For anyone who is still interested - @WeAreGerbil??? I got a reply from Caroline Lucas.
Here it is:
Thank you for writing to me and for your patience waiting for a response. I get a huge amount of correspondence and hope you will understand that I give priority to that from constituents.
I know Green Party policy on trans and women’s rights is being discussed in many local parties and amongst members, and the first point to make is that I support these discussions and am wholly committed to defending the right to free speech. I also hope that discussing what, for many people, is a new way of thinking about gender is an opportunity to learn about different people’s experiences, and that this can be done respectfully by all involved. I don’t think that labelling people is helpful and nor do I think that social media is the best forum to advance understanding or explore what are for many of us difficult questions.
I am proud the Green Party has played an active part in helping to secure many of the hard won rights that all women enjoy today. And we know that we still have far to go in the campaign for true equality and an end to the patriarchy. The Green Party believe that standing up for trans rights is a fundamental part of that campaign, and that we have more to gain by working together to challenge the prejudice, discrimination and exclusion all women and all trans people continue to face.
For us this is about solidarity and standing with people who have both been previously denied a voice and who have routinely suffered severe discrimination. We know, for example, that women are far more likely to experience sexual violence, objectification or financial exclusion than men. And we know too that trans people are far more likely to experience hate crime or be subject to sexual abuse than to be the perpetrator. In line with current law, it is our policy that trans women are women and trans men are men.
I understand that there are very deeply felt fears about the way women’s rights, including trans women’s rights, will be protected in future and I wanted to look specifically at your specific and important points.
I absolutely support a woman’s right to see a woman GP and your experience clearly underlines why this is so important. Proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act will not affect someone’s right to see a woman doctor or to be accompanied by a chaperone when they see a medical professional, for example, as often happens already. Nor will they make the system either more or less open to abuse by eg men wanting to commit crimes such as the one you suffered. I want women to feel safe and have campaigned tirelessly to this end. Your right to see a woman doctor is important to me and I promise to continue to stand up for that right.
Proposed changes to the law on self-declaration would bring the UK in line with countries such as Argentina, Denmark, and the Republic of Ireland. The latter has had a similar system to what’s proposed for the UK since 2015 and there is no evidence that this has led to an increase in, for example, men abusing the system to access women only spaces. When it comes to toilets, a man is not legally prevented from entering a women’s only toilet at present, nor is anyone required to “prove” their gender to gain access. As such, recommended reforms to the 2004 Gender Recognition Act will not change anything. Gender neutral toilets are favoured by some people and we think that providers should continue to listen to users – if there’s a demand for both segregated and gender neutral facilities, that’s what should be provided.
Nobody should be threatening you and I am sorry you had such a horrible experience. It’s really important we continue to challenge and call out gendered violence without conflating unacceptable behaviour by transwomen or transmen with the fact they are trans. In most instances you will never have known that a transwomen who has not had surgery has shared toilet space with you – and they will not have been a threat. I completely understand why you feel at risk and believe that challenging gendered violence is the way to make us all feel truly safer, not denying trans rights.
You ask about the Green Party breaching the Equality Act Part 7 and if you have specific examples and evidence of this I would actively encourage you to make a formal complaint. You can do so in writing to [email protected]
I am personally deeply saddened by the violence and abuse that has been a feature of discussion about changes to the Gender Recognition Act, on all sides of the debate. I condemn all use of violence and want to reiterate my support for free speech and for the current laws on hate speech and hate crime to be strengthened.
Listening, understanding and respecting are fundamental parts of our Green philosophy. If Green Party members are threatened by other members for expressing their views or asking questions as part of a learning process, I want that to be subject to the complaints process. This can be also used by anyone who thinks the views expressed by members are at odds with our policies or constitute sexism, homophobia, transphobia and so forth. We know that many of our members are learning about trans rights and how they relate to women rights, and we hope that learning can be positively supported. We want to expect the best of people, and hope that potentially unintentional transphobia, for example, can be called out in ways that seek to educate, rather than perpetuate division. I also hope that everyone taking part in the discussion will be mindful of the hurt they might cause, even unintentionally, and of the downsides of communication via social media.
The proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act will be subject to extensive consultation and you’ll have the chance to put forward your views. I think this is a hugely important process - a chance to think and learn about the genuine implications of the changes for us all, and an opportunity for all women to have a say on how their lives will be affected. We want to play a positive role in facilitating this process through, for example, fringes at Green Party conference this autumn. I am definitely not trying to silence anyone in this debate. I’d also note that the debate is complex and that some policies may evolve over time as new research and evidence emerges. That is an inevitable part of the discussion process and I welcome it.
I recognise too that this discussion is a difficult one for some people and am proud the Green Party isn’t shying away from that. We need members like you to continue to ask the questions that matter and ensure that everyone’s voices are heard – respectfully and in recognition that we are all on a political journey. I believe we are stronger when we all stand together and focus more on the things that unite rather than divide us. That’s why your membership really matters to us – and we hope you’ll continue to stand with us as we champion both trans people’s rights and women’s rights.
Best wishes, Caroline