Educating Rita

Update 319 Democracy Stifled Special

Another long one, dear readers!

Anyway, No 3 in the Leading Female Season and we have Julie Waters in Educating Rita.

Susan (who initially calls herself Rita), a 26-year-old working class hairdresser, is dissatisfied with the routine of her work and social life; she is reluctant to have a child, fearing it will tie her to the same monotonous routine for life, and she yearns to escape to something more profound, without exactly knowing what that is. She seeks to better herself by signing up for and attending an Open University course in Literature.

Susan's assigned Open University tutor, Frank Bryant (Michael Caine), is jaded but his passion for literature is rekindled by Rita, whose technical ability for the subject is limited by her lack of education but whose enthusiasm Frank finds refreshing.

OK, Terven, here is your question:

Suggest how you would resolve the staging difficulties inherent in a production of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt?

Labour No Longer Believes In Democracy…

…or so it would seem when a constituency Labour Party ensures the cancellation of a political meeting that was to include Kellie-Jay Keen in her new role as leader of the Party of Women. Plus their letter to the pub where the meeting was to take place looks somewhat libellous to me! Thanks to a wonderful reader for directing me to this piece.

Oliver Price in The Mail Online ( EXCLUSIVE Fury as local Labour branch pressures pub into cancelling Conservative-run debate with gender-critical campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen as a panellist 17 February) reports:

Labour has been accused of being 'undemocratic authoritarians' after a local party pressured a venue into cancelling a Conservative-run debate over the attendance of gender-critical campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen.

The Tottenham Conservative Association was due to hold a debate on 'The Future of British Politics' at 2pm today, but the Clissold Arms pub in Muswell Hill, north London, told organisers yesterday that they had to cancel it after complaints.

A letter sent to the pub by the Hornsey and Friern Barnet Constituency Labour Party executive committee, seen by MailOnline, said that ‘ Keen’s events often attract other far right groups including neo-Nazi groups on a recent tour of Australia'.

On her tour of Australia last March, men showed up to a rally in Melbourne and performed Nazi salutes, but she insisted they were not invited or welcome there.

The letter accused Ms Keen, also known as Posie Parker, of 'extremely transphobic views' and of harassing transgender people, and added that her attendance would create a 'dangerous and hostile environment for local trans people'.

The committee said it had been 'contacted by several LGBTQ+ residents in Haringey who are deeply worried about the attendance of Kellie-Jay Keen' and urged the pub to 'ensure that Ms Keen is not invited to this event'.

The Tottenham Conservative Association was due to hold a debate on 'The Future of British Politics' at 2pm today, but the Clissold Arms pub in Muswell Hill, north London , told organisers yesterday that they had to cancel it after complaints

Tories invited representatives from several political parties, and speakers would have included organiser and local Tory chairman Elliot Hammer, Ms Keen - from her Party of Women, ex-Lib Dem Lembit Opik and SDP mayoral hopeful Amy Gallagher.

The Party of Women was registered by Ms Keen and authorised by the Electoral Commission just last week on February 8.

Mr Hammer said representatives from Labour including Tottenham MP David Lammy were invited to the debate, but it is understood none were available. Mr Hammer also said he invited Liberal Democrats, Greens and Reform to take part in the debate but they had not taken the offer up.

Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Keen hit out at Labour, saying: 'I'm no longer shocked when authoritarians shut down my right to speak. It's why I host all of my #LetWomenSpeak events in the public square.

'Why is the Labour Party so afraid of a woman who simply wants to keep men out of women's spaces and transgenderism, a quasi religious cult, out of schools, the judiciary and all government institutions?

'We must return to the time where freedom of speech was a principle we valued and upheld.'

But the 'non-political' Clissold Arms told MailOnline that there were 'overwhelming number of objections from local residents' and that management was not told that the event was a 'debate between different groups'.

