Thank you, FWR & Mumsnet

[DomesticatedZombie]

for showing me how to argue, how to recognise various logical fallacies, how to not gaf whether someone thinks I'm 'nice' or not, for encouraging me to ask questions, seek evidence, consider alternative views, look at a broader picture while also taking into account the fine detail, for getting involved in politics both nationally and locally, for helping so many women leave violent or abusive relationships, for providing a place for women to discuss, show solidarity, connect, organise, argue, disagree, share stories, make jokes, hone their debate skills, flex their critical thinking, learn about feminism, broaden my expectations, challenge my assumptions and swear creatively.

Lovely thread, agree with all.
I saw the writing on the wall about 2004 and wrote to my MP for maybe the 2nd time in my life. Got a very inadequate reply. Found here about 2010 ish and all my fears from 2004 had come true.

So glad we have this place, without it I think we would be in a much worse position and trying to row back on stuff far too late.

I do wish more women and men would wise up and start pushing back, it's getting there.
I get pissed off at (men mostly) posts on Facebook saying dont be silly, if women were truly bothered they would be up in arms. If the feminists aren't bothered why should anyone be.
After all the no debate shit and the threats and doxxing. Sigh.

I rarely post on this board (and NC fairly often) but I read everything, I also did the natural segue from Relationships to here and both boards have changed the way I see myself and live my life. I've always had feminist principles but no opportunities to develop or express them really, you lot are the women I wish were my friends irl I'm active now in my own small way and have more self esteem than I've ever had as a result, I'd say credit for that goes about 50/50 between MN and peri menopause meaning I no longer give a shiny shite what anyone thinks of me So yes, thank you FWR and MN overall, I agree Justine and co have had a difficult job managing it all but we're still here and things are changing, that says a lot for all concerned.

Agree. It’s brilliant mumsnet defend the right of women to debate and discuss social, policy and political issues that affect us as women. And it’s a damning indictment of current society that there’s a need to thank them, rather than this being taken for granted.
The relationships board is brilliant for helping women realize what makes a good and bad relationship.

The quality of argument n FWR stands in stark contrast to the other side who hardly ever make arguments, but instead call names, fling guilt by association or simply lie about what we say and then attack the lie they made up. Nothing could more clearly show up the lack of foundation to their whole movement.

Agreed. I'm always a little in awe of the sheer tenacity, intelligence and expertise of the posters on this board. Women from across the country, from all sorts of backgrounds and professions, who can can recall all sorts of history, theory and evidence at the drop of a hat and can lay the risible nonsense which is gender ideology bare.

No wonder the usual suspects take such time and effort to try to discredit and shut down this board. This is the power of women talking.

Women won't wheesht - no debate is over.

Seconded OP!

I've sometimes wished I never discovered MN, because it's such a huge time sucker for me. But actually, I wouldn't be quite the same person I am today without the education this board has given me.

Third this. I genuinely think of it as an education too. A lot cheaper than university too.

Another vote of thanks. I shall soon be celebrating the anniversary of the date I stumbled into FWR and thought, "Wow! There are LOTS of us!"

@KohlaParasaurus

Another vote of thanks. I shall soon be celebrating the anniversary of the date I stumbled into FWR and thought, "Wow! There are LOTS of us!"

Six of Us!!!

Thankyou, Mumsnet and Mumsnetters! I found you last June after searching for more information about "Baselines", a Radio 4 play by Mark Lawson about a TW wanting to enter a women's tennis tournament. I was aware that it was a topic not much discussed and I'd also been perplexed by the attacks on J K Rowling, but apart from that, I had no idea that so much had been going on!
I feel a little embarrassed to have been so late to the party! I've learnt so much about what women are up against and will try and fight it in whatever (little) ways I can.

I'm ever so grateful as well. My country doesn't have anything like MN but I've been able to learn from you and take your reasoning and grit back to my people and I truly believe it's starting to make a dent. Just yesterday, the very left wing Washington Post printed a headline about "Pregnant People." They've since been roasted in the thousands of comments- readers are almost all left of center - and many arguments I recognize as having started here on MN. And, as predicted, the TRAs have resorted to name-calling foot-stomping, and the sunlight is brilliant.

Those are YOUR voices, witches, reaching across the world.

Those are YOUR voices, witches, reaching across the world.

Love this!

I've been on MN for a decade now (sniffs and hugs 10 yr old baby) - moved in a direct line from pregnancy to baby names to childbirth to infant feeding/ sleeping etc then to relationships (chucked the ex married a wonderful man) to chat to AIBU then finally to FWR. I flit back around the place but FWR is often the board I check first now.
I am in awe of the amazing women on this board and all their expertise, their passion, their wit, their life experiences and their determination to stand up for women and children.

