Penny Mordaunt has made her position at Women & Equalities Committee

[SwearyG]

She said what trans people face is misperception.
She said that this is like the fight for gay rights in the 80s.
She said we are frightened and have no experience of trans people.
She said that the videos and lectures going around are bigotry
She said that they need to show solidarity, but that won’t be set out in anything because questions have to be asked neutrally.

She’s a fucking woman and she said that we’re (and I am paraphrasing) misinformed bigots for caring about the rights of women and children.

I am so right now.

She's like a Stepford Wife - no human brain but with pleasing pre-programmed set pieces for men.

I had a letter from her that was so pathetic and ignorant that I haven't even been able to summon the energy to formulate a response.
My excuse is that I have been really unwell and had more pressing matters to deal with, but it is discouraging to realise that so many of the people supposedly running the country are utterly clueless.

Okay.

Work needed on deprogramming poor Penny. She is reading from the Stonewall script she has been manipulated with

They have been all over her like a rash since she was appointed.

Where does this come from Sweary?

Where did she say this and who to?

What I don't understand is, don't MPs get lobbied all the time? Or asked to support stuff. And surely they have to read stuff or have researchers read stuff and make a judgment on things, not just swallow any old bollocks that they're told? Where is the judgment/analysis? Or is she just desperate to be "woke"?

The second she was appointed she was swamped.

I watched it happening on Twitter.

No need to panic troops. Sanity WILL prevail.

She said that they need to show solidarity, but that won’t be set out in anything because questions have to be asked neutrally.

This is a contradiction in terms. If this is her approach she can't represent women's concerns in a consultation about a clear conflict of interest between the rights of women and girls and the rights of men who wish to live as though they are female.

We're watching the Women & Equalities Committee on Parliament TV and they've helpfully sent us a clip of it. I can email if you PM your email address. Watching it a second time it's even more depressing.

You're right, Picasso she was swamped and needs deprogramming.

She said "We need to show complete solidarity with the trans community" that's a verbatim quote. Nothing about fucking women or balancing rights.

There is a structural and political issue with how women and girls interests have been represented and who gets access to lobby and present their side of the story.

To be fair, this is a worldwide issue.

She is the MP of a Naval town. One the one hand they are NOW fully inclusive, but on the other they have dealt with this issue for centuries in the navy, (I'm ex RN). They know the effing truth. She can't bullshite here constituents.

De programming heads on. She need help!

She is asserting the positions and views of the powerful lobbygroups.

The statements make clear the sources of her briefing.

Sophie Walker called for Women's & Equalities to become a cabinet position. I believe that Women's and Equalities would benefit by being two distinct roles. This would surely be beneficial for all of those who are represented?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3244321-Sophie-Walker-WEP-It-s-time-to-make-the-Women-and-Equalities-brief-a-proper-Cabinet-job

relevent threads:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3268237-Westminster-Social-Policy-forum-today-Next-steps-for-transgender-Equality-WSPFEvents

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3269463-Government-response-to-the-petition

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3236009-Rudd-resigns-Who-is-new-Women-and-Equalities-Minister

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3242812--Amnesty-International-Mermaids-and-Stonewall-have-signed-an-open-letter-to-Penny-Mordaunt-stating-the-importance-of-reforming-the-Gender-Recognition-Act

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3250175-Girl-Guides-Panel-discussion-at-Speakers-house-woman-male-woman-male-male-male

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3237268-James-Kirkup-article-Why-are-some-MPs-trying-to-shut-down-the-transgender-debate

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3241837-Why-has-the-trans-lobby-been-so-successful

Solidarity is fine. Pretending is not.

parliamentlive.tv/Download/Index/e8cf441f-a9bc-47bf-b0f4-4dd78fec26f4 gives you the link to download what she has said.

The problem I have with her using solidarity is in the context of suggesting women's concerns and interests are bigotry which solidarity is required against.

I absolutely stand in solidarity with all human rights and believe trans people should be free to live without discrimination and fear.

I don't think the way Penny Mordaunt is currently approaching this based on the comments above is helpful to any stakeholders in this discussion however. And it gives me zero confidence that she understands or is open to listening to the other stakeholders she is employed to represent politically here.

Time to get writing letters I think.

This is very disappointing. From her response to the Oxfam scandal it's clear she's aware that sexual predators will take advantage of safeguarding failures to get themselves in to a position where they can prey on vulnerable people. It's one heck of a blindspot if she can't understand that creating a climate where a 6ft bearded bloke could wander in to the women's changing room and go unchallenged. would create a safeguarding failure and place women and girls at risk.

I think SparticusAutisticus hit the nail on the head on the other thread by saying you cannot identify into a protected characteristic. Doing so is a mockery of the system. It entirely invalidates it.

It's no longer protected if it can be identified into, it's an open door policy.

May I suggest use of this excellent phrase which I pinched from here:

"Has there been an equality impact assessment carried out in this scenario which takes into account the potential competing equality strands and protected characteristics, in this case sex and self-identifying transgender?"

I think SparticusAutisticus hit the nail on the head on the other thread by saying you cannot identify into a protected characteristic. Doing so is a mockery of the system. It entirely invalidates it. It's no longer protected if it can be identified into, it's an open door policy.

This hits the nail on the head.

It is an open door policy which entirely invalidates the protected characteristic of sex which women rely on for the laws supporting them relating to privacy/dignity, safety and fairness.

But don't mind me Penny Mordaunt. I'm just one of those nasty bigots.

@endofthelinefinally could you post a pic of the contents of the letter if you get a chance? (Not any identifying details obviously).

I would really like to know what the MP representing my interests as a woman understands and is saying about them.

She is using gay rights in the context of trans rights whilst completely missing the point that they didn't impact the rights of another protected category. She's really stupid or she thinks everyone else is.

From the above, I take the following:

There is a clear conflict of interest between the rights of women and girls and the rights of those who wish to live as though they are female.

Identifying into a protected characteristic is problematic - does that happen elsewhere?

Identifying into a protected characteristic is problematic - does that happen elsewhere?

Religious beliefs.