The reach of speaking up. The ripple effect.

[Leafstamp]

Today I spoke up about something pertaining to the protection of women's sex based rights. I estimate the reach of this to be educating approx. 10 people almost immediately and very directly; in due course, to affect the training of around 80 staff in a way that will positively affect sex based rights; and after that have a lesser, but still measurable impact on up to 1500 further individuals within an organisation.

This is before any of those people then take the knowledge into other areas of their lives.

It feels good.

It would be great if anyone else wants to add their version of the reach of their feminist actions.

And, it's not just a numbers game. If just one woman is helped (saved?) by our words and actions, then that's amazing.

Have a conversation with Labour candidate at my local ward. He was very pleasant unlike my MP who always tell me it is all due to misinformation (mine of course).
I had my DP and DD behind the door listening in.

My next door neighbours within hearing reach. The candidates team might have heard about why he was held!

I am writing to him to thank him for listening and admitting he doesn’t know much and give him some pointers.

I spoke to a family member who is Chair of the Governors of a secondary school.

As a result their residential trips policy now has a sentence in saying sleeping arrangements are to be single sex.

And the previous policies had been taken from a template used by an Academy Trust, and the change in policy created debate there too.

So probably well over 2000 pupils now certain of single sex sleeping arrangements on trips.

Thanks OP, feels good to realise that!

I had my appraisal yesterday and mentioned the crowd justice things I've donated to. It sparked off a conversation with one of my directors about Kiera Bell - he had no idea.
Also managed to manoeuver myself into a position to take on some of the Equality & Diversity stuff.
I'm very lucky to work in a non-woke environment but it does mean that nobody really gives a thought to this kind of thing. I can't make a massive impact on people (my own daughter thinks I'm a bigot*) but I'm trying to stick my head above the parapet. Albeit in a very safe way.

*The charges against me include "reading Mumsnet" and "supporting JK Rowling"

A Liberal Democrat councillor just came canvassing and has run away after admitting he didn't know much about the issue but he agreed a person with a penis had no place in women's prisons, toilets, or changing rooms.

I told him that meant he had no place in the Liberal Democrats and he scuttled off saying: "I can see you know a lot more about this than I do." I very much doubt he meant that because he was clearly desperate to get away from me.

Still he said JKR had been very unfairly treated. So maybe he'll go away and think about it.

DH answered the door to him and was grinning like a shark as he told him: "My wife will be happy to talk to you."

I've responded to a staff survey on inclusion, covering the whole civil service, with a few brief points in free text boxes. It's anonymous so I'm hoping others have done the same. My department is pretty woke so I suspect most are scared to challenge directly, like me.

DH answered the door to him and was grinning like a shark as he told him: "My wife will be happy to talk to you."

Our front garden is very small but we have chairs there which we put out to facilitate this when people knock at the door. I like the candidates to be comfortable while I take them through a checklist of relevant items.

@squishysquashy

I've responded to a staff survey on inclusion, covering the whole civil service, with a few brief points in free text boxes. It's anonymous so I'm hoping others have done the same. My department is pretty woke so I suspect most are scared to challenge directly, like me.

Oh I'm glad someone else has 😀

I wrote them an essay the other day!

@catchant, I had a similar experience yesterday but with Labour. I felt pleased to have said my piece but I got flannel back. Hopefully she will go away and think about it.

I'm feeling inspired!
We have a WEP candidate

How do you open?
"Where do you stand on women's sex-based rights?" Or something else?

I asked my LibDem canvasser what his definition of the word "woman" was and took it from there.

You'd think that would be fairly fundamental to the WEP, wouldn't you? Sadly not.

Good luck!

I have also made a LibDem canvasser run away

Loving these stories

Well done all.

My opening question for anyone who is daft enough to knock at my door is 'do you believe a woman can have a penis?' And then I will start quoting the Equality Act.

My opening question for anyone who is daft enough to knock at my door is 'do you believe a woman can have a penis?

I bet your postie breathes a sign of relief when you’re out

Seriously though this thread is great, you all sound formidable!

Oooops! I missed out the word 'canvassing' there! I don't generally bark that at the postie or delivery drivers!!

@MelissaVonStressel

I have also made a LibDem canvasser run away

They all run away, usually after claiming never to have heard of their own policies.

Im gutted I live in the arse end of nowhere, in a safe seat.

Sigh

I've started speaking up. I've reached a few people, written some emails and was feeling pretty confident that I was making a difference. Then today happened. I went to a feminist group meeting and it was awful, just awful. I raised by concerns about identity politics and transgender women having access to single sex spaces. I was on the receiving end of several looks of disgust and have been told that in their group feminism is for everyone and that it's all inclusive and anyone can be a woman if that's how they feel. I feel so miserable now and alone. Hopefully I reached someone there and sowed a seed of doubt.

I find the hairdressers an excellent place to kick off a conversation. So many women have absolutely no idea about the attempted destruction of our hard-won sex-based rights. Once they get the gist of what's going on it's amazing to watch the rage unfold.

@Zimniy

I've started speaking up. I've reached a few people, written some emails and was feeling pretty confident that I was making a difference. Then today happened. I went to a feminist group meeting and it was awful, just awful. I raised by concerns about identity politics and transgender women having access to single sex spaces. I was on the receiving end of several looks of disgust and have been told that in their group feminism is for everyone and that it's all inclusive and anyone can be a woman if that's how they feel. I feel so miserable now and alone. Hopefully I reached someone there and sowed a seed of doubt.

This group sounds great, well done them 😊

This thread is uplifting, thanks to all

@Skyliner001 - do you agree with them? That women can have a penis and be allowed in single sex spaces? Or were you being sarcastic? I can't tell.

@Zimniy

I've started speaking up. I've reached a few people, written some emails and was feeling pretty confident that I was making a difference. Then today happened. I went to a feminist group meeting and it was awful, just awful. I raised by concerns about identity politics and transgender women having access to single sex spaces. I was on the receiving end of several looks of disgust and have been told that in their group feminism is for everyone and that it's all inclusive and anyone can be a woman if that's how they feel. I feel so miserable now and alone. Hopefully I reached someone there and sowed a seed of doubt.

I'm sorry, that sounds awful. Reminds me of the story Posy told about going to the feminist meeting a few years ago where she got the same treatment. Madness!

Unfortunately this is nouveau-feminism where prioritising penis havers seems to be the whole agenda.

They clap themselves on the back at how progressive they are.

Inclusion my ar$e

Also 'feminism is for everyone'....eh, no - feminism is for women. End of. We shouldn't have to apologise for that.