Article in the Observer today - Labour/AWS

[Bumblebzz]

Highlighting the issues in the Labour Party regarding AWS etc

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/mar/04/labour-left-infighting-over-gender-recognition

I am a gay man and know the battles that have had to be fought over decades to win rights for gay people. That battle has been won in many – though not all – quarters, but it is still going on for trans people, and they need Labour’s support

The constant comparison to gay rights activism irks me to no end.
Gay men were not asking me to be sexually attracted to them, or insisting gay people took women's spaces away from women to feel "safe" or... redefining words in the dictionary to suit their world views, or ... pumping childen full of drugs, looking for "gayness" in three year olds....

How does this gay man feel about a group they don't even believe homosexuality means same-sex attraction?

The claim that the general public wouldn't care about Labour's internal politics is a bit presumptuous considering they have the potential to violate the Equality Act on a widespread basis and not just internally should they ever win an election again.
It seemed an odd way to report on the matter. No investigations or research, just these people said/those people said.

In 40 years’ time people will look back and view campaigns for the exclusion of trans women as bizarre

In 40 years time people will look back on the attempted erasure of women and gays as bizarre.

• Although feminists will see all of this as entirely predictable!

I’m glad this is being talked about but what a badly written article - all over the place and pretty vague.

Just read it. Typical Guardian piece; no mention of what the concerns of women are or the implications of self-ID and 'alleged' trans activist violence? When there has been Maria Miller's case in court only recently? Oh, and very light on Monroe Bergdorf 'controversial comments'. Considering how they went to town on Toby Young, that is poor. And of course no reader comments allowed. I think this is the first thing I've seen mentioning Jennifer James in The Guardian.

What a surprise the journalist includes direct quotes from the trans ally but handily explains the concerns of women himself (managing to entirely miss the point and construct a whole army of straw men).

The guardian only ever shows the argument of one side of this debate through the lens of the opposing side.

The Guardian has made its stance pretty clear. Why, though, do they not match trans women with straight men or gay women in their blind date column?

They never open the comments on trans articles either.

As an aside, Hadley Freeman -Guardian columnist - commented on Twitter the other day and was critical of the current trans debate and the exclusion of women. Maybe we will see a few more articles that mention women. So far, women have been excluded from the debate as far as the Guardian are Concerned.

Patodp
The councillor quoted as a gay man is one of a labour councillor who was part of the secret group collating info on transphobes with a view to getting them expelled from the labour party.

Apologies for short post (hate posting on my phone) but:

How does this gay man feel about a group they don't even believe homosexuality means same-sex attraction?

It's worth having a look at a sub Reddit for Gender Critical which is Gender Critical men. It's interesting reading and shows there are many gay men not onside with all this.

I am a gay man and know the battles that have had to be fought over decades to win rights for gay people. That battle has been won in many – though not all – quarters, but it is still going on for trans people, and they need Labour’s support

It's also 'still going on' for a number of lesbians who need labour's support ... I shouldn't be, but I remain amazed at how gay men see gay issues as gay men's issues.

One mention, rather vague, of a gender critical feminist and all other voices in the article are Male. Still telling us what to think...

I saw Hadley Freeman’s comment on Twitter and silently applauded her. Very brave.

I think the fact that the Guardian has even published this is immensely cheering and I am I am so glad this issue is starting tone thought about critically within the Labour Party.

to be
Sorry my eyesight is poor and my phone thinks it knows better than me