5 Gateshead councillors stick their heads above the parapet

[PimmsnLemonade]

Let's see if this gets agreed on Thursday:

democracy.gateshead.gov.uk/documents/s18511/Notice%20of%20Motion%20-%20Gender%20Recognition.pdf

Sorry.

@LGBTLabour.

Am I the only one finding this very depressing? I really thought sense was finally prevailing but the bullies are winning again it appears.

I really thought sense was finally prevailing

This is being pushed from above, it's going to happen, we need to stop thinking those in power will see sense, they are the ones wanting this.

As many people at ground level as possible need to know what's happening, not because it will stop, but because law is useless if the public refuse to follow it.

I really don’t see bullies winning here - I see bullies flailing. #nodebate has failed for them, now they’re having to meet and actually have the discussions. I expect they’re bricking themselves, they know their arguments just don’t hold water against the legitimate concerns outlined in this motion.

I hope you're right Cwenthryth. I also hope any meetings are public so people can see the ridiculousness of it all.

My extended family includes those in the 8000 strong ultra-orthodox (or Haredi) Jewish community in Gateshead. My Greatgrandfather ran away from there in 1915 (over 100 years ago) when it was much smaller.

That’s a large constituent group who strongly believe in sex segregation.

I would love to believe that the counsellers will not only communicate with LGBT labour but also with local women’s groups including women from that community, which may be insular but still accesses local amenities such as hospitals, swimming pools etc.

The Chronicle article refers to a statement by a trans org called Be. I found that here.

They say The Government has specifically stated that the ‘Gender Reassignment’ provision in the the Equality Act will be unaffected [10] – and we consider conflating them as this motion does to be a deliberate scare tactic.

Yet the Chronicle article says On its website, the Labour Party's National Executive Committee wrote that the party is committed to reforming the Gender Recognition Act and the Equality Act 2010 to "ensure they protect trans people" and that it will "formulate more policy to achieve that goal".

I also notice they've libeled Linda Bellos, accusing her of 'outright threats of violence against trans people'.

I also notice they've libeled Linda Bellos, accusing her of 'outright threats of violence against trans people'.

That's really serious.
Linda Bellos did not do this.

This is one of many deliberately misrepresentations spread by TRAs such as Guiliana Kendal/London

Times extract:
"Ms Bellos, 67, a friend of Jeremy Corbyn, was speaking at a feminist event in November last year when she said: “If any one of those bastards comes near me, I will take off my glasses and thump them.” She said the remark was in response to the assault of a feminist by a transgender activist at a rally in Hyde Park last September and that she was speaking about self-defence."

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trans-threat-feminist-linda-bellos-faces-private-prosecution-g6rmzftx9

threads:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3237264-Linda-Bellos-arrested-Title-edited-by-MNHQ-to-make-clear-that-she-was-in-fact-interviewed-under-caution

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3357475-Linda-Bellos-disinvited-to-a-Black-Workers-Group-gathering

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3348613-Linda-Bellos-prosecuted-in-private-by-trans-activist-Thread-title-edited-at-OPs-request

Thanks to everyone for their support on this thread. I’ve had a pleasantly surprising amount of supportive emails and tweets too.

@leighkirkton great work. Thank you for sticking your heads above the parapet.

I do wonder if, given how many TRAs monitor these threads, we ought to self moderate and not mention forthcoming low profile events unless they are in need of specific support? To avoid the inevitable pile on that such attention can bring

I do wonder if, given how many TRAs monitor these threads

There's a 'network' apparently as described in this article by Eve Livingstone in December 2018:

(extracts)
Since 2016, Mumsnet—specifically its Feminism board—has increasingly found itself on the receiving end of criticism from trans people and their allies. “When I started using Twitter and engaging in the trans sphere in mid-2017, Mumsnet was constantly referenced both on my timeline and in DMs,” says Joss Prior, a trans woman who is part of a sizable trans community that monitors and discusses Mumsnet regularly. “The whole of the Feminism board was like a spectre hanging over the daily trans discourse.”

Prior points to the now partially-deleted but notorious 2016 “I Am Spartacus” thread in which a user asserted that “men cannot become women, ever. Women cannot become men, ever” and went on to misgender a number of trans men and women, including high-profile campaigners Paris Lees and Danielle Muscato. The post sparked thousands of supportive comments and is consistently referenced in up-to-date threads, with “I am Spartacus” acting as a shorthand rallying call for anti-trans feminists. Attempts have even been made to organize campaigning activity around the phrase.

“It’s a core group of a few hundred hardcore trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs), a tiny percentage of overall users,” says Christine, the mother of a trans child and also part of the network that regularly monitors Mumsnet. (Christine’s name has been changed for privacy reasons.) “Yet the Feminism board is just 90 percent discussions about trans people on any given day.”

broadly.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/a3mn9k/mumsnet-uk-mom-forum-terf-transphobia-feminism

thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3445268-To-be-shocked-that-Mn-has-been-branded-a-hotbed-of-transphobia

Hopefully a lot monitor, that way I can imagine the outrage at how little is actually deleted.

If it was only a few people might start thinking it was pointless.

Its a lot of time devoted to trying to limit/prevent women discussing safeguarding, women's rights, political process etc

It’s not working, either

There's a massive failure of understanding.

Please don't back down @LeighKirton. I believe in you

"Hopefully a lot monitor, that way I can imagine the outrage at how little is actually deleted."
Good point.

The irony of increasing page views, thus giving money via advertisments to Mumsnet, while at the same time thinking you are doing some kind of damage is good.

It's like to boycotting of the free metro paper

The post sparked thousands of supportive comments

And

“It’s a core group of a few hundred hardcore trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs

I would like to thank those few hundred who made enough posts to get that thread (which is capped at 1000 but never mind) up to thousands.

Cognitive dissonance in action.

Please be brave and keep your clear and sensible voices strong @LeighKirton.

Standing with you LeighKirton and hoping you can draw from the support you have here.

Hi @LeighKirton ... I hope you get to debate your motion. Here is my take on the situation from a trans perspective. blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/01/the-difficulties-of-questioning-the-transgender-dogma/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Thank you Leigh and stay strong. You are right.