I am having to re-post my correspondence with MP Kim Johnson, with one amendment, as my post was removed for being against the spirit.
I’m appalled by the comments made by J.K Rowling. I would hope that someone with such a large youth following would use her platform to promote acceptance and inclusivity! Trans rights are human rights. Shame on you @jk_rowling #TransLivesMatter
"Kim, you are now my MP, but you do not speak for me.Not once have you consulted women in your constituency on whether or not they feel happy with male bodied people in their intimate spaces. These spaces, services, and sporting categories are not yours to give away. You should be campaigning for 'third spaces' rather endorsing the active and aggressive colonisation of valued women's spaces"
"There need be no conflict of interest at all if you focussed your energy on gaining the provision of services and spaces for your trans constituents, in the way that other groups have been campaigning for many decades for theirs. There are very real & material differences in the specific needs of women and of transwomen ( who are now a very various group, including fully male bodied people who have absolutely no desire to fully 'transition' )".
"There are no civil rights that trans people do not already possess. All citizens of the U.K have equal rights in law. What you seem to be claiming is additional rights to everyone else; and also to prioritise these supposed rights above the established spaces and rights of other groups, namely women in this instance. Would you claim the same for people who claimed a trans-racial identity, I wonder? Particularly pertinent in this Time of BLM. I suspect not"
"TWAW is a statement and an article of faith, not a fact - and one which you have obviously been schooled in by campaign groups such as Stonewall and Mermaids. But you have no right to impose this ideology on anyone else" Furthermore, in so unquestioningly supporting trans ideology you are consigning a generation of gender non conforming children ( young girls/nascent lesbians, especially) to a lifetime of medical interference, and even radical surgery, simply because they do not conform to rigid gender stereotyping. I urge you to speak to some of the many de-transitioners who could share their stories with you. There are regular conferences and meetings all over the country, and indeed in this city, if you are democratically minded to attend. ( In non Covid times, naturally)".
"I also think you need to be open with your constituents in what is being proposed be taught to children in schools from as early as September, and that is that 'gender is assigned at birth' rather than the factually correct statement that 'sex is observed at birth'. The fact is that no matter how one 'identifies' one cannot change sex. Teaching this to young children can be nothing but confusing and damaging"
"Our children and grandchildren need to be free to express whoever they are outside of rigid gender stereotyping, whereby a girl who does not aspire to be a Disney princess can still be a girl, and need not have to identify as a boy. We really have gone back, and regressed, haven't we? And I speak as an ex teacher and as a mother of three and a grandmother"
"I really do suggest you read and consult more widely on this issue. There is a Local branch of Liverpool Resisters, to which you would be most welcome. Women who are your constituents, and most of whom have been life long Labour supporters, but who can no longer vote Labour, and who you certainly do not speak for"
"You also do not speak for some BAME communities, the women of which would be denied access to certain aspects of public life if males were imposed into their spaces. Have you consulted with any local women's groups at all? I think you'll find that most women outside of the Momentum bubble do not share your view. I know because I have spoken with them, myself, around the city, in changing rooms, in public toilets, on the street"
"Kim, you are here to represent all of your constituents, and not just to promote Momentum type identity politics. I look forward to your wider consultation with your constituents on this and many other issues"
Regards
Kim Johnson response
"Thank you for contacting me about reform to the Gender Recognition Act (GRA).I support reform of the GRA to introduce self-declaration for transgender people, and the full roll-out of LGBT+ inclusive education across our schools"I am further committed to eliminating remaining areas of discrimination in law, ensuring that LGBT+ people can live in safety and dignity"
"LGBT+ people still face widespread discrimination, and it is clear that we must do more to enhance their rights and protections.As you will be aware, in July 2017, the Government committed to consulting on reforming the GRA and launched its consultation in July 2018. This consultation closed in October 2018. The Government has yet to publish the findings or respond"
"In May 2020, the Government said it is planning to publish its “response this summer, subject to the Government's COVID-19 response”.As you will further be aware, in April 2020, the Women and Equalities Minister outlined three principles that the Government would be putting in place. It was stated that this includes: “the protection of single-sex spaces”, “making sure that transgender adults are free to live their lives as they wish without fear of persecution, whilst maintaining the proper checks and balances in the system” and “making sure that the under 18s are protected from decisions that they could make, that are irreversible in the future.”
