Campaign Launch: Why it's time to review the Equality Act. 60 tickets left.

[PencilsInSpace]

You know how we are constantly being told that there are no planned changes to the EA, and that therefore the proposed changes to the GRA don't affect us?

Well, it turns out a group of politicians are launching a campaign to review the EA.

The launch event is free to attend, Wed 20th June, 4-6 pm, House of Commons

Description

The Equality Act 2010 was established to cover nine protected characteristics: Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage or Cvil Partnership, Pregnancy and Maternity, Race, Religion or Belief, Sex, and Sexual Orientation.

However, in 2018 alone, we have seen the gender pay-gap issue, punish a Muslim day letters, concerns about anti-Semitic attitudes and behaviour, and the Windrush Scandal. All of these issues have in common the way in which they compel us to question what equality means in today's society. A number of characteristics such as homelessness, ethnicity, and poverty, although can give rise to discrimination, are not covered by the act. We believe that the equality act needs to be strengthened in order to ensure that we live in a fair and equal society for all.

We are marking the launch of our campaign with an event in Parliament titled "Why it's time to review the Equality Act?". Our speakers include:

1. Afzal Khan MP and Shadow Minister for Immigration
2. Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith
3. Wes Streeting MP
4. Shabana Mahmood MP
5. Jess Philips MP
6. Mark Lewis (Solicitor)

I'm going to this.

Any update, how did it go?

?

Come on, someone put us out of our misery and spill...

Come on, someone put us out of our misery and spill...

😬 oops

Maybe they're still in the pub

placemarking

Oh shit sorry! Didn't realise I'd be the last woman standing. The others may well still be in the pub. I had to shy off to meet a friend.

All in all I thought it was a really positive meeting for us. It was clear quite quickly that the main agenda was not around gender but actually about islamophobia which there was some discussion around as many of us felt that it was already covered in the race and religion sections of the act.

We had a great group of gc women. Every time they incorrectly used gender there was a resounding heckle of "sex" and several of us managed to make very valid points that built on each other so when swearyG came in at the end with a great point about the bomb threat and the violent attempts to shut down meetings it felt like we had laid the ground works really well and people understood where we were coming from.

I would say we had about 1/3+ gc women in the room so every time one of us made a point we had a resounding round of applause. An unconnected woman said to be afterwards "it seems like you have a really great support network" and honestly it did really feel like that.

There were no people there speaking from the opposing side which I thought was interesting considering it has been well publicised here.

All in all I think we got our point across and great to chat to everyone in the pub afterwards.

You all rock I wish I could have gone.

Well done! And thanks!

Awesome! What was Wes Street's face like when these points were being made. I'm picturing a bulldog chewing a wasp... 🐝

Streeting? Can't even get his name right!

Was new legislation against anti Semitism discussed at all?

Good summery @OfSpartacus

UpstartCrow, no. One lawyer on the panel mentioned anti-Semitism (he said he was a Zionist) but the people who were there "officially" were mostly Muslims and it seemed they were wanting to strengthen measures against Islamophobia. The bloke from the Secular Society pointed out that religion was already covered in the EA but that didn't appear to be good enough.

A feminist I've met before, who has an impressive track record in local government, kept trying to establish who was actually running the meeting, who was at the top and what their objectives were. It became really clear that they didn't want to say and the whole set up seemed a bit like someone's kid's 6th form project. One of the Muslim men really didn't like the woman trying to establish what the group was about. Rude and sexist. I don't think he liked a woman who didn't shut up when he scolded her.

They had no idea what to make of us. I went to the loo and came across two of the organizers muttering anxiously to each other. As soon as they saw me they froze. It was obvious they didn't want me to notice.

Because they didn't know what to make of us, we were able to make lots of good points. By some serendipitous magic we all made different good points like a little orchestra, rounded off with SwearyG telling them about the bomb threats. They were visibly shocked.

Then we all went to a nice bar and lots of us stayed until kicking out time. Most of us were fairly pissed delightfully refreshed.

I have just come through the door and am trying to provide a coherent account. Ho hum...

Well done allblack coffee

Thanks for the update and well done all you inconvenient women.

Inconvenient women forever!

Go you!!!!

^ that post was to Pencils

Wait - so is “equality act review” not the group of the MPs on the website? There is/are anonymous campaign organisers orchestrating? How odd and sinister. The event must have been hosted by an MP though?

Did any of the speakers manage to explain why they believe existing protections of race and religion don’t cover islamophobia? (Yes I know Islam isn’t a race).

Well done to all who went and unsetttled the bastards.

What was really interesting to me was how the men spoke about their protected characteristics as if they were the most oppressed ever and how their protected characteristic was the only important one in the act, and how it needed highlighting beyond all others. It reminded me of the TRAs. I wonder what they all have in common.

The man who shouted at Georgia for interrupting was an arse. He kept banging on about respect when he had the floor (incredibly slowly, taking up way more time than he needed) and then chatted to his friend when other people - mainly women - were raising issues. I found his mansplaining of how being judged on what you wear when you’re out in public particularly enlightening

The whole thing just felt very amateurish and like an intern’s big day. I doubt they’ll get much traction, particularly as Penny Mordaunt said at the select committee that the government will not be changing the Equality Act that morning.

As ever though, a crap meeting was more than made up for by the talking with amazing feminists over too much booze in the pub afterwards. The networks that come out of these events are worth losing an afternoon going to an unnecessary meeting.