Extinction Rebellion says TWAW, no debate.

[WarmthAndDepth]

So disappointed to see this on FB and Twitter today, issued by Extinction Rebellion UK.
What science is it we're meant to be following?
Which truth are we telling again?
I really thought they'd do better than this.
Until this afternoon mods appeared to be deleting comments questioning the statement, but this evening some dissenting voices have been left to stand, at least for now.
Infuriating.

📢📣🌈 TRANS PRIDE 🌈📣📢

Extinction Rebellion offers our unconditional support and solidarity to all trans people in the face of unrelenting attacks from Trans-Exclusionary-Radical-Feminists, the media, elected politicians, and even from leading voices within the environmental movement.

We do not believe that the existence of trans people, or the clearly documented oppression and abuse they experience is a topic that should be up for debate.

Trans women are women.
Trans men are men.
Non-binary and all other gender expressions which do not conform to the gender that person is assigned at birth are valid, legitimate, and true.
This is not up for debate.

Ultimately, transphobic rhetoric legitimises both structural and personal violence against trans people.

We state loudly and clearly: Trans liberation is intrinsic and inseparable from the liberation of all of humanity. Trans comrades are at the front and centre of our struggles, and long may they remain so.

Take action on July 4th
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

That is what I felt during the big London actions of last year.

I try to use as little plastic as possible: go to the market for fruit rather than M&S, use shampoo bars, decide actively how to get somewhere with walking, cycling and public transport preferred to car, keep my house at a lower temperature and wear a jumper, repair and mend, and so on. Think about carbon emissions before booking a holiday. I would love to see emphasis given on other things I could do.

Instead ER had all sorts of plastic tat specially printed, and which they left behind. No real sign that they had any interest in practical steps. Every chance many of them have higher carbon emissions than I do.

So XR basically believe this study which suggested that you only need 3.5% of the population to take action (e.g. a protest) to get meaningful change. Their whole strategy is essentially designed around that which is why they think they don't have to engage the general public at large. As long as they can convince 3.5% of the population then they will win (or so they believe).

The problem is that they have massively overestimated the proportion of the population who are middle class "woke" hippies. Because these people live in bubbles where everyone is like them, and everyone supports XR, they're painfully disconnected from the rest of society. I mean I don't mind a bit of eco-warrior, hippy shit every now and again but going to one of their meetings was too much even for me. I could just about cope with the jazz hands instead of clapping but I ran away as soon as the group singing started.

Looks like XR are trying to distance themselves from this group

What keeps bothering me is the way they phrase it.

TWAW, any challenge to that is a challenge to their existence, is harassment, is hate, etc. etc. etc.

Goes to show they are nothing but authoritarian bullies.

I am broadly, if critically, sympathetic to XR, and (like the other people I know who are involved in XR) I thought the train action was deeply, deeply stupid.

What pisses me off about this "TWAW!" statement is that it flies in the face of scientific consensus, and weakens XR's ability to build a broad movement.

What really really pisses me off is that XR as it is currently constituted was built on the work of thousands and thousands of people, many, many of them women, who were not consulted about this. XR as a movement has been stolen, like so many other movements, from the women who built them.