Labour 'gender identity' & equality law

[Sittinonthefloor]

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-trans-transgender-policy-equality-act-aggravated-offence-outdated-langauge-a7729666.html

Pressed too soon!

Aibu to be really surprised this is in their manifest? Not exactly appealing to potential women voters by threatening our 'safe places'!

Ooohhh indeed, this will hard on so many mumsnetters: can they support the Labour vs the "evil" tories while it is aiming to implement policies that are widely reviled here?

I can't wait to see how they are going to twist their rethorics to fit with this conundrum. Or maybe they will do as if they did not see it?

I assumed all the parties would be towing the batshit line on this issues?
Fucking depressing though.

Nice to know I could get arrested for a hate crime if I don't want a bloke who sexually assualted me (and now cross dresses) in the ladies...
Also - hate crime? WTAF?? When we haven't yet got "misogynist hate crime" or "mental health hate crime".

Unfortunately all parties are throwing women under the bus about this. They are all as bad as each other.

What an unpleasant post, Frenchmind. Do you enjoy laughing at people who care about others? I'll still be voting Labour because they're still better than the Tories!

All of them 😮 It gets worse! Is it Tory policy too?

Come on, BBC, admit it, it is funny, in a schadenfreude way. But apparently, the Labour care about everyone but women that want to keep their own space. And you are a-ok with it.

Maria Miller has a self identification bill. Yes, all parties are denying sex based oppression exists, it is now all about gender identity.
If you want to really want to upset yourselves read the Trans ideology being sent into schools. Stonewall website has it.

I heard about the first trans MP a couple of weeks ago. I was thinking of voting Labour but now not sure. This just makes me so angry and sad. All the major parties are throwing women under the bus regarding this issue. It's astounding that they don't see how much this is a threat to sex-based protections.

Yes, bigotry is in the eye of the group on the receiving end, nit those who are speaking it.

There was no hierarchy of whose rights matter most set out in the relevant laws.

People tend to agree with the Equality laws when they share the views (eg religious bodies and homophobia). But don't like them so much when they don't. But are still held to the principle that language that a protected minority objects to will be dealt with because it causes offence to that group.

Is a new, mutually acceptable vocabulary needed? Yes. Whilst that emerges, should either side use language that the other finds offensive. Hell no.

I assumed all the parties would be towing the batshit line on this issues?

Yup...even the womens equality party tow the same fucking line. if they can't be on the side of females, who the fuck can? Its sad really. Every party willing to throw females under the bus to appear progressive. One would think at least the Tories would be willing to go against the crazyness but they seem as bad as the rest.

Was fairly obvious Labour had this stance from Corbyns webchat and his refusal to define the word woman and avoiding all questions about the rights of females tbh

Women need to contact their MP and let her/him know how they feel on this issue. The whole "gender identity" thing is bonkers. How can you ever establish with any accuracy what someone thinks? Women need protections and services based on sex, not wiffley waffley feelings. Ffs.

How dare Labour try to outlaw hate crimes against LGBT people... How dare they try to curb usage of offensive and derogatory terms?!?!

The cheek of it.

You seriously don't think that LGBT hate crimes are “aggravated offences”?
You all need to calm down about the 'men in bathrooms' thing and understand that LGBT people are beaten, raped and villified far worse than most of MN have ever experienced.

Half of the LGBT are women too (with or without trans counts) so this IS about safe places for women - women who are especially vulnerable!

Nelipotter -Please don't try top trumps with assault, rape + vilification. Biological women know more than anyone about hatred from others.

I don't think anyone here advocates violence or hate! Or that people can't wear what they want etc. But that's not the same as legally compelling people to go along with the pretence that some men are actually women, and v/v. Should we also be compelled to pretend other things - people with anorexia are actually fat, people who think they are the messiah or churchills illigetimate son really are?

I wrote to my Tory MP about this. His reply was definitely towing the party line. Will see if I can cut and paste some of it

Here it is:

Thank you for contacting me about gender identification and I apologise for the delay in replying.

I appreciate your concerns and assure you that the proposed Gender Identity Bill will be debated and scrutinised fully in both the Commons and Lords before any legislation is passed.

I am encouraged that the Government has put a commitment to equality at the heart of its mission and I know it is working hard to build a society that celebrates and benefits from the talents of everyone, ensuring fairness, protecting the most vulnerable and prioritising equal opportunities for all.

The UK is a world leader for transgender rights, and I welcome the progress that has already been made in this area. I know that the Government has provided guidance to employers and service providers and ensured that transphobic bullying is tackled head on. I am also encouraged that gender dysphoria is no longer considered a mental illness and gender identity services will be improved through new training of NHS staff.

Further to this, a new action plan is being developed in order to achieve greater transgender equality. This includes a review of the Gender Recognition Act to determine whether to streamline and de-medicalise the gender recognition process.

However, more must be done to help transgender people with the unique and often difficult challenges that they face. I am encouraged that issues such as gender self-declaration are being considered and I will closely follow the Gender Identity Bill as it progresses.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

Sorry in the middle of name changes

I wrote to my Tory MP too, saying I was worried about women's sports, women's refuges etc etc. He wrote back along the lines, 'Yes, we are all for trans rights, Britain is a leader, so proud, I am pleased gender self-definition is being considered.'

I emailed back rather tartly to say that he didn't appear to have read my letter AT ALL. I got a holding reply and nothing since. That was a month ago.

xpost, Allergy.

That was EXACTLY the email reply I got.

It would be a mighty coincidence if we had the same MP.

Lumela was it BJ?

Sinister . I, like every other woman I've ever met, don't "hate" GNC men (or women come to that). But do i want males in all female spaces? No i very much do not. It would bother me to the extent of not using those spaces tbh. Women are being gaslighted as to their risk of violent assault by males, however they "identify". It is MEN who seem to get freaked out by effeminate boys and men for starters, not women. Although, after watching "sweet 16, a transgender journey" the other night, I couldn't for the life of me see the difference between the boy in the programme, and the camp, make-up coated boys I hung out with as an 80s teen. Every club i went to was awash with boys in more slap than me, and really no-one was at all bothered. Leigh Bowery anyone? Boy George? No-one was telling these boys they must be girls. They were having fun, in most cases gay, and (surprisingly?) accepted in 80's Wales, given that we are now told that GNC people are at constant risk of violence. The girls I knew were the ones getting assaulted/flashed at etc. Not the boys.