It was announced today (10/6/21) that Maya Forstater has won her appeal.
Here is an excellent and informative piece, ‘The Forstater Judgement: what Next? written by her lawyer Peter Daly, who tweeted this morning:
“Very pleased to be able to say that my client Maya Forstater has been successful in her appeal, and has established that gender critical beliefs are protected under the Equality Act 2010.“
You can read the full judgement here.
The organisation recently set up by Forstater and others is called Sex Matters.
For a background to her case, you can read Maya’s story in her own words here, and read newspaper articles concerning the case here (2019) and here (10/6/21).
This post is concerned with what has become the burning question on Twitter “What are the things that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to do?”
Having chortled my way through them for the last hour or so, it seemed only fair to gather some of the best ones, in no particular order, into a post for posterity. So here are 101 things that today’s ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to do.
It seems that the meme started with Oliver Burkeman’s response to a tweet by Victoria Smith, who wrote:
” ‘Reassurances’ that feminists having the right to speak doesn’t mean they have the right to harass aren’t intended to reassure, but to reposition feminists as aggressors rather than victims of age-old policing of women’s speech about their lives & embodied experiences.”
Smith’s comment appeared to be in response to tweets such as this one from Mermaids, suggesting that some people might want to “unlawfully harass, intimidate, abuse or discriminate against” people who identify as transgender and that such people might believe that the ruling gave them the right to do so.
Burkeman, in response to Smith, joked,”“It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to come round and steal your plasma screen tv”
and the meme took off.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to push her chair back on a short haul flight to Dusseldorf.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to stand *in front* of the yellow line around the baggage carousel when she disembarks
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to help herself to the Italian dinner you just made.
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to help herself to your chips….
“It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to climb in through your window and fill your living room full of sheep”
“It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to rearrange your couch cushions so that they’re standing on their points”
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to hold up a shop at gunpoint. This is very significant.
It is important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to change the radio station when she is a passenger in your car.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to redecorate your house if she doesn’t like your wallpaper.
It’s important to note today’s ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to come round your gaff, look in your fridge and announce you’ve fuck all in.
“It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to pick the raisins out of your Müsli.”
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to finish up the last of the toilet paper without replacing it
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to change lanes without indicating on a public highway.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to break into a museum and draw moustaches on all portraits.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to come into your house and do your crosswords in biro.
It is important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to eat more than two Weetabix for breakfast.
It is important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to identify as a lesbian on Tuesdays just to get all night drinks for a pound at Ruby’s.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to return a video back to blockbusters circa 1999 without rewinding it back to the beginning.
It’s important to note that the judgement does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to release a despair squid causing hallucinations among the unsuspecting crew of a large mining ship 3 million years from earth crewed by the last human, an evolved cat man, a hologram & a mechanoid.
Its important to note that todays ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to eat all the giant cheesy wotsits in a large share bag
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to smoke on the balcony of a non-smoking building even if she leans towards the street
It is important to note that today’s ruling does not give Maya Forstater the right to dress up as a wolf, pretending to be a grandma, to terrorise small girls with a penchant for red capes.
It’s important to emphasise the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater unfettered legal right to take her socks and shoes off on long haul public transport.
It’s important to note the judgment does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to tweet an infinite number of exuberantly random nested quote-tweets that eventually reproduce the complete works of Shakespeare.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to wear armour in the Houses of Parliament in contravention of the 1313 Statute Forbidding Bearing of Armour.
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does not give Maya Forstater the right to harass nesting migratory birds.
It’s important to note the judgment does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to steal the Lich King’s helm of domination, shatter it and open the veil between life and death permitting entry to the shadowlands.
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to burst into my home and use my toilet without my explicit permission.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to skip the light fandango and turn cartwheels across the floor….
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to tweet a picture of a suffragette ribbon @policescotland, probably
It’s important to note that the ruling does not give Maya Forstater the right to summon Ifrit in order to settle a dispute over a petty cash payment for a bottle of washing up liquid. Nor does it give her the right to slay vampires during normal office hours.
It’s important to note this ruling does not give Maya Forstater any legal right to claim shotgun without sight of the vehicle. The use of mirrors remains permissable (Braille vs Braille, 1993)
“It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to have thrown the first brick at Stonewall.”
It’s important to note today’s ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to change the settings on your phone, look through your contacts and delete your Twitter app.
It’s crucial to remember that today’s ruling does not give Maya Forstater the right to harvest merkins from the royal parks.
It’s important to remember that the ruling today does not give Maya the right to borrow your car, use all your petrol and pretend the scratch on the side was already there.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to pickle herrings on a Tuesday at Stonehenge with a rabbit on her head.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to cut branches off your tree where it’s over hanging her fence, unless she brings the cuttings round & offers to give them back.
It’s important to not the ruling does NOT give Maya Forester the right to feed gremlins after midnight OR to get them wet.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to enter the neutral zone between Federation and Romulan space, furthermore she is still bound by the Ferengi rules of acquisition as we all are.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to compete in next year’s Eurovision.
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to ride an electric scooter on the pavement or on the wrong side of the road.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to blame it on the sunshine or the moonlight. She can however, blame it on the boogie.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to replace all my size 12 clothes with size 14, but she did
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to claim diplomatic immunity or use a bus lane during the Olympics.
