Robert Jenrick on women's rights

[HerGorgeousMajestyArabellaScott]

From the webchat yesterday:

Justine MN: 'women's rights

@Ereshkigalangcleg bit of a mouthful - says: hi Robert, thanks for doing this could you explain how you would seek to protect the rights of women to
female only spaces when we need them e.g. Rape Crisis service prisons Etc she says transgender identity is one thing but biological sex is more important on some occasions for reasons of safety but also for reasons of privacy and
dignity.

Robert Jenrick:

Thank you well look let let me be very clear - basic biology and common sense matters - of course we must treat people with kindness and compassion but
we've got to be very clear about what a woman is. How we can ensure that female spaces are protected and the rights of women are properly uh supported whether that's changing rooms prisons competitive sport we've got to protect women's rights.

For my part I've always tried to do that - when I was a minister who had responsibility for example as housing secretary I changed the law so that no new public building can be built in this country unless it has female toilets, and I've always stood up uh for what has I say what I would call Basic biology and common sense. I'm a dad after all to three young daughters I want to ensure that they grow up in a country which recognizes those things and that we
don't blur the lines here and ensure that biology sometimes gets you know
falls by the wayside.

Justine Mumsnet:

'What about those who medically transitioned and have a gender recognition certificate though I mean you are you suggesting they should also be excluded on the basis of the biological sex they were born with or ...

Robert Jenrick: 'you this is where it becomes tricky. Right, well I think we have to be clear what what a woman is, and what a transman is. I think we have to treat people with kindness and compassion and it is right that people find happiness and dignity in their lives however they wish but that does not mean that a trans man should be using women's toilets, changing rooms, should be alongside women in prisons, should be competing alongside women in competitive Sports.

I take a strong view on this I appreciate that this is a contentious issue and not everyone will agree with me but that is my position. I think that is the best way that we can protect women like my daughters my wife my mum, the women that
I want to see have their rights protected now and in the future.

Justine Mumsnet:

'Okay. just to be clear I think you mean trans women not trans man yeah you mean, you know you you mean a - a woman, someone who transitioned to be a woman.'

Robert Jenrick:

'Yeah'.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mumsnet_live_events/5197593-zoomchat-with-robert-jenrick-mp-tuesday-29th-october-5pm

Heh! I thought earlier, did Jim Hacker die in vain? 😀

As SEEN demonstrates, there is a variety of thought in the civil service. But I am utterly unsurprised to see Kemi pushing the "civil servants are the enemies of The People," line.

@RayonSunrise

She's not pushing the line that the Civil Service are the enemy of the people.
If you read the transcript, she defends it.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womensrights/5196161-mumsnet-zoomchat-with-kemi-badenoch
Second or third post down.

And I think that the very fact that the SEEN network has had to be formed and many of its members wish to remain anonymous lends support to my assertion that the Civil Service is captured.

Lots of organisations are "captured" - mostly in the sense that they are full of people who don't want to carry on being part of the problem that gay and lesbian people have been dealing with for decades, and they've over-corrected. But can you genuinely not see how ridiculous it is to announce that civil servants are captured when loads of them have formed SEEN?

I said the Civil Service is captured, not that all civil servants are captured. No, it's not ridiculous. Captured means that there are genderists in strategic positions, influencing policy and organisational culture.

And presumably you accept that KB was not "pushing a line" that civil servants are "the enemy of The People" as you claimed? If you've read the relevant part of the transcript, of course.

Updating with info from the BBC today:

'Bob Blackman, who oversaw the election as chair of the Conservative 1922 Committee, revealed the party membership had shrunk to 132,000 - the lowest level on record and down 40,000 members since the last vote by members in 2022.'

Labour have around 370,000 members, iirc.

One of the 320,000 is me, I think. I still get party junk but I don't support much of what Keir Starmer says. Honestly, it's more interesting watching a coffee machine descale than listen to him.