Ooh! I am being subversive!

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

I've just arrived at a networking event. It's my free trial visit.

I nipped to the loos to find the door to the womens had a "Gender Neutral' sign on it. So I peeled it off and stuck it on the Gents

I'd take picture but I am now surounded by the event hosts and some apparently important people I just have to meet! I'll try later...

Well done!

Bravo!

Love it.

polite ripple of applause with approving murmurings from all the women

Nice one!

I like your style Curious.

Bravo! 👏🏻

Well done! This makes me so angry though, why do men get to keep their toilets and the women's becomes a free for all? Especially when it's women who most need sex segregated spaces.

I'm going to have to leave...

Why? Did they get your fingerprints from the sticker and threaten you with the gulag?
Or something less sinister?

I suppose this is to do with urinals.
And if your going have your chopped off you don't want to see any willy wave masculinity, in your face.

Is it because they are too tiresomely woke for you?

Good news!

Oh oh... What happened?

Did someone see you and dob you in for not womaning politely?

No, nothing that sinister Well, they may not have wanted me anyway, had I been brave enough to persist.

There was a small group discussing another group a Women Who group and were really very disappointed that it didn't encourage ALL women. I, emboldened by my first act of sabotage, asked if they meant trans identifying males and got that bulldog chewing a wasp look from at least half of them!

At that point I chickened out. Sorry!

In my defence I am quite visible locally, in a very niche sector. Add that to my ingrained hesitancy to be true to myself (decades of being a teacher) and I just wimped out!

But I do feel quite naughty... !!!

Maybe they're starting with a preferred pronouns round which you are obliged to pretend to take very seriously?

Ah, x-post. Don't worry, at least you tried with the loos, which is more than many of us can manage to do IRL.

Oh no! The pronouns one was in another city! And it folded!

I'm just going to stick with the really small one that focusses on being a safe space to moan and groan about clients and enjoy a good cup of coffee and a bun!

You had a go, did something for the cause. So early in the day too.

CuriousaboutSamphire

Please don't underestimate what impact even that one question can have. They talk about a group not including ALL women and quite a few might have been thinking, oh no, they're probably not really welcoming to disabled or immigrant or BAME or young/old women (whatever that particular group should be including but isn't).

And that lone voice seeking to clarify if they really are moaning about men not being included will bring the point home to some in the group what is really at stake.

Women's right to organise amongst ourselves, for whatever purpose.

I attend a libfem group once a month and honestly if looks could kill, I would not be writing this. Just because I politely and respectfully asked a guest speaker a few GC questions. But privately about a third of the group members have now told me they agree with me. So I keep going even if I find it very uncomfortable at times. Those women will now pay attention when they hear, see, read something on the news or online.

So keep going. One question, one woman at a time. We will get there.

Bloody brilliant! I'd raise a query about this with the organiser either during the day or afterwards just to challenge their thought process/make them think.
If you are not already you really sound like you would make a fabulous #StickerWoman (I strongly recommend ordering a load of postcards from FairPlayForWomen and investing in a roll of double sided sticky tape).

Well done!!!!

Well done