New Women and Equalities Minister?

Hi Juno! I read your Dr Who novel. It was alright.

pmsl.

That Express link is copied almost directly from the BBC one I linked to last night, which to me still lists her as W&E like the screenshot I posted.

Arf at Attitude though - come on lads, seriously! Their ‘source’ is a tweet by Juno Dawson - Juno almost definitely got it from us. Hi Juno! I read your Dr Who novel. It was alright.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/meet-boriss-babies-theyre-young-fun-and-working-class-qr59rrhrp?shareToken=7bb7b762ae09c5b70e8de36490347fa2&wgu=270525_54264_1576577658476_ff79915fb3&wgexpiry=1584353658&utm_source=planit&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_content=22278

Article about the new young MPs. One says they want to change the GRA.

This looks like the Express link

www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1218188/Boris-Johnson-cabinet-changes-who-is-in-conservative-government-reshuffle

and another cock up, as Coffey is listed as retaining the role - but she never had it in the first place

Sloppy journalism.

I see a conflict here on FWR: the whole point of GC is the right to criticise and hold alternative beliefs.

What the what, now?

Birdsfoottrefoil, could you say what you mean by "GC", please.

Because I've been using it to stand for "gender critical", ie the position that gender is a social construct rather than an innate set of behaviours and abilities fixedly predetermined by biological sex.

For that meaning, being GC involves criticising or holding alternative beliefs the way gardening involves getting on a train: you might do the one in the pursuit of the other, but they're not "the whole point."

Indeed, if "the whole point of ABC is to hold alternative beliefs", then me, say, holding the alternative belief that men have uteruses would be a good example of ABC.

So, I don't quite understand what you mean.

I think it’s totally wrong for this brief to be held by someone who is against equal marriage

Agree with this.

Also women and equalities need to be separated and given to two different people because their rights are now sometimes in direct opposition

Aw, bless 'em. Hate women, but still can't stop hanging on mum's every word

Still Liz Truss was considered a reasonable woman for dealing with the conflict between women's rights to single sex provision and trans people's desire for validation.

It looks as though the BBC might have made a cock-up without fact checking first.

I think you might be right. I am sure that's where I saw it last night.

But have checked the .gov.uk web site and Liz Truss is still listed.

But makes an interesting possibility that attitude magazine and others do create articles based on the content of mumsnet threads!

The Express (just Googled first news link) says TC retains DWP but has had W&E added on, Truss is Sec of Trade.

Published this morning at 9.30.

It looks as though the BBC might have made a cock-up without fact checking first.

Oh nooo, I was getting all hopeful.

some of the Equalities legislation has been poor and poorly worded hence the wriggle room for Stonewall et al, and leaving too much up to the courts to decide and the onus on the discriminated against to enforce their rights

I've long thought that the legal draftspeople were given a complete muddle to write into law and they did a reasonable job in the circumstances. If the thinking on which law is based is ill-formed and full of contradictions while free of logic, this is the kind of law you get.

It looks as though the BBC might have made a cock-up without fact checking first.

My interpretation of that speech is that Coffey is someone who small c conservative, but who has a care for not blithely creating unforeseen consequences, and in relation to self ID and the GRA, I think that is just what we need. We know the TRAs want to rush this through before anyone realises what is happening, and to counter it we need people who refuse to be rushed.

I do think that some of the Equalities legislation has been poor and poorly worded hence the wriggle room for Stonewall et al, and leaving too much up to the courts to decide and the onus on the discriminated against to enforce their rights where it should have been provided for in law, so in some ways I think I could be agreeing with her. I am not sure I would on much anything re education, benefits, the economy etc. But even if I disagree there I would rather have people who govern in a considered manner rather than kneejerk and woke.

Agree with purported. I don't know anything more about her but if some accusations of homophobia re same sex marriage are anything like the accusations of transphobia then I can see why she felt the need to justify herself as not homophobic, even if it reads a bit awkwardly now. People are worse than ever for believing sound bites.

But it's not there now...

This was on the BBC yesterday.

According to the BBC article Women's and Equalities is still with Liz Truss. Think it's changed from when I looked at it last night.
Not sure if there might have been confusion with Pink News article which was from Sept and merged Coffey replacing Rudd at DWP with taking on Women's and Equalities.

There were lots of rumours circulating over the weekend re. new appointments, most of which turned out to be wrong. A reshuffle isn't expected until February.

Whoever gets the job, of course their record on LGB rights should be scrutinised, and there's no doubt that someone with her voting record would be an odd choice. I just don't think it's right to casually label people homophobic simply based on how they voted on the same-sex marriage bill. MPs have to be able to scrutinise and debate the technicalities of new law without it automatically earning them a -phobe label.

According to Rob Jessel she was horrified at the thought of 'transing the gay away'. If true, that's a huge positive, although imo the ROGD inquiry needs to be tasked under health, not equalities.
The GEO's current de facto position is TWAW. They are happy to lump lesbian women in with males who identify as lesbians. Someone needs to rein it in.

I did double check this story last night and it seems many of the main stream media only think it important to mention she is now Minister at DWP. Women and Equalities post has always been a second job. But you would like to think the media would bother to do proper reporting.

And (although they may have just copy and pasted from mumsnet!) the queeer media are starting their questioning of her appointment. attitude.co.uk/article/boris-johnsons-new-women-and-equalities-secretary-voted-against-equal-marriage-1/22483/

I can't see her name mentioned for this position on either the BBC link upthread

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49043973

or here

www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-for-women-and-equalities--3

Are we sure we're not jumping the gun?

"They are also continuing to confine civil partnerships to people of the same sex, perpetuating what is effectively a two-tier institution, either by not repealing the law or by denying it to people of opposite sexes."

As this has only recently been changed to make civil partnerships open to heterosexual couples (comes into effect in January) wonder what her position it now.

(I was going to post a new thread about the change to civil partnerships as it was publicised as a feminist victory but then realised I didn't care about either marriage or civil partnerships)

But I do think that if she is portrayed by the media (who will be influenced by Pink News / Stonewall) as being anti trans self id because she is homophobic, it will mean yet again that the important issue of the negative impact on women's rights wont be discussed. (Only used by the media when they want to give Jo Swinson a good kicking )

If you’re discussing things civily on FWR then you’re probably a good egg in my book Singing, and the conservatives need as many of you as possible!

I will try to be more open minded and judge Coffey on what she does next.

That's a fair point and that's all we can do.

I joined the Conservative Party recently (until very very recently, that was an invitation for opprobrium on MN and I'm glad to see signs of greater tolerance already on political views) and my primary purpose now is to stop Self ID. I've ready emailed my Conservative MP with a view to meeting and will be reminding her that the new definition of "woman" is Adult Female Human With A Vote.

Every little helps.

I hope you more optimistic women are proved right! I think I just feel jaded and generally distrustful of the Tories as a whole. I will try to be more open minded and judge Coffey on what she does next. It could be so much worse after all.

I think we all know that lesbians can be homophobic though, just as women can be misogynistic, black peoples can be racist etc. The joys of socialisation and internalising negative things . Also - is she lesbian? I’ve seen articles referring to her as ‘single’ and ‘childless’, and ‘plain’ . Is that supposed to be media code?

Obviously sexuality is an intensely private thing, I don’t want this speculation to be interpreted as prejudicial - I’m uncertain of the relevance to the role, but think there is probably some.

Is this good news?