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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

Pro Remain GC feminists - who are you voting for?

273 replies

Fantasisa · 07/12/2019 20:00

Just that. I feel like the only option available to me is spoiling my ballot which is clearly a terrible waste.

OP posts:
merrymouse · 08/12/2019 21:49

OK, so for those voting Lib Dem, let’s say they get in. What’s the next step to protect women’s rights?

Keep on fighting.

The government can't just change the law. Bills have to be drafted and go through several stages in both the House of Commons and House of Lords.

bitheby · 08/12/2019 21:51

Lib Dem. I live in a Tory Lib Dem marginal so I have to vote Lib Dem to keep the Tory out which will be a tall order without the Brexit Party standing.

There are a few of us GC Lib Dem women on the inside trying to influence policy. We'll keep at it.

SirVixofVixHall · 08/12/2019 21:55

Lib Dems - the refusal to engage with women on gender issues, plus the massive funding from a manufacturer of puberty blockers. I really could not vote for them. I would spoil my ballot rather than give them a vote.

SirVixofVixHall · 08/12/2019 21:57

I thought that anything in the manifesto was assumed to be the choice of the people and so speedily passed ?

StandUpStraight · 08/12/2019 21:57

Sure, I know how laws are made merry. But I think the fight will get a hell of a lot harder with this in the manifesto.

RHTawneyonabus · 08/12/2019 22:01

I’ve voted Lib Dem forever. I will this time because of Brexit, realistically they are never carrying out any of their policies are they? However unless they sort out their horrendous attitude to women that will be it for me. I could never vote Con and the others are all much the same in this issue so I guess I’ll have to stop voting altogether

TheLevellers · 08/12/2019 22:04

But the Lib Dems are not going to get in. I mean yes it's dangerous in principle to make assumptions like that (see e.g. David Cameron assuming Leave wouldn't win and the Labour members who nominated Corbyn assuming he wouldn't be elected), but in this case we really would know by now from polls if there was the slightest chance of an actual Lib Dem government. So voting for an individual Lib Dem candidate is just not going to bring about a Lib Dem government. It might avoid a "New Righter-Wing Conservative" one though.

I would struggle to vote for the Lib Dems tactically too, but I would have to do it as (a) I think the Tories in charge brings more dangers than the alternative and (b) I think the Conservatives' silence in this campaign on the gender issue represents an absence of evidence rather than evidence of absence (of an anti-woman stance).

I'm in a 'just-about-Labour' seat with the Tories second and the Lib Dems some way behind, and the Labour MP is OK, so I'll be voting Labour - but despite JC, not because of him.

SirVixofVixHall · 08/12/2019 22:09

It is all so depressing. I have never felt this conflicted, and many people I talk to feel the same. I have some friends who think Corbyn is wonderful (and either have no sense of self id or what it might mean, or don’t care) , but many others who feel as stuck as me.

NotTerfNorCis · 08/12/2019 22:12

Labour. I used to vote Lib Dem but they're rotten with identity politics now. Wouldn't vote Tory. Greens are a vote thrown away. And Labour stand the best chance of addressing the damage caused by austerity.

Gingerkittykat · 08/12/2019 22:44

It's a very close race between SNP and Labour here and I'm genuinely undecided.

I'm impressed with some SNP policies, things like carers allowance supplement, grants for newborns and early learning grants disproportionately benefit woman and children.

I'm not impressed with Mhari Black, the GRC proposed reforms but am very impressed with the GC voices.

I like the Labour candidate, she helped me in the past when she was an MSP, I think some Labour policies are batshit but want a non tory government.

theflushedzebra · 08/12/2019 22:55

I thought that anything in the manifesto was assumed to be the choice of the people and so speedily passed ?

Yes, it is.

PermanentTemporary · 08/12/2019 23:22

Next steps? Just keep blathering on about it.

The reason we don't already have self-id, at least legally, is because of publicity and sunlight and just not giving up. 100, 000 responses to the GRA consultation and lots and lots of women being utter pains in the care about this have not rolled back regulatory capture - far from it - but at least now there will be a few people in all political parties who know this is a difficult, messy, controversial fight which leaves them covered in crap whichever way they jump. They are all cautious and careful now and trying to bury things they would have rubber-stamped before. There are women in every party fighting back for sex based rights and by God, for basic facts and safeguarding.

