'Virtue signalling coward' Labour's war escalates

[BovaryX]

The Labour war over the trans pledge has escalated, with Rebecca LB et al accused of virtue signalling cowardice. Also, the decision to allow self identified 'women' onto women's only Labour shortlists is going to be legally challenged. Labour have created this absurdity and now the laughable contradictions will be exposed to public scrutiny and ridicule.

Labour’s civil war over transgender rights descended into even deeper bitterness last night after one of Jeremy Corbyn’s senior aides called leadership hopeful Rebecca Long Bailey a ‘virtue-signalling coward’ for threatening to expel feminists from the party – and a crowdfunded legal challenge was mounted against the party

July 2018 Pink News article by Nick Duffy
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan condemns anti-transgender group who ‘hijacked’ Pride march

(extract)
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has now condemned the protesters in a statement to PinkNews.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London told PinkNews: “Pride is about celebrating difference and London’s amazing LGBT+ community.

“It’s about showing those round the world that in our great city you can be free to be whoever you want to be and love whoever you want to love.

“The vast majority of those present at today’s march respected and embraced that and the Mayor condemns the tiny minority who did not.

“Transphobia is never acceptable.” (continues)
www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/07/07/mayor-of-london-sadiq-khan-pride-transgender/

threads about the pro-lesbian group, 'Get the L Out'
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3301033-Get-the-L-Out-Statement-by-the-lesbian-protesters-at-Pride-London

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3547287-Fantastic-report-from-Get-The-L-Out-please-share-widely

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3337090-Get-the-L-Out-Interviewed-by-Let-a-Woman-Speak

He's had his arse handed to him on Twitter. Several people have identified as Mayor, and several more have demanded he does his day job.

Khan has made me so bloody angry. What would his parents think about what he has just said?

Dr Julia Long asks Lisa Nandy 3 questions:

Should male child rapists be housed in female or male estate prison?

Should male sex offenders who identify as women have their crimes be recorded as committed by women?

Should women in the Labour party be described as being in a 'hate group' if we ask questions like this?

thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3824781-Lisa-Nandy-says-child-rapists-should-be-in-women-s-prisons-if-they-identify-as-female

STILLTish article on current prison policy under Conservative government:

19th Sept 2019
'Ministry of Justice: Updated Policy on caring for Transgender Prisoners'
(extract)
The policy exposes how far the, legally protected, characteristic of sex has been eroded, by allowing anyone, regardless of biology, to declare they are a woman. The prison system is illustrative of just how far Gender Identity ideology is embedded within our legislature and enshrined in public policy.

Below is a quote 👇 from James Morton, of the Scottish Trans Alliance, which shows that Female prisoners are the subjects of a dangerous laboratory experiment. James is listed as an author of the Scottish Prisons Policy which deals with Transgender Prisoners. As James is a lobbyist for Trans Rights there is only one group at the forefront of the policy. Spoiler. Its not Women.

‘We strategized – we strategized – that by working intensively with the Scottish Prison Service to support them to include trans women as women on a self-declaration basis within very challenging circumstances, we would be able to ensure that all other public services should be able to do likewise’.

The above quote is illustrative of a complete disregard for the female prison population; one of the most vulnerable groups in our society. Domestic violence refuges, rape crisis centres and female prisons do seem to figure prominently in the targeted locations. Captive females are being targeted for this new branch of Men’s rights activism." (continues)

concludes: "I also have not spent a huge amount of time on the how hamstrung the front line staff are. They can’t make a prisoner disclose their sex. They can’t conduct a search with the purpose of identifying the sex of their prisoner. They can’t use blood tests to determine if a prisoner is on a regime of hormones. They can’t tell female prisoners if they have a male incarcerated with them. For MTFs it is rare for non-celebrities to have what is called “passing privilege” so I imagine it is perfectly obvious to the women. Yet the prison officers commit a criminal offence if they share that information. The prisoner has the right to demand to be searched by someone of the same “”gender” so female staff are also being disregarded.

Quite rightly the prison service is concerned that MTF Transgender people are at risk in the male estate. What jars is that this risk is explicitly acknowledged and care taken to protect a “transwomen” in the male estate. By contrast women in the female estate are not even allowed to know a male is housed within their estate.

Once again it is abundantly clear that the authorities have simply not consulted or listened to women. We are here. We are raising our voices. This is NOT ok."
gendercriticalwoman.wordpress.com/2019/09/19/ministry-of-justice-new-policy-on-caring-for-transgender-prisoners/

I do wish some of the women on these threads would put themselves forward to be leaders of our political parties. With offerings such as Theresa May, Caroline Lucas and now Rebecca Long-Bailey, I am not surprised that men who join women's short lists with qualifications of lipstick and a dress are voted in.

I've been thinking about this, and I wonder if it isn't the reason candidates seem to be so often shit.

