Good luck Harry The Owl

[BoreOfWhabylon]

Court case today.

twitter.com/WeAreFairCop

...which will encourage a lurch to the right which is scary in its own right.

I read the latest blog on Fair Cop's website earlier on today, written by 'Mrs Owl'. It has stayed with me all day. I hope Mrs Owl doesn't mind me highlighting it here:

www.faircop.org.uk/post/january-november-2019

Firstly, Mrs Owl, beautiful writing.

Secondly, it's a timely reminder of the impact that taking these things public has on both the person and their family.

Knowing someone else who is also high-profile in this right now, I'm acutely aware of that impact. And how messages of support can help.

Thank you Harry, Mrs Owl and your wider family and friends. I'm so sorry to hear the toll it's been taking on you all. And can't thank you enough for pushing onwards, hopefully for the benefit of many.

As you quote The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice

If anyone can bear it I wonder if this might be an illuminating read?

...which will encourage a lurch to the right which is scary in its own right.

A lurch to the left is equally scary as traditional northern Labour voters are starting to suggest.

I would like to see less of right and left. People can hold whatever views they want (obviously within limits - incitement to violence is not good). But they should be able to articulate them, be willing to defend them, and be subject to scrutiny by the media.

I am really sick of dim people being able to claim a moral high ground simply because they endorse "right think". It happened on Brexit where, to question the orthodoxy was to be labelled "racist" or worse. I speak four European languages and have sat in my share of EU meetings. Yet when I tried to suggest on Fb that there might be more nuance to the debate (I personally am worried about the EU's democratic checks and balances) I was aggressively shut down. The loudest voices were only interesting in hearing each others echoes.

And here as well. #nodebate means we get the politicians we deserve, including manipulative bullies and self serving greasy pole climbers.

Manifesto policies should be costed and spending priorities outlined. John McDonnell will know as well as anyone (actually perhaps not all the current Labour front bench) that tax the rich to pay the poor is not that simple. (Raise taxes too high and your tax take will fall.)

And here Gender Self ID is not some nice words. There is a built in conflict of interest and Gender Self ID has consequences. I will feel less threatened when a party (probably any party) is grown up enough to have a manifesto promise to look into the gender issue, with an aim of supporting and protecting both TG people and vulnerable people whose own protections might be impacted.

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Thank you pombear for linking to that. As you say, it’s beautifully written and very moving. The strain and pressure of this case on Harry and his family must be horrendous. Harry and his wife are incredibly brave. I really hope Harry triumphs. I suspect there are millions of us cheering him on all around the world.

I would like to see less of right and left. People can hold whatever views they want (obviously within limits - incitement to violence is not good). But they should be able to articulate them, be willing to defend them, and be subject to scrutiny by the media.

This^ 100 times over.

Well said Needmore, I absolutely agree with you.

Great blog from Mrs Owl there. I wish she'd come back to FWR, she was great when she came before.

Thank you pombear for linking to Mrs Owl's comments. They so clearly demonstrate the awful pressure that this must take on all these courageous people who publicly stand up to the awful threats and intimidation.
I hope that Harry & his whole family take some comfort from the comments from the thousands of people who have contributed to his cause - they are very moving.

Shiny new thread available

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3751826-The-Continuing-Saga-of-Harry-the-Owl-Thread-2

Have just caught up with the thread.

I hardly post on here, just lurk & try and absorb as much as I can.

Firstly, I'm actually awed by people like Harry & Maya being brave enough to stick their heads above the parapet.

Secondly, going back to the twitter claim that our favourite acronym is 'factual'...

I am firmly in the GC camp, but I would see a fight for the rights of trans men to come under the feminism umbrella, as they would have faced the discrimination that all natal females experience.

The acronym would only be 'factual' if you only count TW as REAL trans, surely...

OvaHere, thanks for checking out Ben Summerskill. I talked to him on a couple of occasions and he struck me as reasonable and spoke to me with more respect and willingness to listen than any other paid Stonewall worker I've encountered. He also has a lesbian sister, Claire, who I can't imagine allowing him to get away with anti-women stuff. Nevertheless, it was under his watch that TRAs got their feet under the table at Stonewall.

I've already posted this elsewhere but I have a close friend and an acquaintance who were on the Stonewall committee for their region back in the noughties, around 10 years before the T was added in 2015. Also on that committee was an older transwoman and a Queer PhD student (male). The transwoman and the Queer guy were active members of the committee and were promoting the acceptance of trans and queer people in Stonewall. By that point it was already heretical to ask questions, as my lesbian friends found out to their cost.

My lesbian friends were involved in the lesbian community at a grassroots level. They weren't professionals already working in the equalities industry so they were already looked down on and patronised by the paid Stonewall Cymru staff and by some of their fellow committee members.

When they asked what a man with a girlfriend and a transwoman were doing on an LGB committee and when they said they didn't think their lesbian friends and contacts would welcome men who thought they were women coming to lesbian events, they were basically accused of being bigots. They were humiliated and treated by the committee as if they were the problem until they resigned.

I mention this because it goes back years before Ruth Hunt took over. I would venture that Stonewall Cymru had been captured by the trans lobby and supporters by around 2006-8 and here in Wales we're usually a year or two behind London. By that point it would have been difficult for anyone on the Stonewall Cymru committee to voice GC views without running the risk of being publicly vilified, as my two lesbian friends found to their cost.

Firstly, Mrs Owl, beautiful writing

It is indeed and the thought behind it is very provoking.

I've been following the case from Mexico. I'll never live in the UK again but I feel that this will set a world-wide precedent.

I am ashamed to say that Mexico has just passed a law allowing children to "change sex". In the preferred way with zero publicity.