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Wings Over Scotland


The Silence

Posted on December 17, 2019 by

As some alert readers have already noticed, our Twitter account has been suspended again, three and a bit years after the last time. The ban is supposedly permanent. To save a lot of repeated explaining in emails and direct messages, a brief record of the pertinent events follows.

There was a bit of a kerfuffle on the social-media platform at the weekend when an Independent columnist called Louis Staples launched an unprovoked, nasty and highly personal attack on gender-critical feminist Helen Lewis, formerly of the Guardian and New Statesman and now of The Atlantic. This was the mildest part:

Staples was quickly joined in a pile-on by a couple of staff from gay website Pink News – writer Nick Duffy and Benjamin Cohen, the site’s CEO.

Both unleashed a stream of abuse against Lewis, and were duly met by a considerable backlash which led the two men to lock their accounts.

One of the hundreds of tweets in the backlash was mine. Duffy’s account is still locked, so it’s not possible to see precisely which tweet triggered the response, but from memory it was something to do with his not being commissioned any more by one of the publications Helen Lewis had worked for, with the implication that she’d been responsible. I said this:

Twitter has no prohibition on swearing, otherwise it would have about six users. The tweet makes no reference of any kind to any group of people, but drew the ban supposedly on the grounds of “Hateful conduct”.

These are Twitter’s hateful-conduct rules:

The tweet demonstrably does none of those things.

Staples later deleted his tweets and apologised for them.

Duffy and Cohen did not.

Readers who use Twitter regularly will not be especially surprised at this development. The platform has an extremely long history of selectively banning users with gender-critical views, regardless of whether they’ve broken any rules or not, and especially (but not exclusively) if they’re women.

Male trans rights activists like Duffy and Cohen, on the other hand, are permitted to make violent threats and use abusive language against gender-critical women without sanction. Twitter is indisputably and visibly at the forefront of a war against biological women and anyone who speaks up for them, and Wings, which has been vocal on the issue, appears to be the latest target. We’ve been reported by trans rights activists many hundreds of times for innocuous tweets in the hope of securing a ban, and they seem to have finally struck lucky.

SNP activists from the “woke” faction are already gloating about being responsible for the suspension, revealing that they try to get Wings banned so often they couldn’t even remember which tweet they reported this time.

For that reason we have little confidence in the Wings account being restored, despite demonstrably having broken no rules. We’ve filed an appeal anyway, however, and some gender-critical accounts have previously been restored after large outcries, so should readers wish to make representations, tweets using the @WingsScotland and @TwitterSupport tags may have some effect.

[EDIT 9.36am: Eyebrows have been raised]

We’ll keep you updated on any developments.

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Den Cairns

If you don’t mind me saying Rev, in the future just retort: ‘I’ll see you next Tuesday (or Thursday). Sortit.

Ruglonian

Folk, you’ve got your task – get twitter telt!

twitter.com/Gillian_Emm/status/1206742840707026950?s=19

Andrew

I noticed one of your tweets referred to trans being a ‘mental disorder’. Christ. Is anything transphobic in your view?

what has happened to the excellent analysis we got on here?

Alban Fry

You may wish to try the Better Business Bureau; apparently have a much better record of having the fuckwit suspensions overturned than twitter appeals.

Jason Michael

Have just tweeted Twitter Support with a message to this effect. I do hope this can be resolved quickly. You have my support.

Robert J. Sutherland

Suppose someone believed they were a dog (say). Would you regard that as in any way evidence of mental stability? Or anything else that objectively they are obviously not, eg. Napoleon?

It’s getting now that whenever “LGB…” appears I’m beginning to dread how many other letters of the alphabet are going to be wantonly tacked on the end. Virtue-signalling alphabet soup. The way things are going, one day some radical wokeite is surely going to add “D” or “N”!

cats owl

Good luck with your appeal. It’s worth a try to make a complaint at BBB.org.
It has helped others.

Lynne

As Voltaire never actually wrote, but probably believed, ‘I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it’.
I suspect it may have been the provocative statement in your Twitter bio that caused someone to report the account, but who knows – how can you appeal or defend yourself properly when Twitter doesn’t identify the supposedly offending tweet except when a complaint has been rejected?
I hope the appeal succeeds (& have tweeted to that effect) as Wings will be needed in the coming months/years – but for Indy, not for narrow identity politics.

thingy

Beardy weirdo wallopers. They are cunts.

Reluctant Nationalist

Down with this sort of thing.

Beee

The Better Business Bureau. Complain against Twitter as it is a USA corp. I have noticed that quite a few bans have been overturned by this route.
It would be a shame to lose you from twitter, as there are so many important issues.
Although you say it had nothing to do with your sweary words, would it be a good idea to tone it down a bit in the future?

Martin Pike

you can have my account mate and rename it and i will step aside.

[…] Wings Over Scotland The silence As some alert readers have already noticed, our Twitter account has been suspended […]

bookie from hell

wings under scotland

BUT shorthand its W.U.S

Garrion

It’s a quagmire wrapped in a tar baby enveloped in a sucking black hole. That’s why it’s used as a leverage issue. As soon as you touch it you’re fucked and it destroys everything else that comes into orbit.

Thing is that the great majority of everyday folk don’t really give a crap, IMO, other than a broad live and let live sentiment. Only folk who seem to wade in that water who aren’t actually trans are professional virtue signallers or the odious right on brigade.

My 2 c.

Doreen Milne

I’ve contacted support and put out some tweets to encourage others to do the same thing. I hope it goes some way to helping. I’ve also seen the Better Business Bureau spoken about with regard to getting accounts reinstated. I do hope you’re back soon because Twitter would be a nightmare without you.

Willie

How long before the weirdos want legislation for the right to have consensual sex with animals.

We can’t be far off that the way things are going.

Women Make Glasgow

The Head of Twitter legal & policy is @Vijaya Gadde.
Maybe everyone could tag her in too.
Also maybe contact Glinner. As you are the largest pro Independence blogger Twitter are affecting directly Scottish politics.
Can we spend the time off twitter establishing the list party please?

Al-Stuart

.
Twitter is a sewer.

In 2016 the majority view in America was Twitter would file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and be bought for buttons by Facebook or Google.

2018 has seen a limp rally and a remarkable stock recovery.

But for a many folk, Twitter is a place that brings out the worst in people and is best avoided.

Rev., good luck getting your account restored. Less likely now as the reason Twitter managed to make a small profit (instead of its stonking annual loss) is that it laid a lot of staff off and drastically cut costs.

So you are likely to be appealing your case from Wings Twitter account restoration to a robot with wonky AI.

From the narrative of your opening comments I think you maybe know reinstatement will be a battle.

Ian McLean

Pending the outcome of appeals to Twitter, would it be helpful if those of us who receive email notifications of Wings blogpost, drew attention to them on Twitter?

Bryan Weir

Talking about bans, how many people did you block on your Twitter account, not for being abusive, just for expressing a view different from your own?

Robert Louis

This, however, points to a much more significant problem, which is coming steaming down the tracks. Google, twitter, facebook and amazon and other large media groups, as we all now know, harvest and sell personal data. It is, especially in the case of google and facebook how they make truly obscene profits. They didn’t make things like google translate, facebook or google maps out of a sense of helping humanity.

But what happens if any of such kinds of orgnisations go bad. That is, they cease being benign, and become malignant. They have unfathomable power, whereby they could with impunity undermine entire governments or indeed the economies of countries.

What happens then? What happens when they start pursuing DOGMA, instead of being platforms of free speech? What happens when such media groups, with their uncontrolled power, decide that THEIR dogma (such as trans), is right and everyone else is wrong?

Is that not what we see with twitter, and their obsession with transgender issues?

Many, many people, especially in the gay community, are sooo p*ssed off with the way in which women’s and GAY rights are being trampled on, in pursuit of this misogynistic, violence-loving, ‘extreme ‘trans’ dogma.

What happens when dark forces take over these social media platforms, and bit by bit, slowly so slowly they start to engineer how they believe the world should think? What then?

Rev Stu’s ban on twitter is just the tip of the iceberg.

He has my support.

Martin

Bryan Weir there’s clearly a difference between filtering out what you as a person sees on twitter and preventing anyone seeing content.

The problem these days (in life, not just twitter) is people only view things through the prism of “ah, but Me!”

Lewis Moonie

There is something very disturbing about one of the most identifiable supporters of an independent Scotland with a huge following being banned by Twitter. This strikes me as a clear attempt by Twitter, on behalf of dishonest actors to silence a strong political voice, who just happens to stand up for women and girls against the invasion of their private spaces by men.
It is not acceptable.

Slackshoe

No great loss, I unfollowed you when you became a full time TERF account

Joemcg

Why even bother? It’s reach is minuscule and amoebic. It’s full of narcissists who think they are more important than they really are I include many Indy accounts in that equation. No one in the real world has heard of them. Laughable. A horrible hateful platform that definitely brings out the worst in people hiding behind anonymity. I’d love it to be shut down in it’s entirety to be honest.

Ian McCubbin

Seems twitter is becoming a prism for restricted colours to use a physics metophor.
TBH I prefer the real world view of colours.
Shift to face book Stew, but beware there, I had to prove my name was Pthalo Thistle.
With a bit of work achieved it for their boys.
And to think what fucking shite and abuse the Tories get away with.
One Aberdeen counsellor found guilty of being a pervert and won’t resign from Council. What next I shudder to think.

Balaaargh

Twitter is proof of the adage that, just because you can say something doesn’t mean you should.

No doubt some yoons and MRAs are messing their pants at the thought of you being banned. So good luck with the appeal and let’s get you back online pointing out their kids and BS.

Balaaargh

*lies. Lies and BS.

Old Pete

I thought this site was about supporting the cause of Scottish Independence ?

dunks

Frankly, I don’t understand why a man of your intellect has to resort to such language to get a point across. I can swear with the best of them but you should remember the words of Edward Thorndike. “Colours fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words endure.”

You are better than them and words are a potent weapon for our cause. Use them wisely or you may find they will be used against you.

David Wardrope

@ slackshoe 7:40am

And yet here you are. Odd.

Grey Gull

Old Pete@7.48

Both the site and twitter are Stu’s and he can manage them anyway he likes.

Tartan Tory

The all-encompasing, self-absorbing Twittersphere is only pertinent to those daft enough to walk through the looking-glass, again, and again, and again.

It’s a class-A, anti-social media platform narcotic, where attention seekers skulk in every corner looking for any excuse to burst. Sensible, semi-notable persons really ought not to go there and politicians should be banned.

If it’s something on Twitter, ICNGAF.

Joe

Thats why I dont use it. Id be banned within a week. Besides im not into giving clicks and traffic to poltically biased platforms whose largest shareholders are Saudi.

Use Gab instead of twitter, Brave browser instead of Gulag (google), Bitchute instead of Youtube.

Graeme

@ slackshoe

Please excuse my ignorance but What’s a TERF ?

fifer/oddball

To be honest, I haven’t touched twitter since the night of the election. As of January 1st, the ‘new terms of service’ come into force and *anything* one posts on twatter becomes their property.
So fuck that for a game of Intergalactic Storm Troopers.
There’s Mastodon, which works like twitter (only without the corporate data harvesting) so I’ll be on there until I get a better offer.

