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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Another Labour councillor resigns over Cambridge City Council's transgender policies

132 replies

StandWitch · 23/10/2020 14:39

See www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/labour-councillor-kevin-price-resigns-from-cambridge-city-council-over-transgender-rights-motion-9127531/ and cf. www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3322389-labour-councillor-quits-in-row-over-facilities-for-trans-people-the-times

A Labour councillor of 10 years and former deputy leader at Cambridge City Council has resigned over a motion on transgender rights.

The motion, brought by the Liberal Democrats to a session of the full council on Thursday (October 22), began with the words: “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary individuals are non-binary.”

It is quite possible that the previous shenanigans is what led to his resignation as deputy leader in 2018 www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/deputy-leader-of-cambridge-city-council-stands-down-9051099/ as the dates are the same

The motion, brought by the Liberal Democrats to a session of the full council on Thursday (October 22), began with the words: “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary individuals are non-binary.”

Kevin Price , who represented King’s Hedges for the Labour party, said he could not support those words, saying they would “send a chill down the spines” of “many women,” and saying it is “foolish to pretend” there are not widely different views or concerns about women’s rights.

He said he has not voted against a Labour motion in his 10 years on the council, and said he did not intend to break that “principle”, and instead announced his resignation to the meeting, saying there are times when conscience “must be weighed against the pull of party”.

A second Labour councillor, Carina O'Reilly has been targeted by TRAs www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/two-cambridge-labour-councillors-accused-19019555

She dared to retweet JK Rowling.

There is some detail on the council's motion here:

democracy.cambridge.gov.uk/documents/b15527/Information%20Pack%2022nd-Oct-2020%2018.00%20Council.pdf?T=9

Facilitating and strongly encouraging all Councillors to attend
Safer Spaces training
Safer Spaces training for councillors was delivered on 24th February
2020 for the first time and officers can run further sessions. Officers
have also been asked by Cllr Smith to book transgender awareness
training for councillors. The council also provides 2 training sessions on transgender awareness per year for staff delivered by The Kite Trust.

There is also something about consulting groups about which Pride flag they want flown.

Essentially this motion was to object to the government not making a new GRA.

OP posts:
RozWatching · 23/10/2020 18:01

So one of the poorest wards of the city will have lost an old school socialist councillor of the sort who defended public services. He'll no doubt be replaced by some woke numpty who only cares about fuckin pronouns.

Who benefits in this cluster fuck? The people in favour of cutting public services to the bone, that's who. Their job just got that bit easier.

Yeah, there is no 'hold your nose' option as far as I'm concerned. I wouldn't trust the gender identity ideologists to deliver anything.

See eg the Deptford People's Project
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3203804-The-Deptford-People-Project-and-the-impact-of-self-ID-and-transactivism-on-working-class-women?pg=5
(Thanks to PencilsInSpace who reproduced the statement)

"Statement from Working class community workers from Deptford. We are attending the women’s meeting at the House of Commons today. We would like to offer an explanation as to why this is necessary. See below

After many years of working at grass roots within our community we have recently been made aware of an issue that directly effects the working class and women in our area.

You must understand we are not graduate activists or or women’s rights campaigners. We are community workers and our concerns regarding changes to the GRA come from a lifetime of personal experience and having worked with some of the most marginalise people in our area.

The majority of our recent projects have been working with rough sleepers, the homeless and those that have been excluded from society. The issues they face include: unsupported/ mental health illness, sexual violence and prostitution, childhood trauma and abuse...

domestic violence, poverty, ex care system issues, addiction, prison,rehab,homelessness and austerity.

The people in our community that we represent are the most likely to access/ be placed in sex segregated services.Some have and will access all of these services.

Our local political and community organisations have been infiltrated by a group of well meaning white middle class goldsmith (uni) students. These people although well intentioned have rail roaded many vital projects by introducing identity policies and intersectional thinking. They do this without truly understanding or experiencing working class issues.

