letter by some members of the Labour Party:
'We, the undersigned, have a variety of positions about proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act. Some of us have not yet fully formed our opinions.
We are calling for action within our movement to allow informed discussion to take place over proposed changes to the Act.
You may be aware of a vicious and hostile environment created on-line by the Tory press and some people within our movement, including small numbers of trade union activists, members of the Labour Party and some other left-wing parties.
Some tactics which are employed include but are not limited to:
Deliberately mis-gendering people. In particular, referring to trans women as men.
Deliberately dead naming trans people (referring to them by the name given to them at birth).
Suggesting that the parents of trans children are guilty of child abuse for supporting their children’s identity.
Referring to cis women who support trans women as among other things, handmaidens and not good enough feminists.
The daily abuse of many prominent trans people.
The abuse of trans women invited to speak at women’s events.
The suggestion that trans men are actually women, who find it easier to live as men.
The erasure of the existence of non- binary people in many discussions.
The reporting of trans people and allies to their employers, in order to cause them problems at work.
These tactics are systematic attempts to shut down the views of women and others who do not agree with the anti-trans agenda, and to deny us our rights to discuss potential legislative changes and conclude that they will have no impact on any sex-based rights already enshrined in law. Changes in the way trans people are able to legally identify themselves will have no impact on sex-based exemptions in the Equality Act (2010).
Thankfully we have the power of our progressive movement to counteract these tactics. Major trade unions such as PCS, UCU, NEU, Unite and Unison have confirmed their support for trans rights. We are pleased to note that the general secretary of Unite the Union has now clarified his own position and that of his union as being supportive of trans people.
We are not afraid to continue to voice our support for trans people or to continue to progress the policies of our unions or to support the leader of the Labour Party on this matter.
Some of us are what some may choose to describe as “ordinary women”, some of us are active in the Labour and Trade Union movement and other political campaigns.
Although we are deeply concerned about the effects of the people focussing their energies on the Gender Recognition Act, often from a place of misinformation and/or prejudice, we are not afraid to organise political activity, meetings or protests on these issues.
Despite the whole weight of the Tory press and its allies against us, our voices will not be silenced.
We are sure that, whatever your view regarding the issues around the Gender Recognition Act, you will agree that it is unacceptable for the Tory press, those against self-identification of trans people and those supportive of particular streams of feminism, to attempt to make anyone scared to engage in political life.
We, the undersigned, publicly and unequivocally condemn the use of violence or tactics of intimidation including those listed above, on this issue'
(worthwhile, as always, seeing who the signatories are)
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