Brave

[DayMay]

Are people who speak out brave?

I took small steps, locally and on the internet, then I went out to the public and I have come to the conclusion there is nothing brave about it

In am simply free.

There has been one incident of battery (one too many) that we know about.

We are dealing with people who lie, lie and lie even more. The threats have been extensive.

TRA are in my experience narcissistic middle-class professionals who value money and status. These people need their DBS clean. They need money and status to cover their false self. They will not punch you on the street.

What is stopping you going out with a few newspapers and peak transiting the public around you?

I don't think it's actually unsafe, we have been lead to believe it is by TRA and politicians it's unsafe, who don't want the public laughing at them or getting angry at them.

No males, no lies.
I will not compromise.

I'm very confused. What do you mean?

There is nothing to be scared about.

Pontificating and doing the talk not the walk isn't working.

Nobody is going to gallop by on a white horse to save women, we have to be our own sheroes.

There is nothing to be brave about alerting the public to a government consultation.

You are 99.99% likely to not be beaten up talking to the public.

I am still at the small steps part as I think talking to people I know is giving me chance to debate and hear other (sometimes uninformed) views. it means that I can get the critical points across without stumbling, confusing my words and keep my facts right. For me it's important to feel confident as there's still a chance even if small that with a stranger I could face animosity.

I'm currently at an out of town shopping centre people watching whilst warming up with a coffee. If I was to go out and start talking to people I have a feeling I'd just be perceived as a Mad Woman harassing everyone?

Hope that makes sense?!!

I don't approach people like a sales person.

One example, nobody behind me in the coffee shop. I strike up conversation with the women serving. A few minutes later I ask if they know anything about the rights of women being removed. I showed them my paper, we speak and a few minutes later they asked me to write down WPUK, FPFW etc for them. I then go about my business unit the next opportunity arises.

For many people, an accusation of transphobia could potentially cost them their job. So they have to be very careful about what they say.
I think it is brave to speak out because of this. And scary we have sleepwalked into a situation where any opinion other than "trans women are women!" could lose you your job.

How do they know who your employer is from a brief conversation?

Going out in a T-shirt in a group with branded material is great for some people.

For me, carrying newspapers and grabbing every opportunity as I go about life is working really well.

My experience has been that real life is a much safer and more receptive place to talk about these issues than the internet is!

I'm very out on Facebook & Twitter and I spend most weekends just now in a bright red T-shirt leafleting for Fair Play for Women.

But I don't say much at work & I would feel very nervous giving a talk about it to a roomful of people. I know others who are the opposite. We do what we can.

It feels really good to be free to speak and tell people about the proposed law changes.

Nobody is going around punching people.

I have no t-shirt on, nobody knows who I am or what I am talking to other women about.

Here is another example. I talk to the woman scanning my shopping, it's quiet so nobody behind me. My newspaper is scanned, I show her the article. Her boss came over enquiring why she's looking at the paper, we laugh and say it's customer service. I tell her boss who says they wondered why they had got the GG email. The two of them are peaked in no time. Phone taken out of pocket for details, so they can research after work.

You're right.

I was extremely wary of talking about this in RL. I sent off for the FPFW. Now I have some cards in my pocket wherever I go, and I chat to people. Anyone who seems receptive. Having a card or leaflet to hand over really helps.

The worst reaction I have had was a silent stare.

I'm not crusading. I didn't push it with Silent Stare. But at least 10 people who had no idea this was going on, now know, and understand, and said they would fill out the consultation. Several more, who had heard about Man Friday, Phillips Bunce, Karen White, etc, have realised the bigger picture, and have filled out the consultation.

I leave leaflets in every public toilet (only the Ladies'!) and every waiting room.

The climate is changing OP. The last years have been typified by the #nodebate and the secret grooming of all of our institutions with TWAW and any challenge defined as transhobia. So for many women (and men) challenging this will have cost them their job / career.

BUT people like Julie Bindel, Janice Turner, WPUK, Posie P, Venice Allen, Jennifer James, Stephanie Aries Davis, Kathleen Stock,Lucy Masoud, Heather Brunskell Evan, Nic Williams, the Liverpool Resisters, Andrew Gilligan, Kiri Tunks, Ruth Serwotka, Jonny Best, Linda Bellos, Tom Farr, Peachy Yoghurt, Madelaine Burns (and numerous others who should be included) stood up and spoke out, despite the real threats they many faced.

Now many more of us can speak up in public and there really is a debate.

While there are threats of violence to consider, there are also other things to think about. I went on the radio yesterday to discuss some of these issues, and I took precautions because I'm not just talking about me, I'm talking about my family. Yes, it would affect them if I lost my job, but my specific family situation is such that publicly speaking out carries risk.

So yes, while I agree with the exhortation that anyone can speak out and mention the issues and it doesn't have to be built up into a huge thing, I do think that taking that step requires bravery and I applaud all the women who have the gumption to do it.

Well done Floral!

I'm thinking of new ways to make an impact. A big one for me looks to be Schools Week, which has run several negative stories on Transgender Trend. I once saw a quote from the female editor that looked like it disagreed with GC women and that must be steering the narrative.

Can WE email them? I will, but it could have more impact if we do. As a parent, I want them to address trans ideology in schools.

I don't think we are living in a democracy anymore.

This was all funded by government and they won't debate.

I have done all I could. I have no guilt.

Wow floral well done.

I want to share this post.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3385263-debbie-hayton-letter-times-05-10-18?msgid=81576634#81576634

AngryAttackKittens

No women or girls consented, because we were never asked. One group of blokes lobbied another group of blokes to grant them access to women's spaces, and the latter group of blokes said "yes, in this specific set of circumstances". The fact that another group of blokes later came along, decided that they found the set of circumstances decided on earlier inconvenient, and demanded that the circumstances required to grant a legal right to enter those spaces be amended to "because I say so" is the immediate reason for a lot of women getting really angry and deciding that they've had just about enough of this shit, but that is a separate (though related) issue to the fact that we were never consulted or asked for our consent in the first place. And apparently old school transsexuals didn't think that mattered. Now that women are starting to realize that whatever previous sympathy some of us may have had for that specific group is fading rapidly for many.

You should always have asked us first. You didn't. We're allowed to be angry about that.

I don't feel I'm can speak out under my real name both because I have a transgender person in my close family, and because I'm a Girlguiding member.

I think Girlguiding probably already have my name on a watch list but haven't been able to find anything else to say I've breached social media policy, and I'd rather not give them anything to go on.

So I do think people who speak out are brave - I'd potentially lose family relationships, and membership of something that means a lot to me, if I spoke out.

Are those relationships worth preserving over your own rights?

It's your life to choose your battles.

*Are those relationships worth preserving over your own rights?

It's your life to choose your battles*

I totally agree - at the moment I don't want to risk losing close family members. I don't have a big family and I think could end up not speaking to any of them regularly if I did discuss this.
I do discuss with others, so I guess I'm speaking out in one way. Just not social media or family!

Just peak-transed the man who came to service my washing machine. And he took some FPFW leaflets for his partner, daughter and sisters.

I just ordered the fpfw pack. Going to attempt distribution where I can. Going on a trip soon, so can maybe leaflet some service station toilets. 😏

I'll have to work myself up to public distribution.

I'll have to work myself up to public distribution.

Galvantula, Nic's very clear on NOBODY handing out leaflets solo. Keep yourself safe!

I'm not going on a rampage. More like to people I know IYSWIM.