Edinburgh Uni under pressure for hosting discussion on women's sex based rights

[GCatEdinburgh]

Scotsman article here

So far they have been firm re. protecting freedom of speech, but the pressure is escalating and will continue, and they will keep a close eye on the balance of negative/positive correspondence.

The event details are here.

If any of you could write in support of the event the key recipients would be the head of the School of Education Prof. Rowena Arshad ([email protected]) and the Principal Prof. Peter Mathieson ([email protected]).

We natal white women are just the scum of the earth apparently, and need to self-flagellate while dressed in sackcloth. Ashes on the head as well we have the bad luck to be hetero 😳😳😳

Hoist by their own petard I think.

If you fill a hall full of people who are required to believe a certain set of things whilst being so sensitive to triggers, and micro aggressions, whilst simultaneously thinking they are individually very special it's just not going to work.

Conferences require diversity of thought. They require speakers to be able to challenge and be challenged without tears.

RubbishRobot I think those women might have been my sister and best friend! I helped organise the meeting but couldn’t attend. Venue came under sustained social media attack and seems to be getting more since the trans conference at the uni. It’s really horrible for the staff.

I will be there on Wednesday. Went to the Meaghan Murphy event at Holyrood and the For Women Scot one in Glasgow. No protests at Glasgow,. The one at parliament was 4 people and a banner, they arrived after most of us were already in.

Completely agree about the gendered souls.

Good luck for the Edinburgh event. There were no protestors at all that I saw at the recent London one (WPUK), or the other one I went to, RadFem101. Maybe they're losing interest, or numbers.

I know it's a bit much to hope for, but the footage from the JamJar event in Bristol made them look very bad. Like thugs.

I know that certainly one TRA regretted their actions. Maybe they've grown up a bit.... is that too much to hope for?

The Jam Jar situation won’t be replicated here, the University security team will be on it.

Couple of favourites, a white person who shouldn't speak because they are white whilst simultaneously should have spoken because they are white. Oh so complicated being Woke

Think that was my favourite tweet. Perfectly exposed the lunacy of it all.

Now, imagine being there.

Hi SuperLoud, that was a great talk wasn't it. I've never been to anything like that before so was quite unnerved that we could hear the banging and shouting throughout the event. Hopefully this venue will be more soundproof!

I would actually welcome more of a (civil) debate rather than just preaching to the converted, although it is good just to be able to discuss our ideas about this with other informed people.

I would actually welcome more of a (civil) debate rather than just preaching to the converted, although it is good just to be able to discuss our ideas about this with other informed people.

I agree. I think tomorrow's audience might include a few people who aren't exactly converted.

I was thinking of getting there early tomorrow and trying to engage any protesters in conversation. Rosa Freedman was really inspirational doing that at the ForWomen.Scot event in February. I'm off to hear Julie Bindel talk on prostitution just now and hope I will be able to channel her energy.

A very woke man is bringing his children along to the protest

Got to get those kids trained young in protesting women’s rights!

"Paints and glitter"

FFS 😡

Pre protest craft session? Ffs. Does anyone know where the lecture theatre is in relation to the library, not been to George Square in a while?

Auldspinster if you're standing with your back to the library looking towards George Square gardens, 50 George Square is at about 2 o'clock. It's level with the side entrance to the gardens on the east side of the square.

@Runningwild12 I think you might be right! Glad it helped @rubbishrobot

RubbishRobot I could be mistaken, but I think the woke man at the protest is chair of the Ed Uni academics' union branch.

Thanks RubbishRobot. We should have some sort of secret signal to indicated we're mumsnetters!

Indicate even.

Yes, woke man is a UCU officer. There has been some really unpleasant, misogynist behaviour from various beardy SWP types in UCU. I've left the union because they recently voted down a motion to defend the academic freedom of feminist colleagues to discuss issues of sex and gender. They're not getting £25 a month from me to refuse to defend the rights that I have in law and to call me a bigot while they carry on like fascists.

I need a Mumsnet secret signal, a WhatsApp secret signal, a Twitter secret signal, a reddit/GenderCritical secret signal...

I need a Mumsnet secret signal, a WhatsApp secret signal, a Twitter secret signal, a reddit/GenderCritical secret signal...

A small image of Charlton Heston in his hey day should do it.

You will know me by my hot pink handbag and birdcage brolly.

Hope it goes well in Edinburgh today. I'm sorry I can't make it. It's a great panel. And yes, agree about secret code. In Glasgow I asked about 3 people for a certain mumsnet user name - I felt ever so slightly bonkers!

(It also reminded me of that bit in Transcription where the spy code is 'Can I tempt you?" and there are a couple of muddle-ups. But anyway, I digress.)

It's a miserable day in Edinburgh, hopefully the blue haired types will be discouraged from picketing for fear of their faces being dyed blue.