Most people who know me socially would say I am pretty soft spoken and easy to get along with. Maybe too much so to ever run for a political party. If, however, I wre ever to decide to run for a political party, I would never be cleared. I have way to many strong opinions on issues that I have said clearly in public settings, and which do not toe the line in terms of wokeness or political correctness or whatever you want to call it.

No political party would touch me with 10 foot pole. The only ones who might look twice here in Canada are the Conservatives which is funny since economically I am more like a Marxist. Even if I had only half the opinions I actually have spoken about, I'd never be allowed to stand.

I really think that no one who has ever taken a stand over one out of step thing - if if it was in step at the time - can get into politics now. Which leaves the extremely cautious, the mentally bland, and those who are morally dead and just go where they see the wind blowing.

14th September 2020

James Kirkup 'If MPs can’t debate a rapist in a woman’s jail, politics has failed'
(extract)
Last week, it was confirmed that the State put a rapist and paedophile in a women’s prison. That rapist, who uses the name Karen White, then sexually assaulted four women in that prison.

This is, of course, an outrage, a failure of public administration of the first order. Many people are angry, among them members of the Government that oversaw this failure. Many people have questions about how that failure came about. How did the Prison Service come to decide that Karen White, a person with a male body and a history of violent sexual crimes, should be put in New Hall prison? (New Hall, incidentally, also has a ‘mother and baby unit.’ The State did not just put a rapist in a women’s jail, they put a convicted paedophile in prison with children).

Was this just a catastrophic failure of judgement? Was it the result of flawed policy on the handling of transgender inmates? Did a climate of unthinking acquiescence to the demands of a highly effective transgender rights lobby contribute to this horrible mistake?

These are all legitimate questions, questions that should be debated and answered by the ministers responsible. These are the questions that Parliament exists to debate: questions about the conduct of public policy." (continues)

David Davies, Tory MP for Monmouth, thus tabled an Urgent Question, a parliamentary request for the House to summon a minister to discuss the issues raised by the Karen White case, and of other transgender sex offenders in the prison estate. (Yes, there are others. There is at least one male-born rapist in a women’s prison today.)

The decision to grant a UQ and summon a minister rests with the Speaker, John Bercow. He grants a lot of UQs. That annoys ministers but pleases backbenchers. It’s probably the best aspect of his tenure as Speaker. I know he annoys a lot of people, but he’s been a good servant of the Commons, giving the legislature greater bite on the executive.

Given that, I’d have bet on him accepting a UQ on Karen White and transgender inmates. He didn’t. Mr Davies says the Speaker rejected his request. There are whispers that at least one other MP was also rebuffed.

To recap: the State put a rapist in a jail full of vulnerable women. That rapist then sexually assaulted four of those women. MPs wanted to know how that happened, and to question the ministers responsible for those events. The Speaker of the House of Commons said they could not do so.

The story of transgender policy in Britain today is a story of political failure, where many people fail to do their job and speak openly about matters of clear public interest. Writing about it this year, I’ve grown accustomed to that failure, though no less angry about it." (continues)
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3365319-new-kirkup-article-about-bercow-s-refusal-to-let-mps-discuss-karen-white

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3366045-Why-did-Speaker-John-Bercow-refuse-to-let-MPs-debate-the-state-sponsored-abuse-of-women

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3396169-John-Bercow-sex-pest-ridicules-GC-Women-friend-of-Pink-News-Edward-Lord-who-refused-UQ-about-prison-policy-following-Karen-White-Case-Unconnected

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3298016-John-Bercows-rant-about-Gender-Critical-women

The above from James Kirkup is September 2018, not 2020.

The story of transgender policy in Britain today is a story of political failure, where many people fail to do their job and speak openly about matters of clear public interest

Well said. Absolutely agree. It is political failure and it is an indictment of craven, pandering politicos devoid of principles, devoid of intelligence, motivated by a base desire for power.

CaptainKirksSpikeyGhost apologies, yes typo, 2018!

The last week on twitter I’ve seen two minor celebrities that I follow post something along the lines of ‘Stop DMing me telling me to unfollow Graham Linehan’.

There seems to be a massive mobilisation behind the scenes targeting individuals for minor transgressions and telling them to toe the line.

These activists are forcing people to take a position. That may backfire.

A mate of mine noticed a comment today on the Instagram of a comedy show she follows expressing shock and sadness that the show’s Twitter account follows Glinner and the hope they would immediately unfollow him because they’ve been such great LGBTQ+ allies in the past and he’s such a tewwible twansphobe. So yeah, definitely some sort of concerted effort.

CaptainKirksSpikeyGhost apologies, yes typo, 2018!

No need for apologies, it's great to have you back posting again.

A mate of mine noticed a comment today on the Instagram of a comedy show she follows expressing shock and sadness that the show’s Twitter account follows Glinner and the hope they would immediately unfollow him because they’ve been such great LGBTQ+ allies in the past and he’s such a tewwible twansphobe. So yeah, definitely some sort of concerted effort.

