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Original poster

WEP/Sophie Walker statement on trans

34 replies

ShotsFired · 23/09/2018 13:02

Finally on trans rights and self-identification for trans people, can you explain what was decided at your party conference?

I’m inspired by and proud of our members that came together to hold a public discussion on this. It’s an extremely difficult conversation, made harder to have by people seeking to shut down and silence opinions. We’re going to have a consultation of all our members to find a way forward and I’m working really hard to find options that don’t insist people have to come down on one side or the other. This is about the intersection of two groups’ need for space and protection and we have to venture right into that intersection no matter how uncomfortable it gets.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/23/sophie-walker-womens-equality-party-interview

She made her bed, and she's going go to have to do some pretty spectacular, public and vocal unmaking if I would ever consider trusting her with my vote.

OP posts:
arranfan · 23/09/2018 14:07

I wonder how long it would be before members of WEP had similar experiences to the ones thought to be made in good judgment by the LibDems LGBT+ in this Twitter thread:

I was a Lib Dem member, a less than enthusiastic one. I joined because of their policy on Twitter. The LGBT group disapproved of what I'd tweeted about trans issues and seemed to have been stalking me online. Then he chairman of my local group, who I've known for years, contacted me to say he'd like to see me. He'd been asked to do so, presumably by the LGBTs. Our group secretary is very pally with them, and had possibly read some of my Facebook posts...

Another member on that thread posts:

Similar situation here. The LD alphabets hunted down my name and address and a hand-delivered letter threatened an "investigation". Husband and I both quit.

twitter.com/Magpieandbadger/status/1043772599891886081

PositivelyPERF · 23/09/2018 13:51

Ohhh! She’ll be called a terf, now, for daring to let women speak. 😁

OldCrone · 23/09/2018 13:41

She has two choices really. Either decide she's on the side of women, or rename the party with a T in front - the Transwomen's Equality Party. Which is it going to be, Sophie?

Floisme · 23/09/2018 13:39

When even the leader of WEP feels she can't centre biological women what political and civic quagmire are we in.
Exactly. The trans lobby have plenty of friends to represent them Sophie. Stop worrying about them and do your job.

NothingWithoutEffort · 23/09/2018 13:38

It's frustrating though - the WEP has taken the space that should have been taken by a party that would fight for women's rights.

Annandale · 23/09/2018 13:34

And what happens if the consultation shows that there are two irreconcilable sides?

I can't see what the compromise is (though that's one of the many reasons im not a politician). It feels to me that this boils down to 'who is a woman' and there are currently different opinions on this that don't seem reconcilable.

The other option would be to rename and repurpose the party.

hackmum · 23/09/2018 13:33

ShotsFired: "I’m working really hard to find options that don’t insist people have to come down on one side or the other."

How many hundreds of years did mathematicians attempt to square the circle before they concluded it wasn't possible? I predict a similarly futile search for Ms Walker.

Original poster
ShotsFired · 23/09/2018 13:29

I guess the "non-men but actually if you are a stunning and brave man with the ladyfeelz that's more important so let's talk about you" party name wasn't catchy enough.

OP posts:
arranfan · 23/09/2018 13:18

I’m working really hard to find options that don’t insist people have to come down on one side or the other.

When even the leader of WEP feels she can't centre biological women what political and civic quagmire are we in.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3353260-Kathleen-Stock-womens-organisations-have-decentred-biological-females