Womens Place Newcastle

[Ingsoc]

New to mumsnet, terrified.

Anyone going?

What is the MO? Every single specifically female organisation is targeted. Every one.

Well done Northumbria uni.

So far any protesters on twitter don't appear to be trans them selves.

Really wanted to go but couldn't make it.

Just marking my place again and I'll be back later.

What were the protestors saying/ doing?

What have Northumbria uni done?

Held the debate.

About 4 protestors 'being peaceful' outside apparently. One still making their sign.

Ahh, okay I see.

Sounds like it went well then.

Protest led by NSU Women’s rep. A woman, can't see if there were any trans women protesting from twitter. Appears they were all actually in and taking part with the meeting.

One woman on twitter listing notable trans people who've achieved great things to try to distract the hashtag. I do find it amusing she included a trans man as the "first man to get pregnant." Um because they're actually female love.

@Tackytriceratops - a) I'll keep you posted re baby group. Baby sensory is crap, isn't it? (Baby singing, 9.30 Thursday am. St James and Basil, fenham hall drive, is great, and I've met some kindred mums/nanas/grandas there.)
b) Yes re north-easterners. My ex-colleague Pete put it thus: "There are more bad men than bad women. So of course they shouldn't be let into the Ladies'."

The protesters were quite sweet in a way. On the way in they were chanting "hey hey, ho ho, transphobia must go". There were more on the way out, and they were just hanging around looking fed up.

I was there and was so glad I went. I arrived alone and others who were not alone introduced themselves and were very friendly and welcoming. I was so impressed by the intelligent and articulate debate. There was no hatred there. I so hope a NE feminist group comes out of the meeting. Thank you to organisers.

Sorry to have missed this. Were any of the speakers from the university? I studied there and can still recall some brilliant lectures on feminism and gender studies.

I'd also be interested in the feminist baby group in Heaton, when do they meet?

@Pratchet They doing it from the inside. Dawn Furness?

Aye, but even she acknowledged the concerns about self-id in sports.

The point she made about "stranger danger" and how most rapists know the victim beforehand ignored the possibility that single-sex spaces might be why stranger rape is so rare. Rapists have the means (their penises) and the motive already; barring them from single-sex spaces where women are vulnerable makes it harder to rape a stranger so they have to rape someone they know?

God that was brilliant. I want to go again.

Yeah, the protest was a a damp squib, some half hearted chants and badly written signs. Honestly, if you're going to go to the trouble of writing a sign the least you could do is make it fucking legible.

I got to talk to some of you wonderful mumsnetters too.

@anonymouseagain, I thought it was a bit off to present our concerns as solely down to a fear of stranger rape in the toilets. Most rapes are committed by men known to the survivor, but in my younger prettier days it was strangers who took liberties and went out of their way to make me feel uncomfortable by unwanted touching or unwelcome sexual behaviour.

. The woman at the end who spoke about her experiences working with a transwoman was I think more in line with my concerns.

Pretty soon women will be making the effort and getting the childcare and driving miles, only to sit in a room to listen 50 per cent to transactivists

This is how they do it.

Women are so very reasonable. 'Of course we are inclusive! oh shit we no longer exist'

@HerFemaleness The woman at the end who spoke about her experiences working with a transwoman was I think more in line with my concerns.

Especially in the light of the belief held by some TRAs that trans women cannot rape: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3160709-Transgender-peadophile-demand-tampons-and-access-to-womens-prison#prettyPhoto[gallery75411729]/1/ How do you report rape by a bepenised person if that person can play the trans card to avoid accountability?

If DF believes transwomen are women i reckon it’ll be in the same way i believe the calories in chocolate dont count if I’m eating while stressed.

But even if she does, TRAs don’t make distinctions between the people who believer TW are W but are physically male, and we who believe they are men full stop. TRAs accept nothing less than 100% capitulation to the belief that they’re 100% female and should have full access to all women only spaces, women’s sports and women’s resources. DFs spoken position is “TW are W, but .... “ and the but is a recognition of biological sex and all ty entails. This makes her a TERF in the eyes of a TRa.

I went! It was brill, only wish I could have stayed longer at the pub after! (waves to Femaleness). Bumped into 2 people I know slightly but didn't know were gender-critical (always good to find some others), also met Seven_Hex who seems lovely, Helen and some of the others from Sisters to all Guides (who spoke very well in the discussion part!), talked to Heather B-E about Mumsnet (!) and Beatrix Campbell bought me a drink (thank you again, if you're reading)!
The supporters weren't especially scary, there were hardly any at the start but more at the end but they were just chanting in a slightly half-hearted way. Bea said she had had a good chat with some of them before the start and encouraged them to look her up online!

^Pretty soon women will be making the effort and getting the childcare and driving miles, only to sit in a room to listen 50 per cent to transactivists&

Why would this be a bad thing, @Pratchet. If this were to happen it would represent a seismic shift in current TRA thinking. A move away from 'my existence is not up for debate' hysteria and to a more rationale understanding that other people have a right to discuss law changes that impact them. TRAs aren't currently attend WPUK events not because they're excluded, but because they're refusing invitations.

Waves back at @Sparctopus. Was Seven_Hex the tall gangly individual who spoke in a very quiet voice right at the end?

@anonymouseagain in this country TIMs have been prosecuted for rape and attempted rape. They're as likely (or as unlikely let's be honest here) to be convicted as any other man. From listening to the woman, the TIM got away with behaviour that would have had any other man sacked or disciplined, creepy leering behaviour, egregious sexism etc.

Because it will be a lot of sea lioning and deflection. Fine, for attending. But why have speakers who think trans'women' are women? We get that everywhere else. As I say; not my circus. And thank you a million times to the organisers. They are walking such a fine line. But I wouldn't.

I mean, I wouldn't, because they have so much support, backing, airtime andxrxposure slready, have them as speakers, only in the audience. I don't mean that I wouldn't walk a fine lines

I'm very happy this was at a university though. It is expanding the discussion around free speech and the purpose of universities. The Northumbria Students Union have released a statement condemning the event, but I wonder if the actual university was release a response? They are in a tricky position, I get that. But they do need to stand up for free speech here.