I'm sometimes tempted to think that a single twitter exchange between Martina Navratilova and Dr VIM has done this. But I know it was hundreds of people.

merrymouse · 09/12/2019 06:30

I thought that anything in the manifesto was assumed to be the choice of the people and so speedily passed ?

As we have seen in recent months, depends on the size of your majority.

merrymouse · 09/12/2019 06:43

Also more difficult to claim something is the will of the people if the people are very loudly demonstrating that it isn't.

Madhairday · 09/12/2019 08:37

I'm GC remain and completely lost at sea with it all. Could never vote Tory, I'm disabled and seen too many friends utterly shafted. I'm a lifelong labour voter but I feel completely let down. Don't want to give LD my vote. However I'm in a safe Tory seat so spoiling is probably the best thing I can do... I don't know, though, because if less people vote labour people will get even more despondent about it and never bother. Our forecast says Tory 57% and labour 27% so it feels like a waste of time. Sigh.

bellinisurge · 09/12/2019 08:40

No one. Spoiling paper.

PaleBlueMoonlight · 09/12/2019 08:43

As I think has been said upthread, the worry is a hung parliament with Lib Dems holding a balance of power. Labour and Lib Dems both have self-ID in their manifestos and we know that the SNP are right behind it too. It is therefore an “easy win” to pass that in the interests of doing something (anything!) while there is gridlock on other issues.

I still have no idea what to do with my vote.

jay55 · 09/12/2019 09:03

Independent. I'm in a safe labour seat.

NeurotrashWarrior · 09/12/2019 09:13

The government can't just change the law. Bills have to be drafted and go through several stages in both the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Good point, I've forgotten which parties are hoping to get rid of them?

You're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

As a pp said, We just keep on blathering on about it. The message is getting out there.

LoafEater · 09/12/2019 09:21

I live in Uxbridge. Lifelong labour voter who has has always lived in a safe Tory seat. Despite my huge reservations, I have to try and unseat BJ don’t I?

Pieceofpurplesky · 09/12/2019 09:35

How anyone can vote Tory and claim to be a feminist is beyond me. You are voting for a party with a leader who advised tapping a woman on the bottom to keep her in place and has more than once insulted women of colour. He believes single mothers to be the root of all evil.
The policies of universal credit hit more women than anyone else.

I get self ID is a huge issue - but so is everyday sexism and it is rife in the tory party.

Kuponut · 09/12/2019 09:47

Those of you worrying you're in safe Labour seats - don't be so sure. Seriously. My family are all Labour activists (makes for some interesting dinner table conversation as I'm not) right in the 20k majority type heartland and, to quote my mum the other day, "They are shitting themselves and expecting to lose 2 out of the 3 MPs here"

I'm voting Labour - it's a traditional Tory/Lab marginal and I'm viewing getting the Tories out as priority number 1. It's very much a "none of the above" type scenario with our options - but the constituency is too close to spoil a ballot and I don't think we can cope with another 5 years of the Tories wrecking things generally.

dayoftheclownfish · 09/12/2019 09:56

I'm really not into the 'your feminism is not good enough' line. Contempt for those who have different political views is what has got us identity politics and 'no debate'.

Feminism has always been a broad church, and there are conservative feminists. I wouldn't describe myself as one but I regard the Lib Dems as the most dangerous party for women in the UK, and I am voting to keep them out. It's not just self-ID but also pornography and prostitution. The historical sex abuse cases in the Lib Dems. Lord Rennard. The fact that their first woman leader is the non-entity that is Jo Swinson, doing what she can for the menz and smearing lesbians as violent.

BeyondVotesForFlube · 09/12/2019 10:01

I'd be in a usually strong labour safe seat kupo.

Except that it's also a majority brexit area (kupo) so a lot of usual voters are saying that for the first time in their life they will be voting for someone else - usually they either say brexit party or independent (kupo). Then a lot of remain labour voters say that for the first time - or second for some, re nick clegg - they will be voting libdem as a last chance to remain (kupo). Hence me having to vote labour rather than spoil my ballot as I had originally planned (kupo)

Floisme · 09/12/2019 10:07

I'm really not into the 'your feminism is not good enough' line. Contempt for those who have different political views is what has got us identity politics and 'no debate'.
I agree. I believe it's also given us Brexit and President Trump.