Dundee Women's Festival is trying to ban the wrong kind of women

[fromorbit]

Women who know biology are not welcome apparently. Lets hope they have the best lawyers because they are going to need them.

Women Won’t Wheesht
https://twitter.com/WWWheesht/status/1745824625060446625
Unfortunately, yet again, women's voices are being unlawfully silenced.

This time by Dundee Women's Festival ( @dundeewomensfest ) who have rejected our event application to be included in the 2024 Festival because our organisation does not "allign with [the] Festival values"

A bit of background.
Dundee Women's Festival is a series of annual events in Dundee & takes place around IWD.

DWF is supported by DundeeCouncil & the UCD_ISSF (awarded to dundeeuni)

The Festival's criteria for inclusion is that events should be:

* Women centric

* Promoting/highlighting issues affecting women

* A woman only activity/delivered by a women-only organisation

* Promoting women achievers

Rather ironically the theme of this year's festival is

BLAW YER AIN TRUMPET because WEEMIN MAK IT HAPPEN

However, it seems Dundee Women's Festival do not want us to mak it happen, nor do they want us to blaw wur ain trumpets, & it seems, would rather like us to wheesht.

They also boast that they have a "broad range of events" and that it's "rare" for them to reject an event.

They have made an exception for our women-centric, woman-only organisation's event which highlights issues affecting women.

We asked Dundee Women's Festival which "values" they believe we hold which do not allign with theirs - we've received no response.

We asked Dundee Women's Festival for details of their Trustees - we've received no response.

We submitted an SAR - we've received no response.

So, yet again, we find ourselves in the position of having to, potentially, take legal action against an organisation for unlawfully discriminating against us.

We sent a letter to Dundee Women's Festival yesterday reminding them of their legal obligations & requesting that our event be included in both the online & printed programme.

We will, of course, keep you updated.

#WomenWontWheesht

Yes, but my POINT is there’s an image of women which could be construed as mimicking terrorism and confused with Www because some of the women are in both groups.

im not saying the groups aren’t doing good, the street stall I went to was great and I was glad to meet local like minded women.

but if I’m confused by balaclavas is it possible DWF was too and they just didn’t want to be linked with a photo what could cause upset?

it’s possible to be grateful for a woman’s group which is going good work and also raise an eyebrow at their photo and also be muddled by which group it belongs to.

There are plenty of pics of black pampers in balaclavas though, and it hasn't stopped anyone inviting TRAs to any events as far as I know.

archive.is/kfgFM

if I’m confused by balaclavas is it possible DWF was too

I would hope a festival would do rather more due diligence than a random Mumsnet poster. You had no trouble finding out which group actually posted the pic, even if you are oddly insistent on maintaining the conflation. I expect some of the women in both groups also have Tesco clubcards - do you think the festival should refuse Tesco sponsorship because of possible confusion between the 2?

No, @NoBinturongsHereMate that’s not my point, clearly im not making it very wells.

I’m not conflating two groups - it’s true that women are in both groups and some are in a provocative photo and that might have given Dundee confusion and reason to refuse them space for a session.

I am not sure why posters are getting snippy with me. Both groups do good things, as I said.

Except it’s not true that women are in both groups. These are separate groups with different women in each

Ok. Then maybe all terfs look alike to me.

Agenda revealed.

It took a couple pages but we got there

@stealtheatingtunnocks Wow! Imagine the response to someone saying all black people look alike to me, or all Jewish people! But women who disagree with you? Yeah fine! Crack on with the dehumanising. BIGOT.

It was such a bizarre derail.

Maybe we can now get back to considering how WWW can challenge being excluded from the Dundee women's festival.

Wow GTF look glorious ! They can all have a wee swally o' "wreck the hoose juice" at mine anytime! Warrior women!! Same with the Wheeshers! Dundee wankers no letting them take part! Too busy pandering to the Ladz! Sickening!!

I would have thought the Dundee women had more about them than this. Poor show.

some are in a provocative photo and that might have given Dundee confusion and reason to refuse them space for a session.

Women being in any kind of photo is not a reason for an organisation to break the law. That's a bit of an odd take on this. Women have rights, and those rights are not dependent on us playing nice or not upsetting others or always being sensible. That aspect of female socialisation is part of why fighting for our rights is a challenge.

Don't say that! I know for a fact there's at least one GC medic student there. 😉

My lovely friend works in Dundee, at a brilliant organisation that hugely helps the Community, but she's also a Terf.
We were at Aberdeen WWW together last year, and will be at Dundee this year.

WWW are upping the stakes:

Just a quick update (mostly for those who aren't familiar with dundeewomenfest, GDPR or Equalities legislation)

DWF is a 2 week festival which incorporates different events, run by different groups, at different locations all over the City.

The remit of dundeewomenfest is to produce an online & printed programme of events, which is made available to the public.

The criteria for inclusion in the programme was as follows:

Please check that your event aligns with our festival criteria, your event should be one or more of the following:- women centric; promoting or highlighting issues affecting women; a women-only activity or delivered by a women only organisation; promoting women achievers.”

We fulfilled the criteria.

DWF have not suggested that we didn't.

We would not have applied to be included in the programme had we not.

We did not ask DWF to provide us with a venue or any other resources, or to agree with our views (they are perfectly entitled not to).

Our events are held on public land & are free to attend.

DWF have stated that the reason for our exclusion from the programme of events was that our "values" do not align with the Festival "values"

* We asked DWF on numerous occasions what these "values" are - and for further details (the SAR) - DWF have not responded.

The EA (& case law) is VERY clear.

We cannot be treated "less favourably" on the basis of our GC views (which are worthy of respect in a democratic society).

If we are it is unlawful discrimination.

TLDR, we fulfilled the criteria for inclusion - we have been excluded for our views which are legally protected - therefore unlawful discrimination.

Unfortunately, @dundeewomenfest have failed to comply with their legal obligations by responding to our SAR (subject access request) & we have, therefore, sent a final request to them giving them a further 7 days to respond.

If they fail to respond again, we will make a formal complaint to the ICO. (Information commissioner's office)

https://twitter.com/WWWheesht/status/1747921024245473451

There has been some media coverage local newspaper giving a good summary:
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/dundee/4865738/dundee-womens-festival-could-face-legal-action-over-campaign-groups-controversial-exclusion/

Spiked The rise of Mean Girl feminism
https://www.spiked-online.com/2024/01/18/the-rise-of-mean-girl-feminism/

I think the festival will fold as soon as they realise legally they are out of order.

Go, WWW!

Totally in awe of WWW, and all the formidable GC Scottish women. 👏🏻

I hope they achieve their aims. They’re a great group.

And all is now clear.

Saw this on X!

Good man.

Fantastic news, @Justme56 !

Fantastic update!