Green MSP forced to apologise for attending women's rights event

[Onatreebyariver]

twitter.com/andywightman/status/1137017582425391105

Any support you could show him on twitter that he attended this event would be great. He even apologised for misgendering the bearded human with a penis who attacked a woman.

Doesn't condemn the piece of shit's actions. But apologises for using the person's biological pronoun instead of adopted one.

Perhaps it is helpful to point that the so-called phenomenon of "mis-gendering" is not illegal; neither is the so-called phenomenon of "dead-naming". Both may be impolite but neither are ilegal.

From Gender Recognition Act 2004:

Section 9 [General] Explanatory Notes:

28. Subsection (2) provides amplification of subsection (1), making clear that the recognition is not retrospective, so the certificate does not rewrite the gender history of the transsexual person, and that the new gender applies for the interpretation of enactments, instruments and documents made before as well as after the issue of a certificate.

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/7/notes/division/4/9

[Bold type added by me.]

For those who missed it!

If everyone could just fuck off, please, that would be grand.
twitter.com/andywightman/status/1137064152319631360

Followed by a whole lot of "say what now?"

twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=andy%20wightman&src=typd

and fucking off they most certainly are not...

international best practice is ironic. The UK GRA is one of the most liberal in the world and the European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2017 that requiring a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria before allowing someone to change their legal sex does not violate their human rights. If it's international best practice they're after, reform is not necessary.

I live in Lothian and I've been to see Andy as a constituent. He listened and for a good deal longer than a lot of politicians! He also did a great speech on International women's day about how women were oppressed because of sex (and was very specific). I would never vote for the misogynist cess pit that is Scot Greens, but I think many backed him personally.

I'm really saddened they've got to him. He's got a law suit coming up and is committed to land reform, so maybe it's a fight too far. But I liked Joanna Cherry's comment and I see FWS have a statement which I think is fair. twitter.com/ForwomenScot/status/1137096121732468736

I find Andy Wightman to be a courageous, principled and intelligent MSP. The Greens were lucky to have him. I really feel for him if his party and turning the screws on him. Awful.

and fucking off they most certainly are not...

I know I'm out of step on MN but I really dislike swearing. "Fuck off" might be appropriate in real life if you're being harassed in a pub. "Fuck off" isn't a debate winning move. And if you're going to use your credentials as an MP, MSP, MEP , doctor and the like it might behove to bear standards of public life.

Perhaps it is helpful to point that the so-called phenomenon of "mis-gendering" is not illegal

If you react to allegations of "mis-gendering" with reiteration of what it actually is, it becomes clear why it cannot possibly be illegal:

1. It is the "crime" of correctly identifying someone's sex;
2. It is the "crime" of not participating in a man's fantasy of being a woman.

They can’t make ‘misgendering’ a crime if they can’t define ‘gender’ in legal terms.

I really respect Andy Wightman for his research and campaigning around land ownership in Scotland. It's really valuable work and I hope various aspects of land reform will be implemented. Scotland should be for its people, not shady corporations and offshore funds using scare resource like land for its own interests.

I hadn't realised he had attended the talk and found it useful. Credit to him for doing his job as an MP and attempting to listen to both sides.

The Green Party must have really given him a hard time for him to do such a u-turn and publish a grovelling apology. Really unlike him. He must be under a lot of pressure and stress with his upcoming legal battle, so I don't really fault him for caving in. The Green Party must have threatened that he could struggle in the legal dispute without their backing. Not many people have the fortitude to sacrifice their career and face bankruptcy in such circumstances.

I'm disappointed in his stance but I can understand it. He is inadvertently helping more people realise how sinister the control over the trans narrative is getting. It's no longer a feminist issue or a handful of women being old fashioned and difficult. Women's rights, freedom of speech, thought crimes, safeguarding of children etc etc. There is a lot for people to start feeling concerned about.

*his job as an MSP, not MP.. duh!!

Would agree that Wightman is widely liked and respected. His work on land reform in particular is important and has support from a surprisingly mixed bag of people from various points on political spectrum up here. It's a complex issue given the numerous problems with land ownership, access and use across huge swathes of the country. It's often one of the few subjects that brings cross party interest and support, predominantly because a huge % of Scotland is owned by a tiny number of individuals and their influence and control suppresses economic development and progression. The history behind it is fairly sensitive, as you'd imagine.

Anyway, he mostly just comes across as a genuinely decent sort. I'm sad that he has been reduced to this. I have no doubt that instructions have come from on high, he's having to fall into line, and I'm certain he (and others of sound mind) will be livid about it. What the repercussions are, who knows. If the Greens intend to be taken seriously they're playing the game very very badly right now. I know most parties are on their arse as it is right now but the Greens have struggled to be taken seriously by anyone other than single issue voters, and this definitely won't help their credibility.

Would agree that Wightman is widely liked and respected

Is he ? That's not my perception.

Whatever one's views are on this issue he isn't showing much integrity. And telling people to fuck off is pathetic. He is happy to add "MSP" to his Twitter account. Is "fuck off" the best he can come up with to deal with a different opinion?

Yes, I very much think he is widely respected. He doesn't belong to my party of choice but I can still recognise a good, effective, diligent and popular politician when I see one. I'm surprised that anyone following Scottish politics would disagree on that. It's a pretty common view. His interactions in Parliament, in media, in person and online (often with cross party support) support my view.

Also, I couldn't care less about swearing. It's hardly the crime of the century - I like a swear occasionally myself. He's not the first politician to do it and he won't be the last. Purity politics are pointless.

I do care about swearing. It's boorish and shows a lack of intellectual ability to deal with the criticism being made of him. There is big difference between you swearing at something happening in your life and a politician telling members of the public to fuck off. It is nothing to do with "purity politics" whatever that is supposed to mean.

We will have to agree to disagree about the regard Wightman is held in. It is certainly not my experience.

It’s in the times

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sinister-warning-after-green-msps-meeting-apology-pz278q68n

I wonder if this has anything to do with it...

twitter.com/rainbowgreens/status/1051451937143558144?s=19

Essentially, Green Party Scotland rules are that if you don't believe in gender ID you are not allowed in the party. So if Wightman doesn't apologise sufficiently he is out of the party which would be unfortunate as he is both an MSP and one of their most prominent people.

So he is tossing women under a truck as he needs money and backing from the greens for the legal battle. Is that correct?

I've never liked him. His book is poorly researched. His entire public persona is based on telling certain sectors what they want to hear (re. land reform) without the necessary nuance or context.
Thinking about it, him getting involved in GRA issues without knowing the nuance or context is quite in keeping with his attitude towards everything. But on land reform, he found an issue where there was a lack of knowledge and a multitude of support. Neither is true of having a female-supporting position on the GRA.
I have no sympathy for him. I'm only pleased his retraction has shown some people what he is really like ie craven, self-serving, unprincipled.

Would anyone happen to have a share token for the Times article?

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sinister-warning-after-green-msps-meeting-apology-pz278q68n?shareToken=6c1810a23431b3b005d7bf514d959439

Thank you Everard, you're a star!

Unfortunately the people who were mostly responding to him on twitter and ergo were the 'everyone' in 'everyone fuck off' were women.

I was at the meeting on Wednesday at Edinburgh Uni. I was pleased to see so many female politicians there as well as Andy. He asked a good question and he then tweeted positively about the meeting after. Clearly the leadership took a dim view of it. It's the party's actions that are the main concern. But its also sad he had to do it.

The Times moderating policy seems to have a problem with a comment of mine, which others on here have also mentioned, that an MP/MSP, should not be telling members of the public to fuck off.