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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Labour councillor reveals she suffered 'transphobic abuse' at party conference

231 replies

cheeseismydownfall · 28/09/2021 19:19

And where did Patricia Hannah-Wood, a trans woman, suffer this "abuse"?

In the loos, apparently. The women's loos, I assume.

I wonder what the nature of this alleged abuse is? A woman expressing her discomfort with having to share a female-only space with a male-bodied person?

But as we have been told, there is no conflict between women's rights and trans rights, so...

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Whitefire · 30/09/2021 07:12

Tiny thank you for your input, pretty much as suspected then.

Angie1403 · 30/09/2021 01:55

@OhDear2200

Could Labour do anything more to completely implode? The conservatives are not going to have to spend any money on election campaigning as no one is going to vote the joke that the Labour party is.

And I’ve voted Labour since 1997. And until they recognise women’s rights they have lost my vote.

Might as well not vote then (horror!) as the Tories are still worse. Whose left then, who would you trust with your vote?
TinyRebel · 30/09/2021 01:43

@AlfonsoTheDinosaur

I wonder if someone said "this is the ladies' loo" to the councillor in question.
Pretty much, yes. This person frequently went into the women's loos, as if looking to start a confrontation. I believe it was gently pointed out that the mobility scooter (borrowed I assume, as strode in on crutches every day) was in the way and woman suggested use of either the 'for everyone' toilets or the disabled toilets next door instead. Was in the queue behind me inside the cramped loos, kept trying to engage others in conversation. I felt very uncomfortable, didn't know whether to turn round and leave - risking being shouted at - or use the loo and escape as quickly as possible. Came across as a rather aggressive, entitled individual, with a booming male voice. Fond of glaring at anyone giving out feminist signals (i.e. ribbons).
NiceGerbil · 30/09/2021 00:16

No that's just a point about what constitutes transphobic abuse at the moment.

Unless more info has come out, I don't think anyone has any idea what it actually involved.

Coatandhat · 29/09/2021 23:25

I'm late to this thread and sorry to ask a stupid question but is the transphobic abuse really that sticker? If I encountered Wood in the ladies toilets, it would make me very uncomfortable. I can't get over the tone of aggression and entitlement. The scooter is reminiscent of Yaniv too!

BitMuch · 29/09/2021 23:21

It really sounds like it was just the sight of this sticker www.adulthumanfemale.store/product-page/women-only-sticker. It explains the vague description of 'a sister' instead of having an idea who she was, seen as there were witnesses. The twisted description of Kiera Bell's case by PHW at the end speaks to h** disingenuousness.

NiceGerbil · 29/09/2021 23:12

I don't know.

I think this really should be reported to party or police/ both.

Verbal abuse is a crime and it sounds like a sustained and very abusive incident..
There are plenty of witnesses.

This person could well do it again.

Why is Patricia not acting? The individual could do it again. And being verbally abused themselves is bad enough.

Seeing Patricia speak in surprised they don't want it dealt with. If not for them then for other transpeople at the conference and afterwards.

Deliriumoftheendless · 29/09/2021 23:01

Have any of the colleagues who witnessed it tweeted anything yet?

Pink news should be ashamed to use “horrific” for an incident we don’t know the details of yet thus comparing it to a vicious stabbing incident. Very callous indeed.

NiceGerbil · 29/09/2021 22:07

Contd...

Women are the largest group by numbers and so their needs need to be met. There are things like possible pregnancy, risks of the rape being found out by family who will harm them because of it. Children. The male female dynamic. Etc.

Similarly straight men who are raped need those who understand there may well be an enormous impact on their entire life view. Their masculinity. I imagine that talking to another man who has been in that situation would be preferred.

Gay men and lesbians. Again. Possibly very tricky circs / feelings. Those in the community may well just be better placed to help.

Transpeople. A very specific set of experiences through life and very possibly rape because seen as trans. Or female trans people attacked despite their gender. This motivation to attack overlaps with gay men and lesbians. And bi people if taken as gay.

This is the LABOUR PARTY. they should be calling for better funding and services for all victims of sexual violence.

