James Kirkup on Ruth Hunt's peerage

Great article. Incredible that RH got a peerage after what she presided over.

Very good piece. Well said, James - as always.

Few people understand yet that they now promote an ideology that casts homosexuality as bigotry and exclusion.

The world needs to know this.

advocating policies Stonewall judged beneficial to the people it says it represents – transgender women.

And, on their behalf, ensuring that women who have been raped by men, however they identify, are not allowed sanctuary away from men to recover.

Because not only is being raped by men an unaddressable fact of life, it's a fact of life that takes second place to men's validation. Validation that is actually, monstrously demanded of those same raped women.

Excellent piece. Found this part particularly salient:

For the avoidance of doubt, there is nothing illegitimate about Stonewall’s activities under Hunt, nothing sinister about its actions or intent: it is a charity in good standing whose leader prosecuted its case to the best of her ability, advocating policies Stonewall judged beneficial to the people it says it represents – transgender women.

People still think Stonewall advocates for homosexuals. Few people understand yet that they now promote an ideology that casts homosexuality as bigotry and exclusion.

Depressing. But goes with ennobling a man convicted of domestic abuse I guess. I heard her say 'women will always get raped'. So.......we shouldn't bother to try and prevent this? Women should suck it up? Learn to put up with it? She's a woman who hates women.

It's not exactly 'welcome to politics' as he says at the end. She started out in student politics when I was an undergraduate with her. Was president of the student union, involved with the NUS, and has been very politically engaged ever since (and I assume before).

It's a good article and I like that he is making some noise about the trans issue, but it is disingenuous to suggest that people like Ruth Hunt are not in politics until they get into the House of Lords - it's how a lot of cross-bench peers like to present themselves as above the petty little system of party politics when in fact they've been deeply involved for many years.

Thank you James. Another great article and very timely.