Lessons from Canada: Meghan Murphy speaking in Glasgow 24th May

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Thought this might be of interest to some...

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lessons-from-canada-tickets-60344167028

For Women Scotland is a nationwide group founded in June 2018 to safeguard and strengthen the rights of women and girls. Our campaign focuses on proposed changes by the Scottish Government to devolved legislation: we aim to ensure that women will be consulted throughout this process.

Important and far-reaching legislative changes are affecting women and girls in many countries across the world. We are delighted Meghan Murphy and Bec Wonders have accepted our invitation to speak in Glasgow about their experiences in Canada, and consider similarities to the proposed changes in Scotland.

Yeah my mum was just saying that.

Agree inside it's more mixed than the groups who arrived with me, not that lots of middle aged women is a bad thing, get fed up of the ageism from TRAs

Meghan Murphy is here now. Just starting.

Bec Wonders founder of Vancouver women's library now doing a PhD on 2nd wave feminism speaking

There's a massive roar for Joan McAlpine and Joanna Cherry

#FWSGlasgow

Appalling the way mainly male transactivists protested and damaged the small library of 80 books set up by 2 women and demanded 20 books be removed!

Speaker:

I’m so impressed by all the women I’ve met over here in the UK, who are refusing to back down, who have been incredibly smart and creative in terms of forcing this debate into the public square, into politics, into the media, and refusing to be silenced.

Really enjoying Megans talk and Bec was great. So glad I came.

Standing ovation for Megan

I didn’t know about the demands to remove Dworkin etc from the VWL. I wonder what kind of people go for the books.

Need a tissue after that last audience member. Politically homeless and hope the war had been won.

Anyone heading to the pub?

Reading through the twitter #FWSGlasgow
Some great questions and comments, from a wide range of experiences.

It sounds like a great evening.

A couple more if I'm not up to my limit.

Wow! That Glasgow meeting sounds wonderful from reading the Live Tweets. Can't wait for the video transmissions!

From the later tweets I get the impression that women need to form their own union perhaps? The existing unions were created by men, for men, according to men's rules. Women working within them as officials or members are governed by that patriarchal control. [Ditto for political parties.]

Women need non-patriarchal structures if they are to thrive in any meaningful way?

Can't post anymore screen grabs but I think this is a really good point.

"Woman asks a question on language. "We are continually reacting, on back foot. The power dynamics of this are such that we are easily framed as negative, because we are telling people they can't have what they want to have." Need to use our own words, she says. #FWSGlasgow"

"Woman saying we're on the back foot. The power dynamic here frames us as the baddies, as they are demanding "rights" and we're saying no. We need new words. We need to push something positive. Stop firefighting/responding "

There is often talk about women's boundaries and how we need to stand firm and say No, and how much of this is about men reacting when women say No. None of which I dispute. But it is dispiriting being the negative person, constantly saying No which basically sets up a challenge.

I don't have any good suggestions for pushing the positive just now though.

"Woman asks a question on language. "We are continually reacting, on back foot. The power dynamics of this are such that we are easily framed as negative, because we are telling people they can't have what they want to have." Need to use our own words, she says. #FWSGlasgow"

"Woman saying we're on the back foot. The power dynamic here frames us as the baddies, as they are demanding "rights" and we're saying no. We need new words. We need to push something positive. Stop firefighting/responding "

Worth watching Dr Julia Long's speech at the recent London Lesbians on Chairs event. Julia Long spoke about the importance for women, specifically lesbians to be able to create , not solely react.

I found it thought provoking.

@trinalbcnotanonman waves that was me! Think we met just after - that was such an amazing event. So much admiration for both speakers putting their safety and livelihoods on the line, and great to see such a big group of all ages.

Meanwhile in Canada Trudeau has banned the use of the words mother and father within government organisations!

capforcanada.com/justin-trudeau-bans-use-of-mother-and-father-within-govt-organizations/

twitter.com/kaeleyt/status/1131932379088429056?s=21

Do you have any more sane looking sources for that claim, Fanny? Because the site looks a bit like a batshit crazy blogger making unsubstantiated allegations to me.

In fact this looks a bit more accurate:
www.cbc.ca/news/politics/service-canada-gender-neutral-1.4585629

I would imagine it was probably meant along the lines of "don't write school guidance saying 'contact the mother if little Jonny bangs his head on school premises', use 'parent' instead." I don't pick up any suggestion at all that they're banning "mother" and "father" Brave New World style.

Apologies for not critically assessing the source - scrolling through twitter in hand.

Jacky it was a great meeting. There was such a breadth of experience in the room. It was both sobering and rage-inducing to hear women from so many sectors talking about how this is affecting them: unions, teaching, academia, forensic pathology etc.

Ah - not known for enhancing one's critical faculties (well, certainly not mine, anyway). Sounds like your Friday night has been more relaxing than mine - I've been shifting furniture.

Just in the door. Fantastic night everyone was so friendly and approachable. Bec was lovely, best of luck to her in her PHD.