A call to all wims to challenge registered charities who claim to be women’s services who include “transwomen”

[Hedgehogforshort]

Inspired by a post about Nottinghams Women’s Centre being trans inclusive, I think it is time we did something. Like pull the ruddy rug on them.

I don’t think it will need the extensive work of the NHS data thread.

There are hundreds of alleged women’s only services who are registered charities. They mostly have a governing document describing themselves as for women only but do not mention “transwomen” in their objects, but do in unlawful policy documents.

All charities have a beneficiary group, which they cannot stray from.

Also if they change their objectives to be “inclusive’”IMHO” the funds they hold on behalf of the original beneficiaries, must be handed back or ring fenced, which is why some of the major charities have conceded, ergo the WI and GG.

My idea is that we target our own localities and make a complaint to the charity commission, about the charity we are a potential beneficiary of.

what do you all think? Happy to coordinate this though i may need @knottyauty

meanwhile i am off to look at a few national bodies

I think there's a definite case for writing to all the major trust funders too. If all the women's charities are being forced to accept men because the lottery or comic relief or esme fairburn are forcing them too then they need to be approached as well

Nobody wants to close down charities that are supposed to be to support women or girls. They just want them to use the funds to support women or girls.

It isn't a difficult concept to understand.

I suspect there's a lot of performative misunderstanding going on!

I don't have a problem with organisations who provide support for women also proving support for men, however they identify- but this often needs to be done separately, different groups, times, maybe different locations, to keep women safe, and with SS support for the many women who need it. All survivors should have access to services.

@IwantToRetire is right that groups like WRC recognise the need to be honest with survivors, use donated money for women just for women, and hold mixed and single sex groups at different times and /or different places so everyone can access help.
BUT this is NOT happening at present in many areas as so many abuse support orgs are now run by trans activists, like the many Bristol examples on page 1.

On X today are women(thanks to any mumsnetters involved!) saying they've had a complaint response from Charity Commission today to say they will not enforce the law about female only charities/ services as the EHRC guidance hasn't been published by the government . Those I have seen so far include

YHA (mixed sex 'female' dorms for girls )
Womankind
Sarsas (rape support)

So we are back to the government enabling VAWG and trying not to enforce the SC judgement. Wish the lot of them could be charged with MisConduct in Public Office!

Yes i have come across the Charity commission letter, mentioned by sex matters podcast.

They are not going to use any enforcement powers until the EHRC guidance is issued.

Not sure what to do really now as there seems little point in doing this until after that has happened.

As Maya Forstater has stated on twitter the Charity Commission are breaking the law.
Guidance cannot override the law.
THe law was settled last April.

Which would largely seem the aim of withholding the guidance indefinitely.

Everyone can sigh that they can't follow the law until they have the guidance, and then obviously until the guidance is passed, sent back, sent back again, and then there'll be another reason why men cannot possibly get their dicks out of any women's spaces, and why everyone has to wait for that. And it will go on and on.

Massed sueing needs to commence.

Do you mean because they might all start doing the right thing once the guidance is issued or because we wouldn't be able to get anything done about it until then? Or both I suppose.

Cold data might help with momentum and pressure, but you're right that we should use our time effectively.

Perhaps we should start writing to the Charity Commission en masse, pointing out that the law is the law, has primacy over guidance & is in any case entirely clear as plainly set out in FWS, has just been confirmed by the complete dismissal (without "silver lining") of the attempt by the GLP & three anons to challenge the now-withdrawn EHRC interim update, & as regulators the CC's job is to ensure that charities act in accordance with the law.

A lack of EHRC guidance affords no derogation from the law.

@HildegardP I think that is an option, i don't know how many we have on here for a “we the undersigned” type document.

Hundreds of similar but separate reports by hundreds of women will have more impact than a single letter

I think i agree @Talkinpeace so how to get that going

@Hedgehogforshort Each poster pick a charity, ideally local to them and send a letter to the CC about it

link to the page of the charity website that is wrong

link to the SC ruling (ideally with the offending paragraph numbers quoted)
.... this site is the quick way to find paragraphs
https://sex-matters.org/posts/for-women-scotland-v-the-scottish-ministers/fws-v-the-scottish-ministers/
link to the EHRC saying not to wait for guidance
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/our-work/uk-supreme-court-ruling-meaning-sex-equality-act-our-work

link to the best practice equality policy that only a fool would contradict
https://www.acas.org.uk/equality-policy-template

Individual letters tend to have more impact than that kind of thing unless you're looking to have it published, like yesterday's letter re the GLP, in which case you'd want it signed by a solid phalanx of legal academics & practising lawyers.

I think i agree @Talkinpeace so how to get that going?

@Hedgehogforshort
The simplest way - and to reduce duplication

will be to get each person on this thread
to send an FOI to the Charity Commission about the specific charity they have chosen.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/body/charity_commission

Then we will get a data set of non compliant charities
AND the CC responses

How would you phrase the FOI

We do not need to do an FOI because the charity commission website has a page for each charity, where the charity has to state what their objectives are.

one can then look at the charity in question to find out if they are compliant.

Morning vipers!

Can I add a charity to your list, please?

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5492538-boy-on-the-girls-maths-olympiad-team

To my mind the FOIs will be along the lines of

Dear Charity Commission,

This Charity is in breach of its objects [ link to CC page about it ] and [ link to offending website on their own website ]
and the Supreme Court Ruling [link to SC webite https://supremecourt.uk/uploads/uksc_2024_0042_judgment_aea6c48cee.pdf ] paragraph number NNN

Please could you confirm what enforcement action you are taking against the charity for breaching your own guidance https://www.gov.uk/guidance/charity-purposes-and-rules#the-law]

I look forward to confirmation that enforcement action has been completed

Yours

Sorry if this has already been suggested, but please can people on this thread write to or complain to the Charity Commission - about their own behaviour. They are saying it is reasonable for charities to wait for EHRC Code of practice, which is contrary to what the EHRC and Bridget Phillipson have said.

https://x.com/childrenoftrans/status/2024456005279457763?s=46

Up to date statement from EHRC about not waiting is on this page : https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/high-court-judgment-summary-good-law-project-v-equality-and-human-rights-commission

i have already written but I think the more the better.

Please watch out. This thread has been screenshot and shared on LinkedIn

I see you Kevin. I see that you don’t think women deserve single sex spaces.

Single sex spaces can be trans inclusive you know.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kevin-taylor-mcknight-he-they-2313262_thirdsectoragainsttransphobia-activity-7431963945017458689-Tj6r?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAAFSXe4BoYpKzzss48JLiWn7lsoyZydj2bg

From the comments on the link above:

Women should be really concerned that their right to free speech and free association is under attack from other women.

Irony-meter explodes! 😁

Hey Kevin, since you are reading this thread please come on to explain why women and girls should undress infront of men and why men belong in women's rape crisis and domestic abuse centres. We'd love to hear your reasoned arguments.

Or why women should be led to believe they are attending female-only events which meet their right to safety, privacy and/or dignity, only to find men are present.

Or why it's right that people who donate money in good faith to organisations which purport to be for women are unknowingly donating to organisations which are mixed sex.