Letter sent by local Labour party to venue to cancel Conservative-run debate attended by Kellie-Jay Keen

The letter sent by Hornsey and Friern Barnet Constituency Labour Party executive committee to the the Clissold Arms pub in Muswell Hill, north London, to cancel the Conservative-run debate attended by Kellie-Jay Keen

Dear Clissold Arms team,

We are writing to you as the Executive of the Hornsey and Friern Barnet Constituency Labour Party.

We have been contacted by several LGBTQ+ residents in Haringey who are deeply worried about the attendance of Kellie-Jay Keen (also known as Posie Parker) at a fundraiser, 'The Future of British Politics' to be hosted at your pub on 17th February.

Kellie-Jay Keen has expressed extremely transphobic views over several years and has harassed transgender people both online and in person. She recently described parents who support their children to transition as 'evil'. This was in response to social media posts about the appalling murder of Brianna Ghey and the bravery of her mother's campaign for stronger social media regulations.

HOPE Not Hate's State of Hate 2023 report singled out Kellie-Jean Keen who they concluded  "has increasingly found support from, and an overlap in, views with the far right". Keen's events often attract other far right groups including neo-Nazi groups on a recent tour of Australia.

Haringey has a long and proud history of supporting diversity and the LGBTQ+ community. Keen's views are deeply offensive, and we are concerned that her attendance will create a dangerous and hostile environment for local trans people.

We wanted to alert you to the depth of concern in the local community, that you are an important part of, and would urge you to ensure that Ms Keen is not invited to this event.

Yours faithfully,

Hornsey and Friern Barnet CLP Executive Committee

Organiser and chair of the Tottenham Conservative Association Elliot Hammer (pictured) said he expected the 50-capacity venue to be full, but that after the cancellation he has now had to refund all attendees their tickets

Ms Keen also criticised the accusations made against her in the letter, saying: 'The accusations of "transphobia" simply boils down to not believing any woman has a penis and that we have a right to our own spaces, language and rights.

'I have made comments about the harm of transitioning children, infertility, loss of sexual function and unsafe surgeries for years, I do think parents who subject children to this are evil.

'Hope not Hate is not a serious organisation, it seems to be a left wing wannabe authoritarian crack-pot outfit that enjoys making silly lists. People across the entire political spectrum understand the harm of eroding safeguarding.'

She added: 'Over the last few years I have organised free speech events all across the globe and the one thing guaranteed is that a swarm of masked faced, blue haired, flag waving trans activists will attempt to intimidate us into silence with their posh voices and violent threats.

'I have to have personal protection and police attendance to ensure the safety of women. The trans activists are the dangerous and hostile element that they warn about, not a 5'1" middle aged woman just wanting to speak.'

The cancellation was also criticised by campaigner Maya Forstater who, after Ms Keen revealed the event was cancelled, said on X, formerly Twitter: 'This has to stop.'

Organiser Mr Hammer said he expected the 50-capacity venue to be full, but that after the cancellation he has now had to refund all attendees their tickets.

He told MailOnline that it was 'deeply undemocratic' for a party to stop debates attended by representatives from other political parties, adding: 'In a general election year that's very alarming.'

Kellie-Jay Keen during a Let Women Speak rally in Belfast in April last year

Social Democratic Party candidate for the London mayoralty Amy Gallagher (pictured), who was due to speak, hit out against Labour for forcing the events cancellation saying: 'I was going to speak about the trans issue and women's rights'

Mr Hammer said: 'All the speakers were from political parties approved by the Electoral Commission.

'If they [Labour] disagreed with any of Kellie-Jay's politics they could have debated with her - that's how democracy works, that's what I was brought up to believe.

'But it appears they want to deplatform and stop debate going on.'

Social Democratic Party candidate for the London mayoralty Amy Gallagher, who was due to speak, hit out against Labour for forcing the events cancellation saying: 'I was going to speak about the trans issue and women's rights. 

'As a woman in London I was going to speak about feeling less safe and police presence.'

Ms Gallagher said she was going to 'speak with Posie Parker about women's rights and that's a great shame' that she now cannot.

'It's completely undemocratic,' she said. 'Kellie-Jay Keen is from a registered political party and I'm with a registered political party.

