Edinburgh Facebook Group

[EdinburghFeminist]

I’m in a women’s Facebook group in Edinburgh. There are thousands of members and it’s a very nice and supportive group. Someone posted yesterday that they were looking at ways to combat misogyny and looking for suggestions.
Another poster commented about the SNP hate crime bill and was politely but firmly shut down and told that Trans people suffer even more than women by the OP.
I had really hoped that the thread would spark a useful conversation which would result in some awakening for some people. I’m so deflated that it was shut down so quickly - and that it was the OP who did it.
I have changed my screen name for this thread and I haven’t felt that I could be open on the FB thread either as my job could be a risk. I don’t really know why I’m posting to be honest other than to say I’m so depressed about it all just now!

Name changed for this, but waves! Another member of the group, another one unable to comment due to my job.
I was really disheartened/infuriated by the way the GC comment was shut down, but, like previous posters, in awe of those women who did comment and “like” the status.

This thread has buoyed my spirits - I highly suspect there are a lot more women in the group who, like me, feel unable to comment publicly. (And possibly even more who have been sun lighted, despite the OPs efforts to shut it down....)

Me too! I'm in that group and growled a bit at my phone when I saw the post in question. I agree the group can be a bit 'afternoon tea and where can I get my highlights done', but it's useful in many ways, and I at least am encouraged to see there are some other GC women on there too!

I'm in the Saughton Park group too but I've missed whatever excitement happened there. Must just go and check it out...

@MissBarbary

www.google.com/amp/s/www.scotsman.com/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-backed-majority-snp-support-over-joanna-cherry-sacking-says-poll-3130975%3famp I don't know how representative a sample of 1,000 is but

Almost 40 per cent (37 per cent) of Scots backed the general principle of GRA reform, the poll found, with just over one in four (26 per cent) opposing the moves by the SNP to bring in rules allowing transgender people to self-identify as the gender of their choice

A further 27 per cent said they had no opinion, with 10 per cent stating they did not know

Women are also more likely to back the plans than men despite concerns over the impact the proposals could have on single-sex spaces

A total of 44 per cent of women support the reform versus 16 per cent who don’t. A further 27 per cent said they had no opinion and 12 per cent said they didn’t know

Men were more likely to oppose the plans, with 35 per cent disagreeing with the plans, 29 per cent supporting them, 28 per cent holding no opinion and 8 per cent saying they didn’t

The figures come as SNP voters are shown to be twice as likely to back the sacking of Ms Cherry (32 per cent) than oppose it (13 per cent)

That was stupidly unprofessional reporting of poll results. There's a reason why we had statistics as a subject at university... (Mind you, ethics for journalists was mandatory, at my university too, but there were always some who managed to avoid it.)

The ethical way to report this poll result would have been:

A sizeable minority of Scots support GRA reform, while the majority of Scots either reject it or are undecided.

37% said yes
37% said I don't know/no opinion
26% said no

The issue asked about here is a change to the status quo. 63% did not decide to support doing that at the time of the poll. And typically, don't knows/no opinions when forced to make a choice overwhelmingly choose to maintain the status quo. So a reasonable assumption here is that the large group of those who didn't want to answer the question would say no if forced.

The large number of undecideds suggests that the wording of the question was probably too long and convoluted to make sense to many people, but we'll have to wait until the morning to check whether that was the case (no, I do not believe it's because the issue hasn't arrived yet with the majority of Scots).

Someone has added a comment about women’s sport to the Facebook thread! If you are on here too then THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Also in Edinburgh and GC - good to know there are more of us out there than it seems. As I said upthread, I have felt able to start conversations with friends about this over the last year or so and many have similar concerns.

I'm in that group too.

Unfortunately so is everybody I know, including people with non binary teenagers who think their child is breaking down barriers and those who have transitioned small children. They would take it as a personal attack if I commented on it and it would genuinely affect my life and children's lives. I've seen other parents called bigots etc. for less.

I struggle with the fact that general points about policy and dangerous men can be taken as me attacking kids- but that's where we're at.

I think it was better to focus on the women murdered though, as it was very much a feminism 101 chat. The trans stuff only comes into play when you look at the detail. I'm more shocked that women didn't know these figures of 2 (3 in lockdown) women being killed a week. That's where you start with feminism, I think.