Ali

Missing your tweets already Stu. Free speech is under threat from the right and the left and some folk think this is about swearing. I fucking despair.

Glamaig

Fine. Won’t miss it, your twitter had become unreadable anyway, for having to scroll past all that shite to find something relevant.

moose666

Heres something that helped for someone else trying to get unbanned. This is their words copy and pasted:

“Well shit. It turns out all you have to do to get an account shut down on Twatter after a “we couldn’t find a violation of the rules” in a tweet you report is to CC in vijaya@twitter.com (head of the trust and safety department) and suddenly they “look again” and Whoop there it is!”

“If you get blocked or suspended for spurious reasons and you’re in the UK email Dara@twitter.com and do not back down until your account is brought back online.”

“Make sure to also tag vijaya@twitter.com and jack@twitter.com in your email to Dara Nasr. He’ll try and wriggle the fuck out of it but make sure you forward and CC to the two others and demand action”

Ottomanboi

Twitter is an agent of american cultural imperialism…..be out of it and proud!
Alyn Smith on bbc today prog. waffle about representing wonderful stirling etc and about standing against brexit in this election….no mention of independence. Get it mr, brexit is a battle lost. independence is a battle to win. Grow some please!

frogesque

Woke bloke alphabettys.

Now, can we get back to the important stuff? Like independence?

Jason Hoffman

So the trans camp finally got you…

Maybe it’s not the worst thing ever as you can concentrate on blogging here. We need your analysis of the political mess that is the UK and to offer an alternative view point.

Twitter is a cesspit of ego – there must come a time when you want to say fuck it and get on with real life. I don’t tweet that much and it takes up hours of my time.

Glamaig

Maybe you’ll have more time to work on debunking the unionist media now?

Iain mhor

@Old Pete 7:48am

Well you’ve been here a looong time, so the sarcasm isn’t lost on me. But, you’re not wrong on one odd particular.
The ‘About Section used to mention its pro-independence bias; but like the recently much derided SNP, there is no longer mention of the “I” word. Though I think the pro-Independence stance may still be inferred from the bulk of content and statements.

Wings appears still a political gazette (as per ‘About’) and unfortunately topics such as the trans thing, anti semitism and suchlike, are current political issues. Politicians are being blown away across the board by those two hot-potatoes. (Parties appear to be suffering greatly also)
It may just be a flash in the pan and the next big political career killer will be (as @wilie suggests) pro-bestiality or bakery related fetishes, for those who exclusively like to knock it into a warm loaf.

It appears the ‘trans’ thing is a bete noir for the Rev. He alsi has a particular passion for football and there have been quite a few fitba related posts (whether OBFA or the Rangers) which have little interest for me personally and I tend to skip them.

The ‘independence bias’ is a curious revision to the page though, I don’t know when it ocurred.

*checks drawer for tinfoil hat.

BobW

@the naysayers

So standing up for the rights of 50%+ of the population is not relevant to independence??

Abulhaq

Cheap suits, silly gestures and English, that sophisticated metropolitan ‘élite’ givin’ it large.
link to theguardian.com
Guardian speak…illiberal = concern for your own national interests.

Marcovaldo

Maybe time to set up that political party, would be a lot harder to silence

Cath

It’s worth pointing out for the record, by the way, that being “Gender Critical” simply means you don’t accept the gender stereotypes that go with a being male or female. In other words, it’s the progressive idea of gender, which every decent person should hold. It means that, when you see a 6 year old girl who likes wearing a football top and climbing trees and is hence, “gender non-conforming” you see a girl who is cool and individual and should be allowed to be herself. You don’t see a “boy born in the wrong body” who needs medical intervention.

The very idea of “gender non-conforming children” is hugely regressive and, unsurprisingly, it’s mostly older women (lesbians and tom boys more so than most) who’ve spent their entire lives fighting against against such regressive bullshit who are most acutely aware of the very real damage being done to young girls in particular by this ideology.

And yes, as the same times as we’re told there is “nothing to fear from trans people” (well, d’uh, of course there isn’t – trans people have always been around and accepted, as have “gender non-conforming” people – the two are just now conflated), women are also being silenced left, right and centre for daring to say the word women, or point out that there is no ladybrain, and gender stereotypes are just that – idiotic social stereotypes imposed onto us all that should have disappeared long ago. And they’re being silenced by these “gender non-critical” people who think girls who climb trees must literally be boys because they are “doing girl wrong”. And they may need medical intervention, including untested puberty blockers, whose makers are paying our political parties millions to be “gender non-critical”, ie pro repressive, regressive gender stereotypes.

So yes, seeing all this happening around them worries women deeply. If you care about safeguarding and free speech this ideology *should* worry you. Not because trans people are dangerous, but because the ideology is the most regressive, non-progressive, damaging one I’ve seen in a very long time, and it’s being accepted by all our political parties and pushed by some incredibly powerful people in Silicon Valley, in big pharma, among those who for their own reasons don’t want vulnerable kids safeguarded.

Scot Finlayson

There will be thousands of sanctimonious wokites who say they believe in freedom of speech rejoicing at the forced closure of the Wings twitter account,

there are a lot of misserable sanctimonious wokite c@nts in the world and Scotland and the yes movement have their fair share,

the `welcome all` attitude of the Yes movement has resulted in an infestation of sanctimonious wokite c@nts from the Uni educated left or as the technical term for them is `sanctimonious wokite c@nts from the Uni left`.

pissed off.

SilverDarling

Anyone still think the Trans Activists infiltrating the SNP and independence movement are benign and harmless?

Gary45%

Independence site for Independence minded people.
Says it all really.
Any issues outwith Indy, Ignore.

AnotherAyrshireScot

Everything mental is neurological. Everything neurological is biological. Unless you’ve become religious, which you may have done. Time to grasp the nettle and advocate conversion therapy?

Gerry

Well, at least you stayed focused on indy, and didn’t get dragged down a culdesac by way of a side issue that eventually got you banned.

One_Scot

To be honest I don’t really get into all this trans crap, rightly or wrongly I try and pretend it isn’t going on because it really does my nut in.

I know I might get shouted at for this suggestion, (be gentle), but what about having two accounts one for the Independence stuff that most people are really into especially at this juncture, and another for the other stuff.

That way if there are any issues with the other account people can still get the latest Indy info.

Colin Alexander

Stu Campbell

I guess you have a sense of injustice at being banned.

But, in my opinion you are better off staying off Twitter; it only causes you trouble and upset anyway.

I think you need to step back and cool the emotions, before you write. Something that Twitter does not encourage.

You’re time could be better spent giving critical assessments of the situation regarding indy on the Wings website.

But, it’s you’re life, your decision.

Martin G

This happening the week that Somerville releases the draft GRA reform bill makes me suspicious that orders came from above, especially as the tweet was no worse than any you’ve tweeted before and includes no violation of the rules.

There is always glindr.org which will hopefully grow in size.

Peter Brunskill

Stuart I fully appreciate your views and support them; however don’t you worry that the Indy movement is in danger of being factionalised by an unwinnable argument on gender rights? And are you (and Wings) not in danger of becoming part of the problem by engaging so strongly and so regularly? Better a relentless focus on Independence rather than being sidetracked into something that is basically a peripheral issue and not at all relevant to independence. Just my opinion. Keep up the good work, Indy needs Wings and on every possible platform.

Ronnie

Twitter is for fucking morons anyway.

Tackety Beets

Yesterday I picked up a statistic/fact on here or twatter. See link to Guardian below on GE 2015 Stats.

In 2016 The Conservative Gvt proceeded with an EU Referendum whilst they only had 36.9% of the Vote.
50.9% of MPs @331 out of 650

link to theguardian.com

Is this a MORE relevent point?
Equally was there 50%+ support on any poll for leave ?

Personally I would vote every week if it made for better governance etc

Who has an issue with giving an opinion by voting?

Lorenzo the Magnificent

Keep up the great work, Stuey. You are banned from Twitter because you are a threat. Don’t ever change. You are an amazing force in the Indy movement. Time for a new fundraiser?

Eddie

I complained about a troll constantly reciting the Famine Song. Nothing done.

Doug

This is another shooting themselves in the foot moments by the Woke movement who claim to want Independence. I’m not sure they actually want anything close to Independence unless they get to set the rules to make everyone “woke” or else.

It might be an idea to separate Wings Twitter into two “Wings Blog Updates” and general Wings account. That way we can still notify folks when the blog has been updated and there is little/no chance that the Woke Brigade or anyone else can shut that account down as it won’t engage other than to advise on post. The main account would, if restored, continue as usual.

We need Wings in this fight for independence we need the Wee Blue Book 2 etc.

mike cassidy

Surprised you managed to keep the twitter account going for the last year once this became their policy.

Twitter has banned misgendering or ‘deadnaming’ transgender people

link to archive.is

Looks like I’ll have to use Graham Linehan’s twitter (@Glinner)to keep up.

Until he gets booted off for retweeting insights like this.

I strongly suspect Twitter employees of creatively interpreting censorship policies based on how offended they personally feel about something. It would explain why GC accounts are quickly banned whereas violent threats against women are not considered hate speech.

And for those who think calling it a mental disorder is extreme

I Knew From The Age Of 3 That I Had A Boy’s Brain But A Girl’s Body

link to archive.is

SilverDarling

Lots of schadenfreude here about the Twitter ban.

How many voices coalesced around Wings twitter? The twitter account was a central point of contact for differing aspects of politics, media and highlighted that Scottish Independence cannot exist in a vacuum of blinkered misogyny and homophobia which is what the GRA reform enthusiasts want. But it was a bit sweary…deary me.

Every SNP member who condones or ignores the threat of the TRAs is complicit in this. The SNP are making it really difficult to vote for them ever again. Get your party started ASAP – they have made it personal now.

Rita

Joe Rogan (and Tim Pool) interrogate/challenge Jack Dorsey and Vijaya Gadde.
Joe Rogan #1258

mark robertson

even though you blocked me recently for what i dont know but i still think its wrong you where suspended your coverage is excellent and you blog is always bang on so i hope your back on twitter soon

Capella

Complaint tweeted.

The GRA bill is now published. Pity Stu’s twitter account is suspended the day before it comes out. Political censorship?
Time to make your views on Self ID known.

link to twitter.com

HandandShrimp

Woke politics is classic niche navel gazing. It has beset the left for decades on numerous issues and meantime the far right gather strength to line their pockets and reduce us all.

The SNP needs to contain entryist nonsense or we will end up like Labour, so politically correct no one wants to vote for us.

Maybe Twitter will keep banning people until no one uses it

Ottomanboi

Identitarianism is a pain in the gonads. It has zilch to do with the struggle for national independence. The case for independence ought not to be muddied by such particularist interests.
Much is expected from the 48. We expect them out of London pdq. The natives are becoming restless.

Clapper57

If anyone online sees any SNP…’ACTIVISTS’….celebrating your ban on Twitter then this does indeed vindicate your assertions in EVERYTHING you said in relation to the emergence of the ‘woke’ pseudo ‘Independence’ supporters who have infiltrated the YES movement via the SNP to further their ’cause’ of Self ID.