"It is vital that there is no rowing back on trans rights. The Government must protect the rights of the trans community in its response to its consultation on the GRA, which has already been significantly delayed.Additionally, it is important that the Government does not interfere with protections under the Equality Act, which ensure that trans people are not wrongfully excluded from single-sex spaces"
"Furthermore, it must be ensured that LGBT+ people are not disproportionately affected by coronavirus, and that all communities are protected equally.I have received dozens of representations from my constituents on this issue, and you are the only one who has opposed the reforms to the GRA I understand that this is an issue which evokes strong feelings on both sides, and it needs to be discussed and addressed seriously. That is why I thought JK Rowling's mocking tone was inappropriate and offensive. It was very instructive that some of the actors who made their names in the Harry Potter series felt they had to come out in support of the transgender community and distance themselves from her words"
"I respect the fact that you are passionate about your viewpoint and thank you for taking the time to write to me on this important issue"
My further, unanswered, response
"There is no logical consistency in arguing that TWAW but then suggesting that single sex spaces, services and sports can be protected; because if anyone can self identify as a woman and TWAW, then 'single sex' no longer has any meaning. Are you suggesting, therefore, that you don't really believe that 'transwomen are women', that you are saying so just to " be kind"? Kindness is also required towards women and girls. Many teenage girls, for example, in schools that have converted the girls' toilets to unisex toilets, are avoiding drinking water during the day, because of the discomfort they feel about using mixed sex facilities. How is this fair? Girls who have worked hard and excelled are now losing out on medals and scholarships intended for them, to transwomen and girls. This is clearly not fair either"
"You have not addressed the fact that trans people have the same civil and legal rights as anyone else in the U.K - what you are seeking is additional rights, and what you are seeking is to enforce and impose into spaces, services and sports designed to cater for women and girls; which would undermine their needs for dignity, privacy and safety. Not all LGB organisations are in agreement with your position either, because they are deeply aware of the implications of trans ideology for many young lesbians and gay men"
"I suggest that the reason you have not received much correspondence on this issue, except from the very well resourced trans lobby, is that you have not consulted very widely at all with your constituents; nor has there been any open debate in parliament. Indeed, when 'A Woman's Place U.K' held consultations last year,in Westminster, only a handful of MPs even bothered to turn up, and then Angela Raynor declared them a 'hate group'.. I wonder whether you are open to meeting with representatives from WPUK in your constituency, or whether you would welcome an invitation to consult and discuss further on this issue? There are women from all walks of life and professions who meet to discuss this issue; regular conferences and so on, and you could meet with some of the growing numbers of young detransitioners; as well as with parents of trans children; and women married to AGP ( Autogynephillic) men, who now identify as transwomen"
"JKRowling's tone was not mocking at all. It was eloquent, reasoned and informed. Have you seen what women who speak out on this issue get subjected to? Even at the Labour party fringe in Brighton last year, a meeting set up to discuss this issue was subject to screaming abuse and the continued kicking of windows all throughout the meeting. And the Labour party did not condemn this. Indeed, meetings of professionals from around the country, having travelled to liverpool for meetings, have had venues cancel at the last minute due to malicious calls from trans activists; and so having to wander the city trying to locate suitable new venues at the very last minute"
"I met with your predecessor, Louise Ellman to discuss this issue, and she was both open and amenable. I hope you too decide that you'd like to consult more widely and to that end I invite you to meet with local women's groups - which I am happy to arrange"
"Until I determine that the Labour party is dedicated to listening to all of its party members and constituents, especially on this issue , which is to me the single biggest and most primal issue there is right now - then there is absolutely no chance I will be voting Labour again. And I say that as an ex Labour party member. This is an issue which is not going to go away, and there is no sense in just rebuffing people who have genuine concerns on many different levels. The job of politics is to face and deal with conflicts of interest, and this issue is certainly one of those"