Sorry for not adding support. Nice to see others out there.

I had a look, Kylie does a good, regular podcast and various events.

I wonder whether she'd be willing to host a webinar or something about the violence aspect of things? Keep it away from the trans stuff, but plant enough seeds for women to think "hang on a minute"?

Agree, Pawsome there are a lot of people that I upset by saying "hang on a minute", a friend of mine has a 7 year old boy wearing hair clips and unicorns and she is convinced he is some sort of trailblazing gender expert.

To me he's just a kid who likes hair clips and unicorns. Why is that special? Hair clips and unicorns are great, why would he NOT like them?

I am pretty sure though that there are more men murdered each year than women? The common factor is that men are generally doing the murdering of others, and raping too.
When I mention these facts to my husband, he’s keen to remind me that not all men are like this...

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/homicideinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2019

I am pretty sure though that there are more men murdered each year than women

Yes, but as you say, it’s men who are doing most of the killing. What’s more shocking is that 62% of female victims are killed by their current or ex partners. In 59% of these cases he was known to have attacked her previously.
www.femicidecensus.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Femicide-Census-10-year-report.pdf#page26

The Office of National Statistics and the Femicide Census show different percentages, because the Femicide Census only includes cases where the killer is known (usually convicted), whereas the ONS includes all killings.

twitter.com/crit_gen/status/1361298580317868034

Hopefully I've posted this link correctly. I'm on the opposite side of town otherwise I might have been persuaded to pop round and remove this.

Buffy's do they not realise that we are their mammies?

"I'll think you'll find that I'll decide on that, son"

@BuffysBigSister

twitter.com/crit_gen/status/1361298580317868034

Hopefully I've posted this link correctly. I'm on the opposite side of town otherwise I might have been persuaded to pop round and remove this.

Noooo, it should stay up. The general public need to read these things, especially if they aren't on social media to see the sort of stuff that is usually being said.

It could almost be written by a GC person. I mean I know it's what Shon Faye has said, but, it is quite striking to see it all laid out like that. Doen'st give the impression they think it does.

@forwomenscotland - have you seen that tweet?

If my child wrote that there would be bloody hell to pay. Wouldn’t this fall under the new hate laws?

Is there a template somewhere that I can use to speak to my MSP and MP about this? Sorry to ask, I am worried that I'll miss stuff out or word it in a way that gets it binned.

I see the census won't be keeping stats to record my sex. Which seems a little mad - if we need improve gynaecological and obstetric services we will need to have at least a ball park figure of how many women live here.

It makes no sense at all.

I wrote to all my MSPs/MP last night and have set up a zoom call to talk about sex and the census with Jeremy Balfour a tory MSP in Lothian consituency - his secy is up for other women in the constituency to join in - message me if you want to get in on the action Mar 23, 2021 10:00 AM

womansplaceuk.org/2021/02/10/sex-and-the-census-call-to-action/

@vivariumvivariumsvivaria

It could almost be written by a GC person. I mean I know it's what Shon Faye has said, but, it is quite striking to see it all laid out like that. Doen'st give the impression they think it does.

I did wonder if maybe it was done to show the absurdity of the Hate Crime Bill...these days it's hard to tell whether it's sarcasm or serious

I'm fairly sure it is a false flag, but it is genius. There is nothing there that TRAs haven't said.

@BuffysBigSister

twitter.com/crit_gen/status/1361298580317868034

Hopefully I've posted this link correctly. I'm on the opposite side of town otherwise I might have been persuaded to pop round and remove this.

Actually I think this is fabulous.

I hope it stays up so people who aren't on here / Twitter can begin to understand some of vitriol GC women are experiencing!

EdinburghFeminist
talkingdeadscot
'I've joined forwomen.scot'
Good to know! Many like minded women and
always plenty to do to stem the tide of misogny

@BuffysBigSister

twitter.com/crit_gen/status/1361298580317868034

Hopefully I've posted this link correctly. I'm on the opposite side of town otherwise I might have been persuaded to pop round and remove this.

actually Mumsnetters have just been accused on twitter of putting it up!

The OP has just turned off commenting on the FB post which seems a bit odd.