We’re Still Here Conference 8th September: A report from the inside

[TheHarpySings]

Hi all

First off, I’m a regular poster, have been here for years under various usernames, it I’m posting here on a name change as I don’t want this traced to me.

On 8th September there was a conference held in London a Bloomsbury Baptist Church which was called We’re Still Here, which featured a variety of panels and workshops and was attended by many prominent people in the pro-GRA reform camp.

I decided to attend to find out what was being said as it was clear that they did not want anyone to attend that wasn’t a TRA or an ally.

What follows are my notes from the day. But first a few notes on attendance:

There were probably 80-100 people in attendance. Overwhelmingly white. Mainly older transwomen. A couple of transmen. Some Mermaids delegates. Some fellow travellers/ allies. And me.

Okay. So here’s my notes

1. Health Panel:
   Chair was Dr Ben Vincent of GIRES.
   
   Part of the discussion on this panel was around GPs reluctance to prescribe “bridging hormones”. GPs are reluctant/afraid to prescribe them for liability reasons. Apparently a brand of T-Gel was withdrawn and GPs are reluctant to switch brands.
   
   There was then a bit of chatter about whether a person’s sex was relevant for healthcare stats.
   
   Then there was discussion about trans children. Dr Vincent was very scathing about GIDS-said there was disgusting and unethical practices. BV spoke about dispelling the myths about desistance and the myths of ROGD- BV called this “concern trolling, malicious and ethically bankrupt”. BV would like a review of the whole system.
   
   Then Dr Vincent said that they’d received a review copy of “Born in your own body” edited by Heather Brunskell-Evans and Michele Moore. BV is reviewing it for some Royal College and said “I will tear it a new arsehole”
   
   Also (and they didn't want this tweeted) BV is also planning a book called Terf Wars which will be a “rigorous takedown of terf arguments” which is getting serialised as articled in some peer reviewed journal- I’m sorry but I couldn’t catch which one.
   
   Dr Stuart Lorimer, of the Tavistock and Portman who was also a panellist- said that ROGD is “evidence free”.
   
   There was a great deal of discussion as to the health risks for transwomen taking certain brands of hormones- one person said they knew three other people who’d died taking them, and they’d nearly died as well.

[LangCleg]

And you really expect people to debate their rights with people who’d love nothing more to remove those rights? Send us back into the closet? Do you debate with racists? No you don’t, so why would you expect trans people to debate with those that hate us?

Feminist consciousness raising frightens the shit out of you, dear, doesn't it?

[AngryAttackKittens]

OK, oopster, so you don't want to debate. Why complain about WPUK etc not being willing to debate you then? They are willing, it's you who're not.

No wonder TRAs are always in such a bad mood, the cognitive dissonance must result in awful headaches.

[BettyDuMonde]

Only trans people with a GRC currently have the right to an altered birth certificate. The rest of us are stuck with the historical record version.

If ‘trans rights are human rights’ either we all get the ability to alter our birth records (I would love to take the asshat of a man that supposedly fathered me off of mine) or we remove the current legal falsehood entirely.

[Ereshkigal]

What rights are we attempting to remove? It’s women’s rights that are being removed here.

DARVO alert.

[pennydrew]

who’d love nothing more to remove those rights?

What rights are we attempting to remove? It’s women’s rights that are being removed here.

[BettyDuMonde]

Of course you debate with racists. It was letting the absolute buffoon that is Nick Griffin onto Question Time that ended his political ‘career’.

[deepwatersolo]

And you really expect people to debate their rights with people who’d love nothing more to remove those rights? Send us back into the closet? Do you debate with racists? No you don’t, so why would you expect trans people to debate with those that hate us?

Finally you admit that it is your lot that does not want to debate.
Thank you.

[Trousered]

• imitations - implications

[Trousered]

Oopster

The meetings that have been held since Maria was assaulted have been primarily to inform women of the imitations of eliminating meaningful conditions from the GRA and who the people are that are demanding it, and what their motivations are, such as the person that assaulted Maria.

