50:50 Parliament Campaign to Encourage Women in Politics now have TWO Transwomen on the Panel

[gardenbird48]

I saw 50:50 women tweet to Sue Pascoe Chair of the Conservative Women’s Organisation some time ago on their #askhertostand, but then I couldn’t find the tweet and thought maybe they’d realised their mistake (can you guess?) and deleted it.

However, how wrong I was! There are now two people that have extremely limited ‘lived experience’ as a female (Sue was a married father and successful businessman and Master to Foxhounds until a few years ago). The other person has said hi on here recently.

I don’t mean to be rude but surely the whole point of encouraging women to stand for Parliament is to help overcome the barriers women face in entering politics. Any barriers that trans people face are rather different. It is also interesting that on a panel of three for their ‘Encouraging LGBT+ Women to Stand’ campaign, there us only one person with actual lived experience of being a woman (I am hoping that Mandu Reid of the WEP was born female at least...??)

Why aren't there more campaigns to get trans people into politics rather than trans women taking women's places? This does nothing whatsoever to get trans men into politics.

What is living as a woman
Even mean? Does it include such gems as-

Having go to a scan, alone, to be told your much wanted baby had died then going through intimate surgery to remove said baby?

The if that's not enough going through weeks of endless headaches and pain due to hormones going crazy combined with the emotional trauma of miscarriage.

Doubt that's living as a woman manual.

What about experiencing a hormonal migraine linked to your monthly cycle each month? The bad type that renders you incapable of doing anything but to lie in a dark room and hope it goes away because painkillers aren't touching it?

Or giving birth and the midwife cutting your most intimate of areas with a razor then stitching it up again?

Or carrying your keys in your hands as you walk down the street at night to get home because you're worried some tosspot is going to grab you?

Or being passed over for a job despite being more than capable because you are of child bearing age?

I could go one but I suspect that living as a woman means changing one's appearance and name.

I wish being a woman were that simple.

I think names are needed. They are public record after all

Teddy Hope - SNP Women’s Group Leader

Allison Bailey would be the perfect person for the 50:50 LGBT+ women's panel. Or Linda Bellos. Or Joanna Cherry. Or - actually - any number of amazing lesbian women who have overcome a LIFETIME of sexism, misogyny and homophobia to have their voices heard.

Yes.

Thank you. For that list gardenbird

I wonder if there are any pics of Bergdorf’s tweet that

‘said the suffragettes were “white supremacists who were fighting for WHITE women’s rights” ‘

From www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/munroe-bergdorf-labour-lgbt-party-loreal-model-trans-resign-corbyn-edited-a8241746.html

Because yes, Bergdorf is a great feminist apparently. And complains when they get called out on their comments. Whoodathunkit ? People being accountable for the shit they say?

Asked to show why they should represent women when they say it? Who would have thought that women would be incensed at having their experience declared not legitimate for interpretation in regards to a law meant to protect us...

@TinselAngel

Why aren't there more campaigns to get trans people into politics rather than trans women taking women's places? This does nothing whatsoever to get trans men into politics.

I keep asking this question. I never get an answer.

I am All for proportional representation. I would support those initiatives. Not those replacing women with transwomen.

@AbsintheFriends

Another one to add to gardenbird's list.

Dan Orr, Women's officer at Leicester Uni. Can be found on twitter as "@LeicsWomen"

twitter.com/leicswomen?lang=en

Allison Bailey would be the perfect person for the 50:50 LGBT+ women's panel. Or Linda Bellos. Or Joanna Cherry. Or - actually - any number of amazing lesbian women who have overcome a LIFETIME of sexism, misogyny and homophobia to have their voices heard.

(It's a no from me as well.)

Thanks, I’ve put Dan in my offline Master list.

I just checked out Leicester Uni’s Student Union and the part time laid positions include:

LGBTQ+ Officer
Trans and Non binary Officer
Women’s Officer (held by a trans person)

The other groups get one Officer each.

