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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Citizen Go

39 replies

DaveDave · 08/10/2022 08:38

I was appalled at what happened to Caroline Farrow and donated to her legal fees via Citizen Go. After a bit of internet searching, which I should have done before, they look like an organisation whose values are dubious - with regards to abortion and other things. Has anyone heard of them?

OP posts:
picklemewalnuts · 08/10/2022 17:34

One of those situations Dave where we don't agree with all of someone's opinions, but are able to support them in those areas where we agree.

And luckily it's been clearly explained on this thread that we can support her and the money won't go anywhere else.

Fishandchipsupper · 08/10/2022 17:46

Thanks for the heads up, I have just donated. Good luck caroline . To even things out I also donate to BPAS, you know because we’re all on the same side re This issue

DaveDave · 08/10/2022 17:48

Fishandchipsupper · 08/10/2022 17:46

Thanks for the heads up, I have just donated. Good luck caroline . To even things out I also donate to BPAS, you know because we’re all on the same side re This issue

Good idea

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DrLouiseJMoody · 08/10/2022 17:49

The problem, as Caroline has pointed out, is that one component of the harassment is that our counsel have been, or threatened to have been, reported to the Solicitor's Regulatory Authority causing inconvenience although the complaints are inevitably binned. Even two friends, not acting in any official capacity but merely being friends, found themselves reported to their respective employers. It's an attempt to isolate victims from the representation to which they are entitled.

Our counsel have also been doxed by an extremely abusive Twitter account (now banned) and elsewhere. My Crowdfund was reported and Stephanie Hayden posted that they were responsible.

This is why identities are not disclosed and why the legal fund is hosted by an org. that won't remove it. It's hardly ideal but necessary to ensure access to representation.

Maduixa · 08/10/2022 17:51

Carproblem · 08/10/2022 08:50

Oh I just bothered Googling after I posted 😂 Apparently it was founded in Spain.
It's mainly used by Americans though

No.

CitizenGo is an offshoot of the grassroots Spanish organisation/lobbying group Hazte Oir ("make yourself heard"), founded in 2001 in Madrid. They've always had interest and support from people in other Spanish-speaking countries, which historically has mainly meant the Américas (I assume that is what you mean by "mainly used by Americans"). In 2013, they went global and chose an English-language name for universality. The days when their influence was limited by language or geography are long gone. I've seen their influence and the influence of similar faith-based conservative and radical right organisations firsthand in countries like Poland and Slovakia (CitizenGo actually provide translations of all of their publications in Polish and Slovak, which should give you a clue).

CitizenGo's values are (generally) trad, hard-line Roman Catholic. CitizenGo say they mainly champion “Christian” causes, which means actively opposing abortion, same sex marriage, euthanasia. There are a lot of people in Américan and central/eastern European and African countries that have an affinity to Catholicism and/or Christianity but have a much more traditionally "liberal" or "radical" approach - go take a look at the influence of liberation theology in all of these regions, just for a start. But there are not a lot of organisations defending or promoting liberation theology internationally or even locally, so people seek support where they can find it.

I dislike CitizenGo's values and don’t wish for their goals to be achieved, but I disagree that they are “dubious” (cloudy, unclear, obscured, in doubt). CitizenGo are clear and transparent about what they believe, support, and campaign for, and as far as anyone has been able to determine or prove they follow the law. They are completely transparent about their financials, and their funding is scrupulously grassroots.

If they are telling you (@DaveDave) that your donations will be ring-fenced for Caroline Farrow’s court case - do your due diligence, but I see no reason to be especially suspicious of this organisation not keeping their word. And if it bothers you to use their platform, perhaps go ask the other platforms that you would have PREFERRED to use why they seem to be routinely turning down or summarily deleting appeals related to women's rights.

More broadly: if you’re on the left or consider yourself “progressive”, or in the centre and consider yourself “liberal”, ask yourself why the left/centre isn't doing more to combat the tide of misogyny. Again, I don’t like Citizen Go, but I understand why desperate people embrace them, and I see that a lot more women are becoming desparate in this increasingly misogynist society. The alleged “left” has left a lot of very vulnerable people, including women, with no other choice. Why are more of us on the left or at the centre NOT more angry about, and more resistant to (and yes, I know some people here have done a great deal, thank you!) the overwhelming capitulation of “the left” (and centre), and of publicly-funded institutions, and of the private companies we support with our custom, to misogyny and rape apologism and the normalisation of rape culture?

VegetablesAreMyFriends · 08/10/2022 18:19

ask yourself why the left/centre isn't doing more to combat the tide of misogyny

This is the real question.

Newcatbrowntail · 08/10/2022 22:28

It’s shocking that all the left have abandoned women. Women like Caroline are so brave.

noraclavicle · 08/10/2022 22:45

Maduixa, informative and incisive. Thank you.

ToGanymedeAndTitan · 08/10/2022 23:21

It’s shocking that all the left have abandoned women
Assuming you mean trans issues, funny that when the left are usually the ones tolerant towards LGBT and not the right 😕

Newcatbrowntail · 09/10/2022 00:02

ToGanymedeAndTitan · 08/10/2022 23:21

It’s shocking that all the left have abandoned women
Assuming you mean trans issues, funny that when the left are usually the ones tolerant towards LGBT and not the right 😕

I’m talking about womens’s rights to a voice and sex based rights and spaces and representation in political parties. It seems that the left are not interested.

DaveDave · 09/10/2022 00:47

Although I consider myself left/liberal, I would not vote for a party that believe it's possible to change sex. I don't know why the left aren't doing more to combat the tide of misogyny. I can't see that the Tories are either. If there was an election tomorrow, I don't know who I would vote for. As far as I can see there are no parties committed to womens rights.

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pattihews · 09/10/2022 10:29

We've had that debate a million times on here, Dave. The argument that we are all right-wingers because we won't vote Labour because of their stance on human rights has been used as evidence we're fascists time and time again.

Why don't you spend a few days reading this thread?

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/3145470-Break-it-down-for-me

pattihews · 09/10/2022 10:30

For 'human rights' please substitute 'women's rights'.

TooBigForMyBoots · 09/10/2022 12:56

Newcatbrowntail · 08/10/2022 22:28

It’s shocking that all the left have abandoned women. Women like Caroline are so brave.

I know! If only we had a RW government, then this would never happen.🙄

Catholicism has a long history of dissent and I'm glad that they are facilitating the funding of CF's legal costs. This is not a Right vs Left issue as any fule knows. It's a women's rights issue.

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