The purpose was to raise enough awareness with people so they would bring their viewpoint to their politicians and other women's groups, schools, and organisations and ask for it to be taken into consideration in the rush to remove sex based rights form women and girls.

So you tactic of complaining about "debate" is neither here nor there really.

And what you get up to in the closet is of no concern to us, just please don't expect us to agree you can bring it everywhere that males should be excluded from. Any perhaps have a word with Jess Bradly about keeping it a bit more private too.

[oopster]

Seriously? Venice Allen? Have you seen her videos? She’s not interested in debate, she just likes making mocking videos, silly songs, how can you debate anything with people like that?

And you really expect people to debate their rights with people who’d love nothing more to remove those rights? Send us back into the closet? Do you debate with racists? No you don’t, so why would you expect trans people to debate with those that hate us?

[R0wantrees]

He's taking a tv show grandma, assumimg she's a mumsnetter and wants to target her?

He's conflating her views with the many women who post here.

Its just an alternative topical attempt to label women who question trans-ideology as being bigots, transphobes, Nazis etce etc etc

He perhaps thinks he's witty.

He's not.

[Datun]

He's taking a tv show grandma, assumimg she's a mumsnetter and wants to target her?

Or he actually wants to target Susie greens mother in law???

Dear lord.

[LangCleg]

The debates that have been going on have been more like single party conferences rather than all party conferences. You want a proper debate? You need to have 2 or more sides of the argument debated.

Nell Stockton.

[Trousered]

Oopster is telling whoppers.

[IKeepFlouncing]

Sorry I cropped profile photo from tweet. Yw 😉

[IKeepFlouncing]

TheHarpy. My heart was pounding reading your first post. I kept thinking please don’t say you was found out not to be fully pledge cult member.

It’s bloody ridiculous that attending a meeting as non cult is seen as brave act and with risks.

Harpy 👏👏👏 🌟 for bravery and standing up for women’s rights which includes protecting children

[R0wantrees]

There’s no open invitation though is there? Inviting specific people implies (wherher it’s true or not) that you have an agenda.

WPUK meetings are open invitation to the audience.

If you're referring to my comment about Rosa Freedman's specific invitations to those involved in advocating for trans-rights that is to be part of the panel.

Your comments are demonstrating a lack of both evidence and critical thinking.

[AngryAttackKittens]

Rein, dammit! I can already tell this is going to be an "I can type good, honest" kind of day.

[AngryAttackKittens]

Wait, whose mum is the permanently enraged at women doctor going after now?

If people like oopster want to try to present this as a both sides kind of disagreement they might want to reign in their attack dogs a bit.

[hellandhairnets]

Terfs (and that’s what they are) claim to want to debate, but they only want to debate with themselves, no dissenting voices are allowed

Oh, please.

Projection. DARVO.

We see you. Even if you can't see yourselves. Everybody else can.

[IKeepFlouncing]

Haddock is appealing for the mumsnet username of Maxine’s mum, I’m surprised he not turns up at Justine house, maybe he will once he gets a ring back at home from the Pope 😂😂

Oh Xmas card suggestion Julie Bindel tweet reply to Haddock ‘Dickhead’

[Datun]

I mean I know a lot of TRA arguments are nonsense and illogical to the point of nuttiness. But blaming women for refusing to debate takes the cake!!!!!

🤣🤣🤣

[Datun]

The protestors could attend WPUK meetings if they wanted to, but they'd rather stand around in balaclavas trying to scare people.

And this time last year, assaulted a woman for daring to convene for even finding out where the meeting was to be held!

[AngryAttackKittens]

What, Datun, you don't think shouting "burn it down" is a valid debate tactic?

The protestors could attend WPUK meetings if they wanted to, but they'd rather stand around in balaclavas trying to scare people.

[deepwatersolo]

Men don't have hymens.

Yes, you are right, the circ fetish appears indeed to be some kind of analogy to this.