There has not been ANY individual pro Indy person who has done more to support the cause of independence AND done it in a such a way that the ordinary man and woman can relate to it so easily hence the vast amounts of comments generated by the readers on your site.

If some people feel your involvement in the Self ID was simply a ‘distraction’ then they have misunderstood who you are and what you stand for.

The articles you have posted on your site have challenged all of those who have opposed the right of Scots to seek self determination….you have exposed the double standards of the media and specific individuals and have expressed your opinion in such a way that people like me can relate to and feel compelled to respond on your platform.

You have also throughout the years had to endure the detractors and those who sought to ridicule you and demean your efforts.

I am not on Twitter but I have seen on that platform shocking comments made to ordinary individuals, politicians and ‘celebrities’ because of the position they take on politics, social issues…self ID….and these comments have NOT resulted in a ban…in fact many of the offensive brigade ‘protect’ their twitter accounts so that only their followers can view their tweets….so when the going gets tough the weak’s twitter a/c’s become protected….until the heat is off then they break from cover to spout more of the same…with a clean out of their a/c’s via deleted ‘offensive’ tweets now gone….

Twitter seems to be extending freedom of speech to some and NOT to others…the clipe brigade want to shut down those who they see as their opposition to their own position…debate is NOT a option ….it is a case of you are either with us or against us..no middle ground….oppose us and we will suppress your right to express your opinion…some of them may be celebrating the WOS Twitter a/c’s ‘permanent’ banning on Twitter…but what goes around comes around and if grassing up those with whom you wish to silence is the road you choose to travel then I am sure there will be sufficient followers of WOS who will extend the same ‘courtesy’ to those individuals should they …step out of line….

If justice existed then Twitter could find itself banning most of the accounts currently held via the self serving offended brigade on constant Twitter watch searching for tweets to be offended by….tends to suggest they perhaps are aware their own ‘strong’ position and beliefs are NOT as strong and believed by many others.

I supported your position on Self ID as I am a woman who will be impacted by any policy that allows a male who self ID’s to enter an area which previously was ‘female’ only…I am NOT anti Trans, as I have disclosed before I have a friend who has transitioned, ….BUT I can see the potential risks which could be open to abuse…and that is worth fighting for but NOT…I repeat NOT something I deem punishable by Twitter expulsion…we most certainly are living in the C*&T Age….and it seems C*&TS are the ones with the rights while others who object to the C*&TS lose the right to highlight this…what a time to be alive indeed.

Sorry you have been banned on Twitter….if you are NOT reinstated then I expect many will follow….your voice is one that should NOT be silenced ….but I guess the good guys are always the ones the bad guys target….as it ever was and will forever be.

Liz g

Rev….
Not yet sure How this all works ( joining tonight when my co-pilot gets home )
Anyhoo.
Can you mark somehow on here anything you want to be on Twitter and everyone can retweet it?
That way anything you want to say still gets out and makes a ban not only pointless but counter productive!
Would that help?

Clapper57

@ Me @ 11.20am

” .tends to suggest they perhaps are aware their own ‘strong’ position and beliefs are NOT as strong and believed by many others”.

I should have added at the end onto the above ” or indeed themselves”.

Alex

It’s very disappointing to see so many purported Wings supporters fail to understand the seriousness of banning journalists & commentators from what is, whether we like it or not, THE global media platform, for discussing important topics without breaking the rules.
To then lecture Stu about what he should or should not focus his energies on (i.e. YOUR interests) and take the beating as if well-deserved for daring to defy the transocracy is unbelievably crass.

Effijy

Guys! Take it easy here as you all know big brother is watching and desperate
For any outlandish comments that could be used to discredit the Wings site by suggesting
We all indulge in this type of remark.

Adults with other consenting adults can be whatever they like behind closed doors.
Good luck to them but the first priority beyond everything else is Scotland’s sovereignty
Is proven and we have the right to vote for our independence.

Rev, you have been remarkable in all that you have achieved here but it must be putting you under
More and more strain the longer things like this go on.
Please ensure that you take care of yourself by taking breaks away from this to clear your head.

I’d like you to be there when Donald Dewer’s statue gets melted down to make yours!

Ottomanboi

For those who believe in the concept of human progress, the times we live in might well provoke a reconsidering of the nature of the idea. The signs of evolutionary regress are starting to show.
Shall we blame it on climate change, the Thunberg effect?

Capella

It does seem to be a co-ordinated effort. Joanna Cherry and Joan McAlpine were targeted for deselection before the election. Neale Hanvey was suspended. Denise Findlay was kicked off the discipline committee and forced to resign. All of these people support the protection of Women’s rights.

Now Mr Malky is in the twitter firing line thanks to an individual called Jennifer Jones See this tweet which also threatens Joan McAlpine.

link to twitter.com

Looks like Twitter is being purged of any voice critical of the woke faction and gender politics.

It is important to make sure everyone is able to respond to this latest consultation on the Gender Recognition Act. Trans lobby groups have known the date of publication in advance. Women’s Rights groups were not informed. But we know now.

link to gov.scot

liz

There has been a massive increase in people moaning about you and your views on twitter and in the comments of your own blog.

Looks like ramped up targeted harassment from several quarters

For those saying twitter is a sewer, you learn more in one day on twitter than you do in months on FB.

The people who use twitter know all about the extreme TRAs, those not have barely heard of self ID and all that it entails.

Capella

@ Alex I agree. This is a serious attack on freedom of speech and it is politically motivated.
I hesitate to mention people and groups I follow on twitter for fear of providing a handy hit list for the wokerati to target.

Imagine if The National was proscribed because it published gender critical articles and happened to the best pro independence newspaper in Scotland. That’s what we’re looking at here.

This assault on press freedom has to be resisted now. The election is over. The time for politely tolerating a rogue faction in the SNP is over.

Tony Hay

Less than a week since a ringing endorsement from the people of Scotland re indyref2 and this GRA has yer heads turned……ffs some perspective comrades.

The rev does seem to have been banned from twitter for not very much but he gives it out so hes got to take it…..

Breeks


Capella says:
17 December, 2019 at 11:57 am
It does seem to be a co-ordinated effort…..

….Looks like Twitter is being purged of any voice critical of the woke faction and gender politics.

It is important to make sure everyone is able to respond to this latest consultation on the Gender Recognition Act….

For months people here have whining endlessly that dissent over SNP policy is all the work of the 77th Brigade and false Indy Supporters. There isn’t a single case, not one, when I have thought that assertion was credible.

However… The capacity of this Trans Rights lobby, from it’s capacity to infiltrate parties and exercise influence over policy, and furthermore, to agitate bizarre and corrosive disruption the likes of getting Joanna Cherry deselected, and indeed, use Twitter to do where the Trans lobby seems to have stolen a march on those who oppose their agenda. There seems to me to be a degree of asymmetry about their success getting critics shut down. And don’t forget, at least one Twitter executive is a British Army information warfare unit reservist actually in the 77th Brigade. …. Now that degree of sophisticated organisation, effect and disproportionate profile really does get the old spidey senses twitching…

There’s another component too, which as yet, is conspicuous by it’s absence, and that is deathly silence on the matter, and the SNP’s “apparent” susceptibility to Woke Interests and self ID. Have our “friends” in the media suddenly lost their anti-SNP mojo? Or are they perhaps biding their time? Spidey senses really giving it laldy now… I sense a time bomb of controversy and smear just waiting for the right moment.

I sincerely hope the right alarm bells are ringing in the right SNP quarters. There are serious grounds for caution here, thinks me.

cadogan Enright

and the connection to Scottish Independence is . . . . . . . .?

Nobody I know outside of media circles follows twitter. Why bother?

While it would appear WOKE campaigners have no useful contribution to make to the health and welfare of the independence movement, and seem to have no interest in doing so – just imposing their narrow self interest in the most aggressive way – are you sure this is the most important thing going on at the moment?

To make this your sole fixated interest smacks of the more troubling end of an unhealthy monofocus that is ruining your capacity for overview – TRY TO THINK ABOUT OTHER ISSUES – life is not perfect – you have to work at it

Reporting factually on their activities without a surplus of adjectives and highlighting their impact on the governance and potential support for the movement might be more sensible

shrieking for top people in the SNP to be gotten rid of during an election is not the way to deal with this problem

Marshall Adair

Stuart, call me a prude and laugh at me as you see fit, it doesn’t matter, but I’m wondering if you actually know or even talk with many women? As in close friendship, I mean, in which all sorts of matters can be discussed over months or years. If you did, you would know that to the vast majority of women, for whatever reasons they each may have, the word “cunt” is deeply, deeply offensive. It actually shocks and hurts. And when someone who claims to be standing up for women freely uses the word to name-call, sometimes with real venom, it’s a bit of a contradiction … surely you can see that? I know plenty of women who can see it. I was genuinely thrilled to read of a possible Wings list party but I’m seriously beginning to doubt its potential when you risk pushing away so many women voters.

Republicofscotland

If the 77th brigade heads up Twitter in Africa and the ME, imagine who heads up the UK, and now that independence is firmly back on the agenda. Taking you out of the mix on Twitter will do the Unions cause no harm.

link to independent.co.uk

Socrates MacSporran

Politics Live just finished. We now have further confirmation of how far-up the London agenda Scotland comes – with John Nicolson only being on-screen for about a minute, and having to refute the usual shite from the C.U.N.T.S.

That acronym stands for Completely Unreconstructed Nasty Tory Scum.

callmedave

Glasgow health board to take legal action over hospital contractor

link to archive.is

About time too. 🙂

Sweenster

I got banned for calling Piers Morgan a cunt once. They clearly have no tolerance for that word.

cirsium

@Capella,11.57

Jennifer Jones is an agent of influence for Integrity Initiative, the military intelligence cut-out, funded by the UK/US governments, among others.

Benny Fitzscrounger

My initial worry is could this lead to encouraging Oliver Mundell to ask questions at FMQs again.
I got a wee Twitter timeout for pointing out you cannot infer to people being racist if you don’t give them their full official title of racist cunt. Which I still hold with.
Best of luck with the appeal

liz

Honestly, see the people who refuse to see that the GRA reform will affect indy have your heads in the sand.

Saying no one outside twitter knows about it, is the entire point why twitter is so useful.

Make no mistake the woke brigade helped bring about the demise of Labour and the LDs.

It will have an effect on indy until the SNP start listening to the majority.

I’m sure those who , don’t care’ will care very much when self ID affects them, if it goes ahead. It was only pressure from those on twitter that got it stopped in it’s tracks the 1st time.

Capella

@ cirsium – thought so. This whole episode reeks of political skullduggery. The reason the Woke brigade are so organised is that they are in on the planning. They probably “advised” Shirley Ann Somerville on the wording of her statement which prefaces the consultation on GRA. It is full of nonsense.

See also Lynn Welsh, Head of Legal at the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland, said:

“This Bill offers a welcome opportunity to remove unnecessary practical barriers trans people face in securing legal recognition of their gender identity.

“Nothing in the Bill will threaten the continued operation of the Equality Act provisions protecting women-only services and spaces, which recognise the particular needs of women and the need for protection from sex-based violence.”

This has already been proven false in very many scenarios.

