Baroness Nicholson on twitter

[Winesalot]

I have been lurking on twitter lately and noticed Baroness Nicholson has been very active recently. Amongst her tweets are quite a few gems - letters to Liz Truss, tweets asking for evidence about Stonewall’s involvement CPS guidance just to name two.

This tweet I found very encouraging too.

It is imperative to restore the rights of women.I foresee a single issue, cluster approach;we make a new Women’s Rights movement lasting one year,solely to rescue womanhood from its destruction through today’s legal and social denial of our existence.Emma,BNoW

She has today written to Liz Truss again but this time with her concerns about the gross misinterpretation of the ECHR in the trans toolkits used in schools and recommends that such toolkits are removed from use now. Such support is great news.

twitter.com/baroness_nichol/status/1256326753850556418?s=21

I will try to post the letter for those not on twitter.

I look forward to seeing what what happens next.

Further thoughts on 'honorary womanhood':

I also don't think it's progressive to say that if men undertake a certain amount of surgery they are 'allowed' to be called women.

I mean, do we, as a society, really want to say "if a man chops his cock off then he's a woman"? Because that's where this logic seems to end up. And then we're back to men and not-men.

It perpetuates gender stereotypes rather than dismantles them - and I feel very strongly about gender stereotypes.

Baroness Nicholson is absolutely magnificent. I’d written to her a few months ago about our situation and she immediately wrote a rather marvellous letter to Gavin Williamson on my behalf. (Am in Scotland where education is devolved but am hoping if changes are made in England, pressure will be put on up here)

How have these political lobby groups managed to breach so many boundaries? Why have they been given such privileged access to schools and children? We know that one of the key routes for regulatory capture of the government and policy is via the civil service. As we're talking about schools, it's worth noting that this regulatory capture includes the highest level in the DfE. A very senior DfE civil servant boasts of meetings with a political lobby group (Stonewall)and has received a special award from them for his work in implementing approved Stonewall policies.
Caroline ffiske has written about him here:
conservativewoman.co.uk/a-period-of-transition/

And in his own words he seems to have an inordinate amount of time to spend on implementing this political group's demands:
www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/interview/theres-been-lot-listening-jonathan-slater-becoming-civil-service-lgbti-champion

So how does this sit with the Nolan principles of public life - in particular integrity?

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships

I'm writing this not to criticise an individual but to highlight how easy it has been for a political group like Stonewall to breach these very clear ethical principles that aim to stop inappropriate influence.

As a result of this, the fundamental school's equality guidance gives gender reassignment priority place in the protected characteristics and the document is littered with links to Stonewall and GIRES. Apart from a couple of links to the EHRC & school transport regs, no other group is signposted for any other protected characteristic ( including race, disability, religion etc)
www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools
And that's just one example from the range of statutory guidance for schools.

The DfE and other government agencies are repeatedly throwing money at these pressure groups and enabling them to access schools. Why is no one in government challenging this - until of course Baroness Nicholson and Liz Truss came along.

‘How have these political lobby groups managed to breach so many boundaries?’

We have been told sob stories of how hard life is. Convinced that life is unbearable. Told to be nice. Had people pushing very hard to justify their own decisions and actions with regards to their own kids. The glossy media is showing these parents as some kind of saint - even if it is increasingly suspect (who’s the actress with not one but 2 adopted ‘trans kids’?).

If you want to influence, try a veneer if respectability (charity perhaps) and weedle yourself into the police, schools and politics. Learn the tactics of subtle (and not so) bullying and emotional blackmail. Fail to denounce the attack dogs. Attack any voices who question. Refuse to debate and play the victim.

I’m sure there’s a Playbook somewhere...

Indeed Lordfrontpaw
But the government is meant to be aware of all these tactics from lobbyists, yet they stand by while civil service has been totally compromised by this ideology - to the active detriment of the rest of the population.

Baroness Nicolson replied to this tweet:

It's time Stonewall are properly investigated (and No Outsiders) for wilfully misrepresenting the Equality Act to make money from schools and push homophobia/misogyny

And said

I think you are right (twitter.com/Baroness_Nichol/status/1256889794287874053?s=19)

Which I think is quite hopeful. What this whole mess really needs is an in depth forensic investigation into what has been happening, who has been pushing it, and links between people / orgs.

