Flouncity flounce

[FloralBunting]

Well, sort of. I've come to the end of my time on MN. I've been here under various names for the best part of two decades, and it's been transformational. I've met some of my best friends, received great advice about raising my kids, dealing with abuse, and most of all, shifted from being a mousey submissive wife Christian into a complete gobshite feminist lesbian.

I haven't been a regular for quite some time. I'm active and busy doing other things tbh. But I do occasionally pop in to see what's what. The past few times reminded me why I stopped visiting that much in the first place. I am often deleted now, and the feeling of walking on eggshells in case I'm reported by TRAs is no less unpleasant now than it was when this was the only platform available to talk about women's rights, albeit in a highly controlled manner.

It's not the only platform anymore, not by a very long way, so I'm making the decision to not submit to that feeling ever again. So, sort of flounce, yes, but mostly it's a fond farewell to the many women whom I've been helped by on MN and FWR whom I don't know offline. Keep speaking up in your own sphere, be more JKR, be more Magdalen, be anonymous and know that whatever you do makes a difference.

Women and girls matter, including you, so take good care of yourself.

Sincerely wims, go well.

Keep fighting the good fight!

Will miss your wisdom and eloquence, but I completely understand your reasons for moving on (Still a darn shame though!).

Floral, thank you for your many intelligent, insightful and witty posts.

Things are now so very different.

Very few years ago, and there was only one MP (David TC Davis) sticking his head above the parapet; only a very few journalists (James Kirkup, Janice Turner and, less lauded but still pioneering, Sanchez Manning of the Mail); Ginner Posie and Magdalene Berns; and virtually no websites.

Where there were few, there are now more. Brave women taking to the courts, speaking their minds, regular newspaper articles, the LGB Alliance, JK Rowling, Ministers speaking up about Stonewall influence, even the BBC showing it has grown some balls.

This forum has also changed. Lots more posters, newly enraged. A clear sense that across MN, in the street and in the workplace people are starting to feel able to question.

Thank you, and those other great, articulate women, for starting the momentum. It was tough and so feel able to just pop in occasionally to enjoy what you started. Who knows where it will all end up, but I doubt that we women, who have realised that their voices have counted for so little in the gender debate, will accept further trashing of our rights.

As for MN. I sense that they too would like to regain their focus on being a parenting site for intelligent women. Hosting this debate has not been easy for them, and they must be relieved that they are no longer on their own. Frustrating as their rules are, I am happy to give them a pass.

Fare ye well.

Oh @FloralBunting I will miss you! I've learned loads from you and have very fond memories of that thread when we were all just shooting the breeze waiting for Fair Cop to announce something and we somehow got onto Jael, and kick-ass biblical women generally.

I hope you know how much you are valued.

💚 🤍 💜

All the best floral and thank you 🌻

I have learnt a lot from your posts Floral and will miss them but I completely understand. I too am not impressed with some of what I have been deleted for.

Best wishes to you.

I mainly lurk but just want to thank you, Floral, I have so enjoyed your thoughtful and intelligent posts over the years. Good luck.

Take care you lovely woman, we shall miss you XX

Go well, Floral - but maybe pop back from time to time?

I am very thankful for gobshite, feminist lesbians 😊

The baton will be passed on

Floral, I have agreed and disagreed wholeheartedly with lots of your posts over the years (sometimes two bits of the same post) but they were always interesting and substantial. So long may your brand of feminism flourish even if it is elsewhere. Goodbye and thanks.

It has been a pleasure and privilege to read your posts Floral.

Thank you for taking the time to share your warmth and wisdom.

You are important here and I will miss your voice immensely, but nobody can be everywhere at once and if this no longer feels like your place you are right to move on

Aww, Floral. Like everyone else, I'm really sad to see you go. Your posts are so perceptive they frequently change the way I think once I've read them.

Which is why I'm wishing you the greatest good luck going forward. If you see the need to move on, then I have absolutely zero doubt in my head that you're right.

