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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

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

401 replies

TheHarpySings · 18/10/2018 20:28

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 Apparently a brand of T-Gel was withdrawn and GPs are reluctant to switch brands.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.
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waterlego6064 · 19/10/2018 14:44

Yes, LM has been tweeting about period poverty. When I saw it, I thought there must be an ulterior motive and then immediately convinced myself otherwise, because I STILL tend to give people the benefit of the doubt- it’s so deeply ingrained. It’s amazing how cynical it all is. I’m so naïve.

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waterlego6064 · 19/10/2018 14:49

OP, thank you for taking the time to write this report. And thank you for these absolute gems:


Notable misogynist Adrian Harrop

She then quoted at length from a song from “The Greatest Showman”. I wish I was making that up.

He was dressed like Tweedledum. Or, if I’m feeling generous, a Mario Brother that doesn’t get invited to Xmas dinner anymore.

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hellandhairnets · 19/10/2018 14:52

Oh wow, Harpy - great work. I too am a bit worried about you and hope there is no way of tracing you. Stay safe - and thanks so much for putting yourself there to get this info. Now, that IS what I'd call proper brave and stunning. Flowers Wine

One question re- "He said the TRAs need to build allies in mainstream women and children’s organisations so it looks like they care about them."

Is that so it looks like they care about them a direct quote from that speaker or is it an inference made when note-taking?

I have no doubt that's what was meant but it is extremely damning if it IS directly what they said. The key to much of how sinister this it.

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hellandhairnets · 19/10/2018 14:53

is

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R0wantrees · 19/10/2018 14:54

"He said the TRAs need to build allies in mainstream women and children’s organisations so it looks like they care about them."

This has been going on for sometime.

The whole 'be good allies' is a big Stonewall thing.

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GatheringHerBrows · 19/10/2018 14:56

Maybe they should have thought of that before trying to steamroller over women's rights.

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PersonWithAVulva · 19/10/2018 14:58

He said the TRAs need to build allies in mainstream women and children’s organisations so it looks like they care about them.
so it looks like they care about them

Dear god...this is disgusting but not surprising.

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TheHarpySings · 19/10/2018 15:00

hellandhairnets
Anything not in quotation marks is summarised or (in this case) paraphrased. So that is not a direct quote but it is an accurate reflection of what JM said- it was all about appearing to be concerned with women and children’s welfare to build a likeable profile, rather than genuine concern- and often that support would be with a caveat eg with period poverty it would be encourage the women’s charity to use “inclusive” wording or mention transmen and NB people.

Am happy to clarify anything else if I can.

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hellandhairnets · 19/10/2018 15:03

Thanks for clarifying, Harpy.

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Ekphrasis · 19/10/2018 15:04

Only just read the op. Jesus.

On the face of it JF and co are down playing things whereas it seems there's a definite lobby group targeting schools etc. Fucked up.

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BigotedWoman · 19/10/2018 15:04

Yes I remember a few of us on here were Hmm when Paris Lees mentioned donating to Women's Aid, whilst simultaneously slagging off/spouting lies about women.

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R0wantrees · 19/10/2018 15:06

an accurate reflection of what JM said- it was all about appearing to be concerned with women and children’s welfare to build a likeable profile, rather than genuine concern- and often that support would be with a caveat eg with period poverty it would be encourage the women’s charity to use “inclusive” wording or mention transmen and NB people.

cf CRUK ?
'people with cervixes' & removal of words 'woman' and 'female' from many gyny cancer descritions.

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ZuttZeVootEeVro · 19/10/2018 15:08

Dawn Butler is a disgrace, isn't she? What an appalling person to be representing the interests of women in the Labour Party.

There are so many child protection issues here. Is dawn really that oblivious?

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R0wantrees · 19/10/2018 15:09

Jane Fae has been on Victoria Derbyshire this morning aparently raising the possibility that Karen White was put in female prison so as to make transwoman look bad.

Sat alongside india Willoughby who spoke over Karen Ingala Smith who discussing male violence. Willoughby's concern was for 'the men who've had it tough this year' or similar.

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PersonWithAVulva · 19/10/2018 15:13

Jane Fae has been on Victoria Derbyshire this morning aparently raising the possibility that Karen White was put in female prison so as to make transwoman look bad.

Oh for gods sake..this is ridiculous. White was placed in female prison because TRAs fight to have men in female prisons.

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TheHarpySings · 19/10/2018 15:14

I think it’s important for me to point out that Dawn Butler was only present to give her speech- she arrived shortly before and left straight after so was not party to previous or subsequent discussions.

That said, she is still terrible at her job.

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WTFagain · 19/10/2018 15:14

Thank you, Harpy.

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hellandhairnets · 19/10/2018 15:24

Funnily enough, I had also noticed another TRA I've had run-ins with talk about period poverty recently, quite out of the blue, as was first time they'd talked about women's anything. And had noticed LM doing it around the same time (assuming this person isn't also LM)

I had been wondering how all this was being co-ordinated and between whom.

All very interesting.

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happydappy2 · 19/10/2018 15:39

Wow OP well done, sadly it’s not come as a surprise at all.
Watching grown men in dresses on TV, discuss why they should have access to women’s changing rooms, makes my skin crawl. Then on R4 1 o’clock news there was a segment discussing it, 3 people none of them born a girl.I think anyone who’s spent any time looking at this can see its grooming on a massive scale, right in front of our eyes, with genuine transsexuals sadly getting abuse when they speak sense.

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breastfeedingclownfish · 19/10/2018 15:43

She then quoted at length from a song from “The Greatest Showman”. I wish I was making that up.

There really are no words

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BettyDuMonde · 19/10/2018 15:52

This one?

genius.com/Hugh-jackman-the-greatest-show-lyrics

If yes, then a) I hope she did all the ‘woah woahs’

And b) one of the lines is ‘all that is real is left behind’ so that’s not troubling, at all Hmm

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CuriousaboutSamphire · 19/10/2018 15:54

After my heart sink moment I don't disbelieve you at all Harpy

I just wanted it to be hyperbole, lies, satire... cos, as others have said, that gives us a new reality to deal with... a very long road back to common sense and I am already in my 50s! I want to see the back of all this bullshit!

My thanks, sadly!

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Melamin · 19/10/2018 15:58

'all that is real is left behind’ You really need to read the whole thing if you are going to quote from it. Did someone write her speech for her?

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LorettasBox · 19/10/2018 16:01

No, the song will have been "This is me."

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TheHarpySings · 19/10/2018 16:02

BettyDuMonde

I think it was this one:
www.genius.com/amp/Keala-settle-this-is-me-lyrics

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