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evidence: little comparable evidence is available, but there is emerging evidence of self-ID and puberty blockers being withdrawn in countries where previously available.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• Claim that “The process is intrusive, outdated and humiliating’ has never had evidence to support it – see, for example, this article by Fair Play for Women (particularly the latter sections).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.

Form the Hatchet piece 😛:

Now they are back with a metaphorical box of chocolates in their hands, acting like nothing happened. It’s duplicitous, and women shouldn’t accept it.

Heh! Absolutely this. Looks like Jess Phillips is seeing the way the wind is blowing, though.

Well done to all those women for persisting in the face of the labour party misogyny swamp.

Absolutely!

Do you think the Labour Party policy makers are hoping that if they quietly "permit" little concessions to GC feminists they can then disguise that there was ever an issue.

Hope the meetings go okay, and there are no tantrums and suggestions of boycotts.

I think it is clear that the Labour leadership realise the full TRA agenda was a trainwreck. Plus some of them don't believe it at all. Looking at you Rachael Reeves.

There is going to be an ongoing battle over this inside Labour. LWD have gained ground but there is a long way to go. The conference will be key in indicating how much ground has been gained.

Just done this. Hope I get a better response than last time I tried contacting her. I've been composing emails in my head for ages and not sent them! 😀But this gives bit of focus and a peg to hang things on.

LWD have tweeted that once again they've not been given a stall at the Labour conference.

'"LWD has won a significant policy shift & also has 2 fringe meetings listed in party's conference guide
..but has now learned it will not have a stall there this year. The politicians who applied [on their behalf] are baffled..''

I'm very disappointed to see this. The conference is one of my litmus tests as to whether I can trust Labour with my vote again and it's looking like they've failed it already:

The full statement is here:

https://twitter.com/LabWomenDec/status/1690628659881574401

Preposterous. And these jokers/cowards want my vote?

Suggestion...try harder.

What a fantastic article. Had no idea that the GRA made it a crime to reveal that someone has a GRA. No wonder organisations get so tied in knots denying reality. The Law Commission needs to look at this area of law, asap.

The only solution is for the GRA to be repealed or amended. Until then, some men will continue to identify as women in order to gain access to opportunities to grope and assault women, safe in the knowledge that it’s a crime for the natal woman to point out that the man abusing them is a man.

What a dystopia we find ourselves in.

What?! FFS.

No stall again, eh?

Yeah, it was all weasel words.

Presumably it's to spare Starmer from the embarrassment of having to acknowledge the VAWG wing of the party? It's likely that women at the stall would be assaulted, abused and threatened with the sexual violence - all the usual tactics. Without the evidence he can keep spouting his false "blame on both sides" mantra.

Are LWD the same women who carp on about KJK being irrelevant and loud/obnoxious/right-leaning/whatever because they're the ones making amazing political progress behind the scenes?

Righty-ho.

Not as far as I'm aware. Are you sure you're not confusing them with WPUK?

Great article from the Observer on the battle over women's rights inside the Conservative and Labour party here. More background details on the secret cross party resistance group which is at the heart of the fight back:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/aug/13/keir-starmer-gender-politics-labour

Still a long way to go, but moving forward.

There's no question of Starmer moving to a GC position because 'it's the right thing to do', is there? The only calculation is what will benefit them/hurt them least at the ballot box. Hence these minimal and begrudging moves. "Above all, don't be too noisy about it!" So I don't think appeals to logic, or fairness, or, indeed, Science, help that much.

Interesting that it's the Conservative Party that is the home for this alliance, but it's the Labour Party "rebels" that have to do all the heavy lifting.

They better get their shit together, because we're 12-15 months from a Starmer led govt, and this battle goes from simmering to boiling over after 2024. These Labour MPs need to gird their loins for the battles ahead.

I never thought it would be, but ... a small part of me hoped they would at least follow through on the tiny, tine concession they made a couple of weeks ago.

Not giving LWD a stall is a clear indication that there is no real change, and /or the hard line TRAs in the Labour Party have to be appeased.

It just seems Labour are now thinking they can post bland statements where previously they were quite hard line (ie they are now back peddling on ULEZ).

At least with the Tories, as they did in the proposal to ammend the GRA is to say no, we have reconsidered and wont make the change. (Ditto LTNs, ULIZ - but not Brexit!)

Is there anything that we can believe Labour will actually do?

Oh yes, the tory vote winners, 2 child cap and use of barges for asylum seekers.

The LWD should be applauded for caring on in the face of this public disdain from their own party.

And I dont think (unless someone can find a quote) LWD have ever said anything against other women. They are focusing their campaign on the target of the campaign, ie the Labour Party. Unlike WPUK and AGCL, who see their politics as giving them the right to then criticise other women.

There's a lot of crossover between the LWD founding signatories and the AGCL. I probably shouldn't have been snarky but the lack of progress being made just made me angry for a moment.

You are right to be angry. There are a lot of people who won't say that they're agin us but won't show that they're actually for us.

So. Overall the message I've got from Labour High Heid Yins is:

'Women, everything's fine. Shush'.

And from the other side of their mouths, to the trans activists:

'We'll sort it, just shush'.

Great summary!

There's a lot of crossover between the LWD founding signatories and the AGCL.

Oh!!! I didn't know that / dont remember.

And in faact AGCL and WPUK are also a cross over.

Too little too late. After their treatment of Rosie Duffield they can get in the fucking bin

There's a lot of crossover between the LWD founding signatories and the AGCL (2)

Okay from a quick skim through there are 4 from each group, so that's 8 out of 300+
https://labourwomensdeclaration.org.uk/about-us/

Would be interested if any one has links of clips of where a statement from LWD has attacked other women activists.

Not that I am trying to defend them and am glad to have seen this highlighted.

But if there aren't any from LWD then it shows that those who do think they can tell women that how they think it wrong, can in fact not indulge in this personal vindictiveness when operating in mainstream politics.

Which if true if revealing in itself.

The LWD statement that a 'group of eight Labour politicians' applied for them to have a stand at the conference. This would be a really good time to hear from those eight.

The statement also says:
'We have two candidates standing for election to the National Women’s Committee which will be decided by CLP delegate vote at the National Women’s Conference on 7th October.'

I'll be watching.

https://labourwomensdeclaration.org.uk/lwd-at-labour-conference-2023-lwd-statement-comment-from-labour-politicians/

As for AGCL connections, if there are statements from LWD attacking Posie Parker / Let Women Speak then please let's see them - in some ways it would be a relief to have my last few emotional bonds to Labour severed. But so far it's sounding a bit too much like guilt by association for comfort.

I translated it from Scots. 😊