Green Party Deputy Leader on being 'gender critical'

[ArabellaScott]

https://thecritic.co.uk/it-isnt-easy-being-a-gender-critical-green/

'The Deputy Leader of the Green Party Zack Polanski also thinks people with gender critical views aren’t welcome in the party. He’s made it clear that “those members who claim that trans women are men and trans men are women – should not have a place in the Greens.”'

Quoting this interview from earlier this year:

https://leftfootforward.org/2023/03/zack-polanski-interview-transphobia-is-not-welcome-in-the-green-party/

'... he says that the small number of members who take a contrary view to the party’s policies on trans rights – specifically those members who claim that trans women are men and trans men are women – should not have a place in the Greens. He says: “I’m really clear that if you want to misgender someone then that is transphobic and transphobia is not welcome in the Green Party.”'

sounds like potential discrimination, to me.

I'd also add that saying a 'small number' of members are 'gender critical' is a deliberate distortion.

😶

Really bad move.

I suppose throwing out everyone who doesn't say and think only what they're instructed to and ensuring no diversity of thought or opinion is one way to 'heal the rift'.....

Er. It'll certainly lower the costs for membership mailouts. And ensure debates are as short as possible. In fact, no debate required! Just email out a list of accepted beliefs and positions every six months or so. And the latest flag.

Oh this is very welcome

x.com/greenjennyjones/status/1711038428903555096?s=46&t=A2fpFNgDRyXF2d6ye97wEA

Jenny Jones has been supportive if women in the past, I think?

Here's the response:

'We’ve not met so why don’t you come to one of the 6 action days I’m running as a volunteer a week to get Greens elected. Come and chat to our residents about how important LGBTIQA+ inclusive candidates & policies are to them as the 6th queerest borough'

6th queerest Borough.

I had no idea there was a list. Who keeps it? Why? Have they asked LGB people if they are all happy to be described in such a way?

We’ve not met so why don’t you come to one of the 6 action days I’m running as a volunteer a week to get Greens elected. Come and chat to our residents about how important LGBTIQA+ inclusive candidates & policies are to them as the 6th queerest borough'

That's from Chesca Walton?

It is.

https://twitter.com/chescawalton/status/1711132301461950553

😂😆🤪

I've just spat my tea out.

Does she know who Jones is?!

This is how I feel. I used to vote Green on occasion and would like to again. I'm very concerned about the environment. But I can't trust them. They have ignored science and the evidence base when it comes to identity politics. How can I be sure they wouldn't do the same on other issues?

It depends what your main issue is, because, for me, the protection of women's rights is so important, that I could never vote for the Green Party or Labour again. I would feel sick voting for a party that stated women can have penises, or supported the removal of women centric language on health literature. I'll be voting for Conservatives or the party who can offer protection on women's rights, before any other issue. Although of course I accept that this has all been allowed to happen under the Tories, including allowing gender woo PSHE to be taught in schools.

I actually think that a lot of the environmental polices Greens, and Labour for that matter, push, aren't actually good policy.

I don't doubt that they want them to be good policy, but the desire to look like they have a solution is so great, and the political tribalism so strong, that these ideas don't get proper scruitiny.

Pushes towards electric cars is the one that really gets me, it would be a total disaster for the environment, and probably just be impossible anyway. When these problems are pointed out they are hand-waved away, apparently new tech will fix them. But that's no different than saying new tech will mean emissions from petroleum based vehicles will be fixed by new tech.

Similarly the issues around various kinds of trade systems for carbon, net zero approaches, and the economic issues that come out of a change from oil based economy. These are serious and significant and have to be addressed. Greens simply won't hear about these things or discuss them, and accuse those who bring them up (conservatives) of being evil. So they continue to push programs with doubtful outcomes.

It's a lot of the same problems they are having with identity politics, really, and they can't manage any of them. I was a Green Party ember for some years, and volunteered in campaigns, even though I am not naturally a party person, I thought they had some really interesting approaches to politics, But it's clear to me now their party structure and the way they think - at least these days - can't deliver.

I can see it now.

"Good morning.

Today you will think this <insert text here>

And select from one of the three following mantras/parrot chants <insert text here>

All hail the Right Side of History!