“It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to enter your home and lick your baked goods to claim them as her own”
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to come round your house to lay a stair carpet and say there isn’t enough for the hall as well even though you measured it and there definitely should be and she leaves a big fucking lino gap ffs.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to steal a goat and tether it in my living room.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to put soya bacon in your butty then claim “Its pretty much the same thing, I’m surprised you can tell the difference”.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to put pineapple on pizza
It’s important to note the ruling does not give Maya Forstater the right to mess with my toot toot
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to step on my Blue Suede Shoes.
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to allow house elves to drop pudding on Aunt Marge’s head in violation of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy and the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery.
It’s important to emphasise that today’s ruling clearly does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to drive sheep over London Bridge!!
It is important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to create a temporal paradox leading to the unraveling of the space/time continuum and the ultimate dissolution of the cosmos.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to party like it’s 1999.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to drive in the outside lane right up to the last minute, and then try to cheekily shove herself into the designated lane in front of you, right before the exit.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to tailgate you at 90mph with her giant diesel SUV whilst blasting Motörhead from the speakers.
Important to emphasise, it is, give to Maya Forstater the right to judge me by my size the ruling does NOT.
It’s important to emphasise that this ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to show up at the world line-dancing championships in full Native American costume, wave a tomahawk and yell, “Let’s do this motherfuckers!”
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to change the tuning on your guitar if she fancies a quick play.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to release her own version of Mistletoe and Wine this Christmas said a statement today from Sir Cliff.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to come round your house and imply that it’s tastelessly decorated or suggest you should probably run the hoover round, not is it permissible for her to observe you should wash your filthy curtains.
It is important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to make even one Horcrux. And certainly not seven.
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to tempt your cat away from home with Dreamies and claim it was hers all along.
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to come into your home and take all your alcohol and have a street party I kinda wish she would though
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to come round and sing opera through your front door
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to club a fox to death and brag about it on social media.
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to illegally deposit waste or refuse (including garden rubbish) onto land that does not have a licence to accept it
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to laden her shopping trolley with Aldi special buys to the detriment of others who have popped out specifically for the Workzone electric sander and bistro set on a Thursday morning!
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to mow her lawn at 4 in the morning.
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstarter the right to come round your place of work and wave ribbons at you
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to come round and use the final bit of milk in your fridge
It’s important to emphasise that the Maya Forstater ruling does NOT give her the right to grab your hand, slap your face with it, and proclaim ‘why do you keep hitting yourself?’
It is important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to peek inside Schrödinger’s cat’s box
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to commandeer a ship.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right at a wedding to audibly comment to one of your Aunts that you’ve put on a few lockdown pounds and what good is an expensive gym membership if you never use it anyway.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to change her mind at the checkout and nip back for some extra noodles.
It’s important to note that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to stick her chewing gum under her seat at the restaurant.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to wear a Mexican sombrero at a jaunty angle.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to raid your Quality Street tin and run off with all the Purple ones
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to wear Crocs with socks and claim it’s an ironic fashion statement.
It’s important to emphasise that this ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to claim everybodies left socks for the Free The House Elves Campaign. I firmly believe she could do it mind 10/06 ‘Sex Matters Day’
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to drive to Barnard Castle to test her eyesight.
It is important to note that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to put plastic yoghurt pots in her Council’s green compostible recycling bin
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to break into your house and rearrange your furniture to give you bad feng shui.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to stand on the left on the escalator.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to break the Vienna Treaty of 1712 and accordingly she cannot challenge the territorial integrity of lower Prussia
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to do the Shake and Vac OR to put the freshness back.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to keep the woodland folk awake in fear and trembling every night in case she gives someone a bite
It is important to note that this ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to have a famous movie made about her inspiring struggle for women’s rights starring Meghan Markle as Maya, JK Rowling as herself and Prince Harry as Ben Cooper QC
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to travel faster than the speed of light or to measure both the speed and position of a particle with complete accuracy.
It’s important to emphasise that The ruling does not give maya Forstater the right to rage against the machine.
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to fight for the right to paaaaaaaaarty.
Its important to emphasis that this ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to drive a DeLorean at 88 mph, go back in time and rewrite history as to her liking.
It’s important to note that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to run away from prison by means of faking her own drowning and establish a new life as mayor of and major employer and benefactor in a rural French town
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to remove her socks at Soft Play!….
It is important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to not refrain from running, pushing, gymnastics, shouting, ducking, petting, bombing, swimming in the diving area or smoking. #ThankYouMaya
It is important to emphasise that the ruling does not give Maya Forstater the right to ride six white horses, wear pink pyjamas or cry ‘aye aye yippee’ when she comes round the mountain.
It’s important to note the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to ride a unicorn through Atlantis while dressed as a yeti.
It’s important to emphasize that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to go over the lines in a colouring in book!
It’s important to emphasise that the ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to nick your deckchair when you’ve popped off to buy an ice-cream on Brighton beach.
It is worth noting that this ruling does NOT give Maya Forstater the right to get absolutely plastered celebrating tonight but we all recommend she does it anyway.
Apologies to the numerous gems I will have inevitably overlooked.
