Todays Metro

[pinkstinks]

Head wobbling!

Hooray for Janice and more power to her elbow.

Janice, I salute you!

Women's rights are being eroded because of the TQ+.

But ASLEF et al clearly did the strike because of Brighton Pride, just like the rail strikes that coincided with Eurovision, FA Cup Final etc. They do it for maximum impact.

The Charity Shield* was on too. Footballphobic bastards!

*don't know what it's called at the moment.

I don’t believe for a second that Brighton Pride was a target.

Most TUs are so queered / stonewalled that, if anything, their leadership would have deliberately avoided the date, had the link been flagged up in advance.

But ASLEF et al clearly did the strike because of Brighton Pride

Unh hunh.

rolls eyes

I don't think ASLEF went "Bwah ha ha, we will thwart the Pride people, we hate the rainbow', no. But I do think they probably went "Hey, we'd make more impact if our strike is on a busy day with an event going on - we'd inconvenience way more people".

Yep. That's definitely ASLEF's style: inconvenience as many people as possible.

It was also the Goodwood racing meet.

Reading about the strike, it seems the train company GTR claim that they were concerned about the amount of people who would try to travel on the trains if they ran a reduced service such as on the other strike days, and the station being overcrowded so they closed Brighton station entirely that day to avoid this. Other train operators also cancelled their Brighton bound trains.

Today's Metro has a predictable backlash to Janice, with a lovely photo of a TransWomen Are Real Women flag at Pride.

All the usual arguments ...

Janice for prime minister

"There is no conflict between women's rights and trans rights"

People that say this either haven't bothered to think about it for a second, or they are just begging the question that the (claimed) women's rights are false and the (claimed) trans rights are correct.

Janice reckons women's rights are being 'eroded to accommodate the LGBTQ+ community.' Can I ask how?

As per the recent discussion of LGBTQIA+ rights - particularly when it comes to trans people - yes, cis-women's rights are being affected but not in the way I think she assumes.

Breast cancer patients, menopausal women, women with fertility issues and butch lesbians are being dragged into the discussions.

Since the 'trans people in bathrooms' issue has been making headway, I have been questioned about being in a woman's bathroom (I'm a cis-woman who is butch) and a friend recovering from breast cancer was told trans people aren't welcome (these are two separate occasions).

Equality isn't like a slice of pie. The whole point of equality is that everyone gets a seat at the table.

In future, Janice, I would encourage you to either stay on topic, or if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all.

Laura, Walthamstow

Janice says women's rights are being eroded by the LGBTQ+ community. As a gay man, I am proud to champion women's rights and push against any erosion in the current atmosphere. Don't tar us all with one brush.

Alex, Glasgow

Dear Lord, what a sad little life you must lead, Janice. I do hope you get some lessons in grace and decorum because you have all the grace of a reversing dump truck without any tyres on. For the record, I could not disagree with you more. So, now the LGBTQIA+ community are being blamed for eroding women's rights? Another win for the patriarchy, Janice. And by the way, Brighton Pride was fabulous.

Beatrice, London, via email

John Glen MP has complained about businesses sticking their nose into politics for daring to support transgender campaigns. This came after a Costa Coffee advertising mural included a trans person with mastectomy scars sipping coffee.

These days, it's almost impossible for any business, or person for that matter, to stay out of politics, as no matter what you do, some people, particularly the more hateful among us, will claim that to show any support for marginalised groups is to be politically motivated.

When you see statements like the one from Mr Glen, complaining about these shows of support, all it seems to do is show people like himself up as being upset because a business would dare side with a group he has no tolerance for.

Matthew, Birmingham

In response to a number of letters about trains to Brighton Pride being disrupted because the Aslef rail union refused to work overtime.

I agree that similar action - up to and including strikes - was also called on days when numerous sporting events were taking place.

But to say they were not intentionally called to coincide with those or any other planned major events? Yeah, right!

John Wright, South Staffordshire

But facts?

But facts?

We could start with the fact that humans cannot change sex.

And we could add that TQIA+ have nothing to do with sexual orientation and should be separate from LBG. And that people with disorders of sexual development have asked not to be dragged into this mess.

And that Beatrice from London needs to stop being a hypocrite.

I think the point that Janice makes about the word not revolving around this particular groups is very accurate. I think many people are now just irritated by this.

Oooh, rights are not pie! Stunning insight there.

Can't believe nobody ever made the pie comparison before. Is it a mince pie she means, do you think, or a Scots pie? Odd to use 'pie' where we would normally say 'pies', though. Or 'a pie'.

'PIE' were a very dodgy campaigning group active in the 1970s and I'd think nobody would want to draw comparisons with them.

Unless she's got this phrase from someone in the US, of course.

This. Perfectly put. It's "I don't recognise the rights you claim to have, so they don't exist".

I think it's a mince pie, probably quite a thick one.

This. God the phrases used in this topic are sooooo annoying. I find them almost as infuriating as the misogyny.

I think we’re both pro-Janice Florissante. I don’t think I was clear, I mean the phrases the TRAs use, like “rights aren’t pie”, not the S&G board.