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.

"As liberals we champion everyone’s right to live the life they want."

Lib Dems policy on this issue really makes me worry about all their other policies.

The rights I need as a woman have absolutely nothing to do with my identity. As an example, women's rights will always depend on free access to birth control, while men will always be able to just walk away.
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Women's rights have always been impacted by the fact that most women can be physically dominated by most men. No amount of expensive cosmetic surgery changes that.

This always makes me think of Maslow's hierarchy. I can't foresee a time when women won't have to fight for their basic needs, because of the role that women play in the reproductive process. The Lib Dems are worried about affirmation and validation, while women are fighting to keep language that enables them to protect their most basic rights.

"Trans women forced into men's spaces are at higher risk of sexual assault."

Under current Lib Dem policy, self ID would make all spaces men's spaces.

Precisely. Unless and until a party can guarantee that my basic needs will be met I simply cannot and will not spare the time or energy to worry about other people's higher level emotional validation "needs", especially when giving them what they want would come at the expense of my own basic needs being met.

Trans rights are human rights yet the Labour manifesto cannot bring itself to say so.

Can these people really not understand the difference between the right to equal participation in society and the right to a service that enables a specific group to participate equally in society?

I might as well argue that women's rights are human rights so all women should have blue badges on their cars.

Human rights are human rights.
What’s a right and what’s a want?
What’s a need and what’s a like to have?
Can one groups ‘rights’ trump another’s? Who decides?

If an argument can only be made by repeating 5 words (With no follow-up that isn’t ‘bigot!’) then it isn’t an argument.

The more the Lib Dems attack Labour over this, the more certain I become that Labour’s manifesto really is a significant step towards recognising the rights of women and girls.

There is, for the first time in ages, a significant difference between the Lib Dems/Greens and Labour on this issue.

The Lib Dems are looking increasingly crackers.

Did anyone see the tweet from the YoungLiberals yesterday, I don’t think they got the response they wanted.

I’m seeing conflicting report of what labour are actually saying ‘we are standing up for woman!’ Vs ‘we are changing the definition of the word woman!’ God help us.

The wokest Labour supporters just don’t want to believe that their precious party knows what a woman is (with the exception of Dawn Butler and her BFFs).

That young liberals tweet was amazing - so many men in the replies, telling them to fuck off.

The ratios in support of women are overwhelming. Twitter is no longer depressing,

www.vogue.com/article/gwendolyn-ann-smith-interview-transgender-day-of-remembrance/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Think again. I don’t know why I look at twitter...

(It’s the photo used - also see photo lower down of them being interviewed by a female reported head and shoulders shorter than them - for scale)

Oh my god. It’s like a trompe l’oeil, is that a tiny women with a microphone or a normal size woman and a giant?

The first picture shows one of those stunning and brave baseball bats too.

The more the Lib Dems attack Labour over this, the more certain I become that Labour’s manifesto really is a significant step towards recognising the rights of women and girls.
There is, for the first time in ages, a significant difference between the Lib Dems/Greens and Labour on this issue.

I'm watching very carefully but so far, I'm inclined to agree DuMonde. Each time a Lib Dem/Green doubles down, there's a tiny bit more daylight between them and the Labour manifesto.

Lib Dems policy on this issue really makes me worry about all their other policies.

Absolutely agree with this. There is very little concern in the party about policies that leave people vulnerable, such as labelling prostitution as work or business transaction, yet all this faux worry over 'trans rights' when people dare to voice concerns about women's safety, the erasure of LGB and what is happening to gender-nonconforming kids. There's no logic or leadership. It's a combination of the worst of authoritarianism and libertarianism.

a combination of the worst of authoritarianism and libertarianism

Yes!

Do trans people not have a sex? How is sex based rights aimed at excluding trans people when they have a sex...

Lib Dems policy on this issue really makes me worry about all their other policies.

Which is why I can't understand why people take their view on Brexit as gospel. Ignore democratic vote results and biological reality. Policies cut from the same cloth quite frankly.

But then I have to sit on the naughty step for lots of things.

Leave voting racist
GC transphobe
Porn hating prude
Prostitution hating swerf
Anti head covering islamophobe.

Maybe I forgot some

Same treatment each time. I try to say my truth but those with a conflicting vested interest just label me. I'm getting pretty used to it though.

Antilles. I am firmly on the naughty step as well. In addition I am a landlord who sent my children to private school.

It has been weird. On many levels I am a decent sort of person. Cared for elderly parents, a loyal friend, held down a worthwhile public sector job and paid my taxes on time, careful about heating and other environmental stuff, volunteered for community things and so on. Yet the woke friends on Facebook kept telling me how dreadful I was.

I decided that if I were so dreadful I might as well speak up.

I think local party people are in the dark about this (mine too), for the same reasons as most of the rest of the population – they’ve all been hoodwinked. Luckily, it sounds like at least one person somebody spoke to was shocked when they actually realised the implications – we just need to keep on spreading the word (even though I completely realise how difficult that is).

I can understand why some people think that voting LibDem anyway is mad - but it really depends on your priorities. Right now, as a mum and an NHS professional, my priority is remaining in the EU and saving the NHS, our economy and hopefully not lurching so far to the right as we will if we leave.

Ironically, if we do let this country go in the direction it seems to be hurtling, we probably will find that sex-based rights will get a boost – but for all the wrong reasons.

It’s absolutely Hobsons choice – and the fact that the women’s equality party don’t support sex based rights makes it even more absurd.

I think we all have to do the best that we can in a really difficult situation and it’s not really surprising that it’s hard to come up with ideal political solutions at the moment.

After this election, the issues may be more straightforward (okay, at least not so single issue), but for those of us who just aren’t Conservatives of any ilk, I think it will remain incredibly difficult because we are politically homeless.

Oh that pictuire of the baseball bat lady! She is HUGE!

Needmore I feel a bit like you. I teach in a private school to the horror of some, and can tick off all of the labels that you have been given too including 'racist' as I think that any ritual slaughter of animals without stunning should be banned immediately

The welfare of women and children, animals and the planet are the things closest to my heart and yet I find myself painted as an extreme right wing fascist monster in this brave new world of ours.

James Baker @Jamesdbaker1 really doesn't know whether he's coming or going.

Nov 21: 'I don't think accusing people of hate speech is very helpful'

Nov 23: I've been 'subjected to a hate-mob' of people who have politely disagreed with me after I claim to have innocently used a term I didn't know was an insult.

I think local party people are in the dark about this (mine too), for the same reasons as most of the rest of the population – they’ve all been hoodwinked.

Yes there's that as well. My local candidate is absolutely brilliant on issues like homelessness, and I am so pissed off that I won't be able to vote for them. The policy on spousal consent was the final straw for me. Zero consideration of spouses' rights, and that irresponsible talk of suicides.
What happened to evidence-based policies?

My local Lib Deb will not reposnd to my questions on this issue. Labour and Tories did but the LDs and Greens are silent.