Gillian Keegan: I'll stop saying Transwomen are women

[DirtyDuchess]

I unfortunately haven't got a token for this but hopefully someone can share it.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/04/24/gillian-keegan-will-stop-saying-trans-women-are-women/

Can't do a share token but those chickens are coming home to roost.

A few quotes……,

has said she will no longer use the phrase “trans women are women”, explaining that her understanding of the issue has “evolved”.

In 2020, in response to a question from an LGBT+ forum in her Chichester constituency, the Education Secretary made the statement that “trans women are women”, adding that trans people should have equal access to “safe spaces”.
Trans women are women and trans people deserve equal and fair access to health care, safe spaces and opportunities, as well as to live their life with dignity.”

—————-

But she told The Telegraph: “Since becoming an MP and later a minister I have learnt a huge amount more about this complex and challenging subject.

At the time of writing that response, I didn’t have any direct experience of this topic and took advice on how best to respond, given the complexities surrounding individual cases. Having now spoken to experts and professionals, like many, my understanding has evolved.

“I have since been crystal clear about my concerns that women are being erased in this debate, and have always been clear that women do not have, nor have ever had, a penis.”

——————

In December, Ms Keegan published draft trans guidance for schools, which said pupils should only be allowed to change pronouns in rare circumstances and parents should be consulted on their child’s wishes to change their gender identity.

There are concerns in Whitehall that Ms Keegan may water it down in response to negative comments. There are also worries that the Department for Education’s long-awaited relationships and sex education guidance for schools has still not been published.

The article includes this context……

It comes after Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said he had been wrong to use the phrase “trans women are women, get over it”.

His U-turn came in the wake of the Cass review, which found that much gender medicine was built on shaky foundations and warned against the use of puberty blockers for children and young people.

Ms Keegan’s remarks followed Whitehall concern that she has not been strong enough, as Education Secretary, in standing up to the influence of trans rights activists in schools.

Both Labour and the Tories know the majority of people in this country are not pro trans, so whatever they believe behind closed doors, they will become more gender critical as the general election comes closer.

I don't care if they're not sincere, our children need to be protected.

At the time of writing that response, I didn’t have any direct experience of this topic and took advice on how best to respond, given the complexities surrounding individual cases. Having now spoken to experts and professionals, like many, my understanding has evolved.

Is she doing a Nandy and blaming advisors?

Yeah funny how people were willing to burn witches first then bother to do their homework… I know we should be pathetically grateful at these statements but I’m still bitter about the absolute refusal to listen to women in the first place.

We will never know which is her true belief on this subject, call me a cynical old bitch, but I think its a case of 'Oh bugger, the plebs don't believe in gender, I'd better back track so the poor fools will vote for me again' But even with this complete lack of confidence in the honor of almost all of our elected representatives, this is still a step in the right direction. Speaking as a poor fool, that still wont vote Tory.

U turns are better than doubling down, but what were these people "thinking" to spout this bollocks in the first place?

THIS. I'll not be forgetting who was too stupid/lazy/craven/compromised on this subject.

From the comments…

“Penny Mordaunt next? It would need to be at the Despatch box, where she claimed that trans women are women.”

“I followed what I thought was popular in the past. Now I'm following what I think is popular now.”

”What she means is that after this report , she feels less cowardly”

“It takes guts to publicly change your mind”. No it doesn’t. It would have shown far more guts to not latch on to the fashionable narrative from Stonwall et al. But she doesn’t have the moral fibre to have done that. Clear off Keegan. But if you want to do something useful before you’re dumped try calling for Stonewall and Mermaids to have their charity status rescinded.

and loads on the theme of….

Complex and challenging subject.” Really? What’s complex and challenging about the differences between men and women?

I dont think either party want trans to be a debate in the next election campaign.

I suspect there'll be more of this from both cons and labour, and maybe no 'modernisation of GRA' in any manifesto.

As long as MPs 'follow the science' and get gender ideology out of schools and public services, that might not be a bad thing. I just hope its not performative statements now but nothing actually done before and after the election.

Archived; https://archive.ph/Ta5m4

If you're not sure if an article has a share token or has been archived, put it into the search box on Archive Today followed by the wildcard symbol, which is the star above the 8 on a keyboard.

