Advice of one transwoman changed rules in single sex social organisation

[Ladiescircler]

I'm a member of Ladies Circle (yes the name is a bit stupid but that's not the point) Most of you won't have heard of it, there is a female equivalent to Roundtable. A organisation for Women and round table is for Men.

The basic principle is socialising with woman in you local area and if you want doing some things for charity like Fireworks or Santa Floats.

I joined when I didn't know anyone in the local area and it's been brilliant I've made loads of friends and done things I wouldn't normally plus had fun helping at fireworks.

It's great to socialise with just women and the dynamics would be totally different if it was mixed sex.

A while back there was some talk of allowing all women however they identify in, recently the national council released a Belief statement when it became clear they are allowing self ID.

Here's the statement:
GENDER
Ladies Circle GB&I is open to everyone ages 18-45 who identifies as being, or lives as
female. This includes people who are cisgender, transgender, and those assigned female at
birth who are nonbinary.
…POLITICS
Ladies Circle GB&I is a non-political association.
That said, we do occasionally get involved in campaigning on issues that affect women. In
the past this included prevention of cervical cancer, reduction in VAT on sanitary industry
and the Women’s National Commission.

Each local Circle where asked to discuss the belief statement and feedback our group feedback gave mixed feedback some for some against.

What is interesting is that they have since clarified where the advice came from and it's a roundtable male that transitioned and set up an EDI company so on the advice of one person they are altering a single sex organisation to mixed sex.

They may as well change the name to People Circle 🫣

Anyway it's really pissed me off today so I thought I'd share.

Title and OP edited by MNHQ to remove terms that broke our Talk Guidelines

Just in case anyone wants to join and pick up the fight 😉
https://www.ladiescircle.co.uk/

Some of Joanne’s presentations are online. Here’s an example. Interesting viewpoint on Alison Bailey and Maya’s tribunals!!!

Isn't it a contradiction to say it's open to anyone who identifies as being or lives as a woman and then include non binary females. Surely they are neither identifying or living as a woman. Unless they are saying just being female makes you a woman. The monsters.

What normally happens with these situations IME is that because the activists don't like the existence of sex being acknowledged they push for it to be widened to "women and non binary people" including male ones.

That website made me laugh, listening to the video!

Honestly, a sudden conversion to an expert in D and I and now here to educate us all.

You are too late Lockwood, we already know all about you.

Just came back and totally support OP saying given other parts of her life choosing to leave seems sensible.

Its a shame the only channel of communication is via a Whatsapp group that is moderated (?).

Maybe even for your own sake you write saying your a resigning and why, and cannot understand why they have only sought advice on behalf of one source. Are they not aware of recent court cases that have made clear employers, those running groups, have the obligation to treat those with gender critical / sex based rights views have to be given equal weight and they have failed to do. ie they are directly discriminating against a genuinely held belief worthy of respect.

So you are leaving because those in charge are showing the do not respect women.

You could share directly with your circle if it gets blocked by the whatsapp group.

Does the Circle have a public profile in your area. If so I would be tempted to write to the local paper, saying that the circle had been destroyed by these prejudiced decision and many women are leaving. And that because you are concerned for your safety you ask that the letter is annonymous. (Who knows how many other women have felt the same.)

Even if you dont do the public letter writing, please in your own time write to the idiots who clearly have no idea how to run anything. They need to face up to what they have done.

(The idea of an independent circle sound a really good idea. From memory associations can be single sex. I think it was Bristol University Feminist Group got this legal advice so you could use that if you wanted to do that.)

I see they are on facebook, twitter etc.. So if you did want it to be more public it would be easy to get those who use any of these social media platforms to post questions asking about their policy.

Even innocent questions ie I was thinking of joining but understand it is no longer a women only organisation and become trans inclusive. Cound they clarify.

NB I am not suggesting anyone do this unless and until OP agrees this is useful for her. As it is based on IRL local areas would not want in any way to jeopardise her networks and work there.

So Joanne Lockwood enjoyed the benefits of a man only, invitation only club, and then when he decided, he made the equivalent Ladies Table a mixed sex space by writing the policy that let men into their group if they say 'I'm a lady'?

And they say the Patriarchy is dead.

They don't allow that.

(Local group raised the subject!)

If the Roundtable is men only, op, are they using the same criteria? Ie Joanne should obviously not be allowed to remain and they should issue a statement confirming women who identify as men are welcome.

Otherwise they will be treating the women's group differently which could be discriminatory.

And if you do ask them, you could also let them know it's perfectly legal to have single sex only groups. They may be under the impression that it's not legal.

These TRAs love to imply that women only groups aren't allowed.

Joanne’s mantra is:

“Smile, Engage and Educate”

FFS

I'm 48 but I can run faster than most 30 year olds and my garmin says my 'fitness age' is 41 and I feel pretty young so I can join, right? No?

FFS

This.

Thanks all will come back to you later, just drowning in work 😉

I'm too old otherwise I'd join just to tell them what I think of this fuckery.

That could be interesting to do, as LC is only open to members aged 18-40 (I think there's an older members variant for 40+).

I used to be a member of LC but that rule pissed me off. Our group actually had honorary members who had turned 40 but still came along - I don't know how that worked in practice I suspect the leader just didn't tell anyone official and they didn't pay membership.

If you can identify in on one one criterion, why not others?

I think It’s incredibly common, unfortunately. There is no doubt that women’s groups everywhere are being targetted.

I don’t know if it’s actively coordinated by transactivist groups or whether it’s a side effect of typical male entitlement (or, most likely, a combination) but I think it’s very common for one man to infiltrate (and charm or bully) those high up in a women’s group and effect a change in policy without any other women being consulted.

It’s very difficult to fight, for all the usual reasons, which is exactly why women who object have been so extensively smeared throughout.

So Joanne was not just a member but actually national president of the Roundtable 2008. They were the first ‘trans’ president although I don’t think that is strictly true as it wasn’t till much later they started identifying as not a man. I assume Joanne is not a member of either now because of Joanne’s age so trying to influence it for others.

I can buy into trans age more. Makes perfect sense. I look younger than my age and feel younger so surely I am..

As a person in their 50's they aren'r eligible to join anyway, didn't it say 18 to 45 year olds?

I expect they identify as someone who has just had her second puberty.

Does Round Table accept people identifying as men?

“Round Table Great Britain & Ireland is open to everyone ages 18-45 who identifies as being, or lives as male. This includes people who are cisgender, transgender, and those assigned male at birth who are nonbinary.”