Please read it for yourselves and respond o the consultation.

link to gov.scot

Socrates MacSporran

The definition of stupidity is, supposedly repeating the same actions, which haven’t worked, in the hope of a different outcome.

Tooraloothenoo Taylor has just informed us, British Labour in Scotland will not support the SNP Government’s referendum proposals.

New definition of stupidity – British Labour in Scotland.

Reindeer Leotard Must Stay.

SilverDarling

@Marshal Adair

I think you need to meet more women.

I would bet few who have read and understood what is in store from GRA reform are in the least offended by the use of the word.

They ARE, however, offended by men and their handmaidens telling them to share their hard fought rights with anyone who wants them and to ‘be nice’.

Confused

wise words
@1.00
link to youtube.com

Mist001

The funny thing is, the word ‘cunt’ is common parlance in Scotland, at least where I come from. Someone can be a ‘good cunt’, a ‘bad cunt’, a ‘silly cunt’, a ‘daft cunt’, there’s just no end to the use of the word and the best of it is, it’s never used in a derogatory, sexual way! It has no sexual connotations whatsoever.

I’m more concerned about the displeasure of a Twitter ban. I would consider them to be good cunts for getting me banned! They’d have done me a favour. I mean, even the name ‘Twitter’ is daft and as for adults telling each other that they make ‘tweets’ or have ‘tweeted’, well that’s the kind of thing that 12 years old might discuss and as for the format, how can you say anything meaningful just by using 140 characters, unless you’re Confusious, Sun Tzu, or some other old wise Chinese guy?

Nah, consider it a lucky break!

Capella

Examples of what is on twitter just now:

On the Gender Recognition Act consultation
link to twitter.com

On the coincidental banning of WoS from twitter
link to twitter.com

Arthur Thomson

For years my first port of call on the net has been Stu’s Twitter account. I don’t write on Twitter but I read what I choose to read. If I didn’t want to read what Stu tweets or retweets I simply wouldn’t go there. Now it has been closed down by people unknown to limit free speech. This is an injustice of the first order and a despicable undermining of my freedom of choice. Stu, if there is any action I can take to help in this situation please advise.

Stu has tweeted many things that I have been uncomfortable with but ALWAYS our diversity is our strength. I have zero interest in reading platitudes or ideology so I read Wings Twitter account and the Wings site, with particular interest in btl comments. I hope normal service will resume very soon. Meantime I will look for another Indy supporting Twitter account to follow – any suggestions welcomed.

Linda McFarlane

@ marshall, 12.57

Marshall, what you have missed is that Stu has recognised that the woke blokes are out to roll back women’s sex based rights. That will include your mother, sister, aunt, granny, daughter, and niece.
Stu isn’t, in my opinion, pushing away women voters. The SNP is. I know many who are, like me, looking at the denial of science and starting to believe that our votes would be better placed with a Wings party – a party that is not afraid to stand up for womens sex based rights. I am concerned that this twitter ban IS politically motivated.

Also, I am familiar with the term “cunt”, – I use it frequently.

Martin

I’ve just had a look at the draft gender recognition reform bill. I’ve also sent them my response. Even apart from what one believes, this is a terribly written bill which fails to define the issues before discussing them. It is written in a way that assumes Self ID is the impact assessments are woefully inadequate and udnermine the very nature of the 2010 EA.

I would urge anyone to have a read then respond in whichever way you see fit- this is a fundamental change to our society and involvement from the people is crucial. Only by getting a decent response from the people of Scotland can it be judged how people feel about this.

Capella

Shirley Anne Somerville urging us to be respectful. How smug. Lie and insult us and set your twitter dogs on us then demand respect?
No chance.

link to twitter.com

MaggieC

Just to say thanks to Clapper57 at 11.20am for your post as I agree everything that you said .
I’m not on twitter myself but anyone can google someone’s twitter and read it and that’s what I’ve done for a long time reading Wings, Mr Malky and a lot of other pro Indy accounts to get information without being involved in all the vileness which seems to be about sometimes.

Stuart , I see that the woke brigade are taking great delight in your ban from twitter and even getting tore into Phantom Power about this post – link to mobile.twitter.com

On a lighter note re Swinson it was a wonderful result on Friday am when she got beaten by Amy Callaghan . All the Snp branches in East Dunbartonshire worked our socks for weeks and it was all worth it , the branch I’m in had been targeting Swinson all this year with our leaflets and when we had stalls getting information out about her voting records and how little she actually came up to East Dun . from her home in Wiltshire . All I can say is we never want another December election as most of our branch members are now down with colds / chest infections after being out in the pouring rain and getting soaked to the skin . Amy herself was keeping changes of clothes in her car to change into as she got soaked so often in the rainwhile our campaigning .

Links to some articles about Amy if anyone wants a read
link to sundaypost.com
and – link to bbc.co.uk

I’ve ordered more yes badges from ayemail for friends as it’s now over to campaigning for Yes and getting everyone to wear their Yes badges so now it’s gloves off and working hard to get our independence message out there .

HandandShrimp

Just had a look at this Integrity Initiative thing. The name and the activity are at utter juxtapositions, Orwellian springs to mind.

These are creepy people for creepy times.

Balaaargh

link to gov.scot

Posted without comment.

Capella

ForwomenScotland’s response to the consultation announcement:

It is of great concern that since the consultation announcement in June the Scottish Government has not met with any women’s groups, other than those it funds and who are broadly in agreement with the proposals. Alternative viewpoints and concerns on the issue of self-identification of sex have not been heard and brings into question the Cabinet Secretary’s wish to reach consensus.

link to forwomen.scot

crisiscult

Not to make your heid any bigger than it probably is already but with 50,000 followers or whatever you had, can the mountain not come to Mohammad? Twitter will fade. What’s a better alternative? MPs, the MSM etc will follow you on another platform. Mastodon?

Christian Schmidt

“Twitter has no prohibition on swearing, otherwise it would have about six users.”

Nope, you can have a perfectly good dispute without swearing and and insults and bile language – heck you yourself sound very much different on your website that on twitter…

That said, even on twitter you mostly try to trade arguments, and there is a million miles between how you behave and quite a few others engaged in the dispute about the meaning of the words woman and man.

And of course I agree with you that there is a huge difference between dealing with the difficult issue that there are non-binary people and preventing discrimination and declaring that to be a man man and woman is just a question of choice.

scunner

@Marshall Adair

If you’d been paying any attention you’d know Stuart used to hang out almost exclusively with a group of ladies. He tweeted about those days fairly recently.

I dip in and out here, don’t have a Twitter or Facebook account but I managed to read his quite moving reminiscences. Revealed a bit of the humanity under his otherwise salty image.
Of course he can come back and correct me – I may have simply imagined it all, can’t check the tweets to confirm!

So you’re acting all offended about a word.

Christian Schmidt

On that subject, I do wonder if there are parallels to ethnic/racial background? I would say that there are people with different skin colours, and it is good that there are law preventing discrimination. But that doesn’t mean that everyone can just choose.

Otherwise, how could you have affirmative action? And while I would rather live in a world where there is no need for affirmative action, the reality is that unfortunately there is. I rather live in a world that tries to prevent the consequences of discrimination, than that aspires to some theoretical standard that does little to deal with actual issues in practice.

Of course I may be completely wrong here, happy to be taught better (preferably without swear words, though I won’t report Stuart if there is one in it…)

Christian Schmidt

PS do you know this link to en.wikimannia.org

Millsy

Have people such empty lives that they must spend so much time and emotional energy on TWITTER ?
Read a book , go for a walk , volunteer to help those less fortunate – like those sad people who are addicted to Twitter accounts !

Capella

What is so demeaning and difficult about the existing process for acquiring a Gender Recognition Certificate? There is no obligation to have surgery or take drugs. The main requirement is that you live in the gender identity you propose to change to for 2 years and get two doctors to endorse that you have gender dysphoria.

If you are really proposing to spend the rest of your life in a different gender, what is so onerous about doing it for two years?

Personally, I think the GRA should be repealed as the delusional piece of anti science legislation that it is. It was introduced in the Lords because a peer couldn’t change sex and stay married because the Church of England banned same sex marriage. Now, same sex marriage is legal. What’s the problem?

I have no issue about men dressing as women if they want to. But that doesn’t make them women.

BTW the “international best practice” often cited refers to the Yogyakarta Principles which are not endorsed by the UN and are not part of the Human Rights act.

The Principles have never been accepted by the United Nations and the attempt to make gender identity and sexual orientation new categories of non-discrimination has been repeatedly rejected by the General Assembly, the UN Human Rights Council and other UN bodies.

link to en.wikipedia.org

Proud Cybernat

“…so should readers wish to make representations, tweets using the @WingsScotland and @TwitterSupport tags may have some effect.”

Will you continue to seek Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation or will you wait to continue your petty vendetta until the middle of IndyRef2 campaign (as and when it comes about)?

Not quite sure why I should offer you any such support, to be frank.

Capella

@ Proud Cybernat – Well – why do you think should you support the most popular and widely read Independence for Scotland site?

K1

4.07. Obtaining legal gender recognition would remain a serious step. The Scottish Government considers that requiring people to live in their acquired gender for 3 months; to make statutory declarations; and to go through a period of reflection for 3 months is a balanced and proportionate way of replacing the current system with one that is more respectful of the rights of trans people. As the Cabinet Secretary said in her Parliamentary statement:

“Retaining the requirement for a statutory declaration, making it clear that a false declaration is a criminal offence and building in time for reflection will enshrine in law the seriousness of the process. No one should doubt that it is a significant undertaking, or that it will require the same level of commitment from the individual as the existing system does.”35

——————

I get that this is an amendment to the current GRA policies that is taking place, what I don’t get is why 3 months and then another 3 months of reflection with the rather weak condition that ‘false declaration is a criminal offence’ is in any way a ‘bar’ to anyone wishing to abuse this ‘new’ accommodation, from 2 years to 6 months for anyone who wishes to transition.

Why does an arbitrary number of ‘3’ months ‘enshrine in law the seriousness of the process?

I simply disagree that this is ‘…balanced and proportionate way of replacing the current system…’

6 months is nothing to make such life changing decisions, why can’t they just keep the 2 years? Drop the medical shit but keep a significant number of years so that serious consideration is required from anyone wanting to change their gender, rather than just 6 months, it literally opens the door to all sorts of abuse.

Proud Cybernat

@Capella

Well – why do you think should you support the most popular and widely read Independence for Scotland site?

I did. Not anymore.

K1

And may ah further add to my comments above that this new legislation also wishes to reduce the age that you can apply for a GRC from 18 to 16.

There can be many life changing decisions done and undone in those critical 2 years between those ages, to reduce the ‘reflection’ period after 3 months statutory declaration to just 3 months is in my view not enough time for those younger people to develop a comprehensive understanding about what they are committing to.

In no way am I being patronising here. It is from lived experience of my own life and those who I have had the privilege of being part of their lives as teenagers that I am speaking from.

Ottomanboi

Just had a cartload of Westminster bull served up during the speaker election.
Blackford providing his share. Oh dear! Or words to that effect.
Some people just do not get what ‘nationalist’ means.

Jimbo

Anybody wanting to appeal on behalf of Stu, here’s an easy copy and paste to use.

