TFL have removed women

[DrDetriment]

I have seen this poster everywhere on the London underground and just realised it doesn't mention the protected characteristic of sex at all. Given many assaults and harassment on the tube are aimed at women, it feels Transport for London no longer care. I suspect for them it's included in gender identity but not everyone subscribes to that ideology. It just made me really cross to be eradicated like this.

It's not a hate crime to hate women

I have been harassed and sexually assaulted on the tube. Because I am a woman, an adult human female, not because of my 'identity'. But that's ok apparently. I am going to write to them for an explanation.

@DrDetriment happy to write and complain. If you let me know which line you saw the advert I will do so. The complaints form needs details of where - line, underground etc - and date of travel, so happy to be creative if it adds weight to the number of complaints

that's appalling btw. complete disregard for women and hate crimes against women

Thank you so much. I'll pm you.

Glinner- if you are on here, I subscribe to you and love what you do. Any chance of picking this up?

The categories for hate crimes are not the same as the protected characteristics in the Equality Act.

Sex isn't a Protected Characteristic under hate crime legislation.

The law recognises five types of hate crime on the basis of:

Race
Religion
Disability
Sexual orientation
Transgender identity

https://www.cps.gov.uk/crime-info/hate-crime

this is on TFL website. clearly fully captured. second paragraph after bullet points

tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2021/june/tfl-takes-a-stand-against-hate-crime-and-abu

Unfortunately they have the categories correct for hate crimes. Harassment or sexually assaulting women are not hate crimes. We are not protected by that law.

IMO hate crime legislation needs scrapping. If a crime is committed all victims should carry equal weight.

Stella Creasey MP is campaigning to get women added (or is it "gender"?) and that tells you all you need to know about how good that legislation would be for women.

Yes this. I hate the erasure of the words woman and women, but in this case the poster is listing the hate crime categories, not the protected characteristics so woman isn't being erased in this case.

I guess whether hate directed against women should in fact be a hate crime is another discussion to be had, and something to be campaigned for if people feel it should be.

I'd like to know if that is CPS's interpretation of the law rather than the actual law.

cps is a proud member of stonewall

Wtf? A hate crime on the basis of sex is not a crime? How the hell did that happen when sex has been a fundamental protected characteristic for a long time. I guess that would explain why tfl were not interested when I reported harassment.

Ok leaving aside the term hate crime, the poster is aimed at be kind, don't harass anyone because of who they are. Women are routinely abused and assaulted on the underground but I've not seen any posters saying please don't do that.

I’ve seen posters saying unwanted touching is not allowed and others targeting abuse of women.

To be fair on the tube on weds I saw multiple TfL posters warning that touching and aggressive staring are sexual assault and also an EE poster about how it's up to men not women to stop sexual assault.

tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2021/october/new-campaign-launches-to-stamp-out-sexual-harassment-on-public-transport

Looks like I was wrong then, which I accept. Am I being that unreasonable though to find it frustrating?

The new TFL poster campaign about staring/touching etc is powerful I think. Although the other poster technically lists the hate crime categories, it would seem obvious to link to the epidemic of sexual violence against women.

Yanbu. It is disgraceful that hatred towards women as a class is perfectly acceptable.

If hate crimes against women were actually made criminal men's prisons would be bursting at the seams.