I now regularly email my poor MP.

I did the trouser suits thing too ickky, early nineties for me too!

Another one very grateful to Justine, and everyone here, and like a pp said I wish you were my friends irl! I don't say much either but I read everything too. It's hard to keep up with it all sometimes though!

@TofuDelights

I did the trouser suits thing too ickky, early nineties for me too!

Another one very grateful to Justine, and everyone here, and like a pp said I wish you were my friends irl! I don't say much either but I read everything too. It's hard to keep up with it all sometimes though!

🤣🤣🤣

I couldn't believe it. They looked horrified on my first day when I turned up, looking very smart, but no skirt (had trousers, not naked from waist down). Nobody told me.

It was a nightmare, I did not own ANY skirts at all, I just had lots of trouser suits. I had to go shopping after work, luckily in Central London so plenty of very expensive shops.

I bided my time and after about six months I kicked up a fuss and told them how sexist it was and they changed it.

I had to ask special permission from my manager's manager, and he had to go and check if it was OK! Not worn a skirt to work ever since. 😁

Will now stop derailing the OP's lovely thread.

If I join in, does that raise the headcount to seven? Thank you from me too.

I have rarely posted - mainly because by the time I have ordered my thoughts someone else has already articulated them far better than I could have done. But I read. Lots.

I now have far more courage to speak and challenge bullshit across a range of issues and I recognise patterns of behaviour. Over the past year or so, I have seen an increasing number of teenagers locally being caught up in gender ideology and it worries me. Thanks to this board I am equipped with information, stats, details of legal challenges and judgements, articles and reports. I speak to people. Mostly friendly, to be fair, and they are good enough to listen. My hope is that they pay a little more attention when there are reports in the press or they encounter things in real life. And I am much better equipped in conversations where others take something of a different view. I even buttonholed our lib dem councillor last year and had a sensible conversation with him on single sex spaces. I had agonised for some time before approaching him and nearly chickened out but the thought of the Mumsnet collective shaking heads sadly at the missed opportunity spurred me on.

The wonderful thing is that there are many of us out there in the real world too. Friends who have listened to my rants are saying that they are hearing other women in different circles saying the same things as me.

This place has turned me back into a feminist again. I naively thought feminism was barely needed any more, but I was so wrong. It has also helped me to talk about feminism again. My mum and I now regularly discuss feminist topics, and direct each other to relevant stories. It's brilliant to have this link.

@nocoolnamesleft

This place has turned me back into a feminist again. I naively thought feminism was barely needed any more, but I was so wrong. It has also helped me to talk about feminism again. My mum and I now regularly discuss feminist topics, and direct each other to relevant stories. It's brilliant to have this link.

And me. Reawakened the fire within my belly. I thank all the women who post here and MN for hosting the space.

@KohlaParasaurus

Another vote of thanks. I shall soon be celebrating the anniversary of the date I stumbled into FWR and thought, "Wow! There are LOTS of us!"

Noooo only 6 of us. All either bots or socks.

Where we find the time to be bots and socks and women and feministing I do not know.

It’s all the money we get from right wing American evangelical Christians that enables us to pay an army of servants innit 😆

Yep MNHQ thanks for your hard work.

I would be a bit lost without MN.

@nocoolnamesleft

This place has turned me back into a feminist again. I naively thought feminism was barely needed any more, but I was so wrong. It has also helped me to talk about feminism again. My mum and I now regularly discuss feminist topics, and direct each other to relevant stories. It's brilliant to have this link.

Same! My mum and I also discuss MN threads. Some serious ones and some funny ones.

@Theeyeballsinthefuckingsky

It’s all the money we get from right wing American evangelical Christians that enables us to pay an army of servants innit 😆

Still waiting for my cheque

Noooo only 6 of us. All either bots or socks

I've decided to identify as having multiple personality disorder like the kids on tik tok. Self diagnosed of course. So rather than socks, it's just all my alters posting.

@Whatsnewpussyhat

Noooo only 6 of us. All either bots or socks

I've decided to identify as having multiple personality disorder like the kids on tik tok. Self diagnosed of course. So rather than socks, it's just all my alters posting.

Wait will that mean multiple cheques from ummm a church or The Right Wing or evangelicals? How will that work cashing them? More to the point when the fuck are they sending them out, I've been waiting a damn long time.