For trans people in particular and lgb people as well. There are so many charities, often well funded. Corporate support and cash. Massive support across the political spectrum.

But it's NEVER what's wanted or even mentioned. Ever.

It's always about access to things that were set up/ exist for women.

NiceGerbil · 29/09/2021 21:56

In PN this jumped out-

'called for equal access to domestic abuse and rape support shelters.'

This is the standard demand.

I have never had any kind of answer at all as to why that is the demand rather than the obvious demand/ call for the more obvious thing that would help way more people of all groups.

And this demand at the labour party conference of all places is really galling.

For labour and anyone who cared about vulnerable groups and the services they need-

It's well reported and known that provision for rape crisis orgs has suffered cuts to funding for years. And that many are struggling.

The fact is that many groups in society that may need this service have different issues, backgrounds, challenges, and needs when it comes to support.

The obvious best thing to do is to 'demand', press for, get support including financial for a better service for all who need it, and one that understands the group they operate for.

NiceGerbil · 29/09/2021 21:47

GRC is irrelevant. No laws about toilets apart from specific situations eg schools and even then they're being widely ignored.

I don't know why GRC keeps coming up on this thread tbh.

Fact is I find this incident happening as described very unlikely. The amount of factors that feel unusual are numerous. Including the lack of reporting the person who verbally abused them (I assume that verbal abuse is what they are implying).

Maskless · 29/09/2021 21:44

"I was transphobically abused in this conference centre by one of our sisters"

How does Pat know the abuser identifies as a woman? Might have been a man in there illegally.

Maskless · 29/09/2021 21:42

Has Patricia no mobile phone upon which to record this "abuse"?

Labour has said they are committed to female protected spaces. Has Pat got a GRC?

WhoNeedsaManOfTheWorld · 29/09/2021 21:25

Omg the pansexual woman with the false statistics on afterwards Shock
She wouldn't know working class if it bit her on the arse

Ereshkigalangcleg · 29/09/2021 21:18

They used the same word about the stabbing, Artichoke

Ereshkigalangcleg · 29/09/2021 21:17

X post

Ereshkigalangcleg · 29/09/2021 21:17

They used "horrific" for the serious stabbing attack on an MTF trans person in Birmingham, too, so I guess this abuse must have been seriously bad!

Artichokeleaves · 29/09/2021 21:16

So we have no idea what was 'horrific' but it was possibly a sticker, or someone questioning why a male person was in a single sex space.

If that's 'horrific' then what words are left for things like the 2-3 women who'll be murdered this week by their partner? The multiple murders of women this year? The TW who was stabbed and seriously injured?

BaronMunchausen · 29/09/2021 21:05

Pink News has upgraded the abuse to "horrific". The report still gives no details of the horror.

whatwasIgoingtosay · 29/09/2021 20:30

Oh I am so angry and disgusted and alarmed and miserable about all this "transphobic" gobshite. Get out of women's spaces, men. Just fuck off.

1Endeavour2 · 29/09/2021 20:17

What radio 4 prog was Patricia on tonight?

Mummyoflittledragon · 29/09/2021 19:52

@2old4thissite

Worth watching for the very verbose scottish/American pansexual following too!! I don't think I'm stupid but WTH was she on about? And the over-enthusiastic applauding of them both. She got a cheer just for announcing her sexual preferences ffs! These clips are very eye-opening.
Word soup. Obviously thinks she sounds very clever. Talking about how trans comrades are 4 times more likely to be attacked than non trans comrades…. Not sure where those stats come from. Likened the abuse / sanctions LG historically people suffered with that of trans and that trans people are blanket accused of being predators. Conflated with intersex.
Whitefire · 29/09/2021 19:05

even after taking so long trying to find the clip of them talking, I could only manage about 15 seconds of it.

Yes I was the same.

ArabellaScott · 29/09/2021 18:51

Sorry about the time stamp, I couldn't find a way to get one with one that made sense!

astrowars · 29/09/2021 18:51

"transphobic abuse" = woman asserting the single sex exceptions in the Equality Act 2010. Maybe??