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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Guess how I got suspended from the Labour Party?

811 replies

IAmDavidLewis · 22/05/2018 23:17

Well, one of the weirdest days in my life concluded with me receiving a letter informing me of my immediate suspension from the Labour Party. They believe I may have breached the rules by subverting the intention of All Women Shortlists, Women’s Officers or minimum quotas for women. Unfortunately, this does mean that my political ambitions are on hold for a while. I shall of course be continuing to self-identify as a woman every Wednesday, as that is my gender identity...

I have to say a huge thanks to @namechangeah for all her help, guidance and, more importantly, proof-reading! I wouldn’t have gotten to this point without it. I’d also like to thank everyone for their support today. I hope this has helped a bit.

And the Telegraph called me an “activist”! Achievement unlocked Grin

OP posts:
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12
LangCleg · 23/05/2018 09:48

That would demonstrate that the Labour Party have robust policies around self-id.

Bullshit, would it.

If David had not done an interview with the Spectator, his application - and possible subsequent election - would have been waved through without a word. He would have become the Pippa Bunce of Labour Women Officers and any woman daring to point out how ludicrous this is would themselves have been reported to compliance, chased off Twitter, got death and rape threats and all the rest of it.

David would have been a male person taking a space in politics reserved for women. The same as all the other male people already doing it. And it would have been verboten to say so.

merrymouse · 23/05/2018 09:50

They will just need to show that you were not sincere in your claim to have a female gender identity. Given the Spectator article and this thread, that won't be hard.

Why?

From the little I know of David, apart from being a different sex he and I are very similar. I don’t sincerely claim to have a female gender identity either because I don’t know what one is. Why should he be excluded from opportunities that I am apparently only entitled to on the basis of my gender. It really isn’t clear and sounds like discrimination.

Beyond that, the point is that if the only reason the Labour Party can tell that the OP isn’t serious is his admission that he isn’t serious in a national publication, their policies on self ID are anything but robust.

Destinysdaughter · 23/05/2018 09:51

Ooh they've got a phone in now, I wonder what the general public will think of this?

Lemonjello · 23/05/2018 09:51

David said All I told my CLP was that “I self-identify as a woman” as that was all that the Party policy required. I was very careful not to lie or deceive in my communications. I also wrote a supporting document to be handed out which I consider to be truthful.

they will just need to show that you were not sincere in your claim to have a female gender identity. Given the Spectator article and this thread, that won't be hard.

I would like to see the evidence that shows David is not sincere. There is interpretation by other posters that he’s not but I can’t see anything conclusive in what David himself has said.

Tutankhamum · 23/05/2018 09:53

It reminds me of Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who self identified as black and was the president of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

YogaDrone · 23/05/2018 09:55

That would demonstrate that the Labour Party have robust policies around self-id.

What are these robust policies please @SarahAr?

David himself followed party policy - S/he says this clearly in the interview. The local CLP accepted him/her on this basis. How is this in any way robust?

Lemonjello · 23/05/2018 09:56

David herself I mean! I forgot it was Wednesday.

Baroquehavoc · 23/05/2018 09:57

They will just need to show that you were not sincere in your claim to have a female gender identity

That would exclude most female candidates too.

seafoodeatit · 23/05/2018 09:58

It's a shame they only had one person on the call in. Surprise surprise they don't want a trans officer, it's not validating enough.

Danglingmod · 23/05/2018 09:58

Just put Matthew Wright on just at end.

He totally gets it about language. Words are commonly understood and shouldn't have different meanings depending on who's using them.

Flomper · 23/05/2018 09:58

Exactly. I am female and I dont really have any particular gender identity.

Cocolepew · 23/05/2018 10:04

Thank you David.
Enjoy your womaning today

Newspeak · 23/05/2018 10:05

Whilst I congratulate your efforts David a sincere thank you does nobody else find it sad that it has taken a man to highlight this in mainstream media. 300 women leave the Labour Party who cares ...man gets suspended it's all over the tv!

merrymouse · 23/05/2018 10:05

Why would be it be less valid to self identify as a gender critical woman?

