The Times they are a'changing: Sharron Davies at the Oxford Literary Festival

[HPFA]

Don't think this would have happened a year or so ago - headline venue too!

https://oxfordliteraryfestival.org/

From the promo blurb:

She says that allowing biological males to compete against women by self-identifying as trans women threatens the integrity of women’s support and is the latest manifestation of decades of sexism from sports leaders

Quite the change.

And in Oxford, too. Good for Sharron. I hope the event sells out and she gets the support she deserves. Like others, she has risked her livelihood and sanity in this fight for women's rights.

Lovely clear wording, and not a 'controversial' or trigger warning to be seen. A definite change.

And Nick Wallis (post office scandal) the following day!

😯

I hope it’s very popular. It’s about time the literary world started to move away from their frenetic obsession with all things “trans”. I agree - I can’t imagine this having gone ahead a year ago and I’m genuinely surprised to see it happening now.

How on earth can anyone sane argue against only biological women in women's sport? It's mindblowing really. Why would the TRAs get upset by that?! Let's hope it goes ahead, because we know how these things usually go...

Oxford, eh? I hope that a horde of screeching blue hairs doesn't turn up to ruin the event.

I hope this screeching does happen because it's the worst PR for the TRAs and is very unpopular with the general public. They reveal themselves in all their immature, aggressive, hysterical behavior.

The Sheldonian seats a thousand people. It will sell out.

The blue-dies will congregate and shout but Oxford is used to such events.

Thanks, just booked. Will be a nice day out for me!

yep, #OperationLetThemSpeak is paying dividends

This is good news.

I really do admire Sharron - she's been so brave, particularly as she's not mega-rich with round the clock security.

Oh good. A day I can go, just need to sort after school club and then will be booking my ticket. Thanks for the heads up OP.

I hugely admire Sharron. Swimming is a hard sport which requires enormous dedication and there is already such a barrier for women and girls because of their female puberty. My daughter stopped swimming when she got her periods and she wasn't the only one in her club - absolutely no effort to make it more inclusive for girls who have heavy periods and can't, or don't want to, use tampons (we all know that tampons are not some universal solution - they don't stop cramping for a start). No effort to help them keeping swimming when they're not menstruating. Pretty much just shown the door. Disgusting misogyny really.

Sharron is so brave and has been throughout her life in so many ways - a complete shero. I will be there in Oxford.

Does anyone know the format for these things and whether there will be questions from the audience? I don't mind either way but if there are I'll get a more expensive seat in the hopes I get picked (I have several questions I'd love to ask).

Normally you get questions and book signings - the aim is for the author to sell the book after all!

I have a bit of a dilemna about this as I've actually booked a ticket for a talk at 12 in a different venue! My event is supposed to end at 1 but of course if there are questions and then I have to queue to get my book signed....I'd rather not be looking frantically at my watch while all that's going on. I also don't want to buy a ticket and then miss it especially if it does sell out as I'd then have deprived someone else.

I'm going to predict there won't be any demonstration - I think the usual suspects realise that sport is their weakest point. Could be wrong of course.

I've just bought a ticket too.

Presumably Sharron is not just considering those self identifying as transwomen? but also those who have a GRC and/or have had surgery?

Not sure what you mean, they are all aspects of self-identifying.

There's no external test for being trans. For a GRC it's "living as a woman", which has no definition obviously. You just need to ask people to call you a different name and pronouns.

They all have male bodies, regardless.