Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Andrew Gilligan Sunday Times Challenor Green Party

532 replies

WaddIelikeapenguin · 26/08/2018 02:36

"A young politician and transgender activist who is running for deputy leadership of the Green Party was fighting for her political life last night after it emerged that she had used her father as her election agent even though he faced charges of raping and torturing a 10-year-old girl."

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rising-greens-star-aimee-challenor-will-not-quit-over-rapist-father-kngjwc8l5

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
AngryAttackKittens · 26/08/2018 12:07

I could see deleting specific comments that were deemed to be an issue, but all of them? That's not just a matter of "well that was a bit much".

There is something very disturbing going on here. Who's pulling the strings?

pachyderm · 26/08/2018 12:08

Orchidinthesun I've been thinking the same thing. I even wonder, given the (openly available) report about why the children were taken into care, if the trans identity was dreamed up by DC as part of the Munchausens by proxy issue. I think AC's whole political campaign is DC from start to finish. Terrifying story.

Amaris · 26/08/2018 12:11

I know I keep saying it but why would any political party elect a 20 year old deputy leader (unless they're called the Undergraduate Party, in which case fair enough)?

I don't think there's much chance that AC would have been elected anyway, though I could be wrong. As long as someone gets enough nominations to stand (I presume this is how it works) it's a democratic process and the membership decides who is the successful candidate. I completely agree that AC should now stand down / be stood down (I presume that these conversations are happening somewhere) based on the likelihood that they have withheld information and made a bad decision about DC as electoral agent, but I think the Green Party would be on dodgy grounds to not allow someone to stand for election just because they are young (though all the Terfblocker stuff was already cause for concern this is a different issue than age).

Destinysdaughter · 26/08/2018 12:12

Bloody hell, can’t believe all those comments have been deleted! Looks like we have to screenshot or achieve everything related to this!

It’s so sinister.

Jarveau · 26/08/2018 12:12

I'd started copying the text of comments I found interesting, but then they'd gone. Here's one that I thought encapsulated the issue well - but with apologies to the poster, as I didn't copy their name...

=====

Normally I would be saying it's not fair to blame a child for the sins of the father, and I agree with a previous poster that someone brought up in this family deserves compassion.

We don't know anything about Aimee's childhood and I wouldn't speculate about whether someone had been abused or not.
People from abusive backgrounds should not be barred from public life, they have nothing to be ashamed of. Look at the two young men whose father murdered their mother and sisters: they have shown immense courage in speaking out about such violence by other men.

However, this case is different. Aimee was accused of bullying women before any of this was known, women have spoken out against his views and ideology as dangerous and he has done everything possible to shut them down and silence them.

The women speaking against him were warning about letting males into women only spaces because they fear for the safety of women and girls. Aimee has used the trans agenda to silence those voices of concern, and he has been advising government about the Gender Recognition Act. Women fear that changes to the act will allow predatory men into women's and girls' spaces, but their fears have been brushed aside by government, who have listened to people like Aimee and Jess Bradley. The consultation period ends in October so we're on a short timeframe here.

In the light of these facts, I think the information about his father's crimes has a relevance that it wouldn't have to another politician, who was campaigning on other issues. Again, I don't blame the child for the actions of the parent, but equally I don't think Aimee is a suitable person to advise about government policy where safeguarding issues are concerned.

The fact that his father was named as his agent is also relevant. It's difficult to believe that Aimee didn't know about the charges but he considered his father a suitable agent. Aimee has not stood down now, even after this has come to light, so presumably doesn't see an issue with his continued involvement in a discussion that includes safeguarding.

The lack of understanding that the Greens and Labour have shown in thrusting some young members into the spotlight, and victimising adult women in their parties who have sounded a note of caution, shows up the sexism that still exists in politics today, 100 years after we got the vote.

I don't wish any harm to Aimee, but I don't think they should be a candidate for any party at this stage in their life, and I don't think they should be advising government on issues that touch on women and girls' safety. It reflects badly on our politicians that they were able to do so and that women and transwomen putting an opposing view have been ignored, victimised and silenced.

PositivelyPERF · 26/08/2018 12:12

I’m just wondering where all the TRA defenders and handmaidens are? Why aren’t they on Mumsnet defending the rights of men who identify as women to invade female spaces and excusing Challenor Junior’s unprofessional actions after Challenor senior was charged with male violence towards, and brutal rape of, this poor young girl.