Kyanite · 23/05/2018 10:06

It would need to be a full time and permanent transition, looking at the legislation.

Maybe not making any outward changes but claiming to be full time trans would have fitted their requirements.

Destinysdaughter · 23/05/2018 10:08

So many pp totally missing the point about this!

twitter.com/5wrightstuff/status/999182677721960448?s=21

Guess how I got suspended from the Labour Party?
Italiangreyhound · 23/05/2018 10:09

Thank you David. Flowers

Popchyk · 23/05/2018 10:10

Well done, David.

Labour have very clearly done a complete reverse ferret on this already. But they probably don't actually realise it yet.

They've gone from "where you have self-identified as a woman, then you are treated as a woman" to immediate suspension of a self-identified woman and "established safeguards, selection procedures and disciplinary measures" in just a couple of hours.

The Labour Party are just such great entertainment this year.

Pratchet · 23/05/2018 10:14

MW is gender critical - I bet that's why the show did it. Remember when he refused to apologise.

Ereshkigal · 23/05/2018 10:14

I am wondering, if legal self-id comes in, would you be willing to make a false statutory declaration and become legally female. My fellow MNers including at least one self-identified lawyer think nothing would happen to you. My money is on prison time, especially if you have previous.

i am wondering what you possibly feel you have to add to a feminist board, given your support of this I'll thought out misogynistic policy and zeal for punishing dissenters. I have a good idea.

If David hadn't announced himself, no one would be any the wiser and he would probably be Basingstoke CLP Women's Officer tonight. People see that. They're not stupid. James and David have merely highlighted how jawdroppingly stupid self ID is in all its forms. But yes he has made a sacrifice and many women appreciate it. I look forward to hearing about his suspension interview when he hopefully can make them look even more sinister and stupid.

merrymouse · 23/05/2018 10:14

It would need to be a full time and permanent transition, looking at the legislation.

Do you mean Labour policies or UK legislation? Labour policies don't seem to follow legislation.

Ereshkigal · 23/05/2018 10:15

The Labour Party are just such great entertainment this year.

They really are.

Flomper · 23/05/2018 10:15

@kyanite

but there are plenty of non gender conforming people like David eg Pips Buncewho identify as both men and women on different days and seem to be perfectly accepted for doing so. Would he/she not be allowed to join the LB or run for office? Surely that's transphobic:

www.fnlondon.com/articles/mistranslated-i-split-my-time-as-pippa-and-philip-20171002

AbsintheFriends · 23/05/2018 10:15

There's currently a thread on Gransnet about this and it's astonishing how many people still don't have the faintest idea what's going on (and think David is posing a threat to women.)

Just goes to show how important it is that the media cover this issue. THANK YOU David, for helping that to happen.

Bowlofbabelfish · 23/05/2018 10:16

They will just need to show that you were not sincere in your claim to have a female gender identity. Given the Spectator article and this thread, that won't be hard.

What is a female gender identity? I know I am physically female - I’m pregnant which is rather a giveaway. But since gender and sex are now disconnected how can anyone tell me what my gender identity IS?

It depends solely on feelings, according to the stonewall definition. If David feels he is a female gender identity then he has a female gender identity according to that definition.

If we are going to try to ascribe motive to that gender identity then things become particularly fun and I really hope this will be explored as an issue. Because I could accuse an individual of having a sexual motive, a nefarious motive, a frivolous motive or any motive at all that I choose - and how can anyone objectively defend that? I could say ‘you are just identifying as a woman to get housed in female prison estate’ and how could I be proven wrong?

I do hope David gets his (or her on wednesdays) day in court on this one. And makes them explain WHY they think his intent was trivial.

Let’s shine a light on all this and get people to talk about it.