Today’s witch burning - Rosie Duffield MP

[Kit19]

has had to lock down her Twitter account after being inundated with hate for saying women have cervix’s

The TRA are now spamming labour with complaints about her transphobia & demands she is sacked

I’m planning to email my support fir her copying in Keir Starmer

(And yes of course LOJ is involved!)

@Floisme

She's worded it very carefully. As far as I can see, she hasn't said 'TWAW' or made any no mention of 'reparations' so it won't be good enough for them anyway.

I would think KS and others have been involved in this. If she had totally capitulated, then I think KS's chances of making Labour electable would be disappearing into the mist.

What will be interesting will be whether LGBT+Labour stand down. I don't think it will be good enough like u say, but lots at stake here

Lines like this suggest to me she has capitulated:

I will not accept different groups of women being pitted against each other and I know we can work together towards a language that accommodates everyone.

I understand how choice of language is important in this debate and acknowledge that carelessness can cause offence - I am sorry for any offence my own recent use of language on this issue may have caused - I have learnt from this and will continue to do so,

Then the obligatory dig at the Conservative MP she replaced regarding equal marriage and flagging her speech at Pride 2017 just to buff up her credentials.

@Floisme

She's worded it very carefully. As far as I can see, she hasn't said 'TWAW' or made any no mention of 'reparations' so it won't be good enough for them anyway.

You're right, it won't be enough. It's part capitulation, part supplication and very little fight. However, as you point out, she's not TWAWed, she's not promised to re-educate herself and she hasn't taken back any of her tweets. She also has said the debate's been hijacked by extremes at each end of the political spectrum (which is true), rather than casting women's rights campaigners seeking to uphold the law via peaceful means as being as bad as those sending those women rape and death threats or hounding them out of contracts, jobs and gigs.

Definitely not good enough for the extreme trans rights activists in the Labour Party.

Yeah but I've gone from thinking, 'Grrr why did she do that after holding out for so long?' to wondering whether she might, actually have played a bit of a blinder.

It's conciliatory but it's certainly not the statement the LGBT+ group wanted. But if they carry on calling for her head they're going to look total fuckwits. Which might be exactly what KS is hoping for.

As you say highame this looks like it has KS's name all over it.

Of course it's entirely possible that I'm massively overthinking it and she's just gone, 'Fuck this, what's the minimum I can get away with?' and not run it past anyone.

😁 Overthinking is one of my finer skills

Me too! I'm probably just in a good mood and determined to look on the bright side.

I could quibble over much of the statement but I think it's well constructed for its intended purpose: since there's no way she'd be able to say everything the trans activists are demanding, instead she's been remarkably conciliatory and thus is inviting the trans activists either to accept the statement and calm down or to go on the attack and look completely beyond reason. With the bonus that this is being conducted with many people looking on and they'll see if one side looks aggressive and unreasonable.

That's not a bad statement. Satisfies most moderates. Of course, nothing will ever satisfy the TRAs.

'Different groups of women pitted against each other' is intriguing phrasing.

She could mean the list she has made in the statement of 'most women, trans men and some non binary people' is 'different groups of women'. Which would mean she is a naughty transphobe. She could equally mean women and TW. Which is indeed capitulation.

The fact that it's not quite clear makes it a smart enough move to fizzle most of the heat out of this and blur any useful focus it may have brought.

However, it does have a fence sitters hands all over it

then again, if I look at how much traction is given to Jameela & Josie deleting a few tweets, I think it's worth considering Duffieldgate

Definitely fence sitting, but that's why she and KS are in politics and I'm not.

Yeah. I can't say I blame the woman for wanting a bit of a break.

I'd have gone with "Bite me!" myself and I'm on twitter telling them what I think, but not under my own name as Rosie Duffield has to be.

As for Keir Starmer. It's a bad day for Labour when their leader is afraid to step up, but a conservative MP like Jackie Price does.

Rosie Duffield is wisely stepping back from Twitter:

twitter.com/RosieDuffield1/status/1293199592633307137

So LGBT+ Labour want not just an apology, but reparations?! Have they come up with a figure, or suggested appropriate recipients?

I would think a public birching would be acceptable, though I can't be sure

I would call that Twitter post bowing out with her head held high.
If that's the first time she's put her head over the parapet then I honestly applaud her. Even JK Rowling retreated behind a 'middle aged moment' (or her agent did) in the early stages.

A card of support is in order for Rosie, especially if her email inbox is jammed up (c18k) as people under her tweet are suggesting.

Absolutely Flo.

I'll bet her constituents are livid, after all it was a Conservative seat

First read I felt disappointed. Next few reads I noticed carefully chosen phrases such as apologising for offence caused by her words, rather than the words themselves. The call for debate and respectful discussion is good, and we know full well who hasn't been respectful or open to debate. Clear commitment to women's rights and no real ground given over.
I also like the reference to some trans men needing cervical screenings, rather than anything close to TWAW. I think by referring to women and trans men - ie.by using the prefix trans to differentiate between men and trans men - it's reasonable to think she doesn't include trans women in the women group. Could have done without the mention of non binary.

Yep, good plan. I'll send her a card. I think she's been brave, sensible and respectful in the face of some ridiculous over-reactions from the LGBT Labour lot and others. Possibly rather wise, too, in avoiding getting into a big slanging match on social media.

And asking for debate - that's all that's needed. Clear, respectful, open debate. Using evidence, statistics and consultation with stakeholders. I'm hopeful that this is a glimmer of sense within Labour.

It was just like that time mum refused their request for Fanta in their sippy cup

, Floral.

I think Rosie comes out of this well, strong, reasonable and willing to learn and listen. I thought it was a clever statement but it won't be enough for the extremists. They'll go on with the twitter bile (which she has removed herself from) and make themselves look totally unreasonable to the public.

I've just Wikipedia'd Duffield's consituency.

Canterbury was Conservative from 1835 until 1910 (when it was an Independent Unionist so conservative allied) and then Tory again from 1918 until Duffield was elected in 2017: 'the end of a 185-year period of Canterbury always electing Conservative-allied MPs, the longest recorded unbroken record of party representation in British political history.'

I didn't know that. What an amazing achievement. The Labour party should be paying her to give seminars.

I'm mad at Labour, as they've clearly forced her into this. They can't be saved. Bin it.