Lib Dems actively deterring GC women

[DontBuyANewMumCashmere]

Today I emailed the Lib Dems expressing an interest in joining their party.

I stated no one should receive discrimination or abuse for their transgender status but explained that I am GC and I asked if there was room for GC women in the party.

I received the following response:
Thank you for getting in touch. Whilst we appreciate your interest in joining, you should be aware that the Liberal Democrats are a trans inclusive party, and we have made it clear that we fully behind trans communities. As liberals we champion everyone’s right to live the life they want. By the sounds of your email it appears that your values are not aligned with ours so we are probably not the right the party for you.

I am flabbergasted. I didn't expect that I would have to believe that humans can change biological sex in order to be a member of the Lib Dems.

I am so disappointed. I was going to vote for them in the GE (passionate Remainer) but I cannot if this is their response.

There is no one to vote for. I am lost.

Permanent That’s about the worst thing you could have done. Vote Libdem if you wish. That’s your choice, but don’t write to them, telling them that though they treat women like sh** you’ll still be sticking with them (sounds a bit like a domestic abuse situation, doesn’t it?). They don’t actually care why people vote for them, especially when we’re talking about one person’s vote. They’ll just take from that that they are going about things the right way because their supporters will stick with them even if they hate self-ID.

And no, they won’t be quivering in their boots at your threat to fight them tooth and nail.

Bugger. I was another one who had gritted her teeth and decided to vote LibDem as a tactical push to get the long term Tory MP out this time.
My local candidate is great and has campaigned on local issues that are dear to my heart. I've emailed him for a response.
I agree that there is not a party that represents half of the population.

Yup its rubbish. I've spent a long time thinking about it and in this constituency it is the best I can do for the range of things I believe in. If I lived somewhere different it might not be the case.

But random but could someone Please tell me how to start a new conversation thread? Been trying for ages and cant see how to do it!!!!! Thank you

permanent that's fine you can vote for whoever you want, but the email just made it worse tbh! You'd have been better off (or the gc cause would have been better off) just voting for them without explaining that you are gc but are going to vote anyway. That's what they expect people to do!

Under ‘Feminism Chat* it should say ‘Start new thread in this topic’. Click on that.

When will people realise that the Lib-Dem party line is very firmly that " there is no hierarchy of equality", and that they support Gender Self ID as a matter of priority?

It doesn't really matter what you own local candidate really thinks. This is the party line, and this is the policy. Witness the the way Luciana Berger recently embarrassed herself by having to speak this without really having ever thought about it deeply; nor believing in it.

Right, I’m not voting LD now...

Oh it's worse with my candidate, she really believes the policy and she promotes it. The only crack is that she also likes approval. A lot. I think she believes that nice people agree with her.

I dont understand how the email makes things worse. The 'worse' is that I'm voting for her, surely, it doesn't improve from there but it doesn't get worse either?

I've emailed my MP. I've told them my decision; that I am going to vote LD tactically because I refuse to vote a Tory in

So they have your vote. That's all they will care about

If people care so much about this issue then they should vote Conservative. The only party who have said they will look at it and have concerns

Yes. I'm really not seeing the logic in telling the Lib Dem in advance that you disagree but are going to vote for them anyway.

Well I've just told our local LD canvasser exactly why I won't be voting for his party.

I was polite, clear and firm. The only word for his reaction was appalled. He was appalled at what I told him, he seemed to have absolutely no idea what views the party he is campaigning for has on self-id.
He seemed utterly unaware. He had no idea what Luciana Berger said on R4 this week.

I told him that, no matter what great policies the Lib Dems may have, I could never vote for a party that sold the sex-based rights of women down the river.

I asked him to feed back my response from the doorstep, upwards.

Why are local party supporters in the dark about this?

Doesn’t exactly look good for them does it? This thread has made up my mind for me.

Yes. I'm really not seeing the logic in telling the Lib Dem in advance that you disagree but are going to vote for them anyway.

Unfortunately what they're likely to take away from that is that the fact that some members/previous votes are grumbling about their trans related policies isn't a problem because those people will still vote for them anyway. A reluctant vote counts just the same as an enthusiastic one for electoral purposes.

Have they told men who believe that male and female human beings exist in a biological sense not to vote for them as well?

What to do if a candidate has told you they are personally pro women and not happy with how things have gone and will do their best internally to get things changed,
Would you vote for him/her, and hope? All other policies align with your political views.

He was appalled at what I told him, he seemed to have absolutely no idea what views the party he is campaigning for has on self-id. He seemed utterly unaware. He had no idea what Luciana Berger said on R4 this week.

I tell you what’s appalling. That your prospective MP doesn’t have a clue about his own party’s actual policies on self ID and all that entails. I honestly struggle to understand how anyone who thinks this is a significant feminist issue can vote for them.

Even if a candidate said they didn't agree with this policy and wanted to work internally to change it, no I wouldn't vote for them.

Not on this issue - it's too important.

And, as previous posters have said, the Lib Dems (and other parties) need to know that women will not give them their vote while they treat half of the population with contempt.

BovaryX this was a party canvasser, not the actual candidate.

Looking forward to them knocking on my door though!

Plus any given candidate may want to change things from within but that doesn't mean they have a chance in hell of actually doing so.

SisterWendy, you know what I think is so appalling? It’s the arrogant sense of entitlement to women’s votes even as they adopt policies which will permanently undermine the definition of that demographic! Can’t stand them

Not Lib Dem.
My view was its surely better to have people active in their party, who are GC, trying to change policy from within as well? Otherwise, how will the policies ever change?

Just a point to note here, though not wanting to derail. I have never ever voted Conservative, and would find it very difficult to do so, however...

The prospective Tory candidate turned up at my door a few weeks ago. We had a long
chat- about anti-semitism, self-id and gender non conforming children being given puberty blockers.

This guy is a medic, working with autistic children. He knew all about the issues with the Tavistock, he knew about Marcus Evans resigning as a trustee and why he did so. He listened compassionately to me telling him about my ROGD daughter and her swift route to being prescribed testosterone.

He promised that if he was voted in he would work to get these issues properly heard and addressed.

My gob was literally smacked when I closed the door.

^He knew all about the issues with the Tavistock, he knew about Marcus Evans resigning as a trustee and why he did so. He listened compassionately to me telling him about my ROGD daughter and her swift route to being prescribed testosterone.
He promised that if he was voted in he would work to get these issues properly heard and addressed My gob was literally smacked when I closed the door.^

Sister, it’s good to hear that some Conservatives are aware of this issue and speaking fluently about it with potential voters. If they were smart, the Tories should be making an explicit effort to woo alienated voters from the Lib Dems and Labour. There’s a first time for everything and maybe this is the first time a significant number of women switch political allegiance and vote Tory.....

It's very difficult, isn't it, when you have a decent human being as a candidate for a political party that you just can't support. I've been in this situation in the past (with a Tory) he was the best ever constituency MP I ever had, tireless in support, even when he didn't agree with my position, he would do his best, as our MP, to help. .

My view was its surely better to have people active in their party, who are GC, trying to change policy from within as well? Otherwise, how will the policies ever change?

You’d have to be pretty brave to be pro-GC in the Lib Dems, Green or Labour though, given the vitriol that’s likely to be thrown at you.