STONEWALL REVERSE FERRET INCOMING

[Taytoface]

So, it looks like their income tanking might have finally made them see that trans rights is not quite the gravy train they thought it was. They are now pivoting to getting compensation for gay veterans who were badly treated. And apparently JKR is a wonderful lady, just needs to be a wee bit more kind.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/19/things-could-go-backwards-kezia-dugdale-on-safety-lgbtq-rights-and-the-future-of-stonewall

I think this is the problem. In you world, who you chose to talk to and read it might have made perfect sense.

But the titles on FWR threads are not just for your friends and how you talk to each other, and not just those who post on FWR.

I know nobody who talks about ferrets, so why use an obscure phrase?

And as to reading reddit why would I?

Again incomprehensible to think that because that is what you do, that is what every body does.

Just like those who keep posting links to X when 99.9% of the population isn't on X and more importantly cant read anything that's posted.

I know many of us have a shorthand way of talking to people we know or are friends. But this is the internet.

So the likelihood that what is common to my life or how I chat to friends and family, is going to instantly have the same meaning to thousand if not millions of stranges, is very remote.

Very much the Labour playbook.

Looks like I hit a nerve! I'm just going to say this once, because I don't want to derail a perfectly good thread with a perfectly good title: you are not the Thread Police. This is not your personal forum. Comment on the subject at hand, if you have anything to contribute, but please stop expecting the rest of us to change how we communicate, just to suit your own agenda.

I know many of us have a shorthand way of talking to people we know or are friends. But this is the internet.
So the likelihood that what is common to my life or how I chat to friends and family, is going to instantly have the same meaning to thousand if not millions of stranges, is very remote.

60 years ago when I was quite young a metaphor involving the Vicar of Bray might have been apposite; nowadays 'reverse ferret' is universally understood in the English speaking world.

I think you are just harping on about something that doesn't exist.

Surely anybody who want to convey a point of few doesn't rationally think I will post using terms that are common to me and my friendship group rather than think what is the way to express this so that people who do not share my background, who are not part of my culture, who do not read or listen to what I do, will be interested.

I know nobody who talks about ferrets.

The assumption because you do it means everyone does is just parochial insularism.

Also what is so strange is not to be interested in the fact that using colloquialisms that reflect your circle might be incomprehensible to others, but rather assert your are right to continue to use a word that only has meaning to a small section of society.

Did you never do the common exercise about the word dinner being the best example of how the use of english by the english illustrates the divisions in society.

KD is a regular political commentator on Times Radio and has been since it started in 2020. She always comes across to me as a well meaning but not very bright, out of her depth, teenager (I know she's not the latter) talking about issues she doesn’t really understand - perfectly encapsulated in the trailer that Times Radio used for a very long time of her saying "on this issue we need more heat and less light".

A broken clock is right twice a day. Kezia Dudgale's fear/concern about visible signs in public about her relationship with another woman and the hate that may result, is I am sure a valid one and felt by many lesbians.

That does not mean agreement with self-ID or the campaigns of Stonewall.

It's a very common phrase IwantToRetire, just because you have never heard of it doesn't mean nobody has. This is also a very UK based site so I'm now going to assume you aren't (which might explain a few things tbh).

At the inaugural meeting of the LGB Alliance, Simon Fanshawe (Stonewall co-founder) said that one of their biggest strengths had always been finding common ground with other groups who they might disagree with on most other issues. Usually over a quiet cup of tea.

I wonder if that’s the angle KD’s going for.

The phrase 'reverse ferret' originated in the 1980s when it was used by Kelvin MacKenzie, who was editor of The Sun at the time. Apparently.

Anyway... not expecting any real change of direction from Stonewall from this appointment.

She'll need to work far harder before any women badly let down by Stonewall agree to cups of tea.

What Stonewall did to lesbians is unforgivable.

Im not sure why but the phrase reverse ferret always reminds me of Owen Jones.

I think I first heard it in relation to Owen Jones!

With profound apologies to @Taytoface

I think you, IwantToRetire, are spectacularly missing the point of this discussion. I don't think you are deliberately derailing the thread, but I am convinced now that you

1. are upset that someone else posted a thread about this topic before you did;

2. see yourself as an authority on all things FWR;

3. are not used to being called out on anything; and

4. are spoiling for a fight.

