Who else would really appreciate a polite discussion of gender issues and the concerns of women at the jess Philips webchat on Monday?

[StealthPolarBear]

I posted on the webchat thread:
Since the questions have already been asked I am not allowed to repeat similar but I want on record that self ID, its potential abuse, protection of vulnerable young people from those who promote transition which can sometimes include puberty blockers, the protection of natal women's rights and the importance of teaching biological facts in schools are big concerns to me.

MNHQ have said they don't want any more comments or questions about gender issues on the Web chat thread which I can understand. However what I do want to make clear is the number of people who may share some or all of my concerns. Otherwise any questions about gender issues are of an equal weight to all others and in fact others, which can be repeated in a different form, may seem to gain more weight.

I am with you all too. And I’m really not impressed with the ‘vanishings’ of valid questions either. MN used to be better than this.

I really want to see those issues discussed. I rejoined the Labour party after the election so I could have a say in our next LOTO - this issue is one of my hottest topics.

Me too. I would like real answers.

These questions are the only ones that interest me on the webchat, there is no other topic as important.

Me. I would like this discussion. Here is what I would ask:

Hi Jess, in 2018 we had a consultation on proposed reform of the Gender Recognition Act. That was off the back of the Transgender Equality Report which you are so proud to have played such a major part in. Quite possibly you were involved in drafting the consultation document as well. Over 100,000 people responded to that consultation yet well over a year since it closed there has been no report, not even a preliminary statement.

Why not? What are you doing about it?

Secondary question: Why do you feel it is appropriate, at this specific time, for you to be once again plugging your demands for things like self-ID and the removal of the spousal exit clause? You said what you thought in the trans equality report. Then you put it out to consultation. Then you ignored over 100,000 responses. Then you said what you thought again.

Ooh good point. I keep checking for the report of the GRA consultation. Still nothing think it was June 2018 when it closed.

I am (after a couple of years) de-lurking to say yes, I would very much like to see these issues discussed in a webchat.

Me too.

I want to see this discussed. I am frustrated that there are so many different areas that this impacts and we should be able to ask questions about all of them. On the other hand it doesn’t really matter because she will avoid answering any of them.

I think it opened in June and closed in October. Year before last.

I am with you all too. And I’m really not impressed with the ‘vanishings’ of valid questions either. MN used to be better than this.

^ this. With bells on.

Me. I have tweeted various questions to her about it since she announced she was standing for leader, not heard a thing back. She is my preferred candidate but I need to hear where she stands on this.

I would also like to see this subject discussed.

Would someone who hasn't posted on the webchat thread mind asking when the GRA reform consultation will publish? Thats nothing to do with women's rights!

Me!

Anyone with a smidgen of historical knowledge and political awareness will have alarm bells firing like crazy after being told that there is a Topic About Which We Must Not Speak.

In a democratic society, even culturally sensitive things are open to discussion, even when there is a risk male people might not like it (FGM, the wearing of the hijab etc).

Even potentially inflammatory subjects regarding protected characteristics like gay couples adopting children are open to debate and it's accepted that there will be a range of views from kneejerk reactionary to uber liberal.

RLB is allowed to talk about restricting abortions and we are allowed to say we heartily disagree.

I'm even allowed to say i don't believe in God and i think those who do are daft. (That's not actually my position but it could be in theory)

Why is this one topic, with clear and demonstrable repercussions across the whole of our society exempt from the usual rules of discussion, despite the law being firmly on the side of those who want to discuss it? And exactly who is throwing endless money at keeping up this enforced silence?

In fairness to mnhq they're not saying don't speak about it, they're saying just speak about it once, collectively.
However I agree with a pp who said the issues are broad and yet we've had our one question about 'gender issues'

Please add me as well. I want to discuss this. Jess Philips needs to hear what's being said outside her echo chamber. Hiding it won't make it go away. Still miffed that MNHQ deleted my posts on that thread.

Thats nothing to do with women's rights!

Unfortunately it's 'comments around gender identity and sex' and 'any further questions that we think stray into this area' that they say they will delete.

I don't think a question about the GRA consultation would get through and they are disappearing without trace there seems little point posting on the thread.

This moderation policy is all a bit Ministry of Truth isn't it?

'There have always only been 48 posts on the webchat'

Hmm but surely it's about a consultations about trans rights thats now overdue

I would too. I get it's a difficult topic.
I'm fairly open minded and definitely a live and let live.
But sport bothers me a lot. It bothers me that a women's officer is not a lived experience women.
It bother me being called cis. It's changing my identity with out my permission.

I had the vanishing comments previously.

No deletion notice or "empty post", just whole thing removed from existence. And another MNer read it before it went too so I know it was there!

I too add my name for the tally of women wanting answers, with the query:

do you accept that stating womanhood is a nothing but a special feeling in your head will actively lose you women's votes? And if you accept that, do you care?"

In fairness to mnhq they're not saying don't speak about it, they're saying just speak about it once, collectively.

This is not a fair expectation.

Maybe FWR regulars could manage that, given enough of a heads up, but the thread was closed to further questions on these topics in about 3 hours. Also there are a variety of views on FWR, it's not reasonable to expect us to come up with one collective position, we are members of a discussion forum, not a collective.

And anyone who's not a FWR regular would be completely out of the loop. They'd just carry on asking the questions they wanted answered and would just be deleted. It's not reasonable to expect posters from across the site to engage in some extra process of finding a collective position, just in the hope their question gets addressed.

Me.

Ruffle I agree with your excellent post.

This HAS to be discussed. We can't just pretend that these issues don't exist or that it's only bigots who care about it.
I had such high hopes for Jess considering the work she has done on domestic abuse and women's rights, but she does seem to have thrown women under the bus when it comes to trans issues. She should respond to our questions on the subject.

I'm with you.