@Twitter. I would like to ask
@TwitterSupport

to reconsider this decision.
@WingsScotland

Rookiescot

Get back to doing what you are fucking paid to do.
Enough of this nonsense.

boris

attention should be paid to the machinery of intergovernmental relations, which needs to be strengthened. We also need to look at the cross-UK synergies, weakened since devolution, which need to be reinvigorated. We need to pursue a decentralized, pan-UK strategy: Andrew Dunlop

link to caltonjock.com

link to caltonjock.com

Robert J. Sutherland

Rev. Stuart Campbell @ 15:16,

This is just not getting us anywhere, Stu. You feel more strongly about this (essentially side) issue than many, even those who basically agree with you, but which is more important? Seriously? If we have our own country, we can revisit any issue at any time of our choosing, but without that situation we are sitting in the outer darkness without much hope for progress on anything.

And it’s no good just irascibly blanking good people because they happen to have different priorities from you, and dare say it out loud. The effects of your current approach must surely be visible to you of anyone by website stats alone, and now you’re cut off – temporarily I hope – from the snakepit that is Twitter. Neither looks like a winning strategy to me, when now of all times we need everyone on board for the (hopefully last) push for indy.

We’re all supposed to be on the same side, dammit.

Capella

A typical witty rejoinder from Stu there!

Well I think that one can support independence while not supporting the SNP in general or Nicola Sturgeon in particular. I hope that is the case.

I am a member and have not resigned over the GRA issue – yet. I hope to fight this toxic atmosphere that pervades the SNP and the utterly unacceptable outcome of changing the GRA in the manner they propose. They have chosen to go down this path. Until they chose to consult honestly and listen to the membership and the wider public, then they will not retain my support.

if it wasn’t for Stu highlighting this issue on Twitter I would be as ignorant about it as most of the general public, currently. But I know now and so I have an obligation to speak out for as long as possible or necessary.

Censoring WoS Twitter account is a politically motivated attack on the independence movement. Who’s next?

Capella

Women and Girls in Scotland are also on the case. You don’t need to have a twitter account to read their response. (But you do need to have one to know that they have made a response)

link to twitter.com

@ RJS – this is not a side issue. Also, the Tories are already known to be weaponising this and have themselves stepped away from the firing line. Labour and Lib Dems have been soundly defeated, partly on this account. That leaves the SNP still standing.

They don’t have to do this. They don’t own this issue and could easily leave it for now. But, guess what, their Woke Division is putting it front and centre of the debate. Just in time.

Graham

Stu said: ”Of course it’s a mental disorder. What the fuck else could it be?“

A physical disability. Born with the wrong genitalia. A bit like how being born with hands for feet doesn’t make you a monkey in denial.

I would really like to believe you are not homophobic and transphobic but you make it really really difficult. I see no compassion nor open mindedness and everything I see you write on the subject smacks of ignorance and intolerance.

Yes it’s bad when people swear and call names and insults and it shouldn’t happen, but you are hardly in a position to call that out, are you. I wish you could raise the bar here instead of stoking tensions.

Stuart MacKay

boris @3:26pm

quotes Andrew Dunlop “cross-UK synergies, weakened since devolution, which need to be reinvigorated. We need to pursue a decentralized, pan-UK strategy”

“cross-UK synergies” you mean like Scotland’s oil and fish for England’s benefit.

“decentralized, pan-UK strategy”, um, like, devolution?

So much BS packed into 20 words. Good grief.

Bobp

The only ‘issue’ I’m interested in at the moment is independence. And if there are no hard moves towards indy, then the SNP will be on shaky ground in the 2021 Holyrood elections. Surely this must be obvious to them, they have nothing to lose now, go for the Westminster f*ing jugular.

Iain More

So when can we get back to promoting Scottish Independence here?

BobW

@Graham

You’ll be claiming next that human genes don’t dictate genitalia type. Biology dear boy, biology.

Eckle Fechan

Seems a tad harsh, and not a little ironic, if taken at face value, esp. coming from someone who, generally speaking, is recognised as a bit of a lippy c##t himself, even if he is a significant voice in the struggle for independence, equality and human rights. Good luck with the appeal though.

Bobp

Rookiescot 3.26pm Agreed!

Confused

oh remember how we laughed!

link to youtube.com

(emily howard is not the worst I have seen)

– matt lucas, a wee while ago got interviewed by the guardian where he strenuously tried to distance himself from these sketches

“there are things looking back we shouldnt have done” (my paraphrase)

– did not think much of it, at the time; soon, comedy itself will be banned

in the words of pastor niemoller

“first they came for the trannies … ”

– ” … then peace and quiet reigned and things went back to NORMAL “

twathater

I am both saddened and angered at some commenters on here , basically TELLING Stu to STFU and get on wi the joab we pay him to do , 1st we don’t pay him to do anything we VOLUNTARILY contribute to a crowdfunder , if you don’t wish to contribute DON’T no one is forcing you to , but stop wi the pathetic threats it makes you sound petty

2nd HE decides what HIS posts are going to be about ,You then decide whether you agree with his opinions or not and post accordingly or not, he or anyone else posting is not obligated to agree with what your opinion is and is FREE to disagree or otherwise

3rd He has ( unfairly IMO ) been demonised by many for his posts criticising the SNP’S gradualist approach and their diversion into minimalist policies which will severely impact the voting intentions of a great number of potential independence supporters
I agree that the timing could have been better but I want MY government to LISTEN to what the people are SAYING , not to pander to partisan organisations which the taxpayers are funding and whose SOLE FOCUS is on driving their agenda

4th WE ALL want a fairer better SCOTLAND for everyone but we also want a government that LISTENS not DICTATES , we had enough of that for decades with liebour , INDEPENDENCE is within touching distance yet here we have this divisive distraction CREATED and DRIVEN by the ONLY party able to deliver independence and yet it is STU who is to blame for this clusterfuck

5th WHY is the SNP SG releasing this consultation now , we have won the GE in Scotland , we were PROMISED that a sect30 order would be DEMANDED before Christmas , what is more important to the people of Scotland, INDEPENDENCE or pandering to a wokeist minority , I and others want an answer

Mark Russell

Wondered where you’d gone… Generally, when you start getting shat upon from all quarters, don’t despair. It just means you’re doing the job properly and hitting the mark. I’m sure you’ll cope!

Steven Clare

I had stopped reading Wings quite as regularly as I used to, as I thought the tone had become more vitriolic, and that tone was obscuring your excellent research.

However, their attempts to silence you irk me even more and I will be once again reading daily, to show these self-appointed censors their efforts to silence you will fail.

That said, I believe a more civil tone to be not only the right thing to do but will get your points across better. Nonetheless, I’ll be reading regularly anyway.

Surely vicars can’t use the C word anyway? 😉

Joybell

Thank you Stu for standing up for us Women. Even my very fair-minded Husband does’nt understand how important this issue is. I gave up my SNP membership when I had it from a Staffer’s mouth what was proposed.

Although I’m not on twitter I have always kept up to date with your tweets and retweets. I shall miss them.

If you have a fundraiser for a different blog I will stump up as usual.

Robert J. Sutherland

Capella @ 3:49 pm

Sorry, I did not mean to imply that it is unimportant, if that is what you thought, just that it is not paramount as independence uniquely is. As it happens I wholeheartedly agree with yourself and Stu (among many others), and I find truly scary the authoritarian aspects of this organised attempt to suppress informed dissent in favour of unscientific right-on-ery.

Given that independence is the one aspect upon which all else depends, I find it unfortunate to say the least that this issue has been pushed by a small coterie of zealots within the SNP to take priority, not least because of the danger that it can be weaponised by BritNattery, as you rightly fear. We should resolutely resist any and such all potentially tangential issues (of which we are wearingly familiar of many) that can only offer opportunities for our opponents to exploit. And this issue, being precociously imminent, needs now to be parked as expeditiously as possible. It is in that sense which I mean.

After independence is achieved, we can return to a more normal politics in which such issues can stand or fall on their true merits, and their proponents with them.

BobW

Thunderous applause twathater! @4:41

Liz g

Graham @ 3.50
I don’t know where to even start with your post…

It’s not about swearing in and of itself it’s about Twitter being one sided when it comes to choosing who to ban.

Being born with feet for hands doesn’t make you a Monkey your correct….. But it also doesn’t mean your born with the wrong hands …. Mainly because they’d be feet… And you’d have nae hands!!!!
Perfectly formed and functioning Genitalia isn’t “wrong ” it’s what’s going on between the ears that’s making some people think that way and that’s a mental health issue not a physical one.
I can’t answer for the Rev,but I don’t consider myself homophobic or transphobic but I do consider myself phobic to lies!
The Statement “Trans Woman Are Women” is a lie,it is simply not true by any measure.
The fact that my Government is legislating from that premise is very concerning.
That social media are empowering themselves to police free speech from only this word view is also very concerning.
We are being nudged along to being dictated to about what we MUST say…
Being limited in what you can’t say happens all the time
E.G. You can’t make a joke about bombs in an airport.
But this is a very different thing from being told what words and phrases you must utter.
If the powers that be can force us to state that Trans Woman Are Women when we actually don’t believe it,don’t you question what else they can do?
Already they are trying to dictate how we address people.
They are actually enforcing what are essentially our “manners” to be not of our choosing any more but rather a matter of law.
Do you really believe this is a good use of the human rights act?
The term HE or SHE hate speech ? Yet BITCH no so much!
And if you believe that Trans Woman Are Women your perfectly free to do so,but I’ll be having the same right to say they’re not and I’m not asking….

Liz g

Twathater @ 4.41
Bloody well said Sir….
And only to add…. This Gender stuff is and has been going on in Scottish Politics for quite some time…
And keeping us informed about what’s going on in Scottish Politics IS EXACTLY what we ask Stu to do…

jockmcx

So it’s only fair that england get’s a new national anthem

link to youtube.com

Well…they voted for it!

Capella

@ RJS – thx for comment. As to why it is being pushed now, there are two possibilities I can see.

1 the Wokerati believe that this is good time put out bad news. We are all too delirious with the election result and Nicola’s speech in Holyrood to notice what they are up to. The TRAs set a lot of store by staying uder the radar and not alerting the public until it is too late – they think.

2 They are opposed to independence and work to undermine the party’s message at every opportunity. They also try to purge all and every supporter of Women’s rights. This can alienate 52% of the voters.

Our first line of defence is to respond to the consultation and follow up every twist and turn in this debate.
The 2019 election is over The 2021 election is still to come.

Clapper57

@ MaggieC @ 2.22pm

Hi Maggie, us girls need to stick together…and if some of the boys ( such as Stu Campbell) are enlightened enough to want to help us then win win….women’s rights, women’s safety and places deemed safe for women only….. free from those who see opportunities to satisfy their perverted and illegal actions via gaining access to places that normally they would not be allowed to enter as they were MALES….not much to ask in the 21st century…a risk free safe environment for women only….or is it ?…Seems for some it is…..well who knew .

Cases HAVE already been reported where MEN who stated they Self ID’d as women and thus were entitled to share women only spaces such as being transferred via a male prison to a Woman’s prison or post conviction going straight to a women’s prison…and then sexually assaulting the women in that prison …..AND some of these males were known sex offenders…incredible.

