OK. Obviously I could be completely wrong but given that (to English eyes at least) self ID and rapists in women’s prisons has taken down Nicola Sturgeon and public support has quickly flowed away from the SNP, I really don’t think Labour are that stupid as to try to bring in self ID to the UK any time soon. Which is only a temporary relief obviously, if I am right.
Because the risk is EVER PRESENT against women’s rights, from ALL mainstream parties. That is until policy in ALL parties is made more woman-friendly and then that is translated into actual law- and even then laws can be reversed. Misogyny is as old as time and the fight against it the same. That’s something I have reluctantly come to accept. We can never fully relax. And that’s shit but it’s the way it is.
Misogyny sewn into party politics is just a reflection of the culture that we live in. Therefore I find it irritating that on here the Tories who five minutes ago WERE actually forcing self ID on us, are somehow now being presented as the natural party of gender critical voters by some FWR posters. Absolute bollocks. Very short memories. Also, that would be ignoring all the other Tory damage done since 2010 to women, especially those on lower incomes, via Tory destruction of NHS and public services and Tory inertia or worse on a lot of women and children’s issues like child poverty and better internet protections for children.
I don’t feel any less politically homeless than I have done for the last decade or so since all major UK parties incl the Greens (honourable exception: the communists) went all TWAW.
But I will continue to vote Labour, because in judging people by what they do not what they say: the Tories have ruined the economy and devastated public services and presided over a cost of living crisis and rise in child poverty which has fucked many women’s and children’s lives over and I can not support that.
But we all have different priorities for voting and I do appreciate there have been a few real-world women-friendly initiatives in the Tories’ work even after they kicked out all the moderate Tories over Brexit. An example I am thinking of is Boris starting off a women’s health strategy which Liz didn’t have time to fuck up (.. let’s see if or how Rishi follows it up) and that has been raising attention to issues that are current in current media discussion like HRT. So I am pleased and relieved to see HRT finally getting a reduced prescription charge from today, although I think it should be free on the NHS like contraception is.
And obviously the Tories’ new found urge to stop Scotland bringing in self ID in conflict with the UK’s 2010 Equality Act is the right thing to do. But where is the specific pledge to reform the Equality Act to deal with the conflation of sex and gender?
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