There is an extraordinary amount of courage and determination involved in women who refuse to compromise their boundaries, even the smallest amount.

You have my admiration. And my grateful thanks for your remarkable ability to cut through the bullshit.

💐

Sorry to see you go, Floral I’ve always enjoyed reading your posts. I do understand your reasons though - I lurk rather than post these days because I had so many deletions and strikes due to the monitors (one, memorably, for being rude about the Church of England, which when queried had me being told off about my tone).

Anyway, keep fighting the good fight and don’t let the monitors grind you down. Hope to see you back here in one shape or another one day

Go well ♡

Sorry you’re leaving Floral but I fully understand why. I’ve been around this board under numerous names since before you were a feminist and before the Spartacus threads. I greatly appreciated the posters who were brave enough to not constantly name change as it helped provide some stability. My reason to name change is to avoid the deletions and reprimands as there is no question the trans activists who monitor what we say and report us target regular contributors (I’m fully expecting to get mass reporting against this name now I’ve revealed I’ve been around here for a long time but I’ve not used this name for long so not too many posts for them to pick over)
I stick around as there’s new people along regularly and I remember how naive I was when I came looking to see what the trans activists thought was so terrible about this place. You and many other eloquent posters hone my views and knowledge - thank-you
Completely agree the real life conversations and activism are the most important and becoming easier and easier now there’s more in the press.
Best wishes 💚🤍💜

Another delurking to say thank you Floral for all your posts, and to wish you all the best. As someone who doesn't post very often, it's really heartening to see lots of other non-regular posters popping onto this thread to say goodbye to you. You've made a big impact here so thank you for that.

Maybe a few more than six of us, eh?!

All the best, and hope to see you back some day.

I can only echo everyone's thoughts Floral. I have so enjoyed, and learnt, from your posts over the years. You certainly got me out of Sleb Twaddle into the real world. As you say for most if us it's the small face to face conversations that can make a difference - older adults, often with children or elderly mothers - seem the likeliest to move beyond the 'be kind' 'boo-hoo' 'you're disgusting and if I didn't love you I'd never talk to you again' stage. I know it's down to you and other mumsnetters that I haven't given up hope. Thank you thank you thank you 💚 🤍 💜

I lurk a lot, and rarely post, but wanted to say thank for all your posts over the years and sorry to see you go.

Oh Floral. Thank your for all your wise words and insight. I learned so much from you and am ever grateful. Be well, sister!!

don't post much but read a lot on here. just wanted to say i'll miss your posts. your unique perspectives we're always interesting to read about.
all the very best

Another lurker here. Sorry to see you go. I lurk a lot and post rarely. I'd love to know more though about the submissive Christian woman who turned into a feminist gobshite lesbian as I often struggle with the misogynism in the church and am turning into a bit of a gobby feminist. They don't often sit well together and I often feel as though I am supressing elements of my personality in different scenarios.

Another one echoing what everyone else has said - and how nice to see so many lurkers posting.
You'll be missed for your wisdom and insight and often unique perspective. Look after yourself and hopefully we'll see you in these parts in the future.

@MistandMud

But Floral, how will we know when you've done the next Strike podcast?

Yeah, yeah, I'm a selfish so and so (who isn't very good at tech).

This.

But also thank you

Floral, I'm really sad to hear you're going.

I'm not a big poster here because others say things so much better than I ever could, but I'm here every day, often multiple times in a day, and credit these threads with educating, challenging and reassuring me on my own very unexpected journey from Be Kinditis to raging menopausal dinosaur.

You've been part of that journey. In particular I have appreciated your insightful and articulate posts about theology and biblical themes - areas of special interest for me for a number of reasons. And while I haven't made as dramatic a shift as you describe in your OP (I kept the husband), I have certainly reevaluated a great many assumptions and sacred cows during the last few years.

So I will miss you, but wish you well in whatever life has in store for you

PS Did you know that Junias (m) was a completely made-up name, unheard of in any ancient texts, because it was thought impossible that Junia (f) could have actually been an apostle, FFS?