'It was going to be a very appropriate discussion about British politics. It would have given all of us to air our views on politics. The fact that this has been cancelled means people can't air those views and hear them.'

Ms Gallagher said she blamed the Labour party for the events cancellation for saying Ms Keen's presence would have been 'dangerous', adding: 'I don't know what danger would have been caused by four people discussing politics.

'I blame the cancel culture in our society that allows people to think that they can do this.'

The Clissold Arms told MailOnline: 'Due to overwhelming number of objections from local residents, the management of the Clissold Arms decided to cancel this event at our venue, but also because we were not informed that this was a debate between different groups

'We are a much loved non-party political community gastro pub and we value our relationship with this amazing local community.'

The Labour Party has also been approached for comment.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13094729/Labour-Kellie-Jay-Keen-Conservative-debate-gender-critical.html

Irish Constitutional Referendum - Vote NO

Ben Scallan in wonderful Gript News ( DISINFO WATCHDOG: MINISTER “SIMPLY WRONG” ON CONSTITUTION 19 February) reports:

Media Minister Catherine Martin is “simply wrong” about what the Constitution says in the context of the upcoming referendums, according to the chairwoman of the Irish State’s official disinformation watchdog.

Earlier this month, the Green Party Minister was the subject of criticism after she said on social media that the Irish Constitution says “a woman’s place is in the home.”

“It’s not reflective of today’s society for our constitution to say that a woman’s place is in the home,” the Minister said on X.
Weeks prior to this, however, Supreme Court Justice Marie Baker – who is the chairwoman of the Irish State’s Electoral Commission – had already confirmed that this is not the case. She stressed that the Constitution merely said that mothers provide an “important support” to society and shouldn’t “have to go out to work” due to “economic necessity.”

Notably, the Electoral Commission was set up specifically by Martin’s government to combat misinformation and disinformation during electoral events. Reacting to Martin’s comments in an interview with the Irish Mail On Sunday over the weekend, Justice Baker accused politicians of engaging in “political rhetoric” and said the Minister was “simply wrong.”

“She’s wrong,” the Judge said. “[The Constitution] says something much more positive than that. It says something that is a more positive statement of values. It says that the work women do in the home provides an important support to the common good of society.” She said that while there was “political rhetoric” circulating a certain narrative, this narrative was not, in fact, correct. “You don’t have to blow it up into big language about disinformation or misinformation,” she said.

“We can say…that’s not what the Constitution says. The Constitution doesn’t say women’s place is in the home. There’s a certain political rhetoric going around, but the Constitution simply doesn’t say that.” Minister Martin has spearheaded the regulation of online “misinformation” through organisations like the Media Commission, and has frequently spoken about the importance of combatting false info.

In December of last year, the Minister told the Dáil of the importance of cracking down on misinformation to protect “our liberal democratic values.”

It looks like Minister martin needs to crack down on herself!

Meanwhile Fatima Gunning in Gript News ( 69% OF MOTHERS WANT TO STAY AT HOME WITH THEIR CHILDREN AMARACH RESEARCH FINDS 19 February) reports:

A large majority of mothers want to stay at home with their children under the age of 18 instead of engaging in work outside the home according to the results of research from Amarach. 

The results of an opinion poll commissioned by the Iona Institute say that 69% of mothers would prefer to stay at home with their children rather than go out to work if money was no issue. 

In addition to this the poll – which surveyed 500 women over the age of 18 – said that, 76% of mothers said that women who work in the home are undervalued by society compared with women who work outside the home with over 70% of mothers saying they do not feel valued by society for their work as mothers.

The Iona Institute says the questions in the poll “were identical” to those used in a widely publicised survey commissioned by Sudocream in 2017, adding that the findings of this latest survey are “extremely similar” to those from the 2017 poll and other polls on the same issue.

Commenting on the survey on behalf of The Iona Institute, Professor Patricia Casey said, “The findings are extremely relevant to the upcoming referendum on carers. Currently, the Constitution acknowledges the importance of mothers, and it says they should not be forced out of the home by economic necessity.”

