Ms Butler doubled down on her support for the campaign this morning, saying that the groups named in the pledge had ‘displayed some transphobia’. But she admitted that she had to ‘clarify’ some of the ‘troubling’ wording
Well I do hope she took a bit of time to find out more about the campaign & not just ask about a couple of difficult words.
The chair of Labour Campaign for Trans Rights helpfully published a long read article 11th October 2020
'For Trans Liberation'
By
Torr Robinson
(extract)
"The methods and ideology underpinning the new transphobia contains some important variations, although many of its advocates have proven themselves willing to build alliances with each other across typical political divides. The rightist, Conservative form of transphobia is the most easily explicable as simple social conservatism, still often levelled at LGBT people in general, taking aim at a new, more vulnerable target through the traditional right-wing press. Their interest is the same as ever: to keep the oppressed down and maintain their power. On the left, it takes the more complex form of a particular biological reductionism falsely interpreted through Marxist materialism – although it is what Marx himself would have called a “vulgar materialism” which fails to account for the material social order, and reduces human beings to chemical processes.
However, Britain’s most prominent form of transphobia is the intellectualised and respectable brand pushed by centrist liberals. This transphobia is incubated throughout publications like the New Statesman or The Guardian and portrays its position as being one of “reasonable discussion”. Trans questions are framed as more of an intellectual oddity than of issues relating to actual people – and moreover, as an intellectual question which they would rather not resolve in favour of any radical break from the poverty of mainstream liberalism.
But whatever ideological coating they choose, what unites them is more than what divides them, and that is a fundamental hatred of trans people. It is this which motivates them above all else. Their mutual willingness to work together in poisoning the well of British culture against trans people; and to share their methods and resources amongst each other to do so, makes this fact blatantly obvious.
Our politicians have proven themselves deeply susceptible to this campaign of transphobia, or in fact directly complicit and active with it. In the Scottish National Party, the anti-Brexit court warrior Joanna Cherry has applied just as much legal skill towards restricting transgender rights. Although Jo Swinson took a pro-trans position in the general election, the Liberal Democrats have shown little compunction when welcoming transphobic bigots like the ex-Tory Phillip Lee into their ranks.
In the Labour Party, transphobic motions have been repeatedly passed at CLPs without response from the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), just as transphobes are able to remain members against our own equalities policy. Jess Phillips has also signalled support for transphobic hate groups such as Woman’s Place UK, a group who John McDonnell was willing to meet with “in confidence”, and Laura Pidcock has alarmed many by her repeated use of transphobic dog-whistles and talking points in various articles and public appearances." (continues)
tribunemag.co.uk/2020/02/the-labour-campaign-for-trans-rights