Woman's hour now...!

Missed the whole bloody thing! Will wait for it to go up on isounds or whatever it's called.

GREAT that WH/Emma Barnett has finally got round to covering this issue. Let's hope it brings a lot more sunlight, debate and discussion.

The BBC seems increasingly open to airing the discussion.. I wonder what has changed.

14/09/2019 New Statesman
Liberal Democrats decide to remove the controversial trans ‘spousal veto’
A moving debate culiminated in the party conference backing a boost to trans rights.

By Ailbhe Rea
(extract)
The Liberal Democrats have today made it their party policy to remove the controversial spousal veto, a clause in the Gender Recognition Act that allows a trans person’s spouse to block their partner’s gender recognition.

Under current legislation, trans people who are already married need the written consent of their partner in order to have their gender recognised in law, due to a continued legal distinction between “same-sex” and “opposite-sex” marriages. This means a trans person cannot gain gender recognition until either their spouse consents, or they get a divorce.

In a moving debate at the party’s conference this morning, Joanna Belcher, the wife of Helen Belcher, the Liberal Democrat’s prospective parliamentary candidate in Chippenham, told the conference about her own experience of the spousal veto during her wife’s transition.

“Sixteen years ago I was living with a depressed husband who had recently stood over a railway bridge and seriously contemplated jumping. We had two young children,” she told the room.

“We were both trying to work out the ramifications of the realisation that she needed to live her life openly as a woman. It became clear that in order for my spouse to change her legal gender, and for us to remain in our marriage, I would be asked to sign a consent form.

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“I didn’t want to sign anything that said this was what I was choosing. I was supporting my other half, while trying to hold myself and our family together, but it wasn’t my choice.

“It wasn’t my choice and I knew this had to happen, that a second female parent was way better for our kids than a dead male parent. But shouldn’t have been my decision to make. This was a burden I didn’t want. Only my other half knew who she truly was.”

Belcher added that the law as it stands allows spouses to “use this veto as a weapon to hurt their exes and prevent them from moving on in their lives”. (continues)

www.newstatesman.com/politics/2019/09/liberal-democrats-decide-remove-controversial-trans-spousal-veto

Christine doesn't sound like Christine really believes gender woo either...... Christine sounds confused

I caught a bit of this while hanging my wet washing on the airer during my work station break.

I have a new respect for EB.
Christine sounded like a kid failing badly at debating club.

A good sign-off from EB, a message from a 50-something self-declared "cis woman" who said she'd welcome transwomen at any stage of transition into single-sex spaces and safety is maintained by keeping out predatory men, and the last word was a message about how self-ID is a terrible idea and people walk away from political parties when they adopt it as a policy.

I thought her avoidance of the topic to begin with was because she was a TRA, but perhaps it was simply not something she's been following much so she did her homework before dipping her toe in.

Either way, she certainly seems to get it now!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/feminism/3452784-Coercive-Control-a-need-for-better-awareness

Trans activists have been bullying politicians below the radar for a long time but now that's emerging into the light and well-known journalists are asking difficult questions. If the trans activists go for overt bullying and particularly if they go after high profile journalists*, the result is likely to be the opposite of them deciding to shut up.

Journalists though are still woefully ignorant about this issue and in their interviewing are continually unaware of open goals.

• some like Janice Turner and Suzanne Moore have been targets for years

Text number is 84844

Bloody hell this sounds amazing!

I've not dared to listen to WH for ages (and I've been a listener since my teens) for fear of becoming apoplectic with rage. But it sounds like it may be safe to dip my toe back in....

EB, all is forgiven! .... maybe!

I think the world is moving past TWAM #NoDebate and leaving the the LDs standing on their own. Sitting target now.

Did she not say that if a person is under going gender reassignment then the person can go in women’s spaces

But then she said Lib Dem’s will vote with with SNP to have self Id in Scotland 🤷‍♀️

Agree with nauticant. And as this is conference season it gives EB licence to push hard on policy specifics.

I have a lovely Dad who I absolutely trust and adore, he'd never do anything awful to women and children therefore all men can be trusted 100% and we should bin all safeguarding and safe spaces for women - that is the level of argument.

Just insulting to everyone's intelligence.

Missed half of the conversation. Did Emma ask for examples of the toxicity? Examples of how/where those not agreeing that TWAW (regardless) were not allowed to speak/debate? Or ask if Libdems also disagree with the dictionary definition of a man?