Labour Women Declaration responds to the UK Labour party’s “pivot” on sex and gender

[IwantToRetire]

We welcome –

• Rejection of self-ID as Labour’s policy: this is a major and significant shift.
• Labour’s new emphasis on distinguishing sex and gender.
• Indication of support for legal definition of sex in the Equality Act to make the operation of the single-sex exceptions (SSEs) more effective.
• Wes Streeting’s account of changing his mind when he realised that he needed to listen to women.
• Reference to the need to include consideration of sex offences in granting GRC.

Concerns/questions/flaws in Labour’s proposals –

• Spousal exit clause – not a veto, but a method of initiating a process to ensure basic rights for a spouse and needs to be retained not scrapped.
• NPF mention of need to look at international evidence: little comparable evidence is available, but there is emerging evidence of self-ID and puberty blockers being withdrawn in countries where previously available.
• Needs of detransitioners are not mentioned but must be understood and addressed.
• No mention of Section 22 of the GRA, which creates problems for SSEs, “effectively providing an ‘invisibility cloak’ for the characteristic of sex for one group of people”, see article.
• Keir Starmer’s reference to “safe spaces”, despite the correct term being single-sex spaces (needed by women for dignity, privacy and more).
• No rationale yet provided for one doctor rather than two; also concerns about lack of specification in qualification criteria for doctors to provide the diagnosis, given the prevalence of private doctors willing to supply report on request.
• Reduction to one doctor opens door to acceptance of more countries onto the approved UK list for apparent GRC equivalence.
• Inaccuracies in Guardian article, including claim that Panel involved in current process is made up of ‘anonymous doctors’ – it is a group of doctors and legal experts.
• Claim that “The process is intrusive, outdated and humiliating’ has never had evidence to support it – see, for example, this article by Fair Play for Women (particularly the latter sections).
• Using inaccurate language like “futile indignities” contributes to fear mongering.

Labour Women’s Declaration Working Group 2nd August 2023

The above is a summary. For full response go to https://labourwomensdeclaration.org.uk/lwd-responds-to-the-uk-labour-partys-pivot-on-sex-and-gender/

I know there have now been lots of threads about the Labour Party but thought LWD deserve to be acknowledged given the struggle they have been directly involved in.

So started this as a new thread rather than tagging it onto the end of an existing.

Vital thread. LWD are going to be represented in the National Annual Women's Conference October 7 Liverpool and then in the Labour Party Annual Conference, Liverpool from Sunday 08 to Wednesday 11 October.

These meetings are absolutely vital as the conference will be voting on matters on the run up to deciding on the manifesto. This is going to decide the tone of the next Labour government. Only LWD can be relied on to fight back against sexism in the party and we need to support them either within the party or by tactical criticism from outside. Just by existing they are vital in the fightback as the entire youth wing of the party is under TRA control.

Whatever you think of Labour LWD are absolute heroes as is the resistance in every other party. The only hope to preserve women's rights in the UK lies not in a magical new party, or sexists suddenly deciding women matter, but recapturing ALL the existing ones and ensuring prowomen's voices in Parliament are maximised.

We know this can work. Conservative Women's Voice lobbied to get women's rights from an interest of a handful of Tory MPs in 2018/9 to a major force in the party. They helped derail Penny Mordant's bid to become party leader. Without out them women's right's in the UK might have been lost behind the scenes in the last few years just as happened in Scotland. This can be done in every party.

Still grumpy with Labour but agree with you that work of LWD is vital. They are indeed heroes.

For those who don’t know what Section 22 of the GRA is, check out this excellent piece by Maya Forstater: https://thecritic.co.uk/secrets-and-lies/

Good luck to LWD. I don't attribute Labour's shift to them, because they have been studiously ignored by the leadership, but the commentary is excellent on the gaps in Labour's new policy.

Anneliese’s Guardian article also gives a welcome indication that Labour will support the clarification of sex in the Equality Act, as proposed by Sex Matters – (“Labour will defend those spaces, providing legal clarity for providers of single-sex services”). It is important that sex is clarified to mean biological sex – this is implied in her article with the reference to “places where it is reasonable for biological women only to have access”.

Dodds wasn't indicating and implying all the giveaways for men was she?

We will modernise, simplify and reform gender recognition law. Our policies won’t please everyone but we will do what’s right

Much of this sounds reasonable to me, and I’m glad the inaccuracy of language is noted, but

Indication of support for legal definition of sex in the Equality Act to make the operation of the single-sex exceptions (SSEs) more effective.

They haven’t indicated any legal changes when stating they’ll defend the EA - which implies status quo

As usual Labour are not clear, Dodds doesn’t turn up and women have to sort through weeds to get insight

Hats off to them but their party is letting them down big time

Indication of support for legal definition of sex in the Equality Act to make the operation of the single-sex exceptions (SSEs) more effective.
My guess is they're well aware that this is a highly optimistic spin on what Dodds actually said but that they're hoping that if they repeat it often enough, it'll force Labour's hand to either confirm or deny. The trouble is that it also reminds me what a set of weasels they are (Labour not LWD) and why I can no longer trust a word they say.

That said, I think very highly of LWD and, if they can't persuade me to vote Labour then nobody can. I'll be keeping an open mind at least until the conference season is over.

