Crap response from WEP

[teawamutu]

I mailed them about two weeks ago saying I was thinking of joining, but would like them to clarify whether their priority was fighting for the rights of biological women and girls.

At long last, got this today: "
We fight for women's equality and we support the right of people to define their gender or reject gendered divisions as they choose."

Anyone want to help me come up with a question they can't sidestep?

Starter for ten: for campaigning purposes, do you class woman as biological sex or a feeling in a man's head?

The WEP have an easy way out of their mess if they want it.

Adult human females - full members with voting rights. The only ones able to hold office and stand for elections.

Adult human males, including those who identify as trans - associate members, able to attend conference (but not vote or be selected as candidates and office holders).

Young WEP - girls between 16-18; a branch of the main party - able to run and organise themselves, receive training and encouraged to participate in politics.

Do you think she'd have risked saying "this party isn't for transwomen'?

They don't need to say this and I am fairly sure OP wouldn't be happy with a blunt answer like that either, basically taking her concern over women and girls, as something anti-trans rather than..well pro-women. But, its generally the same. Give a shit about female people, and its transphobic and bigoted.

Surely, the WEP could say that yes, their priority is fighting for women and girls, especially given their bloody selling point.

TheGoal, my point was that she had no problem pointing at a group of women that the party wasn't 'only for'. It would have been more positive to frame it as "We want to reach out to women who haven't engaged with politics up to now", rather than mentioning the people who ARE already engaged.

I imagine that it's appallingly easy to antagonise voters if they feel their votes aren't wanted or appreciated. A new party that's struggling to establish itself needs to be smart, and court voters, and this party that's supposedly for women have signalled that they won't fight for biological women's sex-based rights if those clash with TWAW.

I had words with the Hackney WEP candidate when she came knocking at my door last election. I said I couldn't vote for them due to their self ID stance, and in quick succession she a) told me I didn't understand the law as she is a lawyer b) said their position isn't as has been reported so I needed to read their website c) sneered at Mumsnet and d) said they didn't make policy for Mumsnetters only for their members. I was left with the impression that patronising voters and speaking only to themselves is what WEP excel at.

I said I couldn't vote for them due to their self ID stance, and in quick succession she a) told me I didn't understand the law as she is a lawyer

Crikey! For a lawyer to fail to understand the GRA 2004 and Equality Act 2010 is genuinely shocking. Even non-lawyers can work out the relationship between those two Acts and what it all means for the continuance of women's rights if those laws are read carefully enough.

Had a probably daft thought.

They call themselves the Women's Equality Party, but they use a definition of woman that doesn't correspond to the legal one.

Are political parties subject to Trading Standards laws?

There's nothing to get excited about, is there? Labour got such an injection of enthusiastic new voters because it was suddenly seen as radical and anti the status quo, an opportunity for people to say "fuck you and the horse you rode in on". The WEP will always be lovely and inclusive and nice. Nice doesn't garner votes, manning barricades and demonstrating in the streets does.

The two most successful political movements in recent years are Momentum and Brexit, because people can become impassioned and shout in the street and feel justified and part of a big group fuelled by righteous anger. Women get to be nice and inclusive all day every day, there's nothing new and exciting about it.