Keir_Starmer turned up at the Usdaw conference on Wednesday. Wonder if delegates explained they voted on Monday showing how to say sex is real.
LabourWomen’sDeclaration
·Thanks Simon & congrats #USDAW24 for passing this motion.
We hope @UKLabour & @Keir_Starmer, who addressed your conference today, will note that Simon's post about this has been viewed & liked at least 5 times more than posts about Keir's speech..
#WomensRightsAreTradeUnionRights
USDAW is the UK fifth biggest union. The motion had official backing in the union:
" It was hearting to be fully supported by Usdaw Union National Executive Council on this. They clarified that what I was asking for was already both law (Single Sex Provision under the Equality Act) and union policy (to review materials). There's no groundbreaking change needed.... we just need to apply existing rules correctly and clearly. Nobody needs to feel threatened by a call to provide for the needs of different groups. It should be easy for unions and other organisations to look at this and clarify, just as the NHS has done this week."
The tide is turning slowly.
Simon Naylor explained more about what led to the motion in a follow up thread:
A bit of background. The speech has been in the works for nearly three years. I've delivered it in draft form during training courses with other members during that time and it was always well received but the final draft was written only a couple of hours before I spoke.
Things are changing quickly. Even a month ago I couldn't have included the response by Stonewall to the Cass review as 'No Debate' seemed to be entrenched but the momentum of this is gathering and the "No to No Debate" line had even greater relevance.
I think I first became aware of this issue when seeing the incident of
@bindelj
being assaulted & bullied. I read the denunciations of feminists & wondered what they could've done that was so bad. By the time @Glinner
started talking I could already see what was really going on.
I've followed the prominent accounts for a good while, retweeted and amplified where I could and read the books by Kathleen Stock and HJoyceGender
Fair, balanced and fact based works which are often slated as anything but that.
Whilst drafting the speech I noticed something interesting. Back in March I asked a couple of different AI sites for opinions on the female authors above. Both came back with a content warning that they were considered transphobic and I should look at other resources.
I asked again shortly before the weekend and no such warning appeared, just a summary of what they'd written. Progress is happening, it is working.
As for what's next, I encourage anyone in a trade union to speak about this. Bring it to your branch, debate it, talk about it.
It's vital we provide support for everyone who needs it and we're closer to re-establishing that it can't come at the expense of women and girls. It feels less dangerous to get involved and speak out, though I obviously say that from a male perspective.
I've been reluctant to speak up in the past but I'm glad I used the biggest stage available to me to do so. The reach outside of the conference has been fantastic. I've not been as vocal on this in other areas of my life so that's next for me to change. I may lose friends.
But I've had the support of
@kiritunks
@MForstater
@sharrond62
@cathydevine56
@soniasodha
@K_IngalaSmith
@Serena_Partrick
@HanoverHussy
@WomensRightsNet
@WomansPlaceUK
and the multitude of others who have engaged positively with me so really, it'd be cowardly not to do so.
And to all the men reading this: it's time. If you haven't yet, it's time to step up, speak up & speak out. If you can see what's going on, you're needed on this. Women have been doing it almost on their own for far too long. Get off the fence. It must be uncomfortable up there.