Labour infighting over trans issues reignited by Cass Review

[IwantToRetire]

But Rosie Duffield, a Labour MP placed under investigation by the party last year for campaigning against gender ideology, pointed out that women who had exposed the scandal had been “blanked, sidelined and dismissed” by male leaders simply for speaking up.

And feminist Julie Bindel demanded an apology from Mr Streeting for failing to support her gender-critical views when he was president of the National Union of Students.

In reply to Ms Bindel’s accusation, Mr Streeting replied: “From memory (16 years on, so correct me if I’m wrong!) I replied to confirm that you weren’t on NUS’ no platform policy and as this was in relation to a motion passed by the autonomous women’s campaign I was not empowered to overturn it (not least as a male president!).”

This prompted Ms Duffield to retweet the (Les Streeting) statement, with the message: “To the many women blanked, sidelined, dismissed by male leaders when speaking up and exposing this for years.”

And Ms Bindel wrote: “Glad to see you are now openly critical of the gender ideology that led to the atrocities against children outlined in the Cass report.

“I am open to accepting an apology from you. In 2008, when you were NUS president, I was no-platformed alongside five fascist groups for ‘transphobia’.

“I contacted you and asked for your help. You gave none. I asked you to condemn those that had orchestrated the no-platforming, and you refused.

“Have you any idea of the reputational damage this caused me? How it gave others permission to no-platform, denounce and defame me?
“How it meant that I could be slandered by other organisations, and so many, many universities around the UK and elsewhere? If this sounds bitter then good, because I am.”

To this message, Ms Duffield said: “Thank you for leading us all here Julie. Without you, most of us wouldn’t have had a clue what had been happening to children who were far too young to have the critical faculties or agency to consent.”

Extracts not full article in Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/04/10/labour-infighting-over-trans-issues-reignited-cass-review/

Also at https://archive.ph/IfNp8

Earlier thread about Wes Streeting https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5047018-wes-streeting-labour-shadow-health-secretary-pledges-support-for-the-cass-reviews-evidence-led-recommendations-and-our-determination-to-put-childrens-health-and-wellbeing-above-the-political-fray

You’re right, of course it’s easy to see

The rest of the quote shows it. It’s what many have been saying on here correctly

She [VA] told Sky News: “Labour has spent the last ten years trying to shut women up when it comes to this. They have been part of the ideology

creating an atmosphere of intimidation for anyone who dared to question this ideology.

Starmer has actually done more for women than your average feminist ally.

Like his cowardly lack of support or provision of any assistance to Rosie Duffield? Or his lack of action or indeed any comment about the appalling behaviour of Lloyd Russell Moyle towards female MPs on both sides of the House, is that what you mean?

I have written to Wes streeting to say, basically, that I really appreciated his acknowledgement that his previous views were overly simplistic, as this is pretty rare nowadays.

I didn't give him or the Labour Party too much praise and I did suggest that they might want to reflect on this more widely (both the previous denials of predominantly female voices and on issues such as conversion therapy), but I did want to ensure that he gets messages of support that feel more positive and constructive than what he will get from the TRA side.

If he just gets crucified for having bothered at all, then others in his party will be watching.

Mate, he said 1% of women have a penis.

Well maybe he DOES recognise women as a sex class but in Starmer world, that sex class includes men so...

What I take from Wes Streeting's U-turn is that he/Labour have decided that appealing to TRAs is not an electoral advantage.

Starmer has actually done more for women than your average feminist ally

What exactly has he done for women, as a sex class?
What is “your average feminist ally” and what have or have they not done?

Is there some actual meaning in that statement?

Thats's a revolting thing to say to people who've suffered harms at the hands of men and therefore object to people trying to let males with special feelings into women's spaces. Personally I think you've led a privileged and sheltered life if you can't see the version of misogyny which Kier has perfected and if you think a male should ever be allowed in a space which is for women. It's not all out and out men saying 'women belong in the kitchen'. The subtle middle class version of putting women down which Kier shows is as impactful. All this nonsense that he protects women's safe spaces whilst he's still not reversed on his 'but women can be those people who have penises' means he should not be trusted to run a school fayre raffle let alone anything of substance. I'm saying this as someone who has suffered at the hands of men. Have you?

Obviously don't answer that if you're now wanting to share, you are entitled to privacy but if you haven't, perhaps reflect on the different opinions of the women you're mocking here.

I think some people redefine misogyny so that this, and his treatment of Rosie isn't it. In the same vein, I guess as we redefine woman to mean 'anyone who wants to call themselves a woman'. Smoke and mirrors.

