Guess how I got suspended from the Labour Party?

[IAmDavidLewis]

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

Yeah fermat I was there with that analogy too. Two thirds of a man and all that...

Sincerity.

Such and easy thing to prove. Not like those pesky chromosomes.

It's about belief. David doesn't really believe he is a woman. Some others apparently do. That's the basis of their policy.

But David believes he has as valid a female identity as other males who say they are female. So why should his identity be seen as any less valid than other males?

Also who decides who is sincere? Plenty of people don't believe Madigan is sincere and have said as much, but they have been ignored. What is the difference? Who gets to decide whose gender identity is valid for the purposes of political representation and how? What are their measurable criteria if not by self-ID alone?

Congratulations, David, on some very accurate expressions of womanhood. I too will be walking the dog in jeans and a t-shirt, with a little light Mumsnetting thrown in, as today's work has unexpectedly been cancelled.

There are a number of prominent trans people (of the "expanding the bandwidth of what it is to be female" variety) who sport full beards, who I suspect of trolling. However, they are widely lauded on social media and in the mainstream press. I fail to see how one can magically know that they are sincere and David is not.

Meanwhile, labour have reacted by changing the criteria from self identification, to men needing to appear to authenticate the reasons why they identify as women, is that right?

Wanting to help women is not a reason.

You have to really, really, either have the medical condition gender dysphoria, have a transvestite fetish, be a very serious part time cross dresser, or be gaming the system.

If you can show full commitment to any of that criteria, you're in?

But if you are an actual woman, and refuse to identify as such, you're out.

The Labour Party absolutely hate women. And they are only willing to promote like minded people.

This. All this. Excellent post, Datun.

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.

Plenty of people have identified as men for years before announcing that they are women. Some of them have joked about it. Eddie Izzard for one. Jenner for another. And the Bunce person swaps clothes and gender daily. I don't think we should criticise David for taking some time here to explore her new identity further, or even for being lighthearted about it.

Or does the Labour Party intend to introduce limits of some sort, making it necessary to identify permanently as female/to have done so for a set length of time?

Can we start a movement to get more labour men to do this, "I'm Spartacus" style, in order to keep the pressure on and also to highlight that it really does take a man to speak up before anyone listens. Then perhaps people will see why we still need feminism.

Or does the Labour Party intend to introduce limits of some sort, making it necessary to identify permanently as female/to have done so for a set length of time?

Yes I will be interested to learn about these limits and robust gatekeeping principles.

Datun, and all,

I thought this subject deserved a wider audience;

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3257027-To-think-its-Theresa-and-the-Tories-forever-now-weeps?watched=1

Labour were initially happy with David's statement that she identifies as a woman on Wednesdays.

If that's acceptable, and it's the media coverage that makes Labour think David is being subversive, how are they going to tell when other men subvert the self-ID policy? How do they know that no men are subverting it now?

This is going to be discussed on the R2 Jeremy Vine show this lunchtime!

But David believes he has as valid a female identity as other males who say they are female. So why should his identity be seen as any less valid than other males?

Ah well. I don't think they believe that he really believes

*It's about belief. David doesn't really believe he is a woman. Some others apparently do. That's the basis of their policy.

And if that's not the most batshit crazy, totally subjective, completely impossible to judge from outside, sands shifting beneath my feet as I speak piece of policy insanity ever to dis-grace the annals of politics ever then I don't know what is.

But yeah, you have to believe. Truly. And then the fairies get their wings.*

^^^This!
Brilliant post Certain

Nobody is accusing Pips Bunce of taking the mick or gaming the system aka having his/her cake and eating it and ensuring he is still taken seriously in the world of finacial service whilst still being able to indulge her wish to dress in clothes that no woman in banking would wear anymore so telling poor David that he is not serious must be deeply offensive to him.

@flomper you might even call it 'literal violence' against David. I hope you don't take this lying down Iamdavidlewis

But David believes he has as valid a female identity as other males who say they are female. So why should his identity be seen as any less valid than other males?

Ah well. I don't think they believe that he really believes grin

What are they asking David to believe in to stand? Do you have to believe some quasi religious gender ideology in order to represent women in the Labour Party?

I really am looking forward to hearing the Labour Party explain the feminine qualities you need to be a woman's officer.

Can't help thinking there might be a lot of cross over with the traditional stereotype of a lady conservative.

I think they have done you a favour.
How any one could support a party whose leader praised the IRA terrorist organisation that murdered thousands of people, and thinks that the way Venezuela is run should be a model for this country is beyond me.
Remember Corbin said he would sort it for students, then quickly had to back track.

Come across and widen the discussion

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3257027-To-think-its-Theresa-and-the-Tories-forever-now-weeps

Now is the moment to start peppering Twitter, social media and news site comments with that Parliamentary self-ID petition. I reckon it could take off on the heels of all this coverage.