I love that this is a chain of events that has sprung from the commitment of a 14 year old to stand up for he place in the world.

The Baroness tweeted that "I’m a latecomer as I mistakenly thought that we who had worked on Womens Rights in the eighties had succeeded permanently; I see that we succeeded impermanently and that the battle is constant. A part of nature; so we can never give up and fight cheerfully on."

I so get that.

Yes she did!

Melroses I do too!!! I has said this to my early teen daughter earlier this year. The fact that the work had not even been finished despite the decades of effort, but that it now is under massive strain and being eroded. The very fact that there is such a strong emotive pull in being inclusive being used on these teens is to their detriment.

I love that this is a chain of events that has sprung from the commitment of a 14 year old to stand up for he place in the world.

Yes totally.

Thanks for posting this about Baroness Nicholson. Its very heartening to see someone with her status take a stand. I do remember her from her days in the House of Commons and but I suppose didnt pay as much attention as I should because Lib Dem!

Unfortunately, and not just Stonewall, it is the hidden networks, quite often things like share membership of a club, who you were at school / university with, that has more influence than any open lobby group.

This is why women have never had the power men have, because whatever networks they might have they are not in themselves part of the status quo.

And as so many women at work have found, doing your job well isn't always enough, when the men can stay behind after work and socialise with each other, while women are going home to pick up children, make tea etc..

And as we are still finding out hidden networks formed on shared personal interest at its worse, such as abuse of children, are still powerful hidden influencers who can undermine or deflect attempts to expose them.

And of course just the staight forward over sexism, of when a man talks what he says is paid attention to.

And I suspect in the Civil Service, and elsewhere who aren't that interested in actual equality, are happy that they have say a gay male civil servant who they can bring out on display of there progressiveness and in return he gets to formulate policy that they nod through.

Hopefully her speaking out will cause organisations who unquestioningly invited (paid for )the lobby groups in, ran coffee mornings and sold cookies for the ‘poor tortured souls’ and the parents who saw this being taught to their kids to question, debate and protest without fear of being labelled hate criminals of the century.

Traditionally, the ruling class had its old boys' network. That still exists, but it is not the only network. Lobbies of various kinds are at work constantly out of the public eye, and the more I think about it the more I realise how anti-democratic it is.

There definitely appears to be a third sector network of people who were at university together and move between charities, quangos and arms-length organisations, spreading gender nonsense as they go.

Riddle me this. When the government has a whole department called the Gender Equalities Office why does it also need a civil service Stonewall approved LGBTI+ champion looking to demonstrate to Stonewall "that our HR-wide policies help to foster diversity and inclusion"? Seriously is Permanent Secretary for the Department of Education not a way over 40 hours a week full-time role?
truthisarevolutionary's link above

Agreed EweSprouts.
And I'll post again the Nolan principle of Integrity that all holders of public office are meant to adhere to:
Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships
Given that he speaks about an involved family member and has received awards / hospitality from a political lobby group the conflict of interest seems clearly evident.

^^Exactly.
Nolan Principles are hugely valuable. Not only integrity but openness, honesty, accountability. Think more politicians and senior civil servants should be challenged on adherence to them.

I'm writing to my MP asking him to clarify how these principles apply to civil servants doing the bidding of Stonewall and inflicting their demands on children in our schools.

"The Committee’s terms of reference were further clarified in a House of Lords written Parliamentary Question on 28th February 2013 to explain that the Committee’s remit means it:

can examine issues relating to the ethical standards of the delivery of public services by private and voluntary sector organisations, paid for by public funds, even where those delivering the services have not been appointed or elected to public office. (Hansard Column WA347). You can view the Parliamentary Question answered by Lord Wallace on 28th..."

Who knew the Committee on Standards in Public Life also covers ethical delivery of services from voluntary sector organisations paid for by public funds?

As a result of this, the fundamental school's equality guidance gives gender reassignment priority place in the protected characteristics and the document is littered with links to Stonewall and GIRES.

