Trans Rights Activists really really hate Reeves and think she will block their advance. Check out what they say about her on twitter. They are right to fear her.
Reeves knows what a woman is, she just won't admit it in full because she has what she thinks are more important priorities to sort out. The thing is Reeves whether we like it or not has the same approach of most older left women. Talk to them in private they break the trans rules. In public they feel pressure to be "nice".
Most people on Mumsnet were in that zone - the Peaking zone, the pre-Peak zone before, often for many years, we should be sympathetic to others there. What people here do not like to admit is that without a push many left women will never leave the peaking zone. If anything men are more likely to do it because there a different consequences for men and women who are not "nice". The two sexes are treated differently and also act differently, whether you think that is down to nature or nurture, or a mix that is a debate that doesn't matter right now.
What matters is Reeves probably slags off Trans ideas in private or in her own head. She knows male rapists are always male and the fact she is happy to indicate it in interviews means she thinks the mantras are dumb. Which is why TRAs hate her.
Obviously it would be better if she was like Rosie or Tonia, BUT if she was like them she might not have the second most important job in the Labour shadow cabinet. As I said she needs a push and we know who will push her. Sadly I don't think it will be anything Mumsnet says. Instead it will be the TRAs doing insane stuff or going for her hard enough that she might fully peak the same way anyone else peaks.
People in the Pre-Peak zone are still important allies to us. Because they can do stuff that peaked people can't. They can use procedure to sideline batshit ideas and no-one can call them out without looking weird, and pushing more people into the pre-Peak zone.
Make your own mind up about voting Labour and who to campaign for in the next General - that is an individual thing there are a LOT of things to consider. The most important thing is the TRA agenda inside Labour is all over the place and it is down to some of them being fanatics. Populist TRA circles online detest Starmer too and condemn him. Notice Stonewall doesn't, instead they meet with him. Because Stonewall is the real issue the most dangerous TRAs are the ones who will compromise and slowly advance. That is HOW they got the power they have now. If we want to win long term we need to be thinking like them. Get our people into power, real power, wherever we can, advance our agenda, raise questions, debate things, avoid demanding purity from people who are not ready to give it yet. I am not asking anyone to back Reeves, what I am asking is to remember that we have to avoid double standards at all costs. Do not treat potential wavering allies as set enemies, especially women, because being a women on the left is hard. Remember the alternative to Reeves is someone like Stella Cressy. Dodds, the previous shadow Chancellor, is way more confused about gender than Reeves is.
Look what happened inside the Tories. The TRAs were incredibly powerful 6 years back. Now they are broken, and part of that is down to women activists inside the party being clever, ruthless and advancing at all costs. Obviously their fight is way easier of course, but there are lessons to be learned.
Because this is about recapturing ALL the parties long term. It is going to take years. Reeves is part of the process. Because whether you like her or not, she is clearly an effective politician who will soon have a lot of power. Better with her than others inside Labour.