On no account engage your brain. We'll be back to tell you what you're thinking tomorrow."

I do agree with criticism of the greens; but I joined in order to be able to vote where possible on motions. There are actually a lot of women there who disagree with the tra's fuckery and are working hard to challenge it behind the scenes. And also the 'bright green' policies.

So from my pov, I'd prefer to attempt to rein them in on idiot policies than rinse my hands of them.

It doesn't necessarily mean I'll vote for them in a GE ....

I could never ever vote Tory, ever. It’s just not in my blood. I agree with you that all the major parties have got this wrong. I think more conversation needed to have happened before things got to the point we women find ourselves in now and I have no idea what the solution is now as we move forward with this state of affairs.

But I count the Tories amongst the parties who have let us all down. They got us into this mess and they are not doing enough to get us out of it. They are also absolutely abhorrent to me when it comes to low taxation (less money for public services and I believe in public services), running down the NHS, running down mental health and education, running down further education, their attitude to immigration (I support anyone wanting to live here, we don’t own this piece of land we stand on), the decimation of services like CAMHS, adult and community care and really the list goes on.

I totally support any conversation about where we go with gender/sex from here as a society but the Tories are the last people I would trust with power over this, or any, conversation.

A few months ago I emailed the Green Party because of concerns I had with harmful anti-LGBT views held by "Green Party Women". This is their reply if it's of any interest, they didn't specifically mention the anti-LGBT spin-off group but the reply suggests the main party are in favour of LGBT rights.

"Thank you for getting in touch. The Green Party is strongly in favour of LGBTIQA+ rights and strongly believes transwomen are women, transmen are men and non-binary identities exist and are valid.

Our liberation group, LGBTIQA+ Greens works to ensure we have strong LGBTIQA+ representation and helps shape our policy.

We have been working with external experts Diverse Matters, who conducted an audit of our party’s practices in respect to the Equality Act 2010 and wider best practice in regard to inclusion.

Thanks to this audit, Diverse Matters recently shared with the wider governance of the party a report suggesting an action plan covering policies, procedures and training. You can see the executive summary report here.

This report is now in the hands of our governance bodies GPEx and GPRC, who are working towards embedding and implementing these recommendations into our processes and internal party culture. We are also currently reviewing a number of other areas, including our safeguarding policy and disciplinary process to ensure they meet good practice for membership organisations.

In addition, we have a Culture Working Group which is working to promote a positive culture that reflects our values, and the rights and responsibilities chapter of our policies is being rewritten to ensure that all the protected characteristics are fully included.

With these and other workstreams there is a lot underway, which we hope will help build a safer environment for all and guarantee that our policy goes beyond our manifesto and constitution, and into our internal party culture and processes.

I hope that helps shed some light on some of the work that is going on within the party and you might like to read more here.

Thank you for your support."

Thanks @Stephannee . That confirms that the official Green Party view is that Trans Rights, as defined by extremists who deny physical reality, are more important than the rights of women, children, and adults vulnerable to the ideology that is being imposed on us. No way will I be voting Green as long as they are so biased.

I'll say this really slowly:

some of the women here wanting equality of access and rights ARE LGBT+

Is your problem understanding this that you don't think non compliant people can be LGBT? Or do you, instead of meaning all lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and + people with all their diversity of voices and views, in fact just mean you use the term LGBT+ to mean a TQ+ politically compliant group?

Yes, they support LGBT rights.

That's what I asked in my email to them, because of the views held by "Green Party Women" I was concerned if these views were representative of the main party. So I asked them their stance on gay and trans rights.

I wonder if they support LGBT+ rights MEANING all LGBT+ people's rights, how they support those of us who'd like to be homosexual and have a female homosexual only event without being disrupted, screamed at and sent pictures of nooses with encouragement to commit suicide? As happened to a lesbian group last night.

Yes, they support homosexual and bisexual rights too. That's included in the acronym.

And they identify as supporting homosexuality at the same time as identifying as supporting a political position that is working against those rights?

You may mock, Frood, but this is in fact SNP party policy ...

I think the question is, Warrior, does Jenny know she's speaking to a representative of the seventh queerest borough?!