I like A Woman's Place. While they are from my own leftist tradition, they're very much aware that this is a cross party issue and are welcoming to all. So I'd encourage anybody from the Tories or the LibDems to go to a meeting or amplify their demands on social media and in real life. The campaign is not party-specific.

And, if you have a Tory MP, write, write and write again. Make it clear that self-ID and the EA will determine your vote in the next election.

Very long time lurker and infrequent poster. I had a ticket for last night, and couldn't attend for dull reasons. I'm currently sitting having my hair done and reading all your posts, with a massive lump in my throat. Sounds like an amazing evening, and that there is a real energy and commitment to stop self ID and who knows, maybe abolish gender bullshit once and for all. I am a woman because I was born one. My chromosomes and reproductive system (all its strengths and weaknesses that have involved years of infertility/IVF and finally last year a successful pregnancy) defines my experiences, not what I wear or some innate chickbrain feelings.

Can I also add my voice to the call to ensure this is a cross partisan effort? I am centre left and most definitely not a momentum/Corbynite, and there is a real risk of this getting bogged down in internal Labour politics when it is an issue that effects all women.

All power to you all, the speakers and the organisers.

DaisyDrip brilliant to have you as a friend. Keep up the hard work. Throughout history one of the most seditious and revolutionary actions has been women talking. Particularly to each other.

SwearyG I have peaked my mother and we are experiencing a role reversal. For many years I found it difficult to get off the phone with my mum, she would keep talking for about 5 mins after I said I had to go. Now it is me who wont stop talking about this issue!

TerfyMcTerface That's brilliant news. It appears that Conservative MPs are being allowed to engage and discuss this. An inside party mole who holds a Labour position said they had all been advised not to engage or touch the topic, the furthest they can go is to thank constituents for sharing their views. As with other party policies it is being dictated from the top, only they can speak on the issue.

BigEthel you will never be billy no mates at a Radfem meeting! No matter how shy you are just say you are from MNet.

ContemporaryPankhurst - I was really impressed by my MP and at how willing she was to discuss this all openly. She said that she had been worrying about what is going on her children's school re. trans issues. And she's told me who she's discussed this with - I don't want to out her, but they are prominent politicians. I've never voted Tory, but at the moment I'm glad she's my MP rather than the Labour bloke I voted for last year. I would be so annoyed to get the response that some on here have had from Labour MPs (including being called a bigot, it seems - completely unacceptable to talk to constituents like that, have they learnt nothing from Gordon Brown?).

The Tories do need influencing. At the meeting I went to Amber Rudd was speaking and she back-pedalled from the question I asked as fast as she could, saying that they were going to "take time and slow the process down" re speaking to women about the issue. She also said that TIMs in prison was only "a few cases" as if that didn't matter, and that we should speak individually to organisations that were implementing self ID already.

We need to lobby hard on this.

Fully agree that influencing the party in power should be the priority.

Makes me sad I missed the Manchester meeting. It feels like something big is starting to rumble here, though. Let's keep the momentum.

^GRAYSON PERRY & CATHERINE MAYER
Hello Boys. How Feminism Can Save the World, If Not Your Sex Life.

26 February 2018 - 7:45pm Bridge Theatre

One hundred years ago this February, the first British women got the right to vote. Some British men believe everything went downhill from there.

Grayson Perry and Catherine Mayer agree that life could be made better for men – by making life better for women. They just don’t always see eye to eye on how to do this. Join them for an evening of discussion, laughs, gender politics and gently glowing debate.

Grayson Perry is an award-winning artist; Bafta-winning TV presenter; Reith Lecturer and bestselling author with traditional masculine traits including having the desire to ‘always be right and to overtake all other cyclists when going up big hills’.

Catherine Mayer is an award-winning journalist; bestselling author; and the president of the Women’s Equality Party, which she co-founded by accident after ‘being handed a microphone in a theatre. Oh’.

Grayson and Catherine encourage you to bring along your misogynist uncle, the pal who doesn’t ‘get feminism’ and your partner or colleague who insists the gender pay gap is a myth.^

This is why folks, they are all a bunch of luvvies. This is vested interest at work. It's the Women Entertainers Party

Yes my MP is an out and out Tory and when I wrote to him last year when the changes to the GRA were first mooted, he was v sympathetic.

Let's not forget it's the lefty dude bros who are desperate to shine their inclusivity credentials at zero personal cost who are helping the TRAs gain such traction.

Owen Jones, I'm looking at you.

Another lefty but with a Tory MP, and I was impressed with his response when I went to see him (back in Oct? November?) He is on the Justice Select Committee too so the prison stuff made him stop and think.

Definitely cross-party is the way to go - thee are simply more of us that way, and though we need to convince those in power, we need to make the other parties wake up to the fact that they are throwing women under a big stupid bus, and that they cannot do this.

LibDemWoman well done you for speaking, you were great xx

Can someone point me to the marvellous Sex Matters document (I think was what it was called). I want to send it my MP if it's ready to go.

Another here with a Tory MP. I haven't approached them yet (on the to do list!) but someone who has says they were more than sympathetic. Dammit, I'll have to resist taking them to task about schoolfunding, disability benefits and the NHS, won't I, in order to talk to them about this.

LibDemWoman and other Lib Dem women, I also am you.

I’m considering resigning membership over this, if there was any where to actually go, I’d have gone already.

I’ve noticed all the LD FB groups am in have several v vocal TIMs in.

Another Lib dem woman reporting for duty. (Not a member but have voted for them in most elections). Great to 'meet' you libfem woman

@LifelongVaginaOwner here you go

Thanks @SwearyG

Have any of the papers done a follow up on the meeting?

I "followed" the meeting on Twitter and MN and FB seeing photos almost "live". I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes, and butterflies in my stomach at the thought that I might be witnessing the birth of a new women's movement.

If so then I would thank the trans activists from the bottom of my heart for bringing us all together again just like the old days.