Gender Criticals - how are you going to vote in the election?

[ProfessorFlitwick]

My political views are centre-left. I am genuinely unsure how to vote in the next election because I am absolutely not voting for any party that supports harmful woke ideology. I am curious to hear how other GCs are thinking of voting next year?

I saw this the other day, it might be of interest to your friend, @Pluvia?

im seriously considering standing as an independent in order to get a place at hustings and ask the candidates questions that my MP ignores. If my MP won’t answer emails or meet with me then my MP can squirm in a church hall when I draw attention to the stuff the party pretends isn’t an issue.

I don’t know anything about politics, but I know enough to get through a hustings and I’m interested enough to get this pack. Maybe we could have a support thread for independents on here?

https://x.com/letsgetelected/status/1728700745254310071?s=46

What is the point of Labour possibly throwing money at and saving services, including the NHS, if they are only saving it for themselves and their mates, and by vigorous self ID and exclusionary politics will render those services no longer usable for many women?

And they are ok with this.

This particular incarnation of Labour - they are actually FINE with creating services that exclude BAME populations, disabled populations, women who need refuges and rape crisis services, homosexual women. Women with literacy challenges and learning difficulties. Women who are EAL.

What is the point of 'improved' public services that are only for the privileged elite, their mates and their current special pets? I suppose it might feel ok if you happen to be lucky enough to be in that privileged group and aren't bothered about the less fortunate groups in society, but that's intrinsically not Labour or anything left or socialist that I recognise. However it might identify.

@Froodwithatowel 100%

What is the point of public services which women can’t access because they are all mixed sex with the added threat of prosecution for anyone who voices concerns about that.

With Labour I fear being in the crazy position of being able to request a female vet for my reactive dog but not a female provider of intimate care for my grandmothers with dementia.

Apart from which, in my opinion I shouldn’t even have to request a female member of staff for intimate care for my grandmothers.

It should be a given that only women are providing intimate care to women in the NHS and in social care.

But surely this would mean that women who don't mind having such care from a man would have to wait longer. I don't think I'd advocate for automatically removing half the pool of carers for all women.

Do you think 50% of professional carers are male? Couldn't the far smaller numbers of male carers care for men...as a radical solution?

89% of nurses and midwives in the UK are female.

This is only those registered with the NMC, I wouldn’t expect it to be dramatically different amongst health care assistants.

Most importantly I think that a woman who has been traumatised by male violence takes precedence over the woman who lacks patience.

Moreover, in an ideal world we would have separate wards for men and women and only female nurses and nursing assistants would be employed on women’s wards, so the situation of having to wait for a female member of staff would not come up at all.

As pp says.

Plus some women will be fine with mixed sex care, and as an employer you are going to have your client base and likely needs in mind when you're planning who is the best candidate for the job.

None of this is an excuse to tell women 'either you let this bloke crack on with handling your body whether or not you're ok with it, or no matter how distressed it makes you, or you go without care'.

I mean, do we do diversity and inclusion or don't we? Do we care about vulnerabilities or not?

The only reason this is an issue at all is because some men are kicking off that some women won't let those men handle them and use them for validation if those men happen to identify as women. That's all. Let's be honest about this. It's not about whether mixed sex care is better or the only option - in which case the problem would be ok what do we do about meeting the needs of our clients who cannot have male carers and prioritise the female workers for that caseload. It's about those men having a pout that women say no to them and about trying to force consent.

Any male worker more interested in his need to handle a non consenting women and force her to submit than in the needs, diversity, feelings and best interests of his client? Wtf are you doing employing him in this role?

Some male patients incidentally prefer female carers for some procedures as they do not have a disliked feeling of sexual vulnerability to a woman that they do to a man.

Good point about percentages but I would still prefer women to have the option. I think narrowing the pool automatically could lead to longer waiting times in some cases.

To be crystal clear Ithink that women should have the right to single sex care if that's what they want.

I have a male relative who prefers to have women for this reason, he feels less vulnerable with female carers.

For this reason I wouldn’t argue that men should only have other men to provide intimate care.

Vulnerable men and boys may also prefer to have a female nurse. Which is handy considering that nearly 90% of nurses are women.

That's true, but people will still have to lobby for change regardless. It's not like the Tories are actually getting things right either, and at least Labour will put some investment where it is desperately needed.

I'm not prepared to sacrifice desperately needed investment in public services for this issue - especially when I don't believe the Tories are actually doing anything about it anyway.

But Labour will introduce self ID, @limefrog.

That is an absolute dealbreaker for me and it would show that they really do not give a fuck about women.

My friend died of cancer this year because the NHS were under so much pressure that they couldn't see him in time. By the time he started treatment, he was stage 4 and it was too late.

I know too many other people who have similar stories.

The Tories are letting the NHS die a slow death, and that for me is priority number 1.

That's fine, but if you're expecting Labour to magically fix the NHS I fear you are likely to be disappointed.

This lot seem incapable of doing much except shouting from the opposition benches about how oppressed trans people are and how nasty the Tories are.

Running a country? I have my doubts.

But Labour will introduce self ID, @limefrog.

And maybe Scotland-style 'hate crime' legislation too? 😠

I'm certainly not expecting Labour to magically fix anything.

Neither party is a good option.

But the NHS and public services are falling apart under 13 years of Tories in power. They are on their knees.

Voting the Tories back in would be absolutely bonkers for anyone who has a relative or friend who relies on health services, or a relative or friend with a disability, or basically anyone who isn't massively wealthy and able to pay for all of their own private healthcare.

Yes I am GC, yes it's important, but this Tory party are so utterly damaging in so many ways and they need to go. There are other ways to campaign and lobby for this issue (which, frankly, would need to be done with the Tories as well anyway - they are inept).

Frankly, that is the lesser of two evils. We can't let the NHS be destroyed and that is what the Tories will do.

Of course, the narrative will change. From, those bastard Tories are going to tear down the nhs and sell it off to their nasty mates to ...the Labour Party will make the brave and difficult choices to return the nhs to its former glory, bringing down waiting times and slashing waiting lists for the British public by privitising heaps of shit.

And then we can all have a sigh of relief because Labour are in power. 🎉🎉

I don't think anyone is daft enough to think that Labour are going to save the day or be perfect, in any way. But we desperately need a swing away from this government and some support for public services which Labour will provide.

It's the same shit with a pronoun bow.

But why are Labour forcing us to choose between women's rights and public services?

I suppose that's something we have to take up with them.

We're in between a rock and hard place, absolutely, I do agree with you.

But at the end of the day, this is a two party country - it's going to be either Labour or Conservatives in power - and the latter is going to basically kill a lot of people (as a result of killing the NHS).

I just can't put GC values above that, as much as I agree it needs to be lobbied and campaigned for.

I think the answer is more activism, rather than voting a very damaging government back into power.

How will they fund it?

There’s not much between them bar this