They are extremely sensible and it’s a disgrace that Keir Starmer hasn’t met with them or apologised to Rosie Duffield

KS wont apologise because he is still fence sitting and fudging. This latest semi U-turn is not a commitment to preserving the rights of women. I distrust even more now than I did when he said 99.9% of women didn't have a penis. Look at the manifesto very, very carefully...... every single word

There is no pivot or u turn

There’s some sell to get people inside. It’s going to be worse for women after with their proposals

Yep. Awaiting the manifesto and will scrutinise very carefully. The language used will need to be crystal clear.

Well done LWD.

Yes, the language will have to be pinned down to the last decimal place. Wangling is what this has been all about and it has to stop, it cannot go anywhere near law again and create more mess.

As for 'futile indignities' - I'm getting really sick of this. What's more undignified? A beaurocratic process or being required to validate a male person's identity with your physical, naked body?

I suspect Keir Starmer thinks of women with biological realist views as absolute bigots who he needs to hoodwink to get into power. I just don't trust Labour at all now. I can't forget the disgusted expression on his face when he said that it should never be said that only women have a cervix.

A triumph of hope over experience. The women in LWD seem really nice, they're going to be so badly let down by their own party.

Admiration for all those women regularly confronting the misogynists in the LP. I don't know how they've kept the faith watching these men (and women) throwing women under the bus and openly eroding child safeguarding.
Hopefully sanity is slowly returning - but I'll only know it when they speak out about the gaslighting of children and the dreadful impact of medically experimenting on them.

I'm not sure I'd call LWD 'nice' - I mean they might well be lovely people but I think they're also tough as nails, as they need to be. Ultimately though, it's as their name says - they're loyal to Labour and I imagine they'll stay that way, so whether they can do enough, I honestly don't know although I wish them all the best.

Jean Hatchett wrote about Labour's new stance* in the Critic, she pretty much sums up how I fell about it. I don't trust them.

https://thecritic.co.uk/have-the-gender-wars-been-won/

*meet the new stance, same as the old stance

Quite. I note that for those seeking a GRC, the process is considered 'demeaning, intrusive, distressing and stressful', so how does that square with women having to undress in front of males being 'demeaning, intrusive, distressing and stressful'?

This stuff is so one sided. Why, it's as if women don't matter at all.

Much respect to the determined women of LWD. I turned my back on the Labour Party as I couldn't stomach the blatant disregard of my rights as a woman and their rabid commitment to self id. I am grateful to all those who stayed and fought and continue to fight it from within the party.

You are probably right but I’m pleased to see that they haven’t taken any of what’s been said at face value and have picked up on lots of areas where Labour need to clarify or do much better.

Is it worth those of us who have a Labour MP writing / emailing them and asking them to read LWD statement?

Just to let them know that LWD aren't some tiny insignificant group that they can ignore.

That potential voters will be monitoring the response (and recognition) LWD get from the Labour Party with regards to whether or not to vote Labour at the next GE?

YES!!!!!!! 👆👆👆👆 write to your MP about the LWD statement. And candidate, when they are announced. Esp if you are Red Wall.

As an inside, loyal group it is harder for Labour to dismiss LWD as Tories, nazis, fascists etc. It helps that they have broken the problem down into manageable chunks.

Worth writing about this declaration to your Tory MP too. I understand from the grapevine there is a quiet cross party alliance going on over this matter among some MPs.

Hadn't thought about Tory MPs, but it would be a good way of finding out their level of committment to women's sex based rights, ie more than of course women and biological females.

ie would the support clarifying the meaning of sex in the EA?

Labour Women’s Declaration at the 2023 Labour conference now appearing in the official programme.

Labour Women’s Declaration Fringe meeting
“How can Labour champion freedom for women & girls?”
Chair: Tonia Antoniazzi.
Speakers include Jess Phillips, Karen Ingala Smith, Diana Johnson, Rosie Duffield, Dianne Hayter.
[4 MPs, two with shadow minister positions and a Baroness]
7pm Mon 9th Oct

..followed by reception from 8.30pm. Large capacity venue near the Conference Centre. Tickets on sale soon.

We are also hosting another smaller fringe at 6pm on Sun 8th Oct inside the Conference Centre.
Invitation only due to the small capacity of the venue.
The title is..
“Disagreeing well: finding ways forward on sex and gender in law and policy”.
Chair: Sonia Sodha.
Speakers, including MPs, peers & councillors, to be announced in due course. Watch this space.
Details of both fringe meetings will be found in @UKLabour #Lab23 conference guide.
https://twitter.com/LabWomenDec/status/1688835259196964864

Just a reminder only 4 years ago women with opinions about actually existing were under siege at the Labour conference in Brighton you can hear the hammering at the windows in this vid:

Of particular note is Jess Phillips joining the first meeting. LWD are gaining ground.

This will be very interesting.
Well done to all those women for persisting in the face of the labour party misogyny swamp. I wonder whether they'll have their usual anti women / promoting VAWG fury on display - "Operation Let Them Speak" as Helen Joyce describes their emotionally / physically incontinent protests?

Maybe as one of their leading lights is now locked up after their demands that trans pride attendees punch women, the message is getting through?
We'll see.