Labour 'stands back' from transgender war

I was extremely torn, but gritted my teeth last general election and voted Labour.

Unless they pull some kind of 180, which I very much doubt, I won't be making that mistake again.

Of course I'm expecting a lot from Starmer. Why shouldn't we - he's the leader of the opposition.
I'm just pointing it that I have seen no indication that he is sympathetic towards GC women and any signals that he has put out has indicated the opposite.

The Times reports that Labour is 'standing back' from the transgender issue in recognition of the fact its threats to expel members with 'transphobic' views during the last election contributed to a collapse of Labour support in the 'Red Wall'.

This is heartening if true. I suspected it might be the case that many many people didn't vote Labour because of this - they're just (like me) all too scared to say so openly. When you employ a hugely aggressive and intimidating position which doesn't stand up to logical or fact-based scrutiny you risk the majority rejecting it but staying very silent about it.

The problem is the woke TRA crowd live in social media bubbles and don't know what real people think. Many of them think they're so liberal and want to help people but they don't actually want to hear from people who are really living life on the edge - whose reality is so painful and difficult that the idea you can 'identify' into anything just because of your inner feelings is frankly hugely insulting and damaging. And the fact that so much time and effort is devoted to this ideology in the political party which is supposed to represent them is a huge kick in the teeth.

I think there are a lot of you expecting a lot from Starmer.
Of course I'm expecting a lot from Starmer. Why shouldn't we - he's the leader of the opposition.

He is (wisely) making a vague non committal statement and then standing back to see how things play out.

as may did. so we are here.

I wouldn't touch the BlackLivesMatter Org with somebody else's barge pole!

I care about Black womens (and mens) lives. A different thing to the BLM Org when you actually look into what they have to say.

MPs who are petrified of challenging a Twitter mob are unfit to represent anyone. They are unfit to be in any position of power.

This, in spades. I have a good Labour MP who takes that view.

JoysOfString

I also think JKR's efforts are extremely important too. When a clearly left-leaning, compassionate, extremely charitable and thoughtful person of her stature refuses to tow the woke line, it helps others to think "why would she stick her neck out to say that - she doesn't seem like a bigot generally" and start to open their minds to the issues.

At this point, I wouldn't judge JKR for using her right to "up sticks" and decamp to Monaco or some such place (leaving only holiday homes here) and taking her £££££££££££ income tax money with her.

She could then (if she wished to) repurpose what she would have paid in taxes to honest charities.

I think there are a lot of you expecting a lot from Starmer.

Have you forgotten that he signed a similar pledge to the other candidates, saying the same thing, but omitting that WPUK members were transphobic and should be expelled from the Party? Because he recognises libel when he sees it, being a lawyer. And isn't totally stupid.

Hating the way BLM is getting hijacked by TLM. They're really pushing it.

The BLM organisation was started by three black women who identify as "queer" and that "queer" agenda has always central to that movement. Blacks who do not support "queer" rights and Marxist gobbledygook support black lives matter, but not that organisation.

I miss the days of signalling how different you were from all those ordinary boring people by being a goth or an emo.

Or even being gender non-conforming, as so many fabulously were, without it having anything to do with their sex.

Totally agree with your whole post MissLawls, and yes they all have. But you'd think Amnesty staff, at least some of them, would have persecution of women on the basis of sex right in their faces every day, by the nature of their work.

Thank you very much @JoysOfString. It's very disheartening. Amnesty was an organisation I used to respect and support. No more. I never give money now to any large charities. Only very small ones that interact directly with their clients such as the benevolent societies that give money to people in need and tend to do it quickly because you can act quickly when you're small. I also give to my old college for the student hardship fund. I won't give to any of the large ones anymore. I'm becoming increasingly convinced they exist as all bureaucracies do for their own benefit and the original purpose has long been lost!

He is (wisely) making a vague non committal statement and then standing back to see how things play out.
In that case he, as leader, needs to make sure his own party toes the same line - maybe starting with the Mayor of London. Otherwise he looks weak, not wise.

Amnesty has always had a high-handed stance, out of tune with reality and the will of their members. They wouldn't campaign for Nelson Mandela as a prisoner of conscience. They remained neutral on abortion rights until 2007 and have actively supported prostitution since 2013.

They got it wrong then and they have got wrong now.

Guess someone needs to tell Sadiq Khan. Picture with obligatory blue-haired fool. I miss the days of signalling how different you were from all those ordinary boring people by being a goth or an emo.

Trans women are not men! Jeez

As an actual female woman of the becunted variety, who happens to meet the terms of the descriptor "trans", thank you very much, New Poster, for agreeing that I am not a man. It's ever so validating, when people plop in to champion my right not be kicked out of the woman club just for not liking the feminine fripperies.

Transwomen are still men though.

Totally agree with your whole post MissLawls, and yes they all have. But you'd think Amnesty staff, at least some of them, would have persecution of women on the basis of sex right in their faces every day, by the nature of their work.

I guess they just sacked those who could see it!

I know a lot of people want a full reverse and apology from Labour, but I don't see it happening without the membership turning in on itself. The best thing Starmer can do at this stage (and let's remember, he didn't sign the pledge and has only ever made woolly statements about human rights etc.) is to stand back, watch the argument play out and dissipate without adding any fuel to the fire.

This.

If KS is starting to become wary of the trans activist arguments, he is not going to come out and say this out loud at this moment, nor would it be politic for him to do so.

He is (wisely) making a vague non committal statement and then standing back to see how things play out. Changing the Labour party's stance on the trans issue will probably be easier in a couple of years time as more people hit their personal peak trans.

I think some of the party leadership are becoming spooked by the unpleasant behaviour of many trans activists, and it's making them "think" about the issue.

One can only hope! Taking the side of the abusers is not a good look for a party that is supposed to be for the underdog the unequal and the minorities who needed protection!

I suppose they were infiltrated. I don't support them any more either.

Sad about Labour.

Hating the way BLM is getting hijacked by TLM. They're really pushing it.

I also think JKR's efforts are extremely important too. When a clearly left-leaning, compassionate, extremely charitable and thoughtful person of her stature refuses to tow the woke line, it helps others to think "why would she stick her neck out to say that - she doesn't seem like a bigot generally" and start to open their minds to the issues.

I find it flabbergasting that Amnesty of all organisations has gone down this path

They've all gone down this path. All the big charities. And government departments and many private companies too. They all want to look Woke because they've been cleverly convinced that not to support this is to be homophobic and old fashioned. It's so obviously Emperor's New Clothes. No one dares speak out or say anything different. It's obedience and conformity. It's Milgram and Zimbardo. It's so fecking obvious to me. Why isn't it obvious to everyone?

There are some good articles on Amnesty and how funders influence their policy, especially regarding prostitution. That was a top-down decision, from what I have seen. Amnesty are going through a major funding crisis so can’t afford a ‘conscience’ - ironic if it were not so sad.

I think some of the party leadership are becoming spooked by the unpleasant behavior of many trans activists, and it's making them "think" about the issue.

Good.

Baby steps....!

Sadiq Khan has been consistently useless on this issue, going all the way back to 2018 when he condemned the lesbian protesters at Pride for ‘controversial’ slogans such as ‘lesbian = female homosexual‘.