Your refusal to answer that question is screaming volumes. It's a simple question. Why not bother to answer it. Kier's already shown that he will mess with the meaning of words in order to futher male privilege but you're sure he's not done that this time. Why? Where's the evidence?

It is not a U turn, he's been with us for ages.
People have not noticed because they are too fixated on left/right divides. It's ridiculously blinkered.

He admits it's a u turn in that he says he said something and he shouldn't have. Not sure you can spin that in any other way. What's blinkered about that?

It's the Telegraph and a spokee but even taking that into account Rayner still calling WPUK, LGBAlliance, etc as transexclusionary hate groups

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/11/angela-rayner-trans-charter-attacked-feminist-group-apology/

https://archive.ph/olU7G instead of banging you head on a brickwall smash the paywall-triarchy!

Labour really, really don't want my vote, do they?

Labour picked the wrong side.
It's disappointing that so few of them have the integrity or emotional intelligence to acknowledge this. Starmer has beclowned himself with his ramblings about which women have a penis or cervix and that's not good. Will he be as delusional in the face of Putin and other major challenges?

I'm pleased that Wes Streeting is conducting his u turn. He's a gay man who had to make a choice between the rabid transactivists versus the harm happening to children, a majority of them gay and lesbian children. He's made the right choice. I believe it when he says that he regrets the bullying of women. He may not mean it but I hope he does. The fact he regrets stating that TWAW is also significant for a Labour MP.

Perhaps he's been sent out to "soften up" the electorate in the hope they'll forgive Starmer's capture and weakness? Who knows. But it's getting busy on that golden bridge and if this means Labour will respect the integrity of Cass then that's a small step to restoring some of the damage this ideology has inflicted on society.

it is entirely possible to hold the belief that Starmer is a massive misogynist while at the same time acknowledging that there are more "massiver misogynists" out there too

Anyone who thinks that "some women have a penis" and/or use the phrase "her penis" (when not being compelled to, say in court) are misogynists.

It is a shame that ‘full accountability for the abuses perpetrated on us in the name of healthcare’ is in such precise conflict with everything else in that statement.

Anyone who can read the Cass report and continue in the vein which Rayner does has to be spectacularly dim, surely?

My question is that given Streeting's response (which was really the only response he could give, given his Shadow position), why isn't there more coherence from Labour? Why aren't their MPs being briefed on a new, more sensible, party line?

Anyone with half a brain cell can see the way the wind is blowing for the public. They may not have grasped the women's rights aspect of the 'trans rights' arguments, but they sure do understand that damaging kids is bad. And Streeting's very public u turn re TWAW is really helpful in bringing the '#bekind'-ers along with him.

Is it me, or has LRM been very quiet since Cass? Just checked his TwiX and it's surprisingly devoid of the topic.

Well the pushback didn't take long did it: Pipe down ladies, don't be toxic. Tough.

Gender critical Labour. voters have been treated like pariahs for questioning the use of experimental medical practices on children. We have every right to be angry and speaking for me, now that I'm out of the fold, I have no intention of trooping dutifully back.

Why? Because the people who helped embed gender ideology within the party are still there. I'm not talking either about nutty activists on Reddit. I'm thinking of Shadow Cabinet, select committee andI National Executive Committee members, in other words, people who have been shaping Labour policies (a conversion therapy ban still one of them). And at constituency level, I'm thinking of people who have been instrumental in selecting what looks likely to be a huge influx of new MPs. How many gender critical candidates made it through do we think?

It is not toxic to want those responsible held to account. It's supposed to be how democracy works.

I agree, @Floisme. I'm still not voting for them as it stands.

Reading that article, rather than Rayner refusing to apologise, it says her spokesman refused to apologise on her behalf, which sounds like a total non story to me. I wouldn’t expect a statement on this to be made second hand. I don’t expect her to actually apologise, but I’d expect some weaselly hedging when she actually does speak on the topic.

This Guardian article is interesting on Starmer's direction. Labour has lost 23,000 members in two months, I note.

I wonder what's currently going on at Labour HQ in relation to the party's direction for the GE? I bet it'd be fascinating to be a fly on the wall.

Does this take the prize for the most ironic post on the thread?

Labour has been losing women for ages. I think the 23000 lost recently will be mostly about Israel/Gaza. Since they are overwhelmingly the same people as the trans women are women brigade labour has decided to ditch them as a lost cause. Hence their new stance.