Invitation to join W.I. If you “live like a woman”.

[Patup5]

I kid you not. This was on a local Facebook group.

What does “living like a woman” involve? Have I been doing it wrong all these years?

R.I.P. the Women’s Institute.

Looking at WI policies, they have the protected characteristics correctly stated. Against sex they've specifically stated that they've 'lawfully restricted membership to women only'.
So clearly they don't understand the difference between sex and gender identity (despite having an accompanying glossary).
This makes me a tad mad actually - anyone reading their use of the single sex exemption might consider this to be a safe, single sex place.
I think they should remove the reference to restricting access as they're simply not.

@jellyfrizz

Funny that as the masons will not accept trans men, only trans women. But as women we must bend over backwards to accomodate. Men don't feel the need to do that.

I didn’t know that.

Why aren’t TRAs calling for the masons to be cancelled for transphobia?

For the same reason that there’s no period pants on ModiBodi’s ‘Men’ page. Happy to use ‘people who menstruate’ but make trans men go to the ‘women’ section to buy period pants. ‘People who menstruate’ serves a purpose for trans women by distancing menstruation from the word women. Putting period pants in the ‘Men’ section doesn’t.

This has made me desperately sad: Transmen undergoing the pain of their dysphoric feeling and seeing the blatant virtue signalling MRA-ness of something like this modibodi nonsense.

Why don't you ask then what "live like a woman" means? You know, to make sure you meet their eligibility criteria?

My local WI is always desperate for numbers. Because they are all 80+ and honestly it’s so fucking dull (I went twice). I’d love some men to join that one.

It's actually embarrassing how obvious it is when an organisation has been Stonewalled. You can smell it a mile off.

@GCAcademic

Why don't you ask then what "live like a woman" means? You know, to make sure you meet their eligibility criteria?

Exactly. There seems a huge reluctance by those who say TWAW to define "woman". If they can't define their terms how can they say who is a woman?

Live like a woman?!?!

Oh I get it, is that when you’re pension/career it’s screwed because of taking time out for child birth?

Or is it when I was 16 been touched up by an older married man?

Being constantly shouted at, whistled at and beeped at by men when running?

Is that what living like a woman means?

Well I have no idea what that is.

Is there a list somewhere to fill out? What percentage do I have to score to be counted as 'living as a woman'? And which woman exactly am I supposed to be living as, taking as this apparently set role model that 51% of the population obediently follow? What do I have to call myself and view myself as if I do not manage to fit into this strange box others are so repressively enforcing on me with no interest in my feelings or consent or identity?

No. I think you can fuck off with that weirdly sexist, anti woman nonsense thanks.

@GCAcademic

Why don't you ask then what "live like a woman" means? You know, to make sure you meet their eligibility criteria?

Good idea.

Ask them for a checklist so I can be sure I'd tick enough boxes to count as a "woman" and allowed in.

I can't see that going down well in the sticks where I live.
Once, when the village hall's heating had broken,the pub offered their skittle alley for the WI meeting.
Halfway through,the landlord went in with coffee and biscuits. There was a complaint that he shouldn't have done that,as men weren't allowed.

Do they have a list of what ''living as a woman'' involves? Just so we know if we're actually doing it right.

Me and my (male) DP have the same interests, and same routine. Wake up, shower, get dressed, brush teeth, eat, go to work, come home, eat, walk dogs/go for a run, watch TV, talk about our day etc...

Am I living ''as a man'' then, being as I live the same way he does, or is DP living ''as a woman''? 🤔

chosen at random, a local WI faq, scroll to 5

It's the glorious insanities of these definitions that always remind of the shifting sands that this whole ideology is based on.What was that barking England Rugby definition of a woman - a person who doesn't make testosterone?
That any intelligent person could come up with something so clueless

@FlibbertyGiblets

chosen at random, a local WI faq, scroll to 5

It would be interesting if a man was to do a reverse Man-Friday and turn up at their meetings saying they identify as a woman, albeit still looking, dressing and sounding like a stereotypical man. He would heve to be welcomed, so long as his claimed gender identity was that of a woman? And if they welcome males who identify as women, surely they can't only give membership to people who "live like women" because some men may identify as women but are not yet ready to live like a woman?

Quite, Moony.

That link shows up as Holmfirth WI.
Which I believe was the WI of the original calendar girls.

Oh well. I can think of one or two people who would love to get their baps out and find it the ultimate affirmation.

I don't really "live like a woman". I live like me. But I'm in the middle of the menopause so my biology is very clear that I am.

Oh I didn't realise, I just picked one after googling WI trans policy.

@FlibbertyGiblets

chosen at random, a local WI faq, scroll to 5

I think it's especially interesting if you compare it to number 4 for context. Not even the actual content of the items, but the tone.

Of course, transmen don't get a mention. I guess they're banned?

Hmm. WI is single SEX.
So living as a woman should be irrelevant unless accompanied by a GRC. (Or, you know, being an actual XX woman).

"The Women’s Institute is an educational charity with a constitution that states membership is only open to women. Under UK law charitable organisations whose constitution stipulates single sex membership are entitled to restrict access to the opposite sex.’"

So "the Women's Institute" is now
"The like a woman's institute"

@GNCQ

So "the Women's Institute" is now "The like a woman's institute"

Yes, sad to say.

So are they using the EA2010 single sex exceptions but failing to live up to the EA2010 definition of a woman?

@Paralithic

So are they using the EA2010 single sex exceptions but failing to live up to the EA2010 definition of a woman?

Yep they state they are using the single sex exemption but don't. I think this is totally wrong, and would be interested in the legalities given this is stated in their constitution. I wonder what their governing documents / royal charter says. Unfortunately that's me all out of energy.

@GNCQ

So "the Women's Institute" is now "The like a woman's institute"

Arf!

I'm in the WI, It will be a long time till this policy changes. They are INCREDIBLY slow to move and not only that - very keen to "appeal" to a young demographic without actually being a young demographic. Not wishing to appear backward or out of touch - it will take about 10 years for them to turn the boat around.

There is a huge amount of feminist talk in the WI. Cervical screening conversations, conversations on breast examinations. Lots of physical activities to try in safety among female friends, yoga, belly dancing. Motherhood, birth trauma. I was at a harrowing and important conversation about a rape crisis centre.

You typically have a calendar of events. I'll never forget a WI Advisor telling us the tale about how in June they had scheduled in a talk for "your pelvic floor and more" and without realising it had scheduled in "10 things to do with a cucumber" for July totally true story!!

They are a wonderful bunch of women, fiercely passionate, local activists, proud of their history on women's rights. I'm noticing more and more the NFWI virtue signalling trying to increase membership to what is a literal dying organisation.