“We see from this survey and others like it that the vast majority of mothers would prefer to stay at home with their children if they could afford it. This is exactly what the Constitution aims at, even if the State has failed to live up to the promise of the Constitution” she said. 

Prof. Casry continued, “I have been a working mother for most of my adult life. This is what I wanted and Article 41.2 of the Constitution held me back in no way, shape or form. Children’s Minister, Roderic O’Gorman, says ‘a woman’s place is wherever she wants it to be’, and that is exactly correct. The trouble is that the policy of this and past Governments has made it almost impossible for most mothers to stay at home with their children if that is what they want.”

She concluded, “If the Government was really on the side of mothers, it would make it easier for them to stay at home with their children if that is their wish, and it is the wish of the vast majority of them, as the Amarach poll tells us. But the Government seems to be on the side of the economy, not mothers.”

“It wants to delete the one reference to mothers from the Constitution, the one reference to the home in the context of mothers, and the one reference to try and protect mothers from being forced out of the home. This is not right” she said

Calling for a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum on article 41.2 and the referendum on the family, Tánaiste [ Deputy Prime Minister] Micheál Martin said, “we are strongly supporting a yes vote on both proposals which are before the people. We believe that the amendments would mark an important statement of inclusion in modern Ireland and represent an important recognition of a process of change which has been ongoing for up to sixty years.”

NHS Trust Loses The Plot

I was going to cover this really gobsmacking FFS plus story following a leaked letter from the Medical Director of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation saying hormone-filled milk from a trans identifying man is just as good for a baby as the real thing but JL has covered it excellently in the Glinner Update:

https://grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/a-week-in-the-war-on-women-monday-29c

This story is also dealt with by Free Speech Nation:

Kellie-Jay and a fruit loop woman ( to steal an EDI Jester phrase) were interviewed about this matter on GB News:

Women’s Rights Network

WRN’s excellent newsletter is just out ( 18 February) and two pieces from that.

The story that keeps on Parkrunning

Following Parkrun’s removal of all published records, male runners objected - and that’s when media coverage increased. 

Parkrun CEO Russ Jefferys broke cover on BBC5 Live Breakfast (starts at 2hr 26m) to defend the removal of results listings from the Parkrun website. He told the nation, ‘The criticism we faced from the Women’s Rights Network and others is down to a total misunderstanding of what parkrun is. It is not a race. It is not a competitive event’.

If it’s not a race, why are there world records? Times from parkrun events have featured in BBC Sport reports including the 2023 age-specific parkrun world record set by a nine year old boy. 

For 20 years parkrun has listed results, publicised fastest finishers, and applauded age-group ‘winners’. Thousands of parkrunners see it as a race and are bitterly disappointed that they will no longer be able to compare their results.

WRN Founder Heather Binning discussed the issue on Sky News. She said that millions of pounds of tax-payers money is funnelled to parkrun which has the stated aim of increasing the participation of women and girls. Allowing males to self-identify into the female category is UNFAIR and contrary to UK Equality laws. Charities that receive public money should be required to comply with UK law.

If you need reminding of the issues, have a look at our video here.

West Yorkshire Police

Following WRN’s report on the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) policy of allowing officers to self-ID for the purpose of body searches of the public, WRN Kirklees and Wakefield asked their local force, West Yorkshire Police, if it had implemented the policy and, if so, what consultation had been carried out, and to see a copy of the Equalities Impact Assessment.

West Yorkshire Police has responded that the policy has been implemented, the consultation did not include any women’s groups, and no Equality Impact Assessment had been carried out. 

The response says ‘Anyone in custody has the right to request that they be searched by someone of their own gender, as has always been the case in West Yorkshire.’ This ignores the difference between sex (a fact) and gender (contested views of fixed, social roles based on the two sexes and a fluid notion that exists on a spectrum), and removes the right of women (and men) to insist on a same sex officer, regardless of self-perception.