GIRES have enjoyed considerable access & influence to public policy makers for a long time:

Trustees Annual Reports 2014-18
beta.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1068137&subid=0

2018
(extract)
GIRES has been at the forefront of campaigns to improve the lives of trans people through stronger legal protection, better medical care and greater respect within society. The charity responds to the constant stream of invitations to contribute to consultations on policies that affect the lives of gender diverse people, for instance with regard to the gender recognition process or the education of medical professionals. It also attends the meetings of influential bodies where issues of concern to gender diverse people are discussed, including the Parliamentary Forum on Gender Identity, the Equality and Diversity Forum, the Gender Recognition Panel Users Group, the Office of National Statistics, the Crown Prosecution Service Community Accountability Forum and the National LGB&T Partnership. In addition, GIRES has participated in the development of Good Practice Guidelines for the assessment and treatment of gender incongruent adults and the NHS England specifications for gender identity services for adults and young people. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health has honoured GIRES for its work in education.

Consequently, there is much more to do. The law needs to be simplified and broadened, to respect the autonomy of the individual, and to recognise the great variation between individuals in the gender
diverse population" (continues)

Having a reliable measure of the number of trans people among employees, service users and in the population generally is important in planning for the support they need and GIRES is working on monitoring gender identity accurately with NHS England, the Office for National Statistics and the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Gender is often used incorrectly as synonymous with sex. GIRES
supports the application of the term “sex” to biological factors and “gender” to psychosocial and cultural factors. Hence, male/female are terms for describing sex. 'Man/woman, or any variations between or outside these psychosocial categories, are terms for describing gender identity'

Man & woman are not descriptors of gender identity

Man
noun
an adult human male.

AGMs 2014-19(draft)
www.gires.org.uk/about-us/annual-meetings/

2016
(extract)
"Afterwards Baroness Barker spoke on Parliamentary and political aspects of current transgender issues and Dr. Helen Webberley spoke on transgender health care as a GP. Other matters discussed included the Report of the House of Commons Women & Equalities
Committee Inquiry, Brexit, trans*formation and trans individuals in prison. There was also a workshop for families of gender nonconforming people.
Bernard and Terry were thanked for their hospitality and we all clapped when Baroness Barker praised Terry for her great vision and persistence."

2017
(extract)
Afterwards members discussed three ways to influence government policy. First, NHS England is seeking views, by 16 October, about its proposals regarding gender identity services for adults. Secondly, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) has launched a survey, which runs until 15 October, among LGBT people about their experiences and the improvements they seek in public servicers. Thirdly, the GEO plans a consultation in the autumn on reducing the bureaucratic and medical burdens in obtaining gender recognition.
There was also a concurrent workshop for families of gender diverse people."

2018
(extract)
"5. Any Other Business
Alice Purnell Chair of the Beaumont Trust reported on the Trans Archive being set up in Bishopsgate.
Mike Webberley gave information about GenderGP.
Helen Belcher gave information about current governmental consultation on the Gender Recognition Act.
Bernard and Terry were thanked for their hospitality and ongoing sterling work for the Charity."

Well someone needs to look at how this tiny group of unrepresentative lobby groups have managed to skew public policy in their favour, including removing certain aspects of the statutory safeguarding of children while every other single political / social movement or charity is still struggling even to be heard, let alone influence policy and the law.

I'm writing to my MP asking him to clarify how these principles apply to civil servants doing the bidding of Stonewall and inflicting their demands on children in our schools.

It might be useful to remind MPs of David Cameron's warning in 2010 that lobbying was the next political scandal:

Telegraph
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7189466/David-Cameron-warns-lobbying-is-next-political-scandal.html

My MP is worse than useless. All she ever does is bitch about anything the current government does (whilst simultaneously not doing anything useful where she has control, nor suggesting anything that the torys ought to be doing beyond ‘we want more’) and big up the mayor.

Important thread & analysis by OP, womanformallyknownaswoman
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3488261-The-Financial-Juggernaut-that-is-Stonewall

Man & woman are not descriptors of gender identity.

Can we have that projected onto the side of massive buildings everywhere?

A gender identity is nothing more than a preferred sex role stereotype. Reducing woman to a stereotype is utterly dehumanising.

Can we have that projected onto the side of massive buildings everywhere? Nah, hate though-crime innit?

But I still chuckle at the 'trans women are women' (all caps) projections that unfortunately went partly over a window so 'ARE' actually looked like 'APE'. Yes, I still chortle at that one.