So gaining access to areas where women only have a right to be thus risking all women but very much so those who are within the category of vulnerable women and indeed …young girls….in changing rooms, women’s showers in sports facilities, Domestic violence shelters…yes really…and more…all this while retaining the very organ that distinguishes them as a MALE…scary stuff…

To all of those telling Stu Campbell to get back to fighting indy ‘only’…trust me the ones he is up against will NOT back down and this issue will at some point dominate the discussion and overshadow the argument for Independence…the media are always looking for a new weapon to use in their fight against Indy…the woke brigade will supply the ammunition should they NOT get their way on this via the party they have deemed the best vehicle for their cause…

Note..Stu DID NOT start the fire…the flames were fanned by others long before he said his first piece on this…and they, the supporters of Self ID mob, will ensure this particular fire never goes out….that’s my HOT take….feel the burn….

Do we not want to fight to retain people like Joanna Cherry who is the target of their, the woke brigade’s, contempt….or do we sacrifice people like her from the SNP to sate those who have latched onto a political party to ensure their real agenda is fulfilled….

My intention is NOT to offend..yes really that word offend…anyone on here who has opposing views on what IS the priority but I can defend my right to say how I feel…as does everyone….this is not a black and white issue….

Watch ( the Self ID ) this space….

Independence first you say….try telling that to them…

ps. Don’t tell them on Twitter though…or they’ll get you banned.

Hey Maggie have a great evening…everyone else too.

Ian Brotherhood

If we don’t have the freedom to tell eejits to fuck off then we have fuck-all freedom.

ahundredthidiot

GRA – Setting womens rights back a hundred years.

I think all this transgender/self-id pish is all a great big sick fucking bet (I will keep my views to myself on who I think is behind it) fuelled by lackeys like Twitter.

These fuckers are laughing at us, promoting shit like self-ID – bet they find it bloody hilarious. What’s wrong with it however, is how they are using mentally unstable people to further their side-show – and that’s not on.

Young people with mental health issues need help, not enabling.

SilverDarling

@Graham

Born with the wrong genitalia – if only. Some basic biology.

Nearly every cell in your body shows your chromosomal type, that determines your hormone levels and your body development in utero as these cells react to circulating hormones. At puberty you have a second wave of hormonal boost and your body further develops its secondary sexual characteristics. That is your body and your brain. Of course there are genetic mutations but they are miniscule in number.

Your mind is affected by so many outside influences from the moment you are born. Otherwise Religion, Politics and advertising would have no effect. Do you believe that nurture has no effect on the belief systems you are witnessing?

That this epidemic of children believing their psychological problems are best dealt with by making their bodies infertile and mutilating their genitals has a biological basis?

If someone has trauma or an illness the restoration of these organs is at best difficult and often impossible both in structure and function. However our society is encouraging young people to believe that their developing bodies and brains will be fine with a bit of tinkering on the outside.

This is a wave of psychosocial contagion afflicting vulnerable children and adolescents, perpetuated by unethical doctors and misguided and worried parents.

Ethical doctors and support staff are now questioning the entire gender dysphoria question. Remember without gender stereotypes there would be no misgendering. Now changing sex is whole other question and the answer is you cannot.

People should be able to alter their appearance without fear and be in consensual and loving relationships with whomever. That is nothing to do with this debate.

Of course it is a mental disorder and the cowardly psychiatrists who deem it otherwise are as mendacious as the political opportunists who use it to further Men’s Rights.

Clapper57

@ twathater & Ian Brotherhood

Well said peeps….spot on.

Have a good evening.

Gary45%

Liz g@4.49
Nicely put.
Ian Brotherhood@5.00
Spot On.

Connor McEwen

WHO CARES. PANEL GAME ” JUST A MINUTE ” COMES TO MIND. VERY SAD.

James Boatman

Shame.

Can’t read WOS Twitter stuff so easily any more since you call me a c*** and blocked me but there is nothing wrong with expressing sincerely held views in robust language.

Hopefully you will be restored soon.

ahundredthidiot

Graham @3.50

Grow up or get help.

Clapper57

@ SilverDarling @ 5.04pm

Wow…what a well written, informative and eloquent comment ….

How you doing silverDarling ? Well I hope.

My God us girls together…nope not Girl power..I, personally, am beyond that Lol….

My God 21st century and we are discussing males who decide to self ID as women thus gaining access to places previously deemed women only places …..how many years back are we regressing now?…..snap your fingers and you can self ID as anything you want to get anything you want…go figure.

Have a good evening SilverDarling

Gary45%

Equal rights for, NCBs, JCBs,IFAs, TTAAFs, and TBAAC.
You know it makes sense.

Daisy Walker

‘Robert J. Sutherland says:
17 December, 2019 at 3:32 pm
Rev. Stuart Campbell @ 15:16,

This is just not getting us anywhere, Stu. You feel more strongly about this (essentially side) issue’

Hello Robert. I’m struck by your phrase, ‘essentially a side issue’, and I’m very, very grateful for The Rev, for highlighting the deeply worrying aspect of GRA movement.

I don’t doubt you will be aware of the poem, ‘first they came for the…, ect, and then they came for me’

But there is a different level to that. Before they come for the Communists, the unionists, the homosexuals, the gypsies, the jews, the blacks, and so on. ALWAYS, first they come for the women – and here’s the bit, when they stop coming for those groups, ALWAYS LAST on the list for reform are the WOMEN.

Stage one in that is shutting women up, and shutting women out.

People won’t vote for something that is patently, fundamentally, illogical and wrong.

The Rev is doing what he always does, digging deep into the facts, and highlighting them. Whether people are aware of it or not – does not stop these proposed new laws, discriminating against women and removing their human rights from the statute book.

That is not a side issue – that’s a ticking time bomb.

I wonder if Twitter have broken the law with regards failing to allow the other side of the argument – and it falls into sex discrimination.

Peace and best wishes to all.

Bobp

Since September 2014 I’ve managed to get my former Tory and no voting sister and brother in law and 2 other family members now solid yes and SNP. They live in Scotland, I don’t. But through sites like this and other info i’ve provided they’ve now seen the light. They dont even know what GRA or woke f*ing means(I’ll let them work that out for themselves). But having gotten them this far and with their eyes on the prize, I just hope nobody f*ks it up for them.

CabbageGrrl

There are loads of things I don’t agree with Rev Stu about, but I for one am grateful that he is using his huge profile to speak up for women.

It’s very easy for men to go “oh, shut up about it!” (us women are used to being told to shut up!), “concentrate on Independence!”, when it won’t affect you. Perhaps you should be directing your ire at those in the party who are pushing this issue at the expense of Independence?

Dorothy Devine

OT but I have just read a piece in the Washington Post which should know better.

Headlined as Could Scotland become another Catalonia?

I thought the yanks were aware of Scotland as a country as opposed to a region , since they are so anxious to have their Scottish ancestry affirmed.

SilverDarling

Hi Clapper57.

I am fine – actually I am raging! So many people saying just be nice when they dip in without knowing what this is all about. I am no expert but I have spoken to so many people who are and read to try to inform myself.

Anyway the consultation paper is out now and surprise surprise Wings Twitter which would cast light on this miserable mess is taken down. Sunlight is the best disinfectant and the GRA debate has been kept in the dark for too long.

Good to see sensible minds on hear thinking alike. No doubt the usual detractors will come along with their wheesht for indy mansplaining.

Take care! Food time.

SilverDarling

*here

jfngw

The trouble is twitter is effectively a monopoly in this field, there are alternatives but getting a sufficient user base is the hard part. Mastodon gives similar facilities and allows you to set up a service where you control who can join and what the service rules are.

The only way to hurt twitter is to start eroding its user base, that is its selling point (your personal data is anyway). I’ve never been a member of twitter or FB, dislike their funding models which is your data is their data to sell.

Graeme

Graham says:
17 December, 2019 at 3:50 pm

Stu said: ”Of course it’s a mental disorder. What the fuck else could it be?“

A physical disability. Born with the wrong genitalia. A bit like how being born with hands for feet doesn’t make you a monkey in denial.

——————————————————————–

That’s like saying someone’s disabled because they’ve got ginger hair and would prefer to have brown hair

I don’t know where to start with the monkey analogy WTF is that all about .

These people are not born with the wrong genitalia they have a mental disorder that makes them believe they are

We should help them and be understanding and never discriminate against them but that doesn’t mean we should put women and young girls at risk in doing so.

Women have a right to single sex spaces free of predatory males and if GRA legislation can’t guarantee that then it needs to be scrapped

cynicalHighlander

Account downgraded to suspended now , moving in the right direction.

No animal be it human or otherwise on this planet has ever been born with the wrong body, it is and always was a mental disorder.

Ask those who are for this legislation. “What is a woman” and like Jo Swinson you’ll get utter garbage.

Lenny Hartley

Been lurking, however to those who think this transgender woke activism does not endanger Indy needs to grow a brain cell or two. The fact that it is also trashing Women’s sex based rights should be enough for any SNP member to do their best to stop this. It should be parked until after Indy and then the SNP or whats left of it can put it in their manifesto and see where it gets them.
Thanks to Stu we are aware of this and I thank him for bringing it to our attention.
It is now up to my fellow SNP members to bring this up at the next Branch meeting and make all those aware of its potential to wreck Indy. In my view the status quo is perfectly reasonable on this issue.

Bobp

These issues about transgender are important for those involved, but they have nothing to do with our transition to independence, and anyone pushing it obviously has another agenda. After indy all these issues and others can then be debated and legislated for by our own citizens in our own country. Anything else is a deliberate and malicious distraction.

cynicalHighlander

down/up same difference. lol

Stuart MacKay

SilverDarling @5:04pm

Agree 1000%. One additional factor is the action of gender-bending chemicals. The science is not settled but it clearly has some basis and is definitely a cause for concern. If there are outward physical effects then there must be effects on brain development also.

This is clearly is being exploited for selfish political reasons by people who probably don’t understand the underlying causes and definitely don’t care. Big pharma is also smelling a major new market selling drugs to people for their entire lives.

The best solution would be more research and a lot more money in testing and cleaning up all the crap sloshing around in the environment.

link to medium.com

BTW soy mimics the effects of estrogen – don’t feed it to teenage boys.

BobW

@Bobp

Those ‘people’ are the women who may decide voting for independence is not as important as protecting their rights and will no longer hold their noses and vote for a party or a cause, which appears to be throwing them under a bus.

Boudicca

If this is a consultation, then every member of the public has the right to tell scotgov their opinion. If half the population of Scotland that are concerned about this let them know, surely they will have to listen. Raging in a vacuum does no good, you have to rage at the appropriate person/government department/MSP.

Republicofscotland

Normal service resumes in the ultra unionist STV news as they go back to attacking the SNP government via the NHS.

Robert J. Sutherland

Daisy Walker @ 17:16,

Hi Daisy. See my further comment @ 16:46, just in case it helps. =grin=

It’s a fine balance to be struck between alerting people to extremist machinations happening “under the radar” and thereby precluding a later political problem on the one hand, and confronting people with (what they may see as) a persistent distraction before they are ready to deal with it on the other.

