A Spartacus letter re Jo Cox Leadership

[NettleTea]

as many have expressed dismay at the events unfolding we are creating our response to the letter passed around. The letter will be available to share in a document with signatures including representatives of many of the women's groups pushing for consultation. If anybody wishes to have their name / position held added to the document please PM me. If you just wish to add your support, just comment here and keep it going.

In sisterhood

We are ordinary women, some of us Labour Party members, the rest of us potential Labour Party voters. We know that sexism and sexist messages received from birth mean we are less likely to push ourselves forward, to be listened to, to take the lead and have belief in our abilities, especially in a male-dominated sphere such as politics. Whatever our differences, this is an experience that unites women in society and is exactly why the Jo Cox Leadership programme is needed – to bolster self-esteem and confidence and work towards building a toolkit in preparation for political life.

The Labour Party and Labour Women’s Network, in association with the Jo Cox Foundation, have decided not to invoke Equality Act 2010 exemptions which would permit the Jo Cox Women in Leadership Programme to offer the programme to female participants only. We understand that graduates will feel a loyalty to the programme and its decisions. We hope they also feel a responsibility to reflect the diversity of women’s opinions in the party and wider society, and will use their leadership roles to ensure women are consulted about the things that affect us, whether Conservative Party proposals to review the Gender Recognition Act or Labour Party mechanisms to increase women's participation in political life.

I am in too. Thanks Nettletea and I will PM you.

I agree

Agree. Wish I could sign, but cannot risk it because of work.

Sex is objectively and consistently observed at birth by everyone in contact with the child from the moment of birth onwards. It is not 'assigned'.

I agree.

I agree and I'll PM you my name OP
Is this because there's a trans woman in the programme already?

I agree.

I agree.

I'm in, do you need to PM real name?

I agree

After this fiasco I wouldn't vote labour if the world was flooded with piss and they were offering me a free treehouse.

I will vote Tory at the next general election, my family will be financially better off under a Tory government and I will be off setting my partners tax bill by donating to any charity that is going to protect the rights of woman and children.

I will advise my daughter's to vote tory so that at least woman of a certain socio economic group and above will retain their rights and hopefully fight for others. I will also be telling my daughters that the free tuition offered by Labour is not worth selling out other woman's rights for.

My grandparents (miners and teachers) would turn in their graves if they knew I was advocating for voting Tory, but quite frankly after labour bastardising female solidarity they can fuck off to the far side of fuck and fuck off some more once they get there.

I would be prepared to sign in my own name but since I don't currently hold any position I doubt anyone cares what I think.

I am angry.

Tories are just as bad on this issue though. Infact its the Tories trying to push through self-ID.

I agree.

nettle thank you for doing this and giving us the chance to say I agree.

I don't know if it's worth stating that since a lot of inequality stems from female (XX) biology we need programs that seek to address this by being limited to biological females- see recent articles like this www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/nov/28/motherhood-impact-uk-women-career-prospects and this www.slate.com/blogs/better_life_lab/2017/11/30/trailing_spouses_what_female_ph_d_s_teach_us_about_lasting_workplace_gender.html?wpsrc=sh_all_mob_em_top

The latter says that "While women are 7 percent less likely than men to get tenure-track positions, women with children under the age of 6 is 21 percent less likely than one without to be hired onto the tenure track". So it seems biology, specifically giving birth to children, is important.

Articles from the facilitation thread btw.

I agree.

I am a usual labour voter, although I have voted strategic Lib Dem in the past.

I don't know who I would vote for now. No party represents women and their artery and concerns.

I agree completely with the sentiment, though the language could be sharper. It's too nice!

Labour Party member here. I’ll PM my name.

My personally view is that the tories are just trying to prove how far they've come since clause 28. I don't think it will actually go through under them, I think they're just trying to retain voters who could defect to labour over it iyswim.

I agree

I agree with the content and message, but am not a Labour supporter so cannot put my name to that part of it.

I will however use the thrust of it in a letter to my own MP as a follow up/reminder to my previous communication on the GRA. As he is Conservative I believe it will help further his support for the case (I don't even care that it is a petty "getting one over on the other side" on his part)

Me either Timbuktu. I'm a lib dem member but they are very much behind the trans agenda

My personally view is that the tories are just trying to prove how far they've come since clause 28. I don't think it will actually go through under them, I think they're just trying to retain voters who could defect to labour over it iyswim.

Hmm maybe. Sometimes I think that they are trying to actually push through self ID so they can stop funding hormones and such on the NHS, and then they can blame that on transactivists and those who wanted self-ID in the first place. Which will obviously negatively affect those who actually are transsexual.

I agree. As the mother of two daughters I am very angry and very worried. I have several friends who have complained about transwomen not respecting their boundaries, and I have appalled at the misogyny brewing under this movement. I was an early Corbyn supporter but no more. I have convinced my DH to rescind his Labour membership, and I am advising all my friends to do the same. I don't think voting conservative would help though, as it is Maria Miller after all who introduced the GRA? It's outrageous.

I agree.

Sex is immutable and in the vast majority of cases observed at birth

The systematic oppression of women and girls under patriarchy is predicated on sex and implemented through the imposition of gender roles

trans and non-binary gender expression should be protected. However discrimination on the basis of gender expression is not equivalent to oppression on the basis of sex and different solutions to these distinct problems are needed.

thegoal I'm a floating/swing voter, I don't have a huge understanding of politics but have always voted due to older woman telling me that woman died for my right to vote and I should use it. Sadly I think people like me (rather than tribal voters) are what decide general elections. My local Tory MP is a competent appearing woman, my local lab/Lib dems have misogynistic leanings. I don't know what the solution is but I will vote and I will vote Tory and Labour should have a long hard think about that. ( I voted Labour in the last GE)