Labour councillor quits party over puberty blocker ban

[ArabellaScott]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy89e1g71ppo

'Zoe Hughes, Exeter City Council member, said the party's support of a ban on puberty blockers for under-18s questioning their gender identity was "a policy I refuse to stand by and accept".
Hughes was elected as the Labour councillor for the Pennsylvania ward in May and will now serve as an Independent.'
...
Hughes said: "As a queer person, I have often felt alone and marginalised within society. However, I historically have felt that at least the Labour Party had my back."
Hughes, who uses "they" and "them" as personal pronouns, said they were "nervous" when the Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he wanted to meet the author JK Rowling, who has expressed concerns about how trans issues affect women's rights.
Hughes said there would be "increasing self-harm" as a result of the decision on puberty blockers in "an already vulnerable and marginalised group".
They added: "We have let the LGBT+ community down and I want no part of it – there is no LGB without the T for me, it is that simple."'

She pretty much says: give them/us what we want, and if not we (them) will, hurt ourselves.

That's such an immature attitude.

The evidence against taking PB is very strong.

When will it end, when will zealots see it for what it is?!

Well, that's the end of her career as a councillor. Come the next election she won't be voted back in. Unless she's a fabuolous councillor - people will vote for someone of one party or other.

Oh dear, what a shame.

Good riddance.

I'm sure someone posted on another thread that it was only here on FWR that was pushing the marginalised and vulnerable line. Sooner the tras all quit Labour, the better.

Sad to hear they feel distressed by this to the point of giving up on a job they were recently elected to do. I do find it very hard to imagine anyone feeling anything but relief that these horrible drugs are once again being stopped from being promoted for children when there's no evidence they benefit any condition enough to compensate for the side effects. What happened to caution around drugs for children?

Why would you leave a position where you might be able to (misguidedly) influence things, to become just a random
member of the public with no voice in the council? Seems like cutting of her nose to spite her face to me 🤷🏻‍♀️

Why do useful work when there's virtue to signal? She doesn't seem the brightest.

I was going to write the same thing

Zoe hasn't. Zoe has left the Labour party. Zoe retains Zoe's post as a councillor as an independent.

People quit parties all the time as local councillors and remain as independents. Question is why the BBC decided this tantrum was newsworthy.

Good on her for sticking to her principles. It’s obviously a shame that those principles support the sterilisation and lifelong medicalisation of children, but hey, I do appreciate the concept of having courage in your convictions.

Now, if every person in every position of responsibility who supports the sterilisation of children could also resign out of principle, that would be good too.

And the trash takes itself out

Oh no, how sad, never mind.

Interesting that her conversation is all about adults isn't it? Labour aren't doing much at the moment to persuade the electorate that they're concerned about safeguarding children are they?

Did auntie ask why she has decided to ignore the growing evidence of the harms of puberty blockers or instead drop the Mike at the stunning and brave crescendo?

Which is problematic, in my view.

Councils being used as mini wargrounds over party political issues helps nobody.

As a councillor puberty blockers aren't even in this woman's remit, for example.

We elect councillors to deal with local authority issues, not discombobulate themselves over party political strife.

At some point it will be declared that Oceania has always been Eurasia

Councils are as party political as government, often even more so, even if the issues are local. Many councils are so safe that one party dominates and the council is basically controlled by a few people/families in the local party.

It is always sad when dreams encounter reality.

Hughes said there would be "increasing self-harm" as a result of the decision on puberty blockers in "an already vulnerable and marginalised group".

Which of course ‘they’ll’ be able to back up with figures pulled from someone’s arse robust and verifiable stats in due course.

Silly woman.

Good on her for sticking to her principles. It’s obviously a shame that those principles support the sterilisation and lifelong medicalisation of children, but hey, I do appreciate the concept of having courage in your convictions.

This ⬆️

I would also flag that Zoe's principles include supporting a completely unknown, but highly likely permanently damaging, impact on children's brains - assuming this support includes the administration of PBs from Tanner stage two until the end of the window in which the natural development of secondary sex characteristics would be expected to finish. There's no point in using PBs for gender dysphoria if it doesn't include this whole window.

Whilst it's disappointing to see a wishy washy quote being used (my bold) by the BBC...

"prescribing puberty blockers to children for the purposes of gender dysphoria represents an unacceptable safety risk in the current prescribing environment"

... the inclusion of this article at the end as a related article made me laugh out loud. The headline alone leaves the question "why on earth did you resign over this?!" hanging in the air.

we have, what, 15,000 councillors in this country? 20,000? still, I'm sure she'll be missed.

Lol, I sometimes wonder if these lunatics use the pronouns they/them just to sound like they're not just a lone nutter. 😂

Another 'shroud waver', a pity she wasn't asked to back up her hysterical statement with evidence.

This part from the Labour council leader might be telling though

"I respect that decision, however, people should not underestimate the level of commitment required to be a councillor and to be a member of a political group." (my bolding - in other words get with the program or get thee gone)

I wonder if she tried to get the other Labour councillors to support her stand and got a big fat NO for an answer, which is why she took herself off with a flounce.

I know Mr Menno finds the 'no LGB without the T' trope offensive, he thinks it's a way of erasing the L's, G's and B's from existence, so on behalf of Mr Menno I object to her mindset.

Also if she insists on being a They/Them how come her quotes are full of I's and me's, shouldn't she be referring to herself as we's. Enquiring minds want to know.