I don’t sense that many regulars on here have much sympathy at all with the wokeist agenda, but they do have different priorities on handling it depending on how urgent an issue they deem it to be. But shutting good people down on account of that, simply because they personally prefer to focus on “independence first”, isn’t too good a look for us either, don’t you think..?

JGedd

If you wished to disrupt a left/liberal movement then apparently you couldn’t find one more divisive than the self-ID issue. It has successfully split the left in many western European countries and all because women have some reservations about a rush to legislation.

It had always been fundamental to liberal societies to support and defend women’s rights. Women’s movements were always involved in human rights movements such as gay rights, ethnic minority rights etc. Now women, because of the promotion of self-ID, can find themselves pilloried as Nazis, have meetings barracked and threats made against them on social media by people who are mainly on the left.

Some men seem to think that this is only a ‘peripheral’ issue to them and are irritated by those women who try to voice their misgivings about how this is being pushed. You should be concerned, not just for the females of your own family but women from ethnic minorities who will opt to avoid mixed changing rooms etc. for religious/cultural reasons. Why is the woke left oblivious now to women from ethnic communities who will exclude themselves from these community activities?

The way in which there has been policy capture done quietly should really concern you because that is the very opposite of democracy. Look to what happened to the Labour party where middle class careerists took over and ignored their working class voters, even using disparaging terms like ‘underclass’. They eventually alienated the working class communities of Northern England.

An issue like this should not be top-down but should be openly debated with everybody’s concerns aired, including that of women and girls. The feeling that is being engendered is that some members of the SNP, just like other ‘liberal’ parties want legislation rushed through. This looks suspiciously like having everything in place before the electorate notices and this perception is not to the benefit of the party itself in the long run or even to transgender people themselves which is why some of them are also expressing concern about the hostile environment to genuine debate which is being created.

Robert J. Sutherland

Boudicca @ 18:05,

Excellent point. And having done so, hope that as a consequence, the SG has sense enough to appreciate that pushing the envelope here isn’t a great move, whatever its original presumptions may have been.

(Which of course does also rather beg the question of how will ordinary people even have a notion of what’s afoot, if it’s being conducted in a PR vacuum and opposition on social media is being censored…?)

Robert J. Sutherland

JGedd @ 18:12,

The critical point you reveal is of course this apparent “rush to legislation”. Of any issue, this is surely one which demands a much slower and more deliberative and widely-consultative approach.

Ideal candidate for this proposed new citizens’ assembly, perhaps..?

liz

@Graham you are referring to intersex which has got nothing to do with trans issues.

Intersex people have frequently asked people to stop using them as a shield.It is distressing for people born with DSDs to be used as a political football, have some respect.

You may or indeed may not, be interested in the fact that a pro LBG group have practically called the Scot Gov homophobic over the proposed GRA changes

Stoker

Ruglonian wrote on 17 December, 2019 at 1:40 am:

“Folk, you’ve got your task – get twitter telt!”

Done, Gillian!

June Maxwell

Many on here suggesting Stu stay exclusively focused on the Indy issue and leave the peripheral ones aside implying Indy’s significant – women’s safety, well, there’s a time and space for that. Except every and any time is the time, every and any space is the space. One either has principles (or science-supporting credentials) or not, because these, like sex, are absolutes, they can’t just surface occasionally. So, I hope Stu continues doing what he does in any fashion he chooses. I’m grateful he has championed this cause. If a fraction of other males who pile on him for misdemeanours supported women’s safety and indeed practical sense in a similar way, perhaps we’d live in a safer and saner world. Stu Campbell, is a straight-talking, clever man, unafraid to meet counter opinions head-on because he is what we search for in this world with a microscope, an honest man. I don’t ‘do’ swearing, but I can hurt, humiliate, insult, discriminate, degrade, and so on using the most polite and civil words available because as I never tire of repeating, politeness and civility do not equate to integrity (something Twitter operatives could learn).

stupidactingsmart

I just read a wee article on Indie Retro News which happened to mention your name (re: Donkey Kong) and it’s all sunshine and rainbows as websites go. And then I read on here that you’re banned from Twitter for calling someone a cunt. Bit of a contrast.

I don’t agree with you on the trans issue, but regardless I wish we would not let it it fracture the independence movement. We should all be working together to get out the U.K. Once that’s done we can go bac’ to hating each other and arguing the toss about everything and nothing.

Capella

@ June Maxwell – well said. We need to stand up for our principles or be trampled over by some very self righteous entitled brats. So glad Stu has persisted in criticising this idiotic ideology.

Terry callachan

It is a complex issue

link to en.wikipedia.org

Even the long time experts can’t agree

Me ? I think I will wait and see what the Scottish governments decision is and then I will decide if I agree with it.

cynicalHighlander

@stupidactingsmart

We should all be working together to get out the U.K.

Tell that to the SGov then.

Contrary

Stu, thank you for supporting women’s rights, and keeping me aware of the things that have been happening. The majority of people do not know. A campaign with the aim of teaching children to hate their bodies, and to impose a mental health issue on the entirety of society is not in any way healthy, or sane. The follow on consequences for something like the GRA are too horrible to contemplate – not just for women – the worst will be for children, who should be protected and nurtured.

I have not been reading your blog because of political issues, but always keep an eye on your Twitter for the latest mysoginistic horror of how women are being erased from society. I am not on Twitter unfortunately, so can’t appeal to get your account reinstated – you have my full (and fully useless) support though, and I hope it’s back soon.

cynicalHighlander

@stupidactingsmart

I don’t agree with you on the trans issue,

This should be easy for you to answer then “What is a woman?” or will it be tumbleweed.

Helen Yates

We can’t allow them to silence you, we must all share every wings post and continue to call out Twitter. so angry about this.

Haggishunter

I know fuck all about trans issues, but I’m all for sticking up for women’s rights.
I’ve been pro Indy all my life and this trans stuff is a sideline that needs addressed but not at this time at a critical point in gaining Independence.
I hope the SNP leadership distances itself from this trans shite and when we are Independent then the government of Scotland can legislate for a third toilet. One for women, one for men and one for those who are trans & mannies with fannys / wifies with cocks / lesbians with penises etc

cynicalHighlander

@Haggishunter

Stop being sensible the trans woke won’t like it. lol

Richardinho

Well you’re in good company since I too have been banned from Twitter. I don’t expect a reinstatement since it was for telling a Rangers fan who was gloating over a Scotland defeat that I hoped he’d die of cancer.
I stand by that Tweet to this day.

Dan

@Lenny Hartley at 5:35 pm

Good to see you post Lenny. Hope you’re keeping well and finding some time to tinker with yer bikes.
Fancy a run out with the YES Bikers at some point next year?
It makes for a braw change being out on the road and is such an uplifting experience riding with so many folk that share our desire for Scotland to steer a course that better suits our needs than the current UK setup allows us.
Now the election is over I’ve finally got some time to myself and been busy cutting and welding metal in the classic vehicle game. Plus a few ebay procurements for another bike project…

I imagine pretty much everyone on here has been aware of the Trans situation for a long time, and I’ve little to add that hasn’t been covered before every time the subject is discussed.
I will say that in my recent interactions with my local SNP Branch reps, many were only mildly aware or oblivious to what is going on in their Party with regard to Self ID.
I will be bringing this subject up in a more formal discussion setting in my Branch after an initial brief conversation with several folk. We were to busy campaigning for the GE to address it previously.
I can’t help but think many others will have raised the issue after the last flare up a couple of weeks back after seeing some abhorrent stuff in the following article.

link to wingsoverscotland.com

Terry

@capella
“ @ RJS – this is not a side issue. Also, the Tories are already known to be weaponising this and have themselves stepped away from the firing line. Labour and Lib Dems have been soundly defeated, partly on this account. That leaves the SNP still standing.”

So true. The tories were running focus groups on this very issue in the months running up to the election. And they used it. With it raising its head principally against the Lib Dem’s on the bbc. No coincidence there.

I did wonder why stu raised this so much and so often at first. Now I know. For those who complain and see it irrelevant it’s not. This policy impacts on women’s rights. At the very best it’s chucking the baby out with the bath water. Plus women in particular know it’s suss – And good men who have a handle on just how some people could really misuse it. Snp would be toast if seen to follow this. And that would affect Indy. There’s funny stuff going on as evidenced by some trying to take down Joanna cherry in particular. She’s smart and brave though with massive support so they’ve boobed there.

[…] debate and particularly preoccupies sections of the leadership of the Independence movement. With the banning of the twitter account of the Wings Over Scotland account for what are judged by Twitter to be […]

george wood

Noticed all these replies from males saying that the Rev should stop focusing on trivial issues such as women’s rights and get down to slavishly supporting Independenceo.

Of course their contribution to women’s rights would be something all the lines of not giving her a slap when she dares to disagree.

Women’s rights are far more important than Independence and even like those I’ve mentioned you don’t think it that important, then wake up because 52% of the population are female and flushing their rights down the toilet is not the way to win their support.

The SNP, during an Independence campaign, will be isolated on this issue by the Unionists as it is too good an opportunity – open goals beg for the ball to be put into the back of the net.

Brian

Twitter are, i my experience, a bunch of cunts with no real appeals process. It just goes in circles. Getting banned for explaining to a cunt why they are a cunt should not get you banned….it’s what they did to me…cunts.

Famous15

The GRA issue is international and problematic to most political parties. The Torys with their shallow nonadherence to anything requiring empathy have ,as they see it,cleverly distanced themselves.The libdems unwisely have swallowed the whole deal.Other parties range overthe spectrum of stupidity to wisdom. Any that decide to abandon science will be wrecked on the rock of pretended political correctness.

The SNP has still to decide notwithstanding some not so wise office bearers pretending otherwise.

I sincerely believe that there is a malevolent force behind the pretended defence of trans.

BTW Yougov have a huge poll on post election views and social issues.Interesting.

Liz g

I just want to make sure that for the purposes of the consultation running now everyone knows exactly what is being objected to.
I don’t want anyone dismissed out of hand in the consultation because they have included thing’s that aren’t in the actual ACT.

We already have a Gender Recognition Act,and have had for some year’s.
The Scottish Government are proposing changes to the Act that already exists.
Which are roughly.
1.
Removing the need for a confirmation from the medical profession that a change of Gender is warranted.
And 2.
Demonstrably living in the new gender for 2 years before being certified as that Gender…
The Scottish government want to change this to
(1) A Self Decoration that a change of Gender is warranted.
And (2)
A 6 month process till the certificate is obtained.

That’s it, that’s all, and they have been persuaded that this would greatly help a vulnerable community.

The problem with this is the ease with which a person “could” pop in and out of these identities.
Currently it takes real commitment to get Certification that you need to change Gender and as a rule this is highly unlikely to be done on a whim.
Society seems to have made its peace with that framework so far.
The new proposal holds more risk that those with a much different agenda will have legal cover by making a declaration as and when they choose to.

All the other issues that flow from this debate and the social engineering around them are NOT what the Scottish Government are consulting on.
They only want to know if Scottish society will accept these changes or is the current legislation about right!

