Toxic and traditionalist

First of all what a dopy title.

‘Carnage of concern and upset’: Women’s Institute groups close after transgender ban

What the hell is a carnage of concern?

You’d think a Guardian subeditor would have a better vocabulary than that. The root word – the “carn” bit – is the same as the one in carnivore. Meat. Carnage is bloody slaughter, it’s not distressing disagreement.

Anyway.

At least 12 Women’s Institute (WI) groups are closing or considering closure after the organisation barred transgender women from membership.

Members say more groups are likely to close, and that the federation’s decision has opened up a toxic, traditionalist culture that will deter younger women from joining.

Ahhhhhhh toxic and traditionalist is it. It’s traditionalist to know that men are not women. It’s comparable to thinking racism is ok, or slavery is ok, or torture is ok.

Branches said they felt forced to shut after the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) confirmed that, from April, membership will be restricted to those registered female at birth. Several plan to relaunch as independent social groups.

Imagine that! A group for women is restricted to women! How dare they! Why, that’s like restricting a labor union to the relevant laborers!

Emma Hawley, chair of Social Lites WI in Urmston, Greater Manchester – a group with nearly 140 members that has run for 13 years – said her entire committee has decided to step down.

“None of the other members want to take our places – many immediately said they weren’t even going to renew their membership,” she said. “We’re all heartbroken. I’ve put 13 years into running this amazing group but I can’t, ethically or morally, be a member of something that excludes transgender women,” she said.

She says she can’t, ethically or morally, be a member of a women’s group that excludes men. Women must not be allowed to conspire amongst ourselves. That way witchcraft lies.

Clementine Dexter, vice-president of Seven Hills WI, said the group received about 220 abusive online comments after posting that they were closing. “Out of 250 comments, there were just 30 that were supportive,” she said. “The rest were really abusive and awful.

“The NFWI’s decision has emboldened certain members to speak their minds and I think the federation has a serious issue as a result,” she said. “It’s going to struggle even more than it already does to attract younger members, and the more conservative members are going to be more emboldened to stick to what feels like a toxic culture.”

So it’s conservative for women to want a women’s group to continue being a women’s group, and it’s progressive to want a women’s group to include some men on the basis that those particular men are women, which we know because they say so.

Sophie Hossack, president of Ladies of the Lock WI in Kentish Town, London, said the venue they have used for nearly a decade has refused future bookings because of the policy.

“They said they did not feel comfortable renting their room to us because they are a trans-inclusive space,” she said.

How progressive. Tell women to go away because they want to hold meetings without men present. It’s as if we’re living in 1826 rather than 2026.