#RepealTheGRA apparently 'hails from the right

[TheShadowyFeminist]

Tweet by Ruth Serwotka

Does this have any basis in fact? I know plenty who think the GRA should be repealed. None have been right wing, ring leaning, aligned with the right or even come close to what Ruth states here.

This tweet is a flavour of what I've seen. And I think the sentiment is fairly accurate IMO.

What do others think? Do you think the GRA should be repealed? Are you or have you ever been, right wing, right leaning, right adjacent or meet the description Ruth has for women who have said the GRA should be repealed?

I don't understand why ideas like being able to falsify your birth record are seen as left wing. Is that sort of individualism which doesn't take any account of other members of society normally considered to be left wing?

When Serwotka says “right wing” it just mens anyone who is not a Labour Party member.

Given the Labour party is no longer left wing, and have lost all understanding of class based inequalities and structural analysis, in favour of identity politics, “left wing” is to those people just another self-identity. It is politically meningless.

This is also a most peculiar time for Serwotka to nail her male supremacy supporting colours to the mast. As the tide is beginning to turn, she pledges allegiance to men.

She seems to be politically stupid, which makes me suspect tht was always the reason Union and Labour party men allowed her into positions of influence. She would ultimately be a good girl and do what the men want. Never mind Ruth, women are moving on without you.

The problem with the GRA is that it forces people to lie, and ignores the needs and rights of everyone to whom the Act does not apply. It is nothing to do with which way your politics lie.

It's fun that you're all talking about getting rid of our rights (and many don't seem to understand the GRA at all) whilst being worried about being called 'right wing'. What utter privilege. This is why you get called Prosecco Stormfront. Thankfully, given that other countries are expanding trans people rights (and already 600-700 million live in countries with self-ID), it would seem unlikely that your social conservatism (whilst can be left or right) will come to much.

It's just very bad legislation.

Here is an Act that many politicians at the time warned would have devastating consequences. Those in favour of the Act argued those things would never happen and the bill passed largely on that basis.

Now all those things have happened and worse, those politicians who were in opposition to it were proven right.

That's why it's bad law and should be repealed. It's not a left/right thing it's a not fit for purpose thing.

What rights do you mean, specifically? Can you say them in words of one syllable?

Sorry Ova, that was to SecretTransTwitterEngineer.

I want to know what rights they think are required. Is it, for instance, the right of a transwomen to go into the single sex section of a sauna?

Or is it the right not to be fired for wearing a frock?

I'm so lefty, I am even left handed. I'd repeal it in an instant if it was my choice.

t's fun that you're all talking about getting rid of our rights

Women are expected to not only deal with the political lobby who have got rid of many of our sex based rights and are vigorously targeting more, but are not supposed to complain about it or stand up against it as 'hateful'.

The GRA is not compatible with sex based rights for women.

I'm still forming an opinion on this issue so I'll listen to any coherent arguments as to why the GRA should remain in its current form.
I have to warn you though that 'Far right bigot' and 'Prosecco Stormfront' don't really cut it.

So few of the estimated number of transpeople have a grc, there must be questions around if it's of any benefit to the majority of trans people, anyway.

@Floisme

I'm still forming an opinion on this issue so I'll listen to any coherent arguments as to why the GRA should remain in its current form. I have to warn you though that 'Far right bigot' and 'Prosecco Stormfront' don't really cut it.

I'm also on the fence but the idea of being in an organisation called "prosecco stormfront" is quite appealing.

It's fun that you're all talking about getting rid of our rights (and many don't seem to understand the GRA at all) whilst being worried about being called 'right wing'

I'm certainly not 'worried' about what anyone calls me. Water off a duck's back, all these childish, baseless accusations.

When women's rights are being stripped from us, you better believe we're going to try and do something about it.

I don't know how you can bring up 'privilege'. I bet those women in prison certainly aren't feeling that right now. They've just been told that what males want is more important than their right to dignity and safety, even if those males are rapists/sex offenders.

''Privileged''. Sure

@SecretTransTwitterEngineer

It's fun that you're all talking about getting rid of our rights (and many don't seem to understand the GRA at all) whilst being worried about being called 'right wing'

What utter privilege. This is why you get called Prosecco Stormfront.

Thankfully, given that other countries are expanding trans people rights (and already 600-700 million live in countries with self-ID), it would seem unlikely that your social conservatism (whilst can be left or right) will come to much.

So still not prepared to list which rights you're speaking about?

Privilege is obviously completely back to front. Did the nine-year-old girl in the Korean spa feel privileged when she was confronted by a male bodied individual spreading his legs and showing her his genitalia?

How about the women ousted from the Olympics because the son of a billionaire, who was until seven years ago competing in the men's, is now competing as a female?
Care to hazard a guess which one of those two has the privilege?

And, perhaps you don't know, but our government issued a consultation about the GRA and the possibility of self ID, and have subsequently rejected it entirely, all on the basis of the rational arguments from women.

Perhaps you don't know as much as you think you do about it?