It is deeply concerning that the police use undefined terms like gender when sex is appropriate, and fail to acknowledge the fact of sex, including it being a protected characteristic (requiring consideration in policy to avoid discrimination), and its relevance in law and law-enforcement. 

Feel free to use the Kirklees group’s letter as a template to submit a Freedom of information request to find out your own police force’s policy.

School Toilets

Thanks also to WRN for referring to this Isla Mac video:

The Milgram Experiment

Excellent Feminist Legal Clinic forwards a very interesting piece from Lucy Leader.

Is Transgenderism Just the Milgram Experiment Hiding Behind a Veneer of “Kindness”? (18 February)

Stanley Milgram, born in 1933 was an American psychologist, best known for his controversial experiments on obedience conducted in the 1960s during his professorship at Yale.

His experiments clearly demonstrated that average citizens could be easily forced to obey directives that they thought were causing harm to others, up to and including their deaths. To learn more about the Milgram experiments this video provides an informative overview.

The entire trans edifice is built on the foundation of sand that is gender ideology. This posits that we can choose our sex at will (and even without a single medical consultation or “treatment”) our sex is what we declare it to be, regardless of our embodied reality.

One thing that men in woman face really hate is uppity women not accepting them as sisters. Trans is the ultimate performance art lifestyle because there is no off stage. To be trans is to be always “on”, but it really only works if there is continuous applause as I wrote about here.

At least four major court cases have been found in favor of women who were fired from their jobs because they refused to toe the trans party line that “trans women are women” or they had doubts about the wisdom of unquestioning affirmation of a gender identity in children.

Not content with male privilege in our patriarchal society, some men cheat their way to victory pretending to be women.

…

Well, the transgender community and trans rights allies may be fine with going along with the mutilation of children and the removal of all safeguarding for women that the trans agenda is built on, but when the day of reckoning comes about, I for one, will not let them get away with saying, “but I was just following orders”. The judges at Nuremberg rejected the “following orders” defense and we should not accept this either.

Source: Is Transgenderism Just the Milgram Experiment Hiding Behind a Veneer of “Kindness”?

Irish Hate Speech Bill

Great interview on GB News Free Speech Nation with Lois McClatchie:

Degree in Woke Studies

Interesting discussion on Free Speech nation between Andrew Doyle and Professor Eric Kauffman. Buckingham University sounds very interesting!!

Street Epistemology

The return of Eric Kauffman together with Helen Joyce for another interesting Peter Boghossian session - which has moved indoors now, presumably due to the weather!

Gender Critical Police!

Thanks to a wonderful reader for directing me to this piece. Now we have, at last, a police group who we can refer our ( gender critical) complaints to!! Such as, I was just interviewed for half an hour after taking a photo of a women’s rights sticker! 

Alex Ward in The Mail Online ( EXCLUSIVE Grassroots police launch gender-critical network to fight back against woke trans policies which 'create a culture of fear' within forces across Britain 18 February) reports:

Grassroots police officers have launched a gender-critical network to push back against forces they are concerned have adopted self-ID policies not recognised in law.

The serving officers have launched the Police Sex Equality and Equity Network, accusing the service of 'actions that embed gender ideology' within forces nationwide.

They called on bodies representing both rank and file officers, as well as chief constables, to recognise lobby groups and activists within policing in England and Wales had created a 'culture of fear' among those holding gender-critical views.

The group said by focusing on gender issues, police forces risked undermining public confidence.

Police SEEN have said the group intends to emulate the civil service network, which was established 'to re-focus attention on improving equality and equity between women and men'.

The group said in a statement: 'Police SEEN warns that the influence of lobby groups and activists within UK policing has created a culture of fear which prevents officers and staff who believe there are two sexes and that sex is real and immutable, from speaking out, for fear of disciplinary action.

'They believe a formal internal network is desperately needed, not only to provide a voice and support for those who want to ensure the law is upheld, but also to restore political impartiality to policing.'

Examples cited by the group of gender ideology in the police service include recent guidance that would allow trans-officers to strip search people of the opposite biological sex.