Graham Linehan's witness statement to Harry Miller's (Fair Cop) judiciary review is worth reading. Maybe some people are determined that other's dont?

glinner.co.uk/harry-miller-fair-cop-witness-statement/

Is it actually possible that, of the four candidates, only Starmer sat down and read the pledge with his entire attention?
He's a lawyer, so I'd expect him to have read it fully and considered all the implications of putting his name to it. My guess is that he waited for the other three to sign it - and wreck their chances of the leadership - before putting his name to the non-libellous pledge!

Isn't RLB a lawyer too?

Is it just me or is this thoroughly depressing some? I can't concentrate on work I am so frightened / sad / outraged.

Starmer, Thornberry and Long-Bailey all lawyers. Nandy a professional policy adviser to the the Children's Society and the Childrens Commissioner for England and Wales.

@Nandy a professional policy adviser to the the Children's Society and the Childrens Commissioner for England and Wales.@ Sickening

@Nandy a professional policy adviser to the the Children's Society and the Childrens Commissioner for England and Wales.@ Sickening

I second that emotion. Sickening and dangerous. In British Colombia the percentage of children in care being transed is extraordinarily high, like some eugenic dystopia.

If I were on the board at the Children's Society I'd be pushing for her dismissal.

thecatfromjapan I'd like to hug you for your post, and not just because Ziggy got me through my adolescence.

I feel really unlucky that I began to feel I was ageing and losing touch just as things began to turn dystopian – Trump, Brexit, the Labour party imploding, populism on the rise etc – because I never know if it's me turning into a dinosaur that's made the world seem so strange or whether it really is the world. That has, I think, made it much easier for younger women to dismiss older feminists, because some of us at least are feeling slightly undermined by what's happening generally in the world and younger women too often seem to think they've got a handle on things I'm struggling to understand in any depth.

I swore I would never be one of those older women who kept going on about the good old days but fuckkit, I come from a world where men wore frocks and make-up (shout out for Billy Porter) and where androgyny and being gay or lesbian was cool and where feminism was discussed at school and girls wore Doc Martens.

Your post identified exactly what has made me so uncomfortable around so many younger women – even those in their 40s who don't think of themselves as young. Most of them are too polite to say so, but I'm sure they regard my radfem views and the questions I ask of them as being irrelevant in the 21st century.

It's as if feminism is like alchemy, something that was once important but now irrelevant. I'm a feminist to my bones. Once you get feminism that's it: you see the bogey-man's shadow everywhere. It's such a head-fuck to have otherwise amazing, smart, digital women pretending that the bogey-man doesn't exist and implying I'm a bit sad and dated for believing in him.

I hear these very clever young women on Radio 4 from time to time (there's one with a 15-minute show on at the moment at 13.45 presenting Equal As We Are, which I presumed to be ironic but it may not be) and they are as sharp and educated as hell and it's all gender, gender, gender, identity, identity, identity but never sex and never, as a result, feminism. How can you have feminism when you don't have sex?

I think a lot of young women do get it though. I've been talking about feminism with my DD since she was very small.
She can see (because she's smart) the subtle (and not so subtle) ways women have been held back, silenced and marginalised.
For example, once you do see the name calling (witch, bigot) etc for what it is - a means to disempower what you say, it makes you look at the people saying it in a different way. No debate is a bullies mantra.

All the time that the likes of Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell and Peter Tatchell feel they can pontificate on all subjects regardless of their knowledge, I will continue to fight for feminist issues, regardless of my age.

I hear these very clever young women on Radio 4 from time to time (there's one with a 15-minute show on at the moment at 13.45 presenting Equal As We Are, which I presumed to be ironic but it may not be) and they are as sharp and educated as hell and it's all gender, gender, gender, identity, identity, identity but never sex and never, as a result, feminism. How can you have feminism when you don't have sex?

Except that I don't think they are educated, beyond a very narrow area. I find the same thing with a lot of the young people I talk to about identity politics topics. They are really ignorant, compared even to the kids I was in high school with. All their knowledge has a very peculiar filter on it.

Your post actually makes me think of a couple of Times articles yesterday about a study that indicates that Boomers are a good deal more invested in environmentally friendly lifestyles than millennials or those in their early 20s. And yet the young Greta types seem totally unaware.
I know young people always are somewhat inclined to think they invented the wheel, but as a young person in high school and then university I was very aware of things like the sexual revolution, the hippy movement, back to the landers. Or the music of my parents, I remember trying to see all the old classic movies at one point, Orson Wells, I watched all of Marlon Brando's films, I took a stab at reading Chaucer in grade 10. But my daughter's age group peers (15) up through my cousins in their 20s, they are incredibly focused on the right now.