As I understand it the most broadly used trans rights are those under the equality act. Being able to state that an XY transwoman is a woman is a conflicting right.

It's fun that you're all talking about getting rid of our rights (and many don't seem to understand the GRA at all) whilst being worried about being called 'right wing'

I have read the GRA, it's main purpose is to falsify a birth certificate. I am unconvinced of the need for this. Can you explain why a birth certificate stating an incorrect fact is needed as a right?

And I couldn't care less about being called right wing, it's simply factually incorrect, and I really like facts to be correct.

What utter privilege. This is why you get called Prosecco Stormfront.

That's a new one, who is calling us that, and why? I mean, I don't think I've noticed people mention Prosecco here often, and stormfront suggests something physically violent, again not something ever suggested here.

It's the lack of accuracy that annoys me.

"Far right" has become the merely the latest insult of choice since "Your Mother Was A Hamster And Your Father Smelt Of Elderberries" was first coined.

It makes less sense and lacks the wit too.

It's a shame Ruth thinks it will be effective, because I'm pretty sure she knows it isn't true. Not worth selling your credibility for an insult that demeans you more than your intended target.

"If you won't recognise gender you're far right" sounds so unhinged.

I've been writing about repealing the GRA for years.
Far right my bottom.

@Barracker

"Far right" has become the merely the latest insult of choice since "Your Mother Was A Hamster And Your Father Smelt Of Elderberries" was first coined.

It makes less sense and lacks the wit too.

It's a shame Ruth thinks it will be effective, because I'm pretty sure she knows it isn't true. Not worth selling your credibility for an insult that demeans you more than your intended target.

"If you won't recognise gender you're far right" sounds so unhinged.

I've been writing about repealing the GRA for years.
Far right my bottom.

This is a good point. Given this tweet from earlier this week being called "right wing" is completely meaningless.

@ZuttZeVootEeeVro

So few of the estimated number of transpeople have a grc, there must be questions around if it's of any benefit to the majority of trans people, anyway.

Yes, that's an important point. If the GRA was so beneficial why have so few been issued? It clearly doesn't actually matter that much to the many prominent trans advocates who don't have a GRC.

I would posit that the GRA's provisions are largely symbolic and superfluous at this stage.

Quoting myself as I didn't finish what I wanted to say!

I would posit that the GRA's provisions are largely symbolic and superfluous at this stage.

And by that I mean to those who claim to want it.

The ideological effect of the GRA is far more profound in many ways on women and children than it's practical application.

@TheShadowyFeminist

I can't stand these lazy accusations which bear little resemblance to reality. I'm sure there are some right wing women who support #RepealTheGRA, and frankly, they're as entitled to question legislation thats lawfully housing male rapists/sex offenders/murderers in the female prison estate as the rest of us. But I follow a lot of people in this 'debate' on social media & those who are losing patience on just defending rights that have already been nullified by this legislation are almost exclusively left wing. So this sort of baseless smearing of a group of women who happen to disagree with Ruth's opinion is quite typical of the lefty bearded misogynists who also throw that bad faith accusation around. I'd be embarrassed to be emulating that phenomenon.

Any pretence that leaving the GRA as it is, while 'shoring up' the single sex exceptions is the right strategy, (when the court has ruled that even extreme distress, a history of trauma & the heightened risk of further sexual/physical assaults isn't enough to outweigh a male persons 'right' to be seen as the gender they claim to identify as), is no longer credible. Repeal should be an option to be discussed in good faith for perfectly justified reasons.

Bollocks. Deciding that rapist penis belongs in the female prison estate because of ladybrain is not a reality I comprehend. I'm not sure if that makes me lazy or not.

I'm not right wing at all. Never have been. I spoiled my ballot last time rather than vote Tory, I'd always voted Labour before that.

@SecretTransTwitterEngineer

It's fun that you're all talking about getting rid of our rights (and many don't seem to understand the GRA at all) whilst being worried about being called 'right wing'. What utter privilege. This is why you get called Prosecco Stormfront. Thankfully, given that other countries are expanding trans people rights (and already 600-700 million live in countries with self-ID), it would seem unlikely that your social conservatism (whilst can be left or right) will come to much.

We get called that because you're a bunch of white people who think it's funny to co-opt racial oppression, by invoking the name of a notorious white supremacist website.

Educate yourself and do better. Make some donations to charities that focus on the needs of black women to atone for this.

I think I might be after this weekend just gone.

We get called that because you're a bunch of white people who think it's funny to co-opt racial oppression, by invoking the name of a notorious white supremacist website.

Educate yourself and do better. Make some donations to charities that focus on the needs of black women to atone for this.

Exactly. It's not difficult to do better under these circumstances. If this person really can't do it, then the best thing to do is shhhhh.

There's a difference between political left and right and being socially liberal or conservative. A number of traditional left wing voters also are transphobic, racist, misgynist, islamophobic or anti-semitic and similarly many on the political right are very socially liberal. Brexit is a socially conservative ideology and many working class people, traditional labour voters, wanted it.