Yes it's frustrating that people were captured, but those who change their thinking need our support, they will be recieving enough backlash from the still- captured. Lets welcome people into the GC fold. I believe we need to make them welcome.

“I have since been crystal clear about my concerns that women are being erased in this debate, and have always been clear that women do not have, nor have ever had, a penis.”

It's a funny old world where this is a bold and controversial statement for a Minister for Education. Sadly I'm not sure we'll look back on 2024 with laughter though, because it will be better remembered as the year that the world woke up to a medical scandal that has irreversibly harmed (tens of, I assume 😢) thousands of children and young people across multiple countries 😢😢😢

And no, Gillian, you've not always been clear that women do not, nor have ever had, a penis. You said as much yourself when you stated that you used to say that transwomen are women. Transwomen were born with penises, obviously. Many/most still have them. Anyway, it's good that you are now being clear on this and I welcome the change that this will bring to education... Please can you:

1. sort out the statutory guidance ASAP so that it is very clear that teachers and other staff should not be promoting their belief that "we all have a gender identity" (e.g. sharing their preferred pronouns) in schools. If they hold this belief privately, that is their prerogative. However, as with other beliefs, they should not bring this in to schools by actively encouraging children to share it too.

2. lean heavily on Local Authorities and their Education Psychology teams to ensure that children's mental health issues are not diagnostically overshadowed as a result of a psychologist's personal gender identity belief.

Please, please can a woman stand in her constituency for Posie's Party of Women?! What she has allowed in schools is criminal.
If you don't know about a subject you should say you don't know. I think she knew perfectly well what she has been supporting.

Ps thank you for posting OP. It feels like another significant shift to have both Health and Education Secretaries aligned on the importance of the difference between sex (fact) and gender (belief).

These people Liars all of them

when they used to shout trans women are women

I mean most of Britain did not think this but our politicians were to afraid to tell the truth.

I despise all of them for the harm that they did to children and women

she can fuck right off

It is worrying how many people just went along with the slogan without having even a moment of critical thought about whether it was true or not.

I despise them.

Venal, self-serving bastards.

I refuse to be "grateful" they are now realising the devastating outcomes of Trans ideology.

Ditto.

And at the damage that they were prepared to allow to happen so they could look 'kind' without having to bother with the difficult job of, yunno, thinking.

And thinking, you'd expect, was what they were paid to do.

Thanks for archive link and will read article in full later.

But what comes out of this is that thinking MPs are acting with "due diligence" is clearly a mistake. For all we know although blaming their staff they actually just asked their children.

Have seen commentators ie people being paid to comment who opt out of this by saying is some cowardly way, saying "I thought it best to ask what my children thought".

seriously??? Yet again an example that because it is about women many people just dont take it seriously.

Would a paid commentator come on tv or radio to discuss the NHS or Gaza or Ukraine and say well I consulted my children and they said that ...

No wonder the country is in chaos. Nothing to do with being Tory rather than labour, they are all out of their depth or freeloaders.

Dont they realise that their decisions can wreck people's lives.

I think we should start a list of those who have been "martyred" by the transing of society and send a copy to every politician, broadcaster and ask them to examine their conscience.

Announcing your change in beliefs post-Cass doesn’t mean we won’t remember all those who sold women down the river.

But holy hell, the house of cards is collapsing.

Not before time

Yep. Relieved as I am that the bottom is falling out of this madness, these people could not have been more weak, cowardly and self serving.

'Men are women' ffs. What the fuck possessed them. This is their job.

House of cards tumbling down, good to see

The more people who openly reject that mantra, the better. It was always an easy, thoughtless chant for those putting their fingers in their ears and not listening to women.

If the “defence” “trans women are women” is off the table and widely rejected, then any reply that’s given will need to have been given more thought, even if only a little.

Think about those actors who stabbed JK Rowling in the back. They used that phrase because it’s the easiest “defence” there is. It requires no thought. If the normal response to that phrase becomes an eye roll, then they will need to actually make an argument. We know from experience they can’t.

So whoever it is saying it, anyone openly denouncing that phrase is doing something important and significant.