Congratulations to all for the campaign.

[Imnobody4]

Just thought we ought to take a moment to reflect on what was achieved by everyone during the campaign. It could have been very different.

This is a thread from SEEN in journalism

twitter.com/JournalismSEEN/status/1808629247897899201?t=NqFo8HIZist4q2ulBsvqUw&s=19

When this election campaign started the issue of sex and gender was treated as niche, and fringe, and whenever it was mentioned (by any party other than the Conservatives) it was only in terms of a toxic debate, a culture war.

This bias leaked into legacy media. It seemed that a certain type of journalist - perhaps the majority - not only didn’t see this as a mainstream issue, they definitely didn’t want it to be one.

At one point Labour even called the BBC to tell them to stop talking about it. The BBC complied, but for a few hours only.
It couldn’t hold out, because sex and gender had become a very hot topic.

Reluctant news outlets, and the politicians themselves, were forced to look it in the face.

How did it happen? Partly because some mainstream journalists were indomitable, and wouldn’t stop asking the ‘single-sex services’ question.

But that only followed relentless work by those reporters and journalists who for years drove the issue forward with an undiluted devotion to reality and accuracy.

Partly because of the spectacular intervention by JK Rowling which sent it spinning on to the front pages and forced it into every interview with leaders, ministers and shadow ministers.

But overwhelmingly it was due to members of the public who raised it again and again in phone-ins, emails, hustings, vox pops, comment sections, Mumsnet, letters to editors, doorsteps and yes, complaints.

The few journalists who have done this work for years deserve so much applause.

The women who in the last six weeks have forced legacy outlets to abandon their selective bias do too.
One of them was Jane.

After this election campaign, we hope this will never again be dismissed as ‘niche’.

Take it away, Jane.

All that. Bravo difficult women everywhere.

Well done to everyone who raised the issues in the media, and may they keep holding these slippery politicians to account. Particular thanks to Jane!

At one point Labour even called the BBC to tell them to stop talking about it. The BBC complied, but for a few hours only.

Seriously?

Jane the new hero - well done Jane and everyone else.

Well done everyone! But if Labour felt that they could successfully dictate what the BBC covered and what it essentially covered up, what does that say about BBC impartiality? Even if they only complied for a few hours, how did we get to a position where a political party had the expectation of such compliance? What else have they asked the BBC not to talk about?

Hang on,
At one point Labour even called the BBC to tell them to stop talking about it.
I didn't know that

Well done to all the reporters who kept on asking those pesky questions. You might just have given me back a smidgeon of faith in the media. Now please keep it up.

But above all, bloody well done women everywhere, and special mention to Jane.

🚨 At one point Labour even called the BBC to tell them to stop talking about it. The BBC complied, but for a few hours only. 🚨

That's electoral interference. Isn't it?

Thank god for the Janes of this world!!!

I may never say it out loud but at least in my head explaining to fuckwits apparently intelligent people simple things like humans can't change sex, I will think of as Janesplaining.

I don't know where we'll be 12 months from now. No one marched for us. No one flew our flags from civic buildings. No national sports team wore our sign. We've been denounced, attacked and lied about. Despite all that, look what's been achieved. Do they really think we'll stop?

Well done to everyone for doing their bit. 👏.

To the Labour Party. We will all be watching closely and there's a growing army willing to stand up for women and children's safeguarding rights. There won't be any laws sneaking in the backdoor whilst no one's looking.

Janesplaining

Wonderful.

Yes, the relentless campaigning of women has been remarkable. Fuelled by the most righteous of righteous fucking anger.

Which is why setbacks only spur them on.

This is never going away.

There's probably a name for this, but it's notable that the more TRAs try to embed the ideology, and therefore the more people it affects, the more angry women get and their numbers just increase.

I read an article the other day that claimed there isn't a family unaffected in North America. Be that children, parents, nieces or nephews.

But the difference is no one is listening to them. Or very few.

I think many women, me included, genuinely thought that the press would pick up on this a lot sooner than they have. It's the most easy, gobsmacking, gotcha in history. When you ask a politician what a woman is, and they can't bloody tell you!

No one is born with a sex, men can have cervixes, some women have penises. The totally risible absurdity will guarantee the continuing press interest.

And now the press realise that the TRA arsenal is pretty empty, and they spout a load of bollocks, they are drilling down more into the detail. What does a GRC mean? And how exactly do you get one will be next. And the entire 'it's such a humiliating ordeal' lie will be exposed.