Where are you all? You were very silent of the threads regarding the penis flashing man who identifies as a woman, too.

MrsWooster · 26/08/2018 12:13

The comments I read up to about 1130 were universally condemnatory of AC DC and the Greens but not offensive. Perhaps there was a pile on of some sort?

silentcrow · 26/08/2018 12:15

Re geting the word out overseas - this story hasn't made it to r/gendercritical yet, which is odd as it's quite obvious some of the posters there keep an eye on this board and reference Mumsnet enough to be noticeable. I only lurk, don't have an account on Reddit - anyone feel up for sharing some links?

Ihaventgottimeforthis · 26/08/2018 12:15

I read plenty of nasty comments on there, relating to both Aimee and David.

AngryAttackKittens · 26/08/2018 12:17

Gosh, why would anyone be nasty about a convicted child rapist?

Jarveau · 26/08/2018 12:17

pachyderm I think you have something there. We keep hearing from some organisations and activists that parents must go along with a child's trans identity without question. That is eerily similar to a situation where an adult with their own motives pushes on to a child the idea that they're in the wrong body and that they must use their special status in the public arena to change the world - build them up, inflate their ego, get them out there as a footsoldier.

hackmum · 26/08/2018 12:18

What a shame the comments have been deleted. The first 20 or so were all very well-written, arguing the case against self-ID and criticising the Green Party for not acting on this. I wonder why they've all gone? I didn't see the later comments.

hackmum · 26/08/2018 12:18

I wonder if it is some legal thing and comments were opened by mistake.

Iused2BanOptimist · 26/08/2018 12:19

I'm sorry the comments have gone - as I said there were some excellent ones, the early ones that I saw being more raising awareness about general issues relating to risks associated with the GRA than anything specific to this case. I have been screen shotting more and more these days but didn't think of making a record of those comments. Sad

Jarveau · 26/08/2018 12:20

I didn't see any of the comments that are being described as nasty, but in any case, why not just delete those? Why all the reasonable, intelligent comments asking important questions? My word, it's looking very sinister.

PositivelyPERF · 26/08/2018 12:20

I didn’t see any nasty comments towards Challenor junior, but plenty of angry, questioning ones. Frankly, I couldn’t give a flying fuck what nasty comments were made towards that cross dressing, AGP, violent male, Challenor senior who raped and tortured a young woman.

PositivelyPERF · 26/08/2018 12:21

Sorry, young girl.

AngryAttackKittens · 26/08/2018 12:22

Could be a cock-up I suppose. I mean, the Green party tweet said "All Rights Reversed" at the bottom, and I'm fairly certain they didn't intend to say that in public even if it may be what some individuals who can't be named were hoping for

HawkeyeInConfusion · 26/08/2018 12:22

BBC say it isn't newsworthy? If they couldn't be bothered to write an article themselves, they could at least have linked to a local news site that was covering it (in their 'From Other Local News Sites' section). Or was 'very important puppy visiting Leamington train station' deemed more newsworthy?

Ihaventgottimeforthis · 26/08/2018 12:23

AngryAttackKittens I see your point but it’s understandable why offensive & derogatory comments are removed, perhaps it’s just easier to erase comments as a whole rather than going through individually.

Iused2BanOptimist · 26/08/2018 12:23

That was an excellent comment Jarveau Glad you got it.

StickyStuffRemover · 26/08/2018 12:24

I was surprised to see comments open. They aren’t usually for sex crime related articles due to the risk of someone identifying the victim. I think they may have been pulled for that tbh.

AngryAttackKittens · 26/08/2018 12:24

Or perhaps the comments were strongly worded but not actually "offensive" or "derogatory" at all.

Jarveau · 26/08/2018 12:25

hackmum that could be it. Someone will have been getting email pings when the first comments started coming through, though, so if it was mistakenly published with comments open then I'd have thought they'd shut them down much earlier. Whether it's a legal or editorial decision, someone's decided they don't want to handle a backlash to the story.

AngryAttackKittens · 26/08/2018 12:26

There was no backlash, though, comments were supportive of Gilligan's article.