Meetings we have attended for the purpose of discussing community housing projects and women’s wellness etc have been used as a platform to re educate working class people on the new academic language expected within our organisations.

As anyone from a working class back ground will tell you, these theories and ideologies rarely translate into working class communities.

The extremely small number of transsexual (I use the old term as this has a very different meaning to the university umbrella term currently thrown about) members of the community are and have always been excepted and protected by community organisations.

We are now informed that transgender people are being routinely abused (mis gendered) and should be protected above all other marginalised groups. All that has changed is privileged students have adopted a set of gender identities that allow them to be considered marginalised.

The people we encountered were far from marginalised. In fact they were highly educated, openly classist and aggressive.

This new politics doesn’t equate in our community or for the people we support. We are dealing with working class issues with severely marginalised people and the trans lobby is a gentrification of working class social and political movements. Note the difference between trans lobby and trans people who we support.

No one will discuss our concerns regarding self id. Our local Labour Party has refused to comment or debate with the working class people.

We are attending the meeting this evening as this is only place that is willing to discuss theses issues.

When we are being verbally abused and called fascists because we are concerned about the effects of policy change on marginalised people it is a direct attack on working class women and grass roots organisations.

when sharing information about this event and attempt to shut it down be aware that you are complicit in the silencing of not only women but working class people who have not afforded the privileged of a safe space or university education. Thank you x"

PhoebeSnow · 23/10/2020 18:07

That is an excellent post Roz, thank you for sharing it.

thinkingaboutLangCleg · 23/10/2020 18:27

That is a powerful statement by Deptford People's Project, Roz. But I can't make the link work, and I can't find the statement, or PenclsInSpace, anywhere online.

I think I remember the statement from about 2018 -- I should have kept a copy.

It's the kind of statement that gets lost because it's by people who aren't influential, whose voices aren't usually heard, but that's the very reason those in power need to be reminded of it.

thinkingaboutLangCleg · 23/10/2020 18:43

Found the website!
www.facebook.com/deptfordpeopleproject/posts/1631795163535574

FindTheTruth · 23/10/2020 19:00

Where can I complain about that 'journalist'?

I'd like to know this too

RozWatching · 23/10/2020 19:00

Yes, it was 2018 and afaik the FWR Archives is the only place where it's currently available, so make your copies now...

I forgot to remove the page number, it's page 5 of this thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3203804-The-Deptford-People-Project-and-the-impact-of-self-ID-and-transactivism-on-working-class-women

SunsetScreech · 23/10/2020 19:05

2 training sessions on transgender awareness per year for staff delivered by The Kite Trust.

2 a year??? Fxkingell

SunsetScreech · 23/10/2020 19:12

The Kite Trust. Another organisation that started out supporting gay and bi people, and has moved to trans rights. But at least they openly admit it. Don't recognise anyone involved, I don't think.

Anyway, sorry for the slight derail.

www.thekitetrust.org.uk/about-us/

CityCentre · 23/10/2020 20:15

In my ward at least, if you don't vote Labour, then the alternative that you'd get is the Lib Dem TW that is very vocal when people disagree with them. So like it or not, I'd stick with Labour regardless. Plus as someone mentioned earlier, for city councillors, most people vote for someone who will get local things done, and at least one of the Labour councillors has been excellent and very helpful. (Not the others, though so I guess it depends who will be up for re-election the next time).

The Cambridge Live newspaper is very pro-trans, and has incredibly biased articles (they are pretty shit at everything really, appalling writing and grammar, frequently miss the point, sounds like GCSE level writing most of the time. But needed for local traffic stories etc!). The Cambridge Independent hasn't published as much on the topic, though their articles are on the whole better written.

Tanith · 23/10/2020 20:20

It worries me that, when people resign, they're vacating a position that is promptly filled by someone holding the same views as the council.

Isn't it better to stay there?
I can understand his reasons for resigning, but perhaps he was voted in by people who agree with him and want him to challenge this.

