Update on my interactions with the Green Party for anyone who is interested.
Letter to Baroness Jenny Jones – reply from her office saying that she shared my concerns.
Letter to GP head office. I will share it here so that you can fully understand the response – then I’ll have to name change… This is after a bit of back-and-forth where they were trying to palm me off. My letter -
‘This is not a minor policy disagreement. This is fundamental. Please could I have an answer to my questions?
^1. I was abused by my male doctor. He has since been struck off. Are you really saying that I should not have a choice re the biological sex of my health care professional?
2. I was threatened by a group of transsexuals in a women’s toilet. One of them went on to commit murder. I would feel scared to be threatened by anyone, but these men had a huge advantage of me physically. Are you really saying that I should welcome physical males into female-only spaces
3. Why is the Green Party going against the Equality Act 2010 part 7?
4. Why is the Green Party seeking to silence debate on this subject?
5. Why is the Green Party silent on the threats to women who want to discuss this? (Link to terfisaslur website)
I thought that the Green Party was the party of science. Why is it ignoring basic biological fact?
You are not on the side of history. This will come back to bite you.
The Emperor has no clothes.’^
The response I got back was:
^‘As stated in our initial response, the Green Party respects all our members, and works hard to ensure we promote equality and fairness.
Please address your legal or medical questions with the relevant authorities.’^
Yesterday – a new development. A Green Party councillor was canvassing in my street. I got chatting to her and she seemed to understand my concerns. She took my email address and told me that she had linked to the petition on her Facebook page. She invited me on the page for a chat. I spent a good couple of hours there, so I won’t repeat it all but here are some of the gems:
In response to my comment about Mumsnet - 'I'm speechless. Mumsnet (possibly 100% heterosexual women with children) is not the place to educate yourself.
On the request for consultation with women –‘ It reminds me tragically of the kind of stuff right wing evangelicals come out with in the US.’
In response to my question about how self-id will play to religious communities – ‘Who cares?’
Despite many, many attempts to get them to define the word woman, no one responded.
About me personally –‘Appalling way to think. And if you're in the Green party then i'm utterly ashamed!’
There were several attempts to get the GP councillor to remove the petition -she still has not done so and seems to be sympathetic. Last night our area got a boost in signatures. – So some light.