Historian Tessa Dunlop was left stunned during a fiery GB News exchange with Jacob Rees-Mogg about a tribunal ruling that declared calling yourself a ’non-feminist’ equates to an act of discrimination.
The judgement came at the expense of an Environment Agency manager who claimed he was resisting his female boss’s agenda to promote women over men.
The judge dismissed his claims and ruled that not agreeing with equality and diversity in the workplace is ‘questionable’ and ‘not worthy of respect’.
The ruling sparked debate on GB News, with host Jacob Rees-Mogg critical of the judge appearing to suggest there are a “whole slew of genders”.
Jacob Rees-Mogg and Tessa Dunlop clashed on GB News
GB NEWS
Making the case for feminism, Dunlop argued: “This manager, they were contesting his maintenance of a non-feminist view.
“As a manager holding non-feminist views, that impacts on your ability to treat your employees and your co-workers equally.
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“He was maintaining his stance which counters equality.”
Telegraph Associate Comment Editor Mutaz Ahmed waded in on the discussion to argue feminism is “not about equality” anymore and is instead about “gaining the upper hand” on the patriarchy.
“I’m not a feminist”, he argued. “You can believe in equality, but you don’t have to be a feminist to believe in equality.”
Dunlop asserted feminism has a very different meaning to what was being implied in its legal definition.
Tessa Dunlop feels the culture wars has resulted in the legal definition of feminism losing its way
GB NEWS
Mutaz Ahmed says feminism is no longer about its legal definition
GB NEWS
“What’s happened since you grew up is the culture wars have taken words like feminism and injected them with all sorts of potency which is actually deeply unhelpful to the cause of women”, she said.
“We need to divorce the definition of feminism from the way in which you clearly see some individuals whip you with or your rights with.”
Rees-Mogg commented: “Words evolve. What you’re saying about a dictionary definition is all perfectly true, but it’s become a political advocacy of something.
“I’m strongly in favour of equality before the law. I think it’s the most fundamental principle of British law, but that doesn’t mean I believe there is equality of all genders.
“I don’t believe there are more than two genders, this judge seems to think there are a whole slew of them.
“He says it ‘relates to all genders’, that implies more than two. It’s both genders.”
He then asked Dunlop: “Are feminists protected or endangered by a man in a frock going into the ladies loos?”
A moment of silence then proceeded, with Jacob declaring he had “silenced” the historian, something he adds he’s “never” achieved.
Dunlop argued: “I know there are protected characteristics, there are trans people who have a different idea of their gender identity. Who am I to quibble with that?
“What concerns me greatly is the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg, who is more likely to be found in the golf house or the gentleman’s drinking house, suddenly gets very hot under the collar if a man wears a woman’s frock and goes into a female’s space.
“Do you ever get worried about women’s safety in any other context?”
Jacob quipped: “I don’t play golf”, before adding it is something “women are worried about”.