WI Sisterhood

[littlebillie]

Of all the inspiration women that they could have put on the front cover of their magazine

I just heard a news item about this on BBC radio 4 news.

Seriously - a transwoman on the cover of the WI magazine was deemed newsworthy enough to be a news item on the BBC's midday bulletin.

Such things make me want to ask transpeople out there (honestly, no snarking) - don't you realise things like this are not the victory you seem to think they are? That things like this will always emphasise the "difference"? We're supposed to believe TWAW but would a natal woman make the news if she appeared on the WI cover? Answer, no. So there must be a difference for this to be deemed newsworthy. Why is highlighting this difference ok in some contexts and not others?

I used to get excited when the news used to announce things like ‘first woman astronaut’ or ‘first women to get through SaS training’ even ‘first woman to become PM in the U.K.’.

They are just taking the Mickey now...

@hennybeans was it a pole dancer or a pole fitness instructor. Very different roles. Pole fitness requires a hell of a lot of skill and stamina. Shorts and crops are needed to be worn so you can 'stick' to the pole.
Pole fitness changed my life. It turned me from a sporadically fit person to a confident sportswomen. I wouldn't begrudge anyone sharing the sport because it's an amazing workout (I stopped when pregnant and now am overweight. Boo!)
But pole dancing, where you just walk around the pole and grind is not a good workout and boring as shit. I could understand this being annoying.

“ At a time when the transgender community are experiencing prejudice and exclusion”

That pissed me off more than Petra’s membership really. Excluded from what? Single sex spaces which are single sex ? Prejudice from whom? Do you mean women protesting about the attempt to erase our sex class and redefine us? Yes, naughty prejudiced women trying to defend our rights 🙄

I actually feel a bit sorry for Petra being used in this way as a kind of woke token. Petra must know that the WI don’t really see them as a women else they wouldn’t have made such a big thing about this.

Um. All I am seeing is exclusion of women who fear/don’t want to use mixed sex facilities. I’m seeing women excluded from shortlists and jobs that really need the experience and POV of a woman. I’m seeing the word woman being used to exclude no-flippin-one.

Don’t cry your excluded tears when you are the one doing the excluding.

Wouldn't it be lovely if the WI had decided to do an issue about lesbians instead?

Perhaps with an article about how excluded lesbians feel, now that men have been given the all clear to appropriate their sexuality and spaces? Or even just assuring lesbians that they would be very welcome in the WI, and wouldn't need to worry about having someone sidle up to interrupt their conversation by whispering into their ear, asking them not to mention their female partner again, or make any other references to their sexuality, since it could "give the wrong impression about the group", and might "scare away potential new members"?

Sigh. Yes, wouldn't it be lovely if there were some women's institutions that still restricted their membership to actual women?

Is it time to start a splinter group? The equivalent of the LGB Alliance for adult human females who have been squeezed out of the Women's Institute? Would we need to call it the Adult Human Female's institute? Or borrow Kelly-Jay's terminology and call it the Femalist Institute?

Miss the old WI, my aunt went to a talk on Witchcraft, Crowley and Baphomet.

I’m sure the WI should look at the feminine empowerment of witchcraft if they wanted to attract a younger audience? Or is that considered passé these days?

l wonder how many of us are members of the WI, I'm not

I am. My magazine just arrived.

Ffs is all I have to say on the matter.

Maybe women will start by sending back their copies and asking for their membership to be refunded.

Someone on twitter has done a very naughty pastiche if the cover...

I've been thinking about this all afternoon and trying to work out why it pisses me off.

I think if someone wanted to join who was trans and they just joined in, didn't try and take over and make a big song and dance about it then I might feel better about it.

I joined the WI a couple of years ago, it's a fantastic group of women aged from between 35- 80, I realised early on its the only time I get to be solely with women in a structured event and I really like it, I don't want that changed. There's something very special about being women only.

@AssassinatedBeauty

I don't understand why Petra is hiding behind a tree...

It's useful when organisations make their position on sex and gender clear like this. I find it odd that the WI restrict membership on sex on the one hand, by not allowing men to join, but include people with a male body but a self identified feminine gender identity to join. Interestingly their national policy on equality and diversity talks at length about transwomen and non-binary people but doesn't mention transmen at all.

Is it an apple tree..??

I'm waiting for the women's group I'm part of ladies circle its like round table but for women to do this.

I nearly quit when I found out they allow self ID and caused drama as a member tried to get me chucked out for objecting to it. I stay for the other brilliant women.

There's something brilliant about it just being a group of women.

I haven't had chance to read the new guidance from the equality and human rights commission but I'm hoping it makes it clear the organisation can be women only.

There's something brilliant about it just being a group of women

What is it do you think? I'm trying to work out exactly what it is.

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor

There's something brilliant about it just being a group of women

What is it do you think? I'm trying to work out exactly what it is.

Okay this may be a bit rambling but is it partially down to the fact that until recently humans probably lived in close communities and women's part in that structure was to socially bind it all together so we are on a genetic level set to build socially cohesive groups.

Also it's never quite the same dynamic with men around however nice they are.

Oh FGS. I’ve just had an introductory visit to my local group (online).

Are there alternatives that ARE single sex?

I heard Petra speaking on BBC News. It was all about how the WI will give this person a platform for their transactivism.

Useful for members to know it isn’t just for women any more

Also it's never quite the same dynamic with men around however nice they are yes, I think that's it, the whole dynamics would change. I love the fact that I can talk to women of all different times of their lives and feel we all have the fact were women in common. I like being with the slightly older women in the group that have been through babies/ teens/ menopause and seeing there's life on the other side.

And yes, I think you're right about there being something natural about women grouping together, it feels very 'right.'

@vesuvia

I heard Petra speaking on BBC News. It was all about how the WI will give this person a platform for their transactivism.

Why wouldn’t they join the masons and do this then?

@WINewbie

Oh FGS. I’ve just had an introductory visit to my local group (online).

Are there alternatives that ARE single sex?

I know I thought ladies circle was that place but apparently not what is funny is they want to increase their membership by get more BAME I did highlight some BAME women wouldn't be able to attend meetings at all if TW are involved but fell on deaf ears.

What is even more frustrating is DH is part of the freemasons and they are single sex the unit is either men/women.

I'm so close to joining the WI. I've been to 2 online meetings as a guest and it has everything I want/need from a group.
I'm just so far removed from them on the TWAW issue (the WI as a whole, not necessarily my local group) that I've held back on sending the form in.
I'm genuinely torn.

That won't go down well in our local WI.
They nearly had a breakdown when someone suggested having a different type of biscuit at the coffee break.
I was tempted to join after they gave Tony Blair a well deserved barracking,but our local WI is stuck circa 1954,and I've no interest in the 'prettiest tea cup ' competition.