MPs who believe ‘women have a penis’ will be named and shamed ahead of general election

[fromorbit]

Brilliant plan sure plenty of Mumsnetters will be up for being part of the volunteer army asking questions:

An “army” of volunteers in an apolitical new grassroots campaign is gearing up to meet all MPs and parliamentary candidates at hustings events and on their doorsteps to ask each one the question: “What is a woman?”

Their answers will be video recorded and uploaded individually to a website which is being launched in the coming months.

It will allow voters to find out instantly whether their next MP thinks women must be born female and that binary biological sex cannot be changed, or whether they believe that male-born transgender women are women too.

Sharron Davies MBE, the former Olympic swimmer and feminist campaigner who has been appointed as the campaign’s first ambassador, said it would let voters “know if their MP will stand up for women”.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/23/mps-believe-women-penis-named-trans-election-sharron-davies/

We also need a women's issues hustings in every constituency in the election run by people who know what women are. Women Won't Wheesht (WWW) have already run the prototype in Rutherglen [the hustings was reinstated after an attempt to cancel it after they realised banning women's meetings is in fact illegal.]
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4899435-womens-group-hustings-for-rutherglen-hamilton-west-byelection-cancelled

Well let's see how many Conservatives say they think women have penises, given self ID was their position for much of their time in government and backed by Theresa May

https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/gender-recognition-reform-bill-theresa-may-disappointed-scotland-changes-not-considered-for-england-3966348

If all Conservative MPs go with "of course women don't have penises" then it will be clear it's a party line.

Great, I'm much happier with a party line that says 'no, women can't have a penis' than one that says they can

No. I'm not. I see all of those people bemoaning "free speech", media conspiracies etc. Where generally they represent the most powerful group in society. But I'm meant to feel sorry for them, being attacked by "the establishment" for their free speech.
Fuck that. Thoroughly unpleasant bunch of men that entirely deserve what they get imo.

You are in a minority in voting directly for an MP closely aligned to your views

But that's not what I said. Go back and read my post again.

I have never, ever had the opportunity to vote for an MP- or even a candidate- closely aligned to my views, and I doubt I ever will. I never claimed I had.

My post was not about expecting MPs to share my views. My post was about expecting MPs to accurately represent their own views, no matter who is asking them, as a minimum standard for seeking election.

Expecting integrity from political candidates is not "a view", for crying out loud. It's a standard. My opinions on green field developments, school meals, blood sports and arts funding are "views".

OK, so it's not about individual MPs for you then.

Now we've exchanged "who do you think you ares", I feel all warm an fuzzy.

Same here

It's about both. But frankly I wouldn't trust and individual MP or a party that denies basic biology and tries to gaslight the electorate into belittle same.

So it being their own view is bad, it being the view of the overall party is far far worse and I will vote accordingly

Expecting integrity from political candidates is not "a view", for crying out loud. It's a standard
I agree, it should be a standard. My point was that so many (not all) MPs are abysmal, lie, behave in disgusting ways, are on the take for thenselves, friends and family, don't care about their constituents and still get voted in. I could make a list of plenty from all parties. So even though it should be a standard, it isn't a standard.

You expect that. Most voters don't care. They vote for the party and the leader they want. Some vote for tribal reasons.

So the question is only going to appeal to a small subset of voters. For most it's going to make no difference.

Gah auto correct! That should be 'an' nit 'and' and 'believing' not 'belittle'

Do you think it shouldn't be asked, then? There's no point, so why bother?

Or is there a better question? Genuine question to Adam Ryan

The closest I’ve seen on this is the WM debate

Loads of MPs spoke very well on biological sex

There was a clear split between Labour and Cons in terms of numbers. Most Labour were TRA / TWAW and Cons pro women and TWANW

It’ll be good to see more sunlight and the direct question

I can't believe that we've posters so mimsy about asking politicians a direct question that goes to the heart of their truthfulness and integrity and whether they're believers in the biggest conspiracy theory going. 🙄

Can’t wait for this! Well done to the organisers

Anything that forces a definitive answer from anyone seeking election (and which will be on the record for anyone to see now and in the future) can only be a good thing in my mind as they can't weasel their way out of it later with cries of 'people misunderstood what I meant' or 'I was taken out of context' if the tide of public opinion changes

If you truly believe it, stand behind it. If you worry it'll make you look like a deceitful twat later then perhaps you should reflect on why that is

Yep, and that will also be useful information.

I've never suggested you were any kind of 'shill'. I wondered what your issue is with this project, but you don't seem willing or able to say, that's fine.

If hardly anyone cares, then the people funding the website will waste their money.

Why would that make you unhappy?

Any politician who can lie and say that woman can have a penis don’t deserve a vote as they are just stupid liars

good to know who they are

Was just coming to post that.

I don't care which party an MP or MSP is from (apart from the Scottish Greens - there's no hope there at all) - if they say that a woman can have a penis, they are either credulous or cowardly. Not traits I particularly value in my elected officials.

As a feminist, I don't think women should be defined in respect of male genitalia at all to be honest. It feels all wrong.
I hate women being defined as men with a missing penis.

I'd prefer something like " do you think only men have penises"?

I’m not sure what the right answer is to this question. Because of course it’s ridiculous to say that women can have penises, but it’s also true in law that some people with penises are women. 70% of the population disagree with the GRA, but there it is. Women with penises. Which means that politician giving a simple answer on this is lying.

I never know when threads go a bit of a ding dong what makes that happen.

This thread started as a point of information about a forthcoming campaign. Some might think that's great some might think that's never going to work or ...

But some how its been hijacked about it being some sort of conspiracy and anyone who doesn't agree is being taken for a ride.

Lets say it is a conservative initiative (although the report of the meeting made it clear it wasn't just tory) which means it isn't much different to the daily leaks to the Times and Telegraph about woke civil servants, Stonewall capture etc.. So even if it is "right wing money" (like the Telegraph and the Times) it will result in information not filtered through annonymous links and a journalist with their own slant.

Its a straight forward question. And can be answered by Yes, No, No comment. These responses get posted on a web site, ie more accessible to the majority of voters than articles behind a pay wall.

And much as I would like to believe the electorate will be constantly checking the web site for updates, and news commentators doorstepping politicians saying have you seen that your colleague has said Yes / No / No comment, does this mean you party will lose the election, it just wont happen.

Any more than if one of the eco groups posted a map of the UK showing where water companies were discharging contaminated water. Those for whom this is a core issue will take notice, but the majority wont.

And however much we talk on FWR about women's sex based rights, we all know that for the majority of the population, even if they have a view, it isn't their priority.

But if it helps the message about women's right being erased reach a wider audience great. Just as Posy's T shirts saying Woman - Adult Human Female did. And we dont have to pay anything!

Let's face it Labour are going to win, not for any positive reason, but because the Tories have been in power for so long.

But at least if they do it would be great if a web site has made them face their shame of erasing women.

Hopefully the web site will have info telling local constituents tell their MP want they think of their answer to the question.

Yes, this is true. I suppose what this question is is an opportunity for politicians to offer their thoughts on the issue. They can be succint or expansive, as they choose.

If any party has legislation change in the manifesto that’s an easy response