Green Party Women coup

[GreenPartyWoman]

The Green Party Women's party was co-chaired by a transwoman Kathryn Bristow (fae/fae) and a woman Emma Bateman. Emma has been suspended for alleged transphobia.

Kathryn has now taken over, calling themselves the Chair and removing the rights of women to organise and discuss women's matters on the Green Party forum. Kathryn has gone so far as to delete all previous posts.

Their statement:
"Over the last week I have tried to find a way to moderate this space in compliance with the Equality Act. Unfortunately I can't see a way of doing this that the 100 or so users of this space would be happy with and that wouldn't take a lot of my or someone else's time. While we have to look after the interests of 10,000’s Green Party members.
So sadly I have had to lock the ability of uses to post and comment on this space. I've also deleted all recent posts on the space by users, to ensure that we are complaint with the law in a way that makes no judgement on any one post.
I have to bring it up with the rest of the committee but my feeling is that is space will become a one way commutation tool from the committee to the membership.
More updates will be made soon.

Kathryn Bristow, Chair of Green Party Women"

I don't even know where to go with this, except that this seems to be almost like a totalitarian coup.

@NeedNewKnees

Sian’s been a disaster for the Greens. I’m clinging on by my fingernails, but a Green Party more interested in pandering to the trans lobby than tackling climate emergency is not fit for purpose.

i agree - we have completely lost our way and I'm clinging on by the very edge of my fingernails and I suppose if we want to effect change in an organisation we have to be part of it.

@NeedNewKnees

Sian’s been a disaster for the Greens. I’m clinging on by my fingernails, but a Green Party more interested in pandering to the trans lobby than tackling climate emergency is not fit for purpose.

Also agree as one of the many women who left over this nonsense and the election of Bristow as leader of the womens section. Question for me now is: Will the light shine through?

The light can only shine through if we manage to gain more supporters, especially those who are willing to be more active within the Party. We need people who will attend the conferences, vote (the membership percentage who vote is always abysmally low) and help to recruit others. Ideally we would love members to be active within their local parties, taking on roles such as Finance, Membership and Internal Comms etc, which may involve 1-3 hours weekly or monthly, depending upon the role.
Hopefully, our activists are encouraging former members to return as well as new members who have a genuine interest in the environment and climate change.
If the planet is burning, identity politics won't matter in the slightest.

@GreenieFingers cant @letterem come back and be the leader why not have someone who fights for women to be safe to be run the party. shore there must be lots of people who care about the earths and womens safety? Why is emma not aloud to do her jobs.

@HonestyCounts97, I wish I could arrange that! The blatant extremism involved with the opposition and the complete lack of interest in green issues is staggering. The reverse is true for our very wonderful Emma, who is a committed and active Greenie. She's very aware of what is at stake for our planet if we don't act decisively and urgently, focussing on what we need to do to protect the environment and the future for our families and the other occupants of our planet.

I know one of the candidates listed further back in this thread and they are definitely neutral in this. I think that's the best stance for a candidate to be in this fiasco, the consideration towards fairness should be paramount. I dont know any of the others.

@letterem

Hi , I have just seen this thread from Facebook, and thought I would say thanks for the support from commenters. I am still suspended from the green party, and the complaint against me for asking 'are trans women female?' is yet to be heard, and won't be heard until at least the end of July.

I know some people cannot understand why I, and other women , would stay in the green party and put up with this nonsense, but I am an environmentalist. Climate change is as real as sexual dimorphism, and it needs addressing urgently. There is no other party talking about climate change enough, and I absolutely refuse to let a bunch of arrogant misogynists and women who would sell their grandmothers for a pat on the head from any Tim, Dick or Harry (because they have so little idea of the true value of grandmothers), destroy the party.

The complaint against me was brought by two green party women committee members, who have both done exactly what they said they were going to do, which was to take green party women in a new direction. I might suggest that direction is downhill, but I am sure others would have a different opinion (if there was anywhere left for members to voice that opinion, of course).

I am prevented from using the members space, though it appears now there is little point in using it anyway, as green party women members have been barred from commenting or posting in their own space, but I (and many others) are entirely unsurprised at the recent turn of events.
To launch one young man with a penchant for silencing women into the sacred untouchable caste may be regarded as a misfortune. To do it twice looks like carelessness.

Anyhow, I just thought I would say that much to the disappointment of some , I am still Rowling,Rowling, Rowling (but not rolling over), however, it would be unwise for me to comment further on what is happening to green party women, as no doubt the likes of Dick Filth and his ilk are lurking here ready to report unruly green sisters at the drop of a bonnet.

Emma (still co-chair of green party women despite rumours to the contrary).

❤️sorry for the thread revival but I wondered if there was news on the complaint being heard and all the other goings on.....

Has everyone seen this? What are your views @letterem

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/17/green-transgender-rights-row-leadership-shahrar-ali-sian-berry

Perhaps we should all join/rejoin and vote for him? Does anybody know any more about his record?

Many are!