An example to help clarify on a different subject being…
That Society requires a Woman to have Two Doctor’s agree and imposes a cut off date if she requires to end a pregnancy…. The point being most find these reasonable restrictions and therefore that’s what has to be accepted.. No matter how much the small minority of women that need a termination would find it less emotionally damaging to ease these restrictions,Society demands this level of commitment before a Woman can access her right to an abortion.

Ian Brotherhood

FWIW, I believe that Rev was onto the GRA/TRA stuff a long time before most of us because he’s so fastidious about language.

It isn’t possible to follow that debate without learning the meaning of the various acronyms, and that’s a pain in the arse in itself never mind then having to try and work out who is what and whether or not what they’re saying relates to the person they are, the person they think they are, or the person they want to be.

See? Managed to confuse myself before I’d even got to the end of that sentence.

And if you’ve ever tried explaining the whole issue to someone who hasn’t heard anything about it, you quickly find out how clumsy language can be when dealing with something so complicated and rife with potential for ‘offence’.

But whether or not the tricky use of language is what first alerted Rev to it all, there’s no doubt that he was the prime instigator in making some of these eejits break cover. We’re onto them now.

One final point I’ve made to some Wingers privately, but now might be a good time to raise it – I’m convinced that these TRA people are organised, which means they’re taking direction from someone. Who is it? I’ve no idea. But someone will know. There’s no way they could co-ordinate all this disruption themselves, and the dafter ones have openly boasted about the success of their entryist project. It wouldn’t be fair to point fingers without solid evidence but I suspect many of us know who the prime movers are, especially within the SNP – they’ll know who the organisers are, and, perhaps more importantly, who’s holding the purse-strings.

boris

Labour list MSP’s (rejected by voters but provided with employment as a Regional MSP courtesy of the Labour Party encouraging the devious practice of “jobs for the boys”. Those elected to office by the backdoor, twice or more are highlighted.

link to caltonjock.com

John Jones

I have no problem with anyone identifying themselves as any sex or none,
what I do take exception to is when they start ramming it down other peoples throat and involving children who are very impressionable.
If you have a penis use it to pee in a gents toilet, don’t cause those that have to sit down any problems. it’s a long enough wait outside a lady’s loo without men using it too. Think of the poor husbands/boyfriends standing, often in the cold, when they could be in the pub instead of shopping.
don’t bother looking on twitter or facebook I don’t use either, too many stupid, ignorant people on there waffling a lot of crap.

mike cassidy

I still cannot fathom how some still think this is a side issue.

If the transactivists had got their way

Joanna Cherry would not be back at Westminster

One of the brightest and best.

Get a grip!

mike cassidy

Joanna Cherry would not have been in a position to warm our hearts with this.

link to twitter.com

Dan

@Ian Brotherhood

Re. If they are organised. Well the old “follow the money” term might be applicable.

Here’s a couple of tweets from a week or so back folk might have missed as they were busy campaigning for the GE.

link to twitter.com

link to twitter.com

Edwin Moore

We have never been friends, in fact I am on your block list but a permanent ban for this is monstrous. Am not opposed to Trans people in the slightest – I know two people who have transitioned successfully – but much of this ‘debate’ is being driven by some highly aggressive men in the self id camp, who are men, not women, no two ways (as it were) about it,

Good luck.

call me dave

Moray MP Douglas Ross appointed Scotland Office minister.

Mr Ross, who was re-elected on Thursday as the MP for Moray, will replace Colin Clark at the Scotland Office after he lost his seat.

Mr Ross will now take up the unpaid roles of Parliamentary under secretary of state at the Scotland Office and serve as a government whip.
—————————————————————
Jings! Missed this from earlier 🙁

Col.Blimp IV

The whole PC/SJW/woke movement is as big a threat to humanity’s long-term well-being as any of the malignant forces that we have ever faced or are facing now.

Like in the Nazi-Germany and in the French and Russian revolutions “The Truth” is not what is actually fact but what is deemed to be “True” by the self-appointed arbiters of reality.

Here is an opinion that would get me hung, if I had any kind of public profile. So I will first state that I believe that it is wrong to inflict physical, mental or material harm on another person, full stop. Regardless of any national, racial, religious, political or sexual grouping they may or may not belong to.

Racism is not evil, it is simply favouring the group you identify with over the rest.

Without racism we would have no cultures and the whole planet would be controlled by the heirs of Ghengis Khan or whatever avaricious despot managed to make the world his own.

If you think I am daft, try to come up with a theory as to how the Jews have managed to retain their cultural and religious identity despite being scattered all over the world, without a country they could call their own for millennia, amongst people who in the main distrusted and despised them, often driving them out and sometimes having a go at exterminating them.

Surely you don’t think that racism has anything to do with it?

Gary45%

Dan@8.06
Lenny.
What have you got? (wheels?)

Capella

Dan – wow, interesting tweets. Alleges £280,000 donation to Jo Swinson from a private health care company specialising in facial feminisation surgery! Sinister.

mr thms

link to en.m.wikipedia.org

“The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the international “standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes.” Its full official name is International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.’

continues

“The ICD is revised periodically and is currently in its 10th revision. ICD-10, as it is therefore known, is from 1992 and the WHO publishes annual minor updates and triennial major updates. The eleventh revision of the ICD (ICD-11) was accepted by WHO’s World Health Assembly (WHA) on 25 May 2019 and will come into effect on 1 January 2022.”

This is from May 2019

link to bbc.co.uk

“Transgender health issues will no longer be classified as mental and behavioural disorders under big changes to the World Health Organization’s global manual of diagnoses.

The newly-approved version instead places issues of gender incongruence under a chapter on sexual health.

A World Health Organization expert said it now understands transgender is “not actually a mental health condition”.

Human Rights Watch says the change will have a “liberating effect worldwide”.”

continues

“In some countries, including Japan, individuals can need a mental health diagnosis to make a legally recognised change to their gender.

Nations will have until January 2022 to put the changes in place.

Changes to the diagnostic manual were first announced last year and approved at the World Health Assembly last Saturday.”

About WHO

link to who.int

“Our primary role is to direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations system.

Our main areas of work are health systems; health through the life-course; noncommunicable and communicable diseases; preparedness, surveillance and response; and corporate services.”

Capella

@ mr thms – the trans community don’t like the stigma of being classed as having a mental health condition. Treatment would not involve hormone drugs and surgery. So in the USA health insurance wouldn’t pay for that and in the UK the NHS would not offer it. Hence the change in status.

Bobp

George wood 8.14 pm. All those of us focused on independence dont gie our wives a ‘slap’. Unless those fenian b’strds beat us at hame.

stupidactingsmart

cynicalHighlander says:
17 December, 2019 at 7:29 pm
@stupidactingsmart

I don’t agree with you on the trans issue,

This should be easy for you to answer then “What is a woman?” or will it be tumbleweed.
It doesn’t matter what I think about that. What matters that I agree with you/Stu, that Scotland should be independent.

Bobp

Apologies for my last post to all the decent (not proudscotbuts) protestants living in Scotland.

mike cassidy

stupidactingsmart 11.11

The pursuit of independence.

Would it have been helped or harmed by the deselection of Joanna Cherry?

Bobp

Scott finlayson. 9.38am. Yes the f***in little englander Tory brexiteers weren’t side tracked by transgender issues. Only happen in f*kin Scotland. Another f*kin agenda working here.

Gary

It’s strange what you’re allowed to say and what you’re not, isn’t it? I’m not offended by the word c*nt but I know some people pretend to be so that they can report people for it’s use.

However, looking at your OTHER Tweets which weren’t deemed ‘hateful’ i’m quite surprised. Some of these ARE transphobic. I read your article some months back on this subject and had thought that your choice of language was poor but that you were trying to make a genuine point. From the example Tweets you have included I think I was wrong, calling it a ‘mental illness’ is definitely ANTI Trans, isn’t it?

I was sympathetic over the Dugdale case but you are simply handing your opposition ammunition. Like many I come on to your site for news and information on politics particularly (almst exclusively) on Scottish Independence and you have ALWAYS given excellent comment and stats which can be found nowhere else. On this subject you seem to be deliberately shooting both yourself and the movement for Scottish Independence in the foot.

First, people really DON’T come onto your page for your opinion on transgender issues. Secondly just STOP doing it. I’m hard pressed to find a way of believing that your not a bigot and I am so disappointed at this..

Famous15

On STV now “The Dirty War on the NHS”

Just WOW

Gobsmacked. Worth getting on catchup.

Bobp

Transgender had nothing to do with england voting for a right wing tory government. Why oh why is scotland(or wings) so pre occupied by shite transgender propaganda?.

ScotsRenewables

Yawn !

Albaman

Stewart,
There is a side of you that I find rather distasteful.
(Are you becoming consumed by your perceived success?)

Bobp

Gary, i’m with you and others. Why is this site now being taken over at this crucial time by all this bollocks. ??

Capella

Famous 15 – that will be the John Pilger film that was banned until after the election. Too “political”.

Here’s a thread from an American heath care insurer about how venal the American system is. Selling you fake “choice”. Coming to a country near you real soon:

link to twitter.com

ScotsRenewables

Yesindyref2, lately of this site, has been trying to post this but Stu is blocking his posts so I thought I would try posting it for him:

===========
yesindyref2 says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation

17 December, 2019 at 6:19 pm
The owner of this blog bans people who disagree with him, and I’ve been banned, but on the off chance he’s prepared to allow a posting that disagrees with just about everything people are saying about GRA, I wonder how many people who have been posting today about GRA have read this:

link to gov.scot

e.g.

“Women’s rights and protections will be as strong under this Bill as they are today.”

and

“The Scottish Government will continue to address gender inequality and promote, protect and extend the hard won rights of women.”

and

“The Scottish Government’s proposals to reform the 2004 Act will not make any changes to the Equality Act 2010. The Government supports the single sex exceptions in the 2010 Act which allow for trans people to be excluded when this is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. This means that single sex services are protected as are single sex employment rights and health services. Those exceptions are very important and the Scottish Government supports them.”

It’s an easy to read page, why don’t people read it before making totally incorrect and hysterical comments?

===========

People have been stirring it in the absence of any draft Bill, they’re STILL stirring it up now it’s been published, and sadly people are falling for it. As far as I’m concerned, if my wife had to be resuscitated again in a Gynaecological ward as happened 2 years ago, or daughters make us grandparents, there will continue to be no patients with penises in their wards.

Bobp

Scotsrenewables. Who are you yawning at? Or ya living under a bridge.

Albaman

Further to my last comment,
Indeed you were very successful, and necessary, up to and including the 2014 indi , so, what’s happened since?.

Shug

All this stuff going on in politics, NHS. Boris, corbyn, Scottish Labour and you focus on calling people childish names
You been compromised???

Capella

@ Scot Renewables – that statement is mendacious. In short – it’s true they are not reforming the Equality Act, the door is still locked, but they are going to hand out the keys to anyone on demand.

Plus, because they are not defining what a “gender identity” is, they will not be able to police whether anyone has breached it. So in time they will reform the Equality Act as the trans community are demanding.

See this thread:
link to twitter.com

Famous15

Capella if the NHS programme had been shown before the election?

I would emphasise it refers to NHS England but the damage by Labour doing PFI here is still with us.