Thank you MNHQ

[Blistory]

I don't post much on here anymore but just wanted to take a moment today to thank Mumsnet @MNHQ and Justine in particular for standing strong over a considerable number of years.

I fully appreciate that not all Mumsnet members or employees held the same beliefs but in the fury of doxing, banning, and insults, MNHQ held the line to enable this space where women were able to have a discussion.

I know the arguments and concerns over the years but the fact is that this was the only public space for a considerable number of years where a conversation was allowed about what came to be known as gender critical concerns.

This was where women came to gather, to discuss, to learn, to be heard, to form new spaces, to support and to stand strong. It wasn't always a pleasant place to be but it was always a place that was allowed to exist. It stood against the pressure groups, the hate, the doxxing, the pressure of advertisers, Stonewall law and it did so by simply being allowed to exist. The women on here and in the wider world did the rest. It's easy to forget just how difficult it was for MNHQ to hold the line especially when being attacked by all sides.

Thank you.

The one I'm thinking of was a good few years back and was connected to KJK's billboard campaign. I think Ocado wrote in support of the company who withdrew Kelli's posters. But they then apologised after losing loads of customers.

I too thank MN, the freedom to express an opinion is a corner stone of democracy, and a Human Right, and there was a time when this site was the only place that was possible.

There was a reason why this ideology went so hard on the 'No Debate' doctrine, and this place was the only place that held out against that. 👏🤞😍

I'm absolutely gob smacked.
Is this how low and dirty and vicious things got for literally wanting to protect women's rights and remove nothing from trans people I'd also like a list.
I absolutely adore ocado and I had no Idea Ankur this, in shopping elsewhere if this is still their stance.

No more Ocado for me! Thanks MN

Yes - this is one of the very few spaces where women can speak relatively freely on these concerning issues when many spaces were shutting down all discussion. Thank you MNHQ and Justine 💪🏻

I would also like to thank you. You supported the women when they needed it.

I read a post some time ago which said “I was radicalised by mumsnet”. That resonated with me so powerfully. We are a force and as someone who hasn’t been able to speak out at work I feel empowered. Thank you all so so much.

Your response @JustineMumsnet had me bawling again and I thought I was done for a while after yesterday.
Thank you so much for this space, for the freedoms it has granted, the sanctuary, encouragement and extraordinary education that is here.

A few years back, I went to a meeting where Maya Forstater was speaking.

When I arrived, she was handing out stickers saying 'Radicalised by Mumsnet.'

Then, it was slightly tongue in cheek, because TRAs had said this was a radicalisation site. You know, as an insult.

Now, it's a badge of honour 😁

Thank you.

There is a saying that writing is thinking, and people who can't find a beginning should just start to freely write down their ideas.

The format of this forum, and that there is a forum, with proper forum architecture, is so helpful. Discussions on social media or reddit or any other place are not the same because they do not have a forum structure. I still do not understand why so many forums folded because the unstructured comments in other places are not helpful for debates. A permanent, well-structured forum is brilliant for long-time interaction.

Many ideas are much easier to understand and to develop when you write them down and interact with other contributors. Having to explicitly write down your argumentation helps enormously with understanding of a topic. Especially such complex topics as are debated in FWR become clearer when people actively take part.

@JustineMumsnet

Well said OP, and thank you MNHQ from me too.

Thank you very much @JustineMumsnet. You and the team here have been such an important part of this - you really have stood your ground when it would have been easier and commercially better not to. Thank you!

Love this - are there t shirts or badges

A huge thank you from me also, and interestingly in my professional life I've just concluded an ad campaign with mumsnet that I wanted to run precisely because of the voice you have given to women. Not that I told my company that was the reason 😂

Yes, thank you.

I landed on Mumsnet in 2018 after googling "how to wash a shower curtain". I had a look round, laughed at Mumsnet Classics, then absentmindedly clicked on a thread about the Maria Maclachlan case. I'd been sleepwalking till then but FWR definitely woke me up that night - I don't think I crawled into bed till 3am.

I'd like to thank Justine and all at MNHQ, plus all those posters who give so much time and effort, for everything they do - it really is appreciated so much.
Thank you

I have a badge! See my post above 😀

Yes, absolutely.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, Justine and the team. To stand steadfast in the face of all that pressure is quite something ❤️

Quote from KJK at the end of that article:
"The first and foremost boundary is language that protects us and is about us."

This was 2018. It's taken 7 difficult years to establish that particular boundary. And she was so fucking right!

Thank you mumsnet for the space to talk, organise, rant, educate and radicalise.

I just want to echo what everyone else and say thank you.

I thought I was alone in my views, I live in a small town where the “trans contagion” really spread round, there are a lot of people with mental health issues and children who were victims of the cult.

It’s been very sad that recently a friends child had just been for surgery in Thailand at just 18. She has fully encouraged him since he said he was trans a few years ago despite him being autistic and obviously very confused.

I was so relieved when I found people speaking freely on mumsnet who felt as strongly as I did, I also managed to gain enough insight and was able to communicate things better so I was able to educate other people in a way they would understand and start to care.

I had no idea the pressure that the site was under and how much pressure @JustineMumsnet was under to stand her ground, it’s a huge relief that the site never gave in to censorship.

Thank you from me too, Justine.

I’m another one who was radicalised by what happened to Maria Machlachlan and I would never have known about it without MN. And this thread has reminded me about how dark things were for so long and without MN we wouldn’t have known what was going on.

Blooming Ocado. I occasionally think of ordering from them and one day I would have done, but not now.

Another lurker who has been "radicalised" by the FWR forum.

Came for the late night reading while breastfeeding, stayed for the education on women's rights.

Massive thanks.

I remember the frustration of having to post your comments in such round about language so you didn’t get banned or your comment taken out of context and screen shot. The threads that were like Swiss cheese because of deletions and knowing that most of the deletions were from our detractors campaign to make the site look so full of hate. Having to have our board split to keep us caged away from the “decent” posters (I actually saw an arsehole post “get back to your own board” a couple of days ago). THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH US AND FUCK OCADO.