The National Police Chiefs' Council, which published the guidance, was forced to retract it and conduct a 'thorough' review, following an outcry and concern from the Government.

It would have seen officers who have transitioned 'search persons of the same gender as their own lived gender'.

The group also accused police forces of routinely recording crime data based on gender self-ID, rather than biological sex, including in reports of rape – an offence which can only be committed by a man.

The National Police Chiefs Council, the Superintendents' Association and the Police Federation, were all asked to support the new group, Police SEEN said.

Charlotte Cadden, a Detective Chief Inspector with Greater Manchester Police said: 'We feel that this network is long overdue and it is not just needed now, it is absolutely imperative that it is set up.

'We know personally of serving officers and staff who have been referred for disciplinary action for merely expressing a view that sex is real and that they don't subscribe to a belief in gender ideology.

'Many officers and staff have also been warned to keep quiet or their careers will be harmed or even ended.

'While we have respect for those whose views differ from our own, and their right to express those views, for the sake of public trust and confidence in our policing service, we have to ensure that there is a space where officers and staff know that sex realist views will also be respected and not subject to cancellation or harassment.

'We cannot sit back and do nothing; we feel that public confidence is being lost as a result of very clear mistakes that are being made.'

Under current laws, people who want to change legal sex must provide a medical report showing a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

The NHS defines this as a 'sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity'.

They must also provide evidence of living full time in their gender for at least two years – campaigners claim the requirement is excessively bureaucratic and invasive.

The announcement was hailed by women's rights groups, who called the launch 'a vital first step'.

Cathy Larkman, of the Women's Rights Network called on police chiefs to take notice and protect their officers from discrimination.

Ms Larkman, a former police superintendent, said: 'Policing aspires to be without fear or favour and it has been very sad to see that ideal fail so spectacularly on so many occasions, with the attendant loss of public trust and confidence.

'We hope that this is a vital first step in regaining that trust and that more officers will join them.

'We have spoken to police officers and staff ourselves on many occasions. We know that there are real fears about challenging any aspect of gender ideology in the service, and that there have been instances of officers and staff being warned to remain silent, or even referred for disciplinary interventions if they challenge the prevailing narrative that places ideology over and above the law.

'Self ID is not the law in this country.

'We know that these police officers and staff represent the overwhelming majority view of the police service, who want to do their jobs properly and provide excellent public service.

'It is high time for those police officers and staff who believe that there are two sexes and that sex is immutable, to have a voice within the policing service and for that to have as much recognition and support from their leaders as other internal police networks do.

'Given the growing number of tribunal successes for women who have been unfairly discriminated against for their views, police chiefs would be well advised to support them.'

A recent interim report of His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary into activism and impartiality in policing highlighted 'a lack of clarity in how police forces understand and interpret this evolving legal framework'.

It read: 'There is a lack of clarity in how police forces understand and interpret this evolving legal framework. In particular, this is seen in the contested areas of: sex and gender reassignment; what constitutes a genuinely held belief; and when such beliefs are themselves protected under the Act. Without greater clarity, there is a risk that officers and staff may make the wrong decisions and, in so doing, undermine public trust and confidence.'

The NPCC, Police Federation and Superintendents' Association all declined to comment.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13097403/grassroots-police-gender-critical-network-trans-policies-uk.html

Mole at the Counter

Great stuff from Moley on the Glinner Update 🤣

Not really, we just made it up for the laugh. Mind you, the actual story is just as mad.

Jazz Jennings

In case you missed this…well, just watch it! I am still trying to work out which of the adults should be in prison ( possibly all of them). All thoughts gratefully received.

Gender Shite News Review

This is an excellent review of the gender madness news from Mr Menno. Here is January Part 1 - please keep an eye open for future episodes.

Endpiece

Aieee…help!!! Let’s have a women’s band, quickly. How about the Be Good Tanyas and When The Doves Cry

Next update will probably be on Thursday, Terven.

If you like this update, please send to a friend. Until next time, Terven. This isn’t over yet! Please subscribe for free, like and comment.