@TinselAngel

Why aren't there more campaigns to get trans people into politics rather than trans women taking women's places? This does nothing whatsoever to get trans men into politics.

Exactly. It's clear that it's not about getting 'trans people' into politics.

And that actually everyone knows who are the men and who are the women - because if trans men were actually men they would be getting loads of representation in politics and all other arenas. But, as people often say on here, trans men are most famous in the media for... Having babies. Whilst transwomen are the ones making strides in careers in journalism, politics, business, the arts etc.

It's baffling for sure

Women's need for dignity is such a "fuzzy notion" that Frankie Boyle is able to publicly address a female audience member with the "hilarious" line 'I'll abuse you so badly that your gynaecologist will think you've been in a fucking car crash' and still have a hugely successful media career.

In a society where that kind of public 'joke' is acceptable from a mainstream comedian, I don't think anyone who wasn't born female and didn't grow up hearing that kind of comment about themselves, knowing that what was said by men in closed groups, behind closed doors - and hell, left unsaid - can understand the hard-wired survival instinct women have to protect themselves, their safety and their dignity. It is not a 'fuzzy notion.'

Of course Teddy had that role in 2019.

Absinthe - seriously!!

Omg I knew he was a vile man but that ...

Women's need for dignity is such a "fuzzy notion" that Frankie Boyle is able to publicly address a female audience member with the "hilarious" line 'I'll abuse you so badly that your gynaecologist will think you've been in a fucking car crash' and still have a hugely successful media career.

It's baffling for sure

It really is! I just can’t put my finger on it. One of the great mysteries of our time.

@Winesalot

Of course Teddy had that role in 2019.

Teddy gets very, very sad when discussed on mumsnet.

We’re not one bit nice. Mummies should be nicer than this. So disappointing.

How does repeating ‘I appreciate this is not your view’ count as listening and growing?

@Ereshkigalangcleg

https://twitter.com/ripx4nutmeg/status/1361256051723689987?s=21

A cautionary tale for all women, especially the enablers.

Late to this thread but oh! the delicious irony.

As you say, there is no capitulation so abject that they won't eventually come after you.

I am finding RMW's contributions highly educational, though not, perhaps, in the way RMW had hoped/ smugly assumed they would be read!

Oh yes Michelle. Yes. Perfectly put.

Thing is I hold that view without prejudice. If it was coming from a man or a woman or a transperson I'd still think the same.

Its deeply offensive to suggest that women's dignity and spaces as protected in law under the EA as protected (often with religious protection thrown in for good measure) are merely 'fuzzy feelings'.

I think i explained why it was so offensive and why we should tell people saying it to fuck off.

Because its about deliberately delegitamising these issues and rendering them in the category of 'hysterical' and pathetic and how we shouldn't be allowed to have these feelings which are about trauma and self preservation and religion because its offensive.

Seriously.

If transwomen can speak for women, then equally women can speak for transwomen, so as a woman speaking for transwoman, if I say that Robin doesn’t represent my interests, will Robin listen then? Have I correctly co-opted the required authority?

Wait no, let me guess, it doesn’t work like that somehow.

And it’s a YY that “we need to listen to each other” does not mean what it would ordinarily mean in this case.

@snow21

I appreciate that people born male who later transition to transwomen have many challenges indeed. But they are not my challenges, they are not the challenges that people born female face. Therefore they are just not relevant in trying to persuade girls and women into politics. And every time a place is offered and taken in this way, we fail to hear the voice of a woman.

Exactly this.

We all face different difficulties. We can learn from each other - as I try to every day. To say that I have ‘no idea’ about your particular difficulties suggests that I have spent the last 5 plus decades with my eyes shut and my hands over my ears.

////

I'm an adult human female therefore excellently positioned to speak on behalf of TW. So budge up.

Does it work that way? Thought not.

I actually think that since hitting my 40s and the scales falling off, I've felt more anger at how wrong this is than I have in all my years before.

Sorry kind of x posted with you Fox