GMB Statement on transphobia

[MingeofDeath]

www.gmb.org.uk/online-Q-A

Oh here we go.

twitter.com/JimMFelton/status/1263956280508628994?s=19

"Comedian and author"??? Seems like he's another one of those that got famous for being moly amusing on twitter and got to write a shit book off the back of that??

Why you hate women, James?

@Jintyfer

I can't find a link to sign up to premium. Am I missing something obvious? I want to do the right thing by Mumsnet. Help please! 🙏😊

Hello @Jintyfer - you can sign up to Mumsnet Premium here. Thanks for your support.

@YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet

Loads of us want to sign up, but are worried about our anonymity. I know it's been asked a thousand times, but is it possible to find a way for women to contribute without losing their anonymity?

@YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet

Thanks Becky, all signed up! 💪

This site is full of far right sympathisers?! Really? I find the bias leans a bit more left than right personally (as a leftie myself too)

Ignoring the transphobes part, as clearly only acknowledging females are a real thing is transphobic to these people, and yes, generally a site thats sort of focussed on mothers will believe biology is a real thing. Sorry about that.

Who would have thought that a site that's probably best known for offering advice on breastfeeding and how to conceive might feature an awful lot of women who understand how human sexual dimorphism works? Truly it is a mystery unto the ages.

It's worth noting that on that same twitter thread @SunsetBeetch posted a TRA described the women of Mumsnet using the dehumanising term 'uterus- havers'.

This not pulled up on by Jim Felton nor GMB and was left to pass with no comment from either of them about the blatant misogyny.

This is the type of man GMB are taking notice of.

Oh, how telling.

I'm sure too that employers will be taking note of how quickly GMB cave in the face of opposition. Well done, chaps.

I'm so angry about this and all the people (men) on Twitter repeating the claim the MN is transphobic. Have any of them ever actually seen any evidence of that? No. Just lies.

The GMB doesn’t have the best record on women’s rights. The Equal Pay Act came about in 1970 but they only lodged their first big equal pay claims to protect the union not to support women workers

I re-watched 'Made in Dagenham' last week, its on BBC iPlayer.
I recommend it at this time given GMB's response to silence & smear women who post on Mumsnet.

I am a GMB member. My email to them today (name changed). Stay strong Mumsnet!

[...]

"I am very disappointed to see that GMB have paused their collaboration with Mumsnet because of concerns raised about transphobia.

I am a mother, a worker, and a person who is committed to equality for all.

Your Q&As with Mumsnet were a helpful way to assist working women in an extremely challenging time.

Mumsnet is a great website, on which thousands of women support each other. I have derived huge benefit form their message boards which are populated by intelligent, informed and caring women. Every message-board site will have its trolls, but Mumsnet is overwhelmingly a supportive and important forum for womens' voices.

Mumsnet permits robust discussion about the effect of changes to rules, language, social norms and legislation pertaining to transgender people. Some of these changes have material effects on womens' rights, child health and safety and the very meaning of the word woman itself. It is correct that a website mainly used by women allows such discussions.

As a member, I hope that you continue your collaboration with Mumsnet. Women should not be prevented from discussing issues of philosophical and material importance to them, nor should they should they be punished for doing so.

Please continue the Q&As. It is great for women to be provided with clear answers to important questions about their rights in employment during the Covid19 crisis, and to encourage trade union membership.

Thank you"

Hope you get a reply @whattodotoday100

I think a more accurate thread title might be

GMB Statement on their gynephobia

I can't trust the GMB to support me so I will no longer support them. My sub money will go to MN instead.

What's the ratio of women/men/trans members of the GMB do you reckon?

It took me about a quarter of a second to decide to sign up to mn premium to try to fight back against shit like this.

Anyone cancelling - do make sure you tell them why - and not just the admin person. Higher ups. Make sure they really get the picture here.

Just looked her up.

Alison Phipps appears to be a PROFESSOR of Gender Studies at Sussex Uni.

Presumably she knows a lot and she says...from SunsetBeetch's attachment ....that MN is a site full of far right transphobes.

Yeah yeah yeah. There is a filter that bars anyone with a Guardian subscription from logging on. University used to be the place where students learned to think for themselves. Instead it seems that the best way to approach a debate is to insult. Cos that proves you are right.

OvaHere

God that tweet is just reeking of woman and mum hate, isn't it!

I hope the GNB realise that their actions are being witnessed by a potential 12 to 14,000,000 unique users of this website, too.

Idiots.

They are stupid to have not foreseen this - and not armed themselves with the facts. As it is, the have shown themselves to be spineless weasels (very floppy indeed).

Alison's next book should be

Everyone I don't like is a far-right fascist: The intersectional guide to discussion and debate.

I've just emailed 14 Labour MPs and Members of the H of Lords over this. I might work my way through the whole Shadow Cabinet. If Unions and Labour wont stick up for women who will? No doubt it will be left to a Tory peer again.

The unions tell Labour what to do.

Now we see twitter activists tell the unions what to do.

But the membership isn’t on Twitter. This isn’t socialism; it’s populism.

Well done Molly

I emailed the Morning Star asking them to write about it. Not sure they will though. As someone wiser than me put it - they have already been conveniently knee-capped from defending the feminist position by the attack Harrison and Hayton made on them a few months ago.

Alison Phipps appears to be a PROFESSOR of Gender Studies at Sussex Uni.

She's dreadful. She's not a fan of Mumsnet, and I'd say the feeling is mutual.