I wonder what the WI are going to announce on Woman's Hour in the next few minutes?

[nauticant]

Apparently it will be a matter of the greatest seriousness and sorrow.

Is it your common practice to force people to ignore sex as a weapon?

Presumably their experience of 'living as women' would be absolutely zilch but they could share that if so inclined?

I wonder if once access to the source of validation is removed, there is any appeal in belonging to a 'Sisterhood' group for TW?

WHO is providing these people with legal advice? Or is it a pick and mix about which law they wish to comply with? Murder is not ok but a small stabbing is ok?

🤣🤣🤣🤣

have you thought of taking up stand-up?

I think they're open to anyone - "we will be launching a national network of local WI Sisterhood groups, which will offer monthly opportunities for all people, including transgender women, to come together to socialise, learn from each other, and share their experiences of living as women."

Which admits that 'living as a woman' is something that all people experience. Because there is nothing that, in their minds, differentiates it from 'living as a man'. It's about being 'any adult', not either specific sex.

I am going to tell my DH to go along and tell everyone how he lives as a woman every time he puts the washing out. His superior knowledge* should be gladly received.

*(It's rather inferior but I am not so unkind as to tell him)

As a man who is as much of a woman as any other man I might just have to pop along to see who attends!

This. Its a point of law. I hope the Roatary Club mount a legal challenge to the WI Sisterhood groups for trans identifying men if they have to have a grc to enrol. Or maybe just turning up in a skirt and slapped on makeup will be enough for a man to join?

I entirely disagree with your logic and so does the Women's Institute

Was the entire membership polled?

No?

Oh well. I think you mean that about three vocal handmaidens within the WI disagree. Not the entirety of the Women's Institute.
@puppymaddness

You are so right. It is an absolutely stonklingly correct response. Glad you appreciate it.

A pound to a penny this is because one of the WI leaders has a transexual spouse or a "transgender" child or "transgender" niece or similar.

That's pretty much the point. They can be a designated single sex organisation, women only, in which case they must exclude men, including men who say they're women. Or they can become an openly, honestly designated mixed sex organisation, and it's very telling that doing this is not an acceptable solution. But yes, what they cannot do is set up as women only but then allow only some men, because that is discriminatory. If a man who says he's a woman can join a women's organisation, why can't a man who doesn't say he's a woman? Both are men so why does only the first one get access to the women's space?

Oh this is joyous - the house of cards is falling, one joker at a time!

#SadTimes for the menz. Boo effing hoo.

How is the “sisterhood” supposed to work?

Each individual WI group decides for itself whether to run:

a) women only meetings
b) women-only meetings plus periodic sisterhood ones
c) only sisterhood ones?

something else?

And how do they decide? Secret ballot? Show of hands?

Well 40 years of saying 2+2=5 takes its toll.

Hard to know and believe the truth after that.

But you know the law!

We owe FWS and the women on here a great debt.

The leadership of the women's institute who are free to set/ determine the values of their organisation like any other, and should be able to do so without anti democratic restrictions/ interference imposed by the State.

Again, you seem to have misunderstood the law.

There is absolutely nothing stopping the WI from including anyone in their organisation, as long as they don't unlawfully discriminate.

There is nothing stopping them being a mixed sex organisation, but they cannot legally exclude only some men or offer a different service to men and women.

WHO is providing these people with legal advice?

Lawyers, I expect. Or maybe just random people who identify as lawyers.
🤣

I can imagine it now... two thirty-something handmaidens, two fifty-something men whose dress indicates sexual motivations and a couple of blokes in jeans and t-shirts just there for the lols.

Yep, non binary niece syndrome is nearly as common as late onset prison dysphoria.

I think what they mean is, the court can't dictate their personal beliefs. They would be correct and the court acknowledged that; it's still perfectly legal to pretend to believe that some men are women. But it's not legal to impose that pretended belief on the world at large.

But these people are good at saying things...

What Jamie said; what bollix is this? I wonder what proportion of the membership would actually be in favour of these (probably illegal) 'sisterhood' groups.

So you support the rights of racists to take over the WI and make it white women only?

Or would it be fair to say you've not thought things through?

Men's Sheds are another example, like men's health projects, of how men can have their own stuff, but women have to be 'people with....'

The UK Men's Shed website is a bit coy about being men-only, this was all I found:
Who can attend a Men’s Shed?
Men’s Sheds are community spaces that aim to be inclusive and welcoming to men of various backgrounds and experiences. Many Sheds also accept Women members. While specific policies may vary from one Men’s Shed to another, the general idea is to create an environment where men can come together for socialisation, skill-sharing, and mutual support.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | UKMSA | Men's Sheds Association

I think they could probably argue that their aims e.g. improving mental health, are such that they can legitimately claim exemption from the EA, and good luck to them.
But they should be upfront about that, and the same should apply to similar women's groups.

The Irish Men's Shed website doesn't mention women at all, so in a country which is so depressingly TWAW and 'birthing-parent'-ish, men can set up their own group, promote it as a men's group, get public funding for a men's group, etc etc. Not a problem😒

Thank god for common sense. Another victory. Might even join now.

No