Stonewall defends its direction to BBC

[WarriorN]

Stonewall boss defends new strategy amid criticism www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57281448

@AniseDanehill

Text of my complaint to the BBC today:

I am writing to complain about the disgraceful comments made by the head of Stonewall, Nancy Kelley, which appeared - unchallenged - on the BBC News website on 29 May 2021.

In the article, Ms Kelley likens people who adhere to the fact of biological sex to anti-semites. This is deeply crass and offensive - both to the Jewish community whose history has been made light of, and to women (who also have a protected characteristic - that of sex). Ms Kelley is not fit to lead a national, influential organisation if this is her viewpoint, and the BBC is not fit to see itself as an impartial, trustworthy news broadcaster.

Excellent letter

Yes. Where is Ruth Hunt? She should answer some questions I think.

@Helleofabore

Yes. Where is Ruth Hunt? She should answer some questions I think.

In the house of Lords.

Actually I think this is great. "When your opponent is digging themselves a whole why would you take away their shovel?"

Sunlight is such a beautiful thing

@Sophoclesthefox

Unbelievable that she would do this.

I will never stop being surprised by the blind spot so many purportedly progressive people have to their own anti semitism. This is pure projection. She knows it’s bad to be anti Semitic, she knows it’s bad to be gender critical, so they’re basically the same thing, amirite?

By making the analogy this way, she’s only demonstrated that she understands neither gender critical analysis, nor anti semitism, because someone who truly understood how the latter manifests, wouldn’t weaponise it as a critique of the former. It’s breathtakingly offensive.

Thank you Sophoclesthefox you have articulated that far better than I ever could.

Should not the EHRC be investigating Stonewall given the views expressed, which as someone who had three ancestors die in Auschwitz I find offensive?

How fucking dare she?!

EHRC confirmed that GC beliefs are protected, so what the hell is a charity doing slurring a group of people who believe in biological reality like this? How is this an appropriate way for a charity to behave?

Also submitted a complaint to the BBC,

Cited offence, inaccuracies and questioned their ability to be impartial given their DW champion status.

Get writing people.

David Paisley is another who has been tweeting that 'Gender identity is protected under the EA'.

I can't tell if these people are just a bit dim and don't realise that when it comes to the law, words and detail are actually really important and you can't just be like 'gender reassignment, gender identity, s'all the same really innit'.... Or if they are deliberately obfuscating things.

The Welsh Government should immediately stop directly funding Stonewall.

The scariest thing is that I think this will pass with little comment or recognition outside of circles who follow it closely. But it gives the green light to TRAs to continue to mispresent what the law actually says and to use the antisemitism analogy.

By default she is now effectively accusing the EHRC and ACAS as being like anti-semitics.

Stonewall have actively managed to be sexist, homophobic, anti-semitics, anti-islamic and racist in a single comment.

Its pretty good going.

And possibly one of the most offensive ive seen in a long long time.

Puritans.

Matthew Parris comment about extemists is spot on.

It feels like a twist of the Dentons 'advice' which suggested linking trans issues with more popular laws, but in this case its link your detractors to some of the most awful people you can think of and hope some of it sticks.

It's an attempt to force the no debate tactic and silence people

Stonewall's been criticised for using the term "gender identity" when referring to the Equality Act's protected characteristic of "gender reassignment".

But Ms Kelley described that as "the difference between natural language and statutory language".

I was surprised that she continues to talk about "gender identity" as protected really.

Should anyone wish to complain to the BBC can do so here.

www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint

Bloody hell that’s bad.

I also thought this was illuminating (in the way the article was structured):

Ms Kelley said Stonewall had "nothing to do" with the university's process for deciding external speakers and was "really confident" in its legal advice.
Stonewall's been criticised for using the term "gender identity" when referring to the Equality Act's protected characteristic of "gender reassignment".
But Ms Kelley described that as "the difference between natural language and statutory language".

So confident in their legal advice that the head of the organisation then goes directly on to say that legal (statutory) language is not important?

I think that this is an unusually good article by the BBC. It doesn't lie about what the gender critical position is. It reports the mad, offensive things that Kelly says, it doesn't endorse them. It's sunlight. I think people would be mad to complain to the BBC. Complain to the Charity Commission.

Complain to the Charity Commission

Yep. I’ll be doing this.

NK is getting torn down on Twitter. I really don’t see how long this (she and SW themselves) can continue. I give it til the end of the year before they completely implode.

@newnortherner111

Should not the EHRC be investigating Stonewall given the views expressed, which as someone who had three ancestors die in Auschwitz I find offensive?

Possibly - but only if we write to them.

If you complain to a charity directly and are dissatisfied you can escalate it with the charities commission.

www.gov.uk/complain-about-charity

@AnotherLass

I think that this is an unusually good article by the BBC. It doesn't lie about what the gender critical position is. It reports the mad, offensive things that Kelly says, it doesn't endorse them. It's sunlight. I think people would be mad to complain to the BBC. Complain to the Charity Commission.

I totally agree.

I think the reporter has done a brilliant job of writing about this within BBC guidelines and given their usual tone on trans issues. I note another piece by the same person on lesbian bars, btw.

I realise you could complain on the grounds of ‘no challenge’ to the anti Semitic remarks but leaving the article as it stands in order to be criticised widely seems to me much more useful.

@McDuffy

I'm only part Jewish but sickened and furious. Tempted to send her a copy of David Baddiel's Jews Don't Count.

I'm all Jewish and all sickened and furious too.

Between this and the calls to kill and rape Jews because of the Israel/Palestine conflict, which has led to jewish children being threatened and bullied at my kids school this week, it's a really shit time to be Jewish.
And to be a woman

It is very good to see that page has been archived.

I cannot imagine that Nancy Kelly will fare well in the future from these statements. But they are now recorded for posterity.

The throwing the Essex Uni under the bus as well.

So many things captured in one place. And a video clip where she is trying to assure people that they do so much for the LGB people too.

Totally agree that it’s great the BBC ran the piece. It’s quite artfully constructed to shine the sun on to the large hole Kelley is happy to dig in front of them

Also.

Its pretty clear to me from what she's said that the head of Stonewall need some diversity training....

Yes, I feel like the tone of this article is very different to previous BBC articles on this issue.