Thread by @MForstater

When your allies turn out to be bullies: how @fawcettsociety got lost

Back in 2017 when many of us hadn't got our heads round the issue Fawcett put out its first statement on gender identity.

It started well.

But they had made the mistake of conflating sex and gender when they surveyed the public

(Why?? Perhaps they first consulted their ally organisations and let them set the terms?)

Nevertheless, they reiterated their mission: to focus on the lived experience of women.

This hadn't changed they said.

If it had changed, from Millicent Fawcett's understanding of what a woman is to include "male to female" transsexuals & male transvestites on the "woman" side they could have told us then.

No they said it hadn't changed

Their focus would still be on the female half of the world

Here is where they gave in: in the final paragraph they fudged it and said "feminism is inclusive" and commited to consistency with the wider community of equality and human rights orgs

It turns out that wider community of orgs did not think that the lived experience of female people was worth anything.

Even when it came to the risk of breaking their necks

https://twitter.com/stonewalluk/status/1314626860085542912?s=19

Even when it came to women losing their jobs for having opinions

You can see Fawcett were trying to hold some lines in 2018 in their Q&A

But conceding and conceding and conceding

"We include women who are trans" they said, and advocated for males in women's prisons

fawcettsociety.org.uk/sex-gender-and…

What is notable is how little of this played out in public. There must have been some fierce internal battles and arm twisting by the "allies".

The 2017 statement was six months after Jenni Murray was monstered for writing this

Fawcett appeased

thetimes.co.uk/article/be-tra…

Not having these debates publicly (because Stonewall said "no debate") allowed the "allies" to bully concessions and silence out of Fawcett.

Stonewall have told us they want again and again.

Believe them.

There is no consistency between this and women's rights

In 2020 @Samsmethers tried to set out a way forward.

But then Covid hit.
fawcettsociety.org.uk/blog/sex-and-g…

Can @fawcettsociety get out of this abusive relationship?

Thousands of women would support them if they did.

@fionamac2017

https://twitter.com/HJoyceGender/status/1317075192997347328?s=19