The Party of Women

[ThinWomansBrain]

If you have a representative of "The Party of Women" standing in your constituency, give them a wide birth.
I had the misfortune to encounter a representative at the local hustings this afternoon. I'm about to put in a complaint to the police - several were present, but did nothing to intervene and stop the transphobic hate speech.
I's outrageous that they should be allowed to call themselves "The Party of Women" (presumably hoping to pick up votes by misleading people unto thinking they're The Women's Equality Party") they certainly don't speak for me.

This is the first thing in ages that I've seen as a potential red flag against PR.

"For anyone not familiar with Kellie Jay Keen Minshull, she is permanently banned from mn for (amongst other things) saying that trans people should not be allowed to have children."

Are you sure that's the reason? I'm pretty sure it was not for that and was indeed for something much more tedious than you suggest?

What was said?

in response to Palestine/Gaza - all transwomen are liars and rapists
in response to homelessness in Islington - all transwomen are liars and rapists
in response to the need to support music & arts venues - all transwomen are liars and rapists
in response to how to support asylum seekers living in hotel in the constituency - all transwomen are liars and rapists

The candidate did say it was a one issue party - unfortunately the meeting was appallingly poorly chaired, which didn't help.

I'll be voting for them. Catherine Briggs for Doncaster North. It'll be the useless Labour council that win as per usual but at least I'll have had my say.

Councils aren’t up for election.

Well if this person genuinely said all TW are rapists, then that is appalling.

She literally said, in as many words, trans people should not be allowed to be parents.

There was a long history of deletions, suspensions and refusal to follow the site’s posting guidelines, but that one was pretty much the final straw, and a permanent ban followed.

You wouldn’t believe it from the fan-girling that goes on here, but KJK holds some very troubling and indisputably transphobic views. She’s just found different venues to give vent to them, and has a talent for drawing in superfans who will defend and excuse anything she says.

That may well be the case, but of course the expression of certain beliefs can cross over into hate speech at certain points eg. Abu Hamza, which is not protected in law.

This is very different from protected characteristics (eg. if someone becomes more disabled than they already are they do not lose that protection, if a woman has more children she does not lose protection)

I'm aware of that! Probably poor wording. The Labour MP in my area is Ed Miliband and it will continue to be so. He will then parade out to disadvantaged areas with his band of supporters from the Labour Council with Ros Jones heading them up every few months and do precisely nothing!

I never came across her on here, so I can't comment particularly, but how would you know what she was banned for? That's not public information surely?

Are you talking about Lesley Woodburn who is the POW candidate for Islington? Ive just listened to her answer about homelessness and that's not what she said

I was on the boards at the time, as many mners were, and there were many posts and threads as it was contentious in certain quarters

Her fans were very vocal trying to get her reinstated and she had shared with them the reasons she was given by mn, also across twitter etc - it wasn’t a secret.

Conveniently forgotten in the mists of time, isn’t it?

I do wonder how many of her current supporters, advocates and activists actually know the gory details from before she learnt how to stay just the right side of the line publicly.

The housing and employment discrimination chat was a rare slip of the mask.

Is it slander or libel when you knowingly misrepresent what someone says, I always forget which way round it is?

I think libel when in writing

Thanks @spannasaurus that's the chestnut.

Is it hate speech or incitement when someone incites prejudicial actions against a group or individuals on the basis of their membership in the group?

I can never remember which 🤔

Do you think it's OK that women were missed out of the hate crime legislation? Because it does rather make it look like no one gives a shit about us.

FWIW I disagree with KJK on many things (including the employment and housing points), I often struggle with her tone and I'm sure we are polar opposites on many points. Many people are picking the least worst option to vote for. A party that hates and excludes women, or a party that hates and excludes some men? If you were a woman, which would you choose?

I don't believe you.

I would love to vote for Julia - she's brilliant

This

🐄💩

Belief IS a protected characteristic.

I am a woman, and a lesbian, and there is no way on this earth I would ever vote for Kelly Jay Keen.

She promotes a prejudice which I will be next in line for, make no mistake, because it stems from an underlying value system that believes discrimination can be appropriate. There will be others in the line of sight if she is emboldened through support.

Access to employment and housing are not trivial things and to advocate that they should be refused on the basis of trans status is abhorrent.

These statements can not be brushed aside; they are not little things, they are massive things and if she is successful in her appeal to employers and landlords she is setting trans people on a life trajectory of hardship, poverty and exclusion.

Not because of anything they have said or done, she has not qualified her statements, simply on the basis of trans status, simply because they are a member of that group.

That should be unconscionable to everyone.

You mean like when someone makes the provably false statement that “such and such political party hates and excludes women” to harm that party’s reputation?

If it’s in writing, that’s a libellous defamatory statement.

Why on earth do you think Party of Women would come for lesbians next?

Some of the candidates - such as the wonderful Julia Long who has been mentioned several times on this thread - ARE lesbians.

I was at Standing For Women in Brighton today. I saw members of the "vulnerable, marginalised" trans community trying to silence women. I'll save my sympathy for the women that they were trying to intimidate.