Women's group barred from Co-op bank account over Trans issues

[Hullabalooo]

See here

www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/06/15/co-op-bank-refuses-account-to-feminist-group-after-it-actively-denied-trans-rights/?utm_source=MOBT&utm_medium=Twittermob&Twittermob&utm_campaign=PNMOBT

That is concerning. They don’t give any more details than this.

Would be interesting to know who the group is and how they’ve denied basic human rights. The post also says something about them being linked to a cult.

Without knowing more details I don’t really know what else to say. I consider myself a “TERF” but the co-op May have a point in this instance depending on the actions of the specific group.

The post also says something about them being linked to a cult.

It doesn’t, but it mentions them also refusing a group that’s been linked to a cult, almost in the same breath.

Oh sorry, I totally misread that then.

The thing is I’m sure there are extremes of feminism groups. There will be groups like WPUK who want measured, respectful debate. Yes some Trans people will accuse WPUK of hate crime and human rights violations and this is totally wrong and just trying to shut women down.

But for all I know there may be a feminist group somewhere who’s manifesto is “lock all trans people up” or worse. In which case I could see why the co-op would want to distance themselves.

If there was a feminist group whose manifesto was lock all trans people up, you don’t think we’d have heard about it?

Does this feminist group stop people being employed, accessing housing, how are they denying human rights? Do they simply have a different philosophical view to the bank?

No mention of name of group but it's in Pink News so maybe they know. I wonder who leaked it to them?

They can’t know any more than they have read in the report or in the Co-op statement they quote from, otherwise they’d print it, wouldn’t they?

If there was a feminist group whose manifesto was lock all trans people up, you don’t think we’d have heard about it?

Maybe, unless possibly it’s a very small group with only ten people in it. But yes you’d have thought the transactivists would be shouting from the rooftops.

But then if it’s a group who are just wanting to protect women’s spaces/rights, etc why aren’t they shouting from the rooftops that they’ve been unfairly treated by the co-op?

No mention of name of group but it's in Pink News so maybe they know. I wonder who leaked it to them?

I haven't looked to see when Pink News reported this but the matter of the Coop withdrawing banking facilities from a feminist group was covered in a thread earlier this week, so may be Pink News picked it up from MN.

Pink News includes a quote from a spokesperson from the Co-op Bank

The spokesperson added that the bank gave the feminist group involved an “opportunity to provide clarification on their position relating to diversity and equality and how they comply with the UK Equality Act,” but that “the organisation failed to respond to this request and their application was therefore declined.”

But @someone why did coop even mention it publicly in the first place? What point are they making?

I bank with the Co-op and I'm concerned by this. Not enough to leave them, though, based on the limited information given; as others have said, the feminist group in question might be suggesting all human rights be removed from trans people and they all be put in asylums for life, or something equally ludicrous.

Although maybe I should leave anyway, as they've already pissed me off in the last few weeks by closing the branch in my town (population >200,000, but why shouldn't all their customers here travel 20 miles to the nearest city to pay in a sodding cheque?!)

My company banks with them. They're crap. So useless in every way.

The Mail on Sunday are reporting on this:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5852547/Co-operative-bank-bans-feminist-group-using-services.html

I hope it's made it into the paper version too.

Ah Joani Walsh has written about it. She’s done some good articles recently and I’m sure she lurks here. 👋

Surely the bank itself is in breach of the Equality Act in denying its services to a group of women who wish to uphold the rights which women currently enjoy?

Last night, a spokesman for Co-op Bank said: 'We will not provide banking services to any business, organisation or government that advocates discrimination and incitement to hatred.

Is this not actually what the Co-op are doing in this instance, discriminating against feminist groups wanting to meet with only female members, and suggesting this is in some way hateful?

Joani was at the meeting on Wednesday in London, she is GC and fabulous.

Can't believe I'm checking the Hate Mail for facts!

Ugh the Coop. Mention this to Women's Place?

Check the comments underneath, every one seems to be in favour of the feminist group.

Has anyone been able to find out the name of the group? I'm happy to complain to the bank, but I need to know the name of the group, not just "someone on Mumsnet posted some link so I jumped on board".