I've joined today. It's not expensive and if enough women do so it sends a message. And I care about the planet too of course. It's a good way of sending a message to all political parties.

Tinfoil hat theories would claim that the Greens have been deliberately infiltrated with the end game being that policies all about gender issues rather than climate issues and therefore ruin any chance of their being considered a credible party on Green issues.

Tricky to pick through that...

Any TIM, Dick or Harry. 😂🤣 I like the cut of Emma's jib.

This is a flagrant example of direct sex discrimination in light of the Reindorf report and Maya’s judgement and very unwise. I hope the Green Party has deep pockets.

Unfortunately, political parties are private organisations. I think they can pretty much do what they want, including discrimination. They're not service providers, part of government, or employers.

I don't think the equality act really applies to them.

But maybe I'm wrong.

My god that's a chilling statement.

I'd never quite seen it like that before but that's how it works doesn't it?

Political parties are covered by the Equality Act, there is a specific exemption for All Women Shortlists as "positive action" which would not be necessary if they weren't.

This leaflet says they come under "associations":

www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/equality-act-2010-guidance-for-political-parties.pdf

The terf floaters video is disgusting and childish. And abusive to women.

If you want to be a future leader of a political party, don't be children. It'll look witty to your little 20 yr old mates but no one else.

I'm embarrassed for the one who has faintly pink hair.

Who clearly binds too. Which reminds me of Victorian corsets. Forcing an aesthetic etc.

Thanks, Eresh, I stand corrected.

But we have seen quite a lot of shenanigans in parties, and the few attempts I've seen to take a legal route seem to have stalled. There was one in the Lib Dems recently, right, and I recall various more knowledgeable people being sceptical about its prospects.

Presumably there's some practical blocker in the system somewhere preventing redress?

If you want to be a future leader of a political party, don't be children. It'll look witty to your little 20 yr old mates but no one else.

I wouldn't vote for any party that person was the co-leader of. It just makes them look silly. It's as if Labour had made Lily Madigan their leader.

I've rejoined specifically so I can vote for Ali. Its been awful watching it all unfold and has left me feeling powerless, bit it has spurred me on to speak up more.

@Faybian

Has everyone seen this? What are your views *@letterem*

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/17/green-transgender-rights-row-leadership-shahrar-ali-sian-berry

Perhaps we should all join/rejoin and vote for him? Does anybody know any more about his record?

Yes Shahrar’s support for women is well-established; and good track record on environment also.

@letterem

Hi I am glad to hear that other green party members are staying to fight - we need you! Though I completely understand why people leave, and I have friends who have had enough and packed it in - we are still friends.

If members do want to help, one thing they can do is take an interest and tell other members about the upcoming Green Party Executive elections - we need to get good people into positions where they can make a difference inside the party.

I see that @HonestyCounts97 has put recommendations of who to vote for and I agree with her assessment of Julia , Rashid & Dzaier (job share), Taymar and Zoe.

If people want news of hustings etc, they can sign up to the green feminist mailing list. The ballot opens in august.
And if people are feeling brave, start talking to your local green party groups about this issue, because most members are still not aware of what our policies are.

In addition, Green party members can join the alternative women's space (if you can navigate the members site) .

We are a friendly group of women, despite what the TRA's say!
Thanks
Emma

Green feminists email list
facebook.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=409cf838eaa33b3b4852ba616&id=0f633f2046

Alternative women's space for green party members
(552) 1 Woman - Green Party...women - alternative - Green Party Members Website

Also see notes from Emma here re Green feminists email group and Green Spaces.

[quote letterem]looks like the link to the alternative women's space did not paste properly, so here it is again. Members will have to log in first

spaces.greenparty.org.uk/s/1-woman-green-party-women-alternative/?fbclid=IwAR1xNgO3qOlLh2BcgFhcYxeX2vh_S6bFVoHfTiZZMEWEVAxunuKvimsoQBU[/quote]
Link for Green Spaces.

I wouldn't vote for any party that person was the co-leader of. It just makes them look silly. It's as if Labour had made Lily Madigan their leader.

Exactly.

The full video has been made private on YouTube but somehow this clip exists. It's reported to be Tamsin's partner saying it, but Tamsin is clearly in full support of flushing us floaters away.

twitter.com/bloominanna/status/1428051884854628359?s=21

I want to say that I know of Taymar and I also know how extremely committed to grassroots local communities and green issues she is here.

For the vast majority of party members and politically active party members, as with close relatives of mine who've been members for 20+ years, it's the green and social issues that are a priority.

This has been a ridiculously embarrassing and horrific safeguarding issue they've all had to look at and consider. Given many/ most have science backgrounds, it's not difficult to work out who is being sensible here.

I've just joined and gone to their Facebook announcement of the leadership candidates. Not many comments on how well they might do their actual job, but some on the "women's rights" or "anti-trans" business. There is one woman laying into Graham Linehan and all of us hateful t*frs. Perhaps someone braver than me could remind her of some of the recent history of TWs in the party......