I can see journalists claiming they got a GRC that afternoon via email with Dr Webberley.

And a husband saying that he's now in a gay marriage because his wife thinks she's a man. (Because I bet a man being in a gay marriage and not being able to avail himself of the spousal exit clause, will count for a lot more than a woman being in one.)

So yes, here's a massive cheers to all the women, and how hard they've bloody had to work 🥂

I know this is a positive thread but I have to say, I do wish someone had got as far as asking, 'What does a GRC mean and what difference does it make?'

I can understand that it probably felt a bit too technical for a radio interview but, without drilling down to that level, it was always going to be hard to land a clean (metaphorical) punch.

I agree they haven't gone quite far enough. And today's the day.

But in terms of making the public understand what it is, that can all still happen in terms of future access.

Yes it's opened it up for future discussions. I just feel regretful that, by then, Labour will most likely have a huge majority and quite possibly, an official opposition who are even more batshit on this issue than they are.

It feels frustrating to have got so near and yet so far.

And the reports about Labour trying to get the BBC to stop talking about it are alarming and bring back memories of the Dr David Kelly affair - something I didn't take much notice of at the time because I didn't want to hear about anything I perceived as 'anti Labour'.

Anyway I will take my negativity somewhere else - today's not the day.

A big thank you to everyone who has stood up to be counted, spoke out and pushed back. 👏👊

And Janesplaining is a definite winner. 😂

We have a long long way to go especially with the incoming new Government but it's not a stroke of luck that our rights have become a huge discussion point in this GE

Well done to all of the women's groups within all of the parties. They've done far more work campaigning and networking and schmoozing from the inside that most will know).

And from all the callers in to chat shows - risking their careers using their voice nationally.

👏👏👏

I'm gearing up for a lot of protest marches, petition-signing, crowdfunding, whatever it takes. It's going to be a hair-raising few years ahead for women wanting to protect our rights and our children.

I'm sitting back now and enjoying the great Mr Menno's take on KS and RD:

Whatever happens, happens. We can still fight for our rights whoever gets in

Totally agree WearyLady.

We've got the evidence, the experience and the contacts. We need to avoid the infighting and unite to stand firm.

Everyone involved has been amazing.
Regardless of who gets the majority vote this will be a time for even more campaigning and awareness to be done.

Amazing work.

I went to the Finchley & Golders Green hustings. The chair was Times journalist Gabriel Pogrund and he said there were so many submitted questions on "the transgender issue" (as he called it) and implied they could only have come from one or two rogue spammers. It was quite a surprise to him when dozens of people across the room applauded candidates who made a commitment to women's spaces.

I would like to think this is the beginning of women in this country demanding and getting better options in the future. We seem to all be of the same mind, bar a few outliers.
We could potentially set it up so that a variation of women/womens groups are asked about all the things before they make laws, change laws etc. or just ask jkr

But despite current likely setbacks, I see a great future for women, once this thorny issue is solved (by solved I do mean no men ever in womens spaces, safe or single sex)

And ummmmm world peace yeah.

Just seen that Hilary Cass has been nominated as a cross bench peer in the dissolution honours so that’s some good news tonight!

That is very good news @FigRollsAlly and so very well deserved!

Thank you OP, you’re so right. At the start of the campaign people thought I was a bit of a mad conspiracy theorist over this issue, but by the end, I’ve had countless conversations about it, it’s in the wider public consciousness, a light has been shone on the ridiculous linguistic gymnastics and failure to state the bleeding obvious by many candidates and parties and our message is out there.

I am feeling worried and sad tonight about the prospect of a new government which is so enthralled with gender identity ideology. It feels bleak for women and girls. It feels bleak for safeguarding and for children.

But you are right. We have come so far. And I appreciate I’m late to the party compared to some of you who have been here years. But I have a toddler daughter and since becoming a mother, I have found so much more of a voice. I do not want her growing up in a world ruled by this ideology. So I will do everything in my power to make sure she doesn’t.

I also really do think the average person in this country is more naturally GC than not. It’s obvious that putting the Isla Brysons in women’s prisons is wrong. It’s obvious men in women’s sports is wrong. If the impacts of gender ideology are increased because of labour policies, I do think more people will stand up and say it’s wrong.