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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Stonewall petition

69 replies

paulaspoodle · 01/06/2019 17:41

Has anyone got any theories as to why only 8,599 people signed the petition calling for Stonewall to reconsider its approach in terms of trans matters? I mean that's only about 0.6% of the LGBT population of the UK, even if you go by one of the lower estimates. And, of course, seeing as a few straight people would have signed the percentage is likely to be even lower. The petition was very well publicised and, as it's anonymous, there's no excuse about people being scared to sign. Surely if so-called trans ideology is such a problem for lesbians as we're led to believe then the figure would be far higher? Has anyone got any theories? The only one that springs to mind is that most LGB people don't see it as a huge issue

OP posts:
TheGoalIsToStayOutOfTheHole · 02/06/2019 12:01

What a silly question to be quite honest. And rather transparent too. I once saw a petition with only a few hundred signatures that was asking the NHS to fund treatment for a kid with a rare illness. Have seen many like that actually. Oddly enough, amount of petition responses tend to mean..well not much at all. But of course, the low number on this means that lesbians are really not that bothered about being told that if they are gay females, they are bigots simply for that and they must learn to handle penis Hmm

SpartacusAutisticusAHF · 02/06/2019 12:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

aposterhasnoname · 02/06/2019 12:39

This is the first I’d heard of this, and I’m on Twitter and follow most of the main GC accounts. I’ve signed now.

FlankerMum · 02/06/2019 13:33

Signed Smile

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 02/06/2019 14:02

8637 now.

Lumene · 02/06/2019 16:53

I didn’t realise it was so many as a % of the whole community. That is a significant proportion to sign a petition that has been shared a bit on social media.

Ereshkigal · 02/06/2019 19:54

Just feel the need to update that it's 8642 now. Thanks for the reminder OP!

MenstruatorExtraordinaire · 02/06/2019 21:37

8642? Wow that's great.

OrchidInTheSun · 02/06/2019 21:42

Gosh I thought I'd signed this but it seems like I didn't. Thanks OP!

spongedog · 02/06/2019 21:44

thanks for the information. I am not on twitter a lot and miss stuff like this.

SpartacusAutisticusAHF · 02/06/2019 22:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

truthisarevolutionaryact · 02/06/2019 22:28
  1. Well done OP Halo
Herland · 02/06/2019 22:38

Signed.

JonnyBest · 03/06/2019 00:23

Hi all. I was one of the founders of the petition, along with Julie Bindel, Paul Burston, Kate Harris, Kathleen Stock, and Beatrix Campbell. I was actually rather pleased with 8500 sigs. There's a limit to who you can reach on Twitter, and it does take a lot to motivate people to sign something like this. It's also a complex set of issues, heavily stigmatised and with the entire LGBT establishment labelling anyone with GC views as a bigot. I think that 8500 is a good number given that context. As a comparator, the #gwiththet petition, founded by millionaire Antony Watson, a Stonewall donor, which had support from MPs and lots of PR in the LGBT press, achieved only 850ish signatures. The Stonewall petition will stay live and we will push it on social media every now and again to keep it growing. Please do keep sharing it too. I urge everyone to read the comments - they are what really matter. Some of the voices in there will break your heart. We plan to produce a summary report of the petition soon which will enable us to share the voices of those who have commented with their stories and experience. Thanks to everyone who has signed so far. We're not done yet.

Ereshkigal · 03/06/2019 00:59

Well done 🍷

FloralBunting · 03/06/2019 01:38

Beautiful ❤

truthisarevolutionaryact · 03/06/2019 07:44

Thank you Jonny. Flowers

8659 this morning so this thread really has helped spread the word .

MenstruatorExtraordinaire · 03/06/2019 07:47

Thanks Jonny for everything you do 💜💜💜

insidev · 03/06/2019 07:54

Just curious if Alison Moyet has been in touch with you at all lately Jonny? She seemed to do an about-face on Twitter the other day.

Ereshkigal · 03/06/2019 09:06

And not to forget, thanks OP! Thanks

BernardBlacksWineIcelolly · 03/06/2019 09:11

thanks for the update Jonny

OrchidInTheSun · 03/06/2019 09:23

Thanks Jonny Smile

Prawnofthepatriarchy · 03/06/2019 11:50

It's at 8,663 now.

I went back earlier and commented under my own name. I'm old and out of work due to ill health, so it's far less of a risk for me than for most people to speak out. But I feel the more of us who do feel able to post under our own names the better.

CaptainKirksSpookyghost · 03/06/2019 11:53

And to think this was pretty much dead before the OP revived it.

thirdfiddle · 03/06/2019 12:17

Disregarding the obvious motivation behind the OP, I think it's an interesting question.

When I posted about gender issues on my own social media, very cautiously saying there are issues that need to be discussed here, it was lesbians who called me names. I think if you're an older lesbian in an established relationship you probably haven't been on the sharp end of this. You know some nice friendly trans people through your local LGBT meet up, you think it's all about being kind to them. You think stonewall are fabulous because they were a lifeline to you as a young person, so if they say it's bigotry it must be.

Even as a straight person I felt like that until I started reading more widely.

I think more people have started to get it. The attacks on Martina Navratilova opened a lot of eyes. Definitely time for another outing of the petition. I'm not gay so I don't feel I should sign.