Good news on the WI Spa incident

[PostingForTheFirstTime]

I just saw this reported on Facebook:

nypost.com/2021/09/02/charges-filed-against-sex-offender-in-wi-spa-casecharges-filed-against-sex-offender-in-notorious-wi-spa-incident/amp/?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR1e_ws81-vaALSlUfdhuYlufJNoLzR31q-WII_WCUISsfR5Rnvx-21RtFc

So true, MummBra

@EdgeOfACoin

The Guardian article is horrendous. There's nothing about safeguarding women in there at all. The entire thing is about the rights of people who were born with XY chromosomes and penises.

So much for women's rights and protections.

Although, I did see the other day that the Guardian did use the word 'women' in an article about period pants. They can't even keep up with their own ideology.

I think there might be some Chinese Walls in operation.

The Guardian is actually quite good on women's health issues and has done detailed investigative reporting. Also on violence against women. However, these seem to come from the UK office.

Remember Susannah Rustin and Hadley Freeman are still employees, and Sonia Sodha is at the Observer. I'm not sure if Catherine Bennet and Rachel Cooke are Guardian or Observer.

These articles on the Wi-spa incident are from the US office - the Guardian's great hope to monetise online content by being more international.

The Editorial policy seems to be to pretend that the logical inconsistencies can co-exist if you just pretend they aren't there.

@WarriorN

Someone on twitter is saying that apparently Owen J and D Paisley have deleted any wi spa tweets.

Oh but the screen shots!

Goodness. How awkward.

We are told time and time again if a man comes in and acts badly just report him and he'll be dealt with, easy peasy.

In reality, this is what happens. We're attacked and ignored because of some magic words that now mean somehow sex offender good, woman complaining bad.

It's a common TRA argument. "If people are behaving inappropriately they can be reported and removed". I've seen it used by most "allies".

So Merager was charged in 2018 and 2021 with indecent exposure in (what should have been) a female only space. Do we believe in the 3 years in between that he stopped visiting changing rooms and spas, as he was so remorseful about the 2018 incident? Because it seems possible that in the intervening time he could have continued to expose himself to women, but they were too scared of being declared anti trans to say anything. What happened between 2018 and 2021?

'Chinese Wall' is a bit of an odd term. If I could I would edit my post to say 'firewall'.

I knew what you meant! Isn't it similar to "walled gardens"?

searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/walled-garden

What happened between 2018 and 2021?

Well, there were previous reports of incidents in Wi Spa reviews, right? Were those him?

Hopefully the women involved in those will come forward now.

The Editorial policy seems to be to pretend that the logical inconsistencies can co-exist if you just pretend they aren't there.

Doublethink?

Doublethink?

To some extent, yes.

But there really are two separate teams involved here. Remember when the US office had that huge strop and wrote all their signatures on a letter protesting against some milquetoast leader about trans-right vs womens-rights from the UK office?

The US activists - and apparently some of the Guardian's US staff - really do believe the UK Guardian is "transphobic".

Someone earlier mentioned complaining about the Guardian piece. Unfortunately the paper isn't regulated by IPSO but you can complain to the readers' editor Elisabeth Ribbans at [email protected]

And he may get off if the prosecution can't prove "intent " to arouse himself or offend others. Wtaf. The article is a disgrace to journalism. It's just a blatant puff piece , special pleading for trans identified males and no mention of women's and children's safety. I'd have more respect for the Guardian if they just admitted they view trans ppl as a sacred caste whose rights trump those of everyone else.

Yes Necessary and they wrote their own "response" as I linked below.

Can't wait of Laurie Penny's deletions too!

Someone on twitter is saying that apparently Owen J and D Paisley have deleted any wi spa tweets.

Maybe they need reminding today of their tweets? Mind you, they will have blocked anyone who might want to remind them of their rank misogyny.

That article's spinning so hard I can barely read it, Pyjamas.

God, this is so sad. I no longer believe anything I read in the Guardian until I’ve checked it from other sources. It used to be my trusted daily news source, and it felt like a friend and ally.

@NiceGerbil

Update the article? What to have an update at the top?

Or to rewrite it so if anyone clicks they don't read the original?

He's annoyed??!

The writer has locked their tweets now, but it was a series of 5 tweets and started with something like “It is with great annoyance that I have to confirm I have been talking with my editor and have agreed to update the original Slate article…I didn’t say the whole thing was a hoax, I said it appeared to look like a hoax…I am now of the stance that it was likely to be 60/40 chance that it was not a hoax”. And then included a link to the updated article which now has an amendment to it near the top of the article.

@Abhannmor

And he may get off if the prosecution can't prove "intent " to arouse himself or offend others. Wtaf. The article is a disgrace to journalism. It's just a blatant puff piece , special pleading for trans identified males and no mention of women's and children's safety. I'd have more respect for the Guardian if they just admitted they view trans ppl as a sacred caste whose rights trump those of everyone else.

I would feel that there is no hope if this person was able to be found not guilty on the basis that it was not intentional arousal. Because that would surely render any safeguarding law as being pretty much defunct.

Email sent to guardian ...interesting to see if there is a reply

@WarriorN

Someone on twitter is saying that apparently Owen J and D Paisley have deleted any wi spa tweets.

Oh but the screen shots!

OJ's is still there. I'm not sure about Paisley as I don't know the link.

twitter.com/OwenJones84/status/1420688381638553601

Generally, it looks as if the narrative is still being formed so we're getting lots of different types of ducking and diving. So far, they appear to be a form of:

1. saying this latest news is also a hoax
2. blaming women for complaining about it (we'd have known it was a problem if it hadn't been for all your complaining)
3. confirming that the person is a sex offender but focusing on this being bad for trans people
4. saying that the flasher is only being called a sex offender because they're trans and their convictions are a great miscarriage of justice

I think as it all settles down and more info comes out, the narrative will end up being a combination of 2 and 3 (see the JY TRA defence).

I think we can guarantee that it won't be:
5) okay, we've realised that sex offenders are taking advantage of a massive loophole in legislation we supported and we made a mistake by defending this

Also, maybe I'm not as down with the kids' lingo as I'd like to be, but what does TAF stand for? (from the Sally Hines tweet)

Thick As Fuck, I think. No comment.