CityCentre · 23/10/2020 21:53

Yes, that's very much what happened in my ward. Resignation of very principled people, which I understand and respect, but meant that the replacements and potential replacements since then are frequently not people I agree with or would want representing me. It's sad that someone else who did seem to understand the issues has now resigned as well.

CaraDuneRedux · 23/10/2020 21:58

I know which Lib Dem you mean, CityCentre.

Like you, while I admire Kevin's principles, I'm horrified by the practical consequences of his resignation.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 23/10/2020 22:08

The Deptford People's Project is also referenced in this article in Meghan Murphy's Feminist Current (they are saying currently down for a software update):

www.feministcurrent.com/2018/03/23/leftist-women-uk-refuse-accept-labours-attempts-silence-critiques-gender-identity/

ChattyLion · 23/10/2020 22:21

I do get the arguments people are making but I don’t think any one individual should feel compelled to stay on for the greater good when things at work are completely ethically unacceptable to them. That particular motion didn’t come from nowhere, I’d imagine he’d already have had to have compromised very close to his personal boundaries a good few times in the past but this time it was too much. I hope other Labour men take note.

Now the ball is back in the Labour Party’s court. Will they pick on him equally for having views they don’t like, as they do GC Labour women?

Ereshkigalangcleg · 23/10/2020 22:25

I agree and I couldn't stomach staying in the Labour Party over this issue. I have massive respect for those still trying to change it from the inside but I just felt such incredible betrayal.

Tootletum · 23/10/2020 22:49

@BlackForestCake Yes you would think they just look like fools, but when I read about it on twitter, it all just reads so rabidly convinced that they are right. They compare it to racism, and say stuff like "some folks just had a hard time believing black people were equal". Which to me is literally the point, trans people are equal, they have rights, the same as we all do. They just don't have the right to take away women's rights.

Summerdayshaze · 23/10/2020 22:56

Has he actually resigned as a councillor altogether or just resigned the Labour whip?

FindTheTruth · 24/10/2020 04:51

[quote thinkingaboutLangCleg]Found the website!
www.facebook.com/deptfordpeopleproject/posts/1631795163535574[/quote]
Brilliant statement by Roz. thanks for the link.

CityCentre · 24/10/2020 11:28

He has resigned from the council, not just the Labour party, and his vacancy is already listed on the list of council vacancies to be filled at the next election in May 2021 (no by-elections until then because of Covid).

Yes I agree that people shouldn't feel obligated to stay on for the greater good when they are faced with ethically unaccpetable situations. However, I sometimes wish that they would stay as I think we need them on the council to represent the rest of us. But I don't mean that they should feel they have to.

I will probably still vote Labour though, given the Lib Dem alternatives in my ward, though I don't know if they will run again at the next election. And because at least one of the Labour councillors has been really very helpful on local issues. I wish I could give them the feedback that I disagree with what they've done, but I don't think that feedback can be through not voting Labour!

Cocothefirst · 24/10/2020 11:58

Thank you Kevin Price

FindTheTruth · 24/10/2020 16:29

UPDATE:

WPUK statement and video speech by Kevin Price

womansplaceuk.org/2020/10/24/womens-rights-in-cambridge/

FindTheTruth · 24/10/2020 16:37

Kevin's speech is simple and moving

quite a few supportive tweets (atm) in this local thread
twitter.com/BenHattonJourno/status/1319387641905819649

FindTheTruth · 24/10/2020 16:38

tribute to Kevin

Another Labour councillor resigns over Cambridge City Council's transgender policies
FindTheTruth · 24/10/2020 16:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thinkingaboutLangCleg · 24/10/2020 21:05

I notice Sarah Brown tweeted The “dropped on their heads as children Alliance” are all on Twitter today, I see..

Masterly use of language — abusive, misogynistic and insulting brain-injured people, all in one sentence. Maybe homophobic too, as ‘Alliance’ sounds like the LGB Alliance, those renegades who gave up on Stonewall when it became a trans lobbygroup.

Brown, a transgender former Libdem councillor, proposed the amendment that opened Cambridge’s single-sex women’s facilities to self-identifying transwomen in 2010.