5 Gateshead councillors stick their heads above the parapet

[PimmsnLemonade]

Let's see if this gets agreed on Thursday:

democracy.gateshead.gov.uk/documents/s18511/Notice%20of%20Motion%20-%20Gender%20Recognition.pdf

Great article Debbie and thank-you Leigh and the other Gateshead councillors who are raising this issue. I wish my local councillors had the same courage of their convictions (I know some of them have concerns about self-ID but aren't saying anything publicly!).

Leigh,

Being against self-ID is not transphobic. Trans people can already change their birth certificate and other documents. Nobody was complaining before this self-ID idea. It's self-ID which has caused this row. If the process has problems it can be improved, fine, but moving simply to self-ID, so anyone can do it regardless of if they are actually trans, nope.

Really wondering what LGBTLabour will come up with, given it sounds the councillors are very well informed and actually concerned about how this will affect women. Seemingly aware of the usual tactics used too, so pretty unlikely to fall for the usual 'guilt trip and if that fails then threats' that TRA (lets not pretend LGBT Labour is about LGB people, only one letter matters) groups always try. And the motion is sound, not transphobic at all, like most things declared transphobic. Unless of course, TRAs are finally just outright admitting that considering female people at all in this rather large planned change is transphobic?

Like a PP I've met Malcolm Brain and would agree - lovely man and great to see him supporting this.

Hi @DebbieInBirmingham Thankyou for your contribution and your support for women’s voices in this matter. In your Spectator blog you wrote “The resulting outcry was such that Labour’s LGBT office was forced to issue a statement condemning the motion”.

Would you mind expanding on what you meant by ‘forced to’? Do you have evidence that LGBT Labour are not acting autonomously and having their actions dictated to them? By whom?

Also I’m not sure it is accurate to say ‘Labour’s LGBT office’ - LGBT Labour describe themselves as ‘a socialist society affiliated to the Labour Party’, they are a self-appointed, influential campaign group, not an office of the party. As you rightly pointed out in your article, this kind of body controlling the actions of a democratically elected council is concerning to say the least.

Thank you Leigh and colleagues for taking this forwards - its really good to see some of our elected representatives taking the trouble to ensure that the needs of all groups are considered.

I do wonder whether the meeting will ever happen, as I don’t think the other group want to debate this. Please set a reasonable time limit on the abeyance so your motion doesn’t get kicked into the long grass by default.

Hi @Cwenthryth ... Thank you for the feedback. I always appreciate constructive comments. There are times when use of language can get in the way of the messsage. This was perhaps one of them.

The piece has been edited slightly to clarify what I wanted to say.

Many thanks
Debbie

Thanks Debbie. Yes - it was the ‘forced to’ that made me ask the question. The thing is it wouldn’t be massively surprising if LGBT Labour were being dictated to by an individual or group of TRAs and I wondered if you knew something!

As far as I can see as a bystander, LGBT Labour are quite free to choose not indulge in witch hunts against women for alleged wrongthink, or attempt to impede democratic process.

Pleased to be able to clarify.

@LeighKirton we are so proud of you here in the North East and will stand by you all the way. There aren't enough to express our admiration and gratitude.

What hedgehog said.

@Vixxxy

"Unless of course, TRAs are finally just outright admitting that considering female people at all in this rather large planned change is transphobic?"

Considering that female people exist at all is transphobic

That Be statement linked earlier is absolutely indignant that women should think that we should have a say in anything that affects us.

Yet more lies about the demands to remove exemptions from the EA and more minimising of the growth in men wanting self ID access as a result of demedicalisaton of the legal sex acquisition process.

So many angry men.

Has this meeting happened yet?

No, the meeting hasn't happened yet.

I hope common sense prevails and the motion is put through as it is

The wording is clear and precise and cuts straight to the root of the issue

Women need protecting. This can't be shut down