Labour’s NEC Set To Confirm Trans People Allowed On All-Women Shortlists

Changing the purpose of the fund reflects quite badly - this needs a rethink.

It reads to me as though the money is for lawyers to stop general harassment of donators, rather than for Venice specifically? I don't know?

I am going to ask for a refund from the fund. I am so, so disappointed that its original purpose to challenge AWS accepting self-id is not going to go ahead. I thought it might be something that could have an impact on other organisations, in a way that supporting individuals (while a separate, important cause) will likely not.

This is the update:

We have had our first casualty. One of our crowdfunder women signatories has, today, been suspended by the Labour party. For saying that men are not women and that women don't have dicks.

There is a secret facebook group organising to get our signatories and donors expelled from the party. They are collecting names and personal details and 'evidence' in a spreadsheet.

It is headed up by Labour MP Wes Streeting, a Long-time Jeremy Corbyn critic. A number of Labour councillors, Labour staffers and union staffers are members and party to what is going on. See photo below for who they are.

However our lawyers are now on the case and will not allow this harassment by elected Labour members to continue. Please DM @msjenniferjames if you are being harassed for your views on self-id whether in the Labour party or in the wider community.

Women have the right to debate on issues which affect them directly and the right to access the public courts on matters of law.

As for dr radfem, I also think she is treading a fine line with some tweets too. It troubles me. She is sailing close to the wind, and it could go against her if thought to be harassing

She is irritating the fuck out of me. Sorry, but I think she provocative and deliberately attention seeking.

Sorry!

Can someone explain this please that I saw on twitter?

So does the equality act mean that if you intend to have an op you can be included even though you're self id ing?

It was posted in response to a statement that self id is not law.

Venice Allan is a loose cannon and she does more harm than good imo.

As a bit of an aside, wonder exactly what happened from Rhea Wolfson's clarification last week on official labour policy (need a GRC to be on an AWS), and now before the NEC meeting we hear that the outcome of this will be that you can self-ID onto an AWS.

Total reversal in a few days.

Who exactly decided that? And when?

Be nice to have some transparency around this.

I'd be very disappointed if the fund was going to be used for that one person's suspension. They're too much of a loose cannon to my mind and I'm sure there's plenty of examples of their postings on social media that could be used to argue the suspension was justifiable. Especially if they're the only one from the list and it was only a suspension.

Is it definitely true?

It could of course go the other way. Policy is popular then Tories get right behind the GRA.

Just when I was starting to feel represented for the first time in my adult life

Precisely why if this kicks off, the Tories might do that.

The next election is finely balanced at this point. There is not a lot in it. There are numerous constituencies where a few hundred votes either way will make the difference.

The Tories will look to anything that gives them traction, as they couldn't find the issue that did last time, and their problem voters are currently middle aged women, who swung Labour at the last election in much bigger numbers than they thought.

As for dr radfem, I also think she is treading a fine line with some tweets too. It troubles me. She is sailing close to the wind, and it could go against her if thought to be harassing.

Important people stick to the principles and don't get bogged down in personalities too much.

Labour women have been seriously lobbying NEC members yesterday and today, and today are going to really go for it with the twitter handle #LabourLosingWomen

PLEASE let @UKLabour know they are losing women members and voters.

Urgently.

Yes, there doesn't seem to have been much focus on the fact that it is the self-id element of this that people aren't happy with. The 'rad fems don't want trans women on AWS' type headline isn't quite accurate is it?

Quick question about self id - if a male wants to be on an AWS in the Labour Party, do they literally just have to tick a box to say they self identify as a woman, or do they have to provide other evidence? Do they have to fill in a form to get a 'self id GRC' ?

Germaine Greer is trending on twitter at the moment. I got excited, thinking she must have stepped in to talk sense, but she's made some pretty controversial (or at least, open to big misinterpretation) statements in the Independent about Harvey Weinstein. Her stand on transwomen is being used as evidence of how out of touch she is. Not good timing.

Also trending is Rosie the Riveter (wartime 'We can do it' poster) who has very sadly died. An inauspicious day for women in the news.

I also agree about the fund.
There are certain tweets that dr radfems has posted that has made me cringe, I think we could end up looking really bad if it went to court and the idea that we are all just evil bitches would be cemented. I think it’s better to be dispassionate and go for the fact they are breaking the law and then the conversation would be centred around the law and why they need to exist rather than what is considered a hateful tweet.

I wonder if male allies would be prepared to stand on AWS to demonstrate the stupidity of this. If large numbers, really large numbers, of male-presenting males put themselves forward for the next shortlist, saying "I identify as a woman", how could the party justify excluding them from participation?

Sorry I've not read the full thread but it's sloppy journalism - I couldn't see it said that this if for trans who don't have a GRC - the distinction hasn't been made between self id and people with a GRC on the AWS. So the protest comes across as transphobic.

(In a rush apologies if said)

Sorry, when I said 'I'm not the biggest fan', I don't mean for that reason I wouldn't want the money to be spent on focusing on her suspension just because it's her.

I think the legal challenge to aws being opened to self iding males is more important and think it would be a shame if the fund was spent on one person

I do agree with this, but presumably contesting the suspension wouldn't just be about protecting one person but would also contest the idea that gender-critical views are a disciplinary matter within the Labour Party

I think it may be the legalities in that bringing forward a test case, you need an actual person who has been disadvantaged by the policy to bring it. So a woman who has missed out? This way will bring up all the issues of legality and use someone who has the strength to get through the court case, which will be tough.

Yes I wouldn't really be happy if this money was used for that one person either. I guess it's all part of a bigger picture of what constitutes 'transphobia' which would then have wider implications, but I'm not the biggest fan of the person in question from what I have seen, and I think it would be better to focus on the AWS thing.

So the NEC will be making their decision today?

Once the right wing press start announcing that labour are bringing in a peepers charter etc etc I think that might be quite catastrophic for labour.

Do you think this whole thing is a Tory trap?

So "all women" is now a completely meaningless term, since it incorporates however many men want to join in, on their own say so.
It's actually terrifying

I think this might be the suspension:

twitter.com/search?q=dr%20radfem&src=typd&lang=en