Hence, my responses below, in brackets:

I think you are just harping on about something that doesn't exist. [I have no idea what you are talking about here.]

Surely anybody who want to convey a point of few doesn't rationally think I will post using terms that are common to me and my friendship group rather than think what is the way to express this so that people who do not share my background, who are not part of my culture, who do not read or listen to what I do, will be interested. [You really need more punctuation in here somewhere.]

I know nobody who talks about ferrets. [I guess you don't know a lot of women who discuss things on this forum. I admit, I have not used the word on this thread.]

The assumption because you do it means everyone does is just parochial insularism. [Impressive use of big words here. Still not the point of this thread.]

Also what is so strange is not to be interested in the fact that using colloquialisms that reflect your circle might be incomprehensible to others, but rather assert your are right to continue to use a word that only has meaning to a small section of society. [I don't remember using any "colloquialisms" but, again, not the point of this thread.]

Did you never do the common exercise about the word dinner being the best example of how the use of english by the english illustrates the divisions in society. [Again, I have no idea what you are talking about.]

Not one of your "points" above is the subject of this thread.

Please see point 3 in my response above, and perhaps have a word with yourself about how to get over the fact that not everything is about you.

Yes, the throwing of lesbians under the bus seemed to be do easily done, didn't it- almost as though they never really thought women were worth campaigning for.

IWantToRetire is someone who has been on this Board for a long time, for them to claim that they have never heard the term reverse ferret and do not understand it is, shall we say, surprising. It has been used on many, many threads over several years on this Board, there have also been several gifs/memes posted for illustration.

Thread titles, thread contents, number of threads on a particular event and the manner in which posters discuss subjects on threads do seem to be a thorny issue for IWTR.

It might even take another generation (dare I say?) before the relationship can be repaired, if that's even desirable. And Stonewall might have morphed into something else by then. I certainly can't see why women of my generation, and especially lesbians, would trust anything they say ever again.

There's going to have to be a lot of "de-indoctrination" Gen Z women before we can truly start moving in the right direction again.

I certainly can't see why women of my generation, and especially lesbians, would trust anything they say ever again.

Me neither. The damage they have done is irrepairable in my opinion and I see this as just a cynical stunt to try and recoup some money and reputation.

I volunteered at the LGBA conference this weekend & it was wonderful to see the age range. Lots of enthusiastic Gen Zs.

Stonewall deserves to crumble.

Anya Palmer on X points out that in appointing KD Stonewall has both doubled the number of women on its board of trustees (the other one being Jake Graf), and increased the number of women who know they are women from zero to one.

There are still more transactivists on the board than women. The once proud Stonewall that started in 1989 with equal numbers of men and women. What a disappointment they've proved to be to those of us who supported them from the outset.

https://x.com/anyabike/status/2045860586458693891

I know nobody who talks about ferrets, so why use an obscure phrase?
And as to reading reddit why would I?

I will be celebrating my 80th birthday this week and I know exactly what a reverse ferret is. It's not an obscure phrase and even if it were, the beauty of the internet is that if you come across a word or phrase you don't know, you can find out instantly what it means.

As for Reddit, I used to belong to the Gender Critical forum on there until the misogynists that run Reddit decided that women weren't allowed to have opinions they didn't approve of. I no longer post there, but do check the transgender forum if I want to see how TRAs are reacting to things in the news. The mainstream media are all very well, but they don't give the whole picture by any means.

Well, especially seeing as Kezia confirms nothing has in fact changed. They still intend to work for self ID, and they still are working on 'conversion' bill stuff. They're just going to do it more quietly, and with a bit more surface simpering at women.

This!! Apart from anything, the fact they think we're too stupid to see that is really fucking annoying

Yep, I've been on here for a very long time and "reverse ferret" has been part of the parlance for many years.

It doesn't happen that often, so perhaps that's why you (IWTR) haven't seen it!

There are plenty of examples of Meloni's government rolling back LGBT rights. A quick Google check will show you that.
I mean, do you really think the far right want to see equality for LGBT people?
Unlike you, The Guardian happens to have its facts right, whereas your post would have the subs working overtime.