Amnesty International Statement on FiLiA

[OhHolyJesus]

"Amnesty International UK did not organise any protests at the FiLiA conference in Portsmouth which took place on 16 and 17 October 2021.
We have a long history of campaigning against violence against women and this continues to be a vital part of our work.

We are equally committed to campaigning for the rights of transgender people to live freely, authentically, and openly, and to have their gender legally recognised without having to go through a dehumanising, long and costly procedure.

Amnesty International has clear guidelines on how we campaign. We will only support protests by any individuals, groups or communities which are in line with Amnesty’s core values, including not using or advocating violence, hatred or discrimination while protesting; and that the protests themselves should be consistent with international human rights law and standards.

We were approached by the organisers of a Fly the Flag event in Portsmouth at the weekend, who requested that we supply materials which reflect Amnesty International UK’s campaigning positions on the LGBTQ human rights.

Two sets of placards were sent. One set of signs stated the slogan “I AM WHO I SAY I AM: Amnesty International”. The second set of signs stated the slogan “LOVE IS A HUMAN RIGHT: Amnesty International”. The organiser of the Fly the Flag event stated that their protest would be respectful and celebratory and that she would seek dialogue with delegates to the conference. We were happy to support the Fly the Flag event in this way.
However, the event was not an official Amnesty International UK event and a sign that was displayed describing this as an official Amnesty International UK protest event was incorrect.

We have investigated events from the weekend. There were several separate groups holding events and protests outside the Guildhall in Portsmouth. Our understanding remains the case that the Fly the Flag Event was respectful and appropriate and was not connected with the threatening and aggressive language and images that were present in other parts of Guildhall Square that weekend. Photographs of the threatening and aggressive language and images displayed by other protestors present at the Guildhall have been shared with us and we are shocked by it.

We recognise that the FiLiA conference was attended by a number of women who have been the victims of violence and harassment. Amnesty International UK believes there should have been absolutely no place for the use of any threatening or aggressive language or imagery towards any of the attendees of that conference, or indeed towards any women."

www.amnesty.org.uk/statement-section-following-portsmouth-conference-october-2021

Too late for amnesty
It doesn't change them wanting to remove political representation from GC woman and both those signs are problematic. If I say I am a 5'10" and a size 10 it doesn't make it so
More back peddling

Load of old bollocks.

Love is a human right is in itself problematic as hell.

We weren't involved, but if we were we did nothing wrong, and if we did it was someone else, and if it was we didn't know anything about it.

It’s not a big square. There were not that many trans protestors. As someone that was there, claims that no one managing the protestors noticed the drawings of penises and violent threats until they saw photos on Twitter later are quite frankly laughable.

Yes Repent that's the bit I don't get. If i say im a six foot blonde with blue eyes and demand that you see me as such , it doesn't mean others will see me as such. They will still be looking at a dumpy grey haired middle aged woman with brown eyes. What ever language I make them use to describe me

Love is a human right, sounds like an invitation to justify forcing yourself on someone.

Waffle, waffle, waffle. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.

Neither of those statements stand up to scrutiny. You can say who you are 1000 times but it doesn't mean anyone has to listen to you or believe you. Does it mean I can tell people that I am Queen Fartypants, leader of all the ladies over 50 - because that's who I say I am? No! Does it buggery! And no, love isn't a human right. It probably should be, that would be lovely. But it isn't. Nobody has the right to expect other people to love them. I'm so tired of this shite.....

Love is a human right is in itself problematic as hell.

Extremely problematic mantra.

Amnasty should be very ashamed with that one.

'I am what i say I am' is just not true. I am what I am, not what I say I am

@5zeds

Love is a human right, sounds like an invitation to justify forcing yourself on someone.

It sounds like incel rhetoric.

And autocorrect is trying to change incel to Intel.

@DuckDuckNo

Love is a human right is in itself problematic as hell.

I know, right?! I don't understand how people don't see this type of rhetoric is really quite dangerous.

It looks nice - and I do in fact believe all people deserve to be loved, even unlovable ones. I think it's the purpose of the universe.

But when they say love, what they mean is sex.

Whether we forgive Amnesty for their betrayal of women and free speech, it is telling of the change in the wind that they've made this statement.

But, it's not just Amnesty, I'm seeing it all over now. It's the mantra of the local Pride organisation here.

I got a similar email when I cancelled my direct debit to them this week:

The protest outside the FiLiA conference in Portsmouth was not organised by Amnesty International UK. We responded to a request from the organisers and sent placards for their planned peaceful demonstration in support of trans rights. However, we have since received reports of offensive behaviour at the demonstration. We take this very seriously and we are investigating.

Amnesty International is committed to campaigning for the rights of transgender people to live freely, authentically, and openly, and to have their gender legally recognised without having to go through a dehumanising, long and costly procedure.

We do not believe this goes against our campaigning for women’s rights. We feel the current conversation, in particular on social media with regards to self-identification, is misguided and not based on evidence. Restricting the rights of transgender people will not advance or protect women's rights.

Our campaigning on this issue is based on Amnesty’s research on legal gender recognition in multiple countries and on existing human rights standards. It also draws from our long-standing work on violence against women and its root causes. We do not launch campaigns without solid research and consideration for the human rights of all groups concerned, and we dispute any assertions that self-identification will be used by men in order to access spaces where women are vulnerable to abuse or harassment. There is absolutely no evidence that this would happen. In countries where self-identification is already the process (Argentina, Ireland) the policy has had absolutely no impact on anyone other than trans people, making their lives easier.

Rubbish rubbish rubbish!

We weren't involved, but if we were we did nothing wrong, and if we did it was someone else, and if it was we didn't know anything about it.

I’m reminded of Jeremy Corbyn laying a wreath for the terrorists - he was there but not present, just adjacent to what was going on but not involved? Something like that.

We recognise that the FiLiA conference was attended by a number of women who have been the victims of violence and harassment.

It was attended by a number of women who have been the victims of the sort of stuff Amnesty used to campaign against.

We have investigated events from the weekend. There were several separate groups holding events and protests outside the Guildhall in Portsmouth. Our understanding remains the case that the Fly the Flag Event was respectful and appropriate and was not connected with the threatening and aggressive language and images that were present in other parts of Guildhall Square that weekend.
Very unimpressed by Amnesty's "investigation".
For the record, 'other parts of Guildhall square' where the offensive chalk pictures were, began 5-10m away from where the Fly the flag group were standing...and yet bizarrely no one from their group made any effort to erase the "threatening and aggressive language and images" before they left?

I think in the old days Amnesty used to campaign for the right to tell people that they aren't who they say they are.

@MoltenLasagne

Whether we forgive Amnesty for their betrayal of women and free speech, it is telling of the change in the wind that they've made this statement.

Yes. I'm not about to start supporting them but it is a climb down from where they've been previously.

Not quite reverse ferret territory but a start.

@TurquoiseBaubles

We weren't involved, but if we were we did nothing wrong, and if we did it was someone else, and if it was we didn't know anything about it.

It's the narcissist's prayer in corporate form, isn't it.

Sensing a change in the breeze, Amnesty…?

Amnesty can shove it up their arse. They still thought it was ok to protest the event.

love is a human right
Is a bloody dangerous slogan, 20 years working with children who have been sexually abused and the perpetrators of that abuse have taught me that.
I thought Amnesty were meant to experts in their field?