Lesbian Pride March – Saturday 5th July – Women Only (London)

[LCommunity]

Hi all,

Just flagging this for any lesbian or bi women who’ve felt pushed out of Pride, or like something’s quietly disappeared.

We’re organising a lesbian and bisexual women-only march on Saturday 5th July in central London. It’s the same day as the main Pride event – but we’re not part of their route, and we’re not affiliated.

Time: 11.00 AM
Meeting point: Emmeline Pankhurst Statue, Victoria Tower Gardens South (by Parliament)
Route: Walk to Parliament Square for a few short speeches, then back to the park for a picnic (or a nearby pub if it rains)

No men. No brands. No pressure.
Just women. In public. Without compromise.

It’s fully self-funded. All permits, insurance, stewards and first aid are covered.

RSVP now
Click “Attend” – even if you’re only thinking of coming. It helps us plan and it shows other women that this space is real.
New faces always welcome.
Meetup

If you’re coming alone or feeling nervous, join our entry WhatsApp group – we’ll look after you:
chat.whatsapp.com/FCsLSOzgV4C2yUGplyQr5m
(This is our public group – open to everyone before vetting. The private WhatsApp spaces are strictly filtered. Only verified, registered women are added after screening. To move into those, register and complete sex verification here: thelcommunity.com)

If you want to understand the story behind why this is needed:
thelcommunity.com/the-lie
https://thelcommunity.com/taking-back-pride/

They didn’t make space for us. So we did.

Well, when push comes to shove, women can’t actually stop men doing anything they want to because of the physical mismatch of strength and size between the sexes. That’s why single sex exemptions are allowed.

We rely mainly on human decency for men to behave properly and treat women with respect. Because if they choose not to, there is little that women can do about it in the moment.

And the law is the backstop when men choose to use their size and strength to intimidate and hurt people. Assault and harassment are still illegal. Even if they are committed by men who think they are women.

But...

If @AidaP believes that transwomen are lesbians (which s/he/they seem to be claiming)- doesn't that mean that s/he/they is/are transphobic too?

I've been thinking about one veteran gay activist I know, and the screenwriter in my head is having fun with flashbacks.

Colin, age 60: I hate how Pride is so commercial these days, I remember when it was a protest event with radical politics

CUT TO

Colin, age 25: Yeah, there was a Lesbian Strength march last week, I support it in spirit, though of course I wasn't there as the lesbian community have every right to self-organise and set boundaries

CUT TO

Colin, age 60: and you know what's even worse than commercial overload at Pride, it's these daft lesbians who have all been hoodwinked by the Daily Mail into thinking women with penises can't be lesbians, and they're so stuck in the 1950s that they think women can go out without male chaperones

AidaP is just an out and proud Homophobe.

But who needed Colin's validation anyway ? I certainly didn't. And (probably worse yet) still don't.

You don’t have to like it, but you don’t get to erase it.

This would make an excellent placard FYI.

No more do I. The reason I'm not going is because I'm not lesbian, and my lesbian sisters' need to self-organise and set their own boundaries is far more important than any desire I might have to rock up and show moral support.

We will never be rid of the Colins with their unsolicited advice, but one great thing about age is no longer caring about their opinions.

I'm much more interesting in how Colin's old lesbian mates think about how they supported gay men and the got binned off in favour of more trendy trans mates and how Colin never bothered to actually listen to a bloody word they said.

When you say LGBT I think you just mean T. And d'you know what? The rest of us are about up to here with the T in our lavatories, sports, prizes, prisons, refuges and women only groups, societies and meet-ups.

Mostly they think he's a very silly man and the embodiment of that "how do you do, fellow kids" meme.

The only people I have seen screeching through megaphones at Let Women Speak rallies are Transwomen and their allies. The women speaking used a microphone to speak in normal voices their truth.
Just to make it clear, Chris, women will be heard.

I doubt very much that Colin has any old lesbian mates. Gay men have never much liked or supported gay women.

I can clearly remember what were called militant lesbians who wanted nothing to do with any men - including their support.

The murmurs of "I told you so" are strong ....

It was never my scene, but I do remember old school Ls expressing a firm view that Gs were fucking unreliable, and I can't say they weren't onto something.

I’ve noticed this too. Straight men don’t like lesbians because they won’t sleep with them. Gay men don’t like them because they’re not men!

(I do realise there are some very decent gay men like Menno who are very supportive of women, including lesbians. But there are a large number who couldn’t give a shit, which is disappointing given that lesbians were a great support to gay men during the AIDS crisis, as I understand it).

I’ve noticed this too. Straight men don’t like lesbians because they won’t sleep with them. Gay men don’t like them because they’re not men!

Is lesbianism the female equivalent of male homosexuality ?

Discuss.

Ironically, when I was young, there was a general feeling they weren't. Now whether this was an expression of the difference in prejudice experienced by the two sides, or a more fundamental truth of nature got eclipsed by the flags.

Gay men. Men who claim a trans identity. That nice man you know down the pub. All men. It’s a mistake IMO to lose sight of that and assume they won’t be as likely to resort to misogyny as all the other men.

Rule 5

Women and Feminism must be useful to men or they are worthless.

By the same token, don't assume all women (the original flavour) are allies.

"I told you so" how? In relation to what?

I'm not lesbian or bi, but I do want to wish you all the best for your march and picnic. We can all see on this thread why you need your own event.

Seeing Boy George's suggestion that JKR pays homophobes to beat up Lesbians, I wonder will Chris and Aida be sending her their bill?

"All men are ...." (insert derogatory word of your choice).

That's "all" with a capital "A", that could underlined or (more with screens) emboldened to emphasize it means 100%. not almost or nearly 100%.

Who knew that "Karma Chameleon" would prove prophetic work to be remembered for. And indeed by.

I am sure he doesn't really want to hurt us.

Gay male sexuality is its own very peculiar thing. It's not only that it's not very similar to lesbianism, I don't think it bears any resemblance to female sexuality at all. And not very much resemblance to straight male sexuality.

This may be a controversial view, but I think that's shaped the different styles of activism. The Ls and the Gs never really had much in common except for the suspicion of straight society.