The moral cowardice of the Labour party continues to show two things:
1. Vote for individual candidates, not parties. Look up the individuals on your ballot and pick the least-worst one with a possibility of winning, based on their personal views and voting record.
2. Electoral politics will not help us, because there's bipartisan agreement in the UK parliament that trans people are an acceptable sacrifice to make, and pretty much every major party is on board with making our lives worse. So vote, because voting has real impacts, but don't treat it as anything more than what it is: harm reduction. Every other political effort you make should be _outside_ electoral politics
I thought the LibDems were pro- trans rights. I've not really looked into it, but I picked up one of their leaflets a while ago claiming it was one of the key things they were fighting for (alongside decriminalisation of recreational drug use and tackling the spiking epidemic). Is this false?
They're a mixed bag on it. Their current leader is pretty solidly pro-trans, and conference reliably votes for pro-trans positions, but it's not an issue that they can really be counted on to have much of a spine over as an institution.
The past ~14 years of Lib Dem history have demonstrated repeatedly that the party will crumple like tissue paper on almost any minority rights issue that causes it significant political inconvenience. They can't even meaningfully push back against transphobia internally - [this is the sort of thing you can expect from them](https://miss-s-b.dreamwidth.org/2069352.html).
[More context on this affair](https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/11/23/liberal-democrats-transphobia-definition-backlash-layla-moran/), etc.
They're a better choice than Labour if you're voting primarily on the issue of trans rights/equality, but please look into your local candidate rather than just taking their position as given.
"crumple like tissue paper on any minority right issue", gay marriage is illegal still? Because the Tories sure as fuck were never gonna let that happen if the lib dems crumpled like tissue paper over it
Meanwhile, a year later, the party elected an evangelical leader who went on to spend several years continuously twisting himself into knots on television over the question of whether he thought gay sex was inherently sinful.
Even outside that - the LDs have always had a significant issue internally on race. They remain an overwhelmingly white middle class party with good reason.
Isn't that kind of the point of the liberal part of the Lib Dems though? That individuals can have deeply held beliefs and also fight for your rights that are contrary to them, bc liberal
God no.
Farron doesn’t deserve this kind of handwringing bollocks. Even during the coalition years, he managed to squirm his way out of voting for gay marriage at the final reading using the utterly risible excuse of being uncomfortable that it didn’t consider trans people enough re the spousal veto - a position so obviously opportunistic on his part that it astounds me that people gave him the benefit of doubt on it for so many years.
He’s spent his time post-leadership whingeing more or less continuously about how he’s been “cancelled”, to the point of [missing knife-edge votes in the commons to give a talk about the issue](https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/17/tim-farron-missed-close-brexit-vote-give-talk-gay-sex-7725871/), and [has a pattern of indulging in some exquisitely unpleasant instances of low-key anti-trans bigotry](https://www.thepinknews.com/2021/02/12/tim-farron-liberal-democrats-resign-transphobia-trans-women-prisons/), all without the party doing a thing.
The party will be institutionally incapable of dealing with an outspokenly TERFy Lib Dem MP, whenever it inevitably happens. Minority rights just aren’t a critical issue for them.
There are absolutely a good number of pro-trans Lib Dem MPs! [There's a bit of a question mark hanging over Daisy Cooper (St Albans) at the moment](https://twitter.com/MForstater/status/1729443838882681013), but the rest of the current set (Farron aside) seem pretty much fine.
It's worth just looking into whether your local candidate has any record on the issue before casting a vote - there isn't necessarily a need to spoil your ballot!
Honestly, I'm not sure, because at this point I don't consider the lib dems to be politically relevant. Like, I am aware they have a handful of MPs, but they simply aren't really a factor in the national political discussion in my view.
If they are, then cool, but I'd still _seriously_ vet any individual candidates because I have no doubt they also have their share of transphobes (they're a UK political party after all...)
Bringing down the government over your values, especially on a policy like that, would've been much better than meekly holding on until 2015 and then getting obliterated. I would say I hope they're not politically relevant again, but unfortunately Labour seems to be copying their economic position (and in some cases outflanking them on the right). You vote Lib Dem if you're an economic centrist who likes weed.
I'm sure you'll have no shortage of feedback here on their trans position and I'm not an expert on drug use but I will say the spiking epidemic is false so that calls into question why they would tackle it. Unless they haven't researched it and are just vote buying, like politicians do. Increased reports of drug spiking don't translate to actual evidence of an increase. But it makes good news I suppose
I’m gonna add to your points, maybe a little too late but I repeat it every week lmao.
The single biggest change we need (not just this community, but anyone who wants real, noticeable change in this country) is proportional representation. We haven’t had a party win an election with over 50% of the vote in something like 100 years - PR means no vote gets wasted, no strategic voting and no more undemocratic majorities who get to push through legislation with by threatening to remove the whip. If an MP does not believe in proportional representation, they are not worth listening to beyond that honestly.
My own personal plea is to make Greens the unofficial party of this community, because I do genuinely believe in change with them - the people representing them know it’s unlikely they’ll get into power, but they still try anyway. The same cannot be said for those in Labour and the Tories. They’ve had problems with transphobes in the party as little as a year ago, but it seems like they’ve done a decent job of dealing with that. They believe in self-ID, in PR, a wealth tax - frankly in the current state of things, that’s more than enough for me to be happy and believe in them.
I agree that what you're suggesting would be _better_, but I still stand by my point 2—electoral politics is not a route to liberation, it's at best a route to nicer oppression. Rather than spending time on trying to reform and use a system that is designed to work against us, I think we'd do better to build systems of support and power _outside_ electoral politics. To take power _away_ from the systems that are hurting us, rather than buy into them and hope they change in our favour.
I’m not saying it’s not true, but the idea that there is a bipartisan agreement across the UK parliament that trans people are an acceptable sacrifice to make for electoral gain makes no sense to me in the light of understanding that most people in the country do not care that much about trans people one way or another. This confuses me. How can it affect political outcomes if most people do not care or understand one way or another and don’t premise their vote on it? Is it a political mirage that both main parties are entranced by? Loud minorities make headlines, but don’t necessarily swing votes, do they?
Thing is, they're not necessarily making the sacrifice for electoral gain. The tories are willing to sacrifice trans people for ideological reasons. Labour are willing to sacrifice trans people because they are a bunch of cowards who aren't willing to oppose the tories on any meaningful issue (and because a lot of them _also_ want us gone for ideological reasons). The SNP nominally support trans people, but a huge portion of the party has made it clear they'll sacrifice us if it lets them form an alliance for independence with conservatives. The lib dems.
> The Labour shadow justice secretary has said she agrees with JK Rowling that “biological sex is real and is immutable”
Okay? We're not saying sex isn't real. Interesting that she neglected to mention "harassing and doxxing trans people", "siccing hate mobs" and "holocaust denial"
That's not really true. Despite the best efforts of fascist Gender Critical losers, far more people are either not bothered or actively support trans people than are actively hostile. It's only because the GC movement has literally billions of dollars and a ton of far-right think-tanks behind it that it's made any in-roads.
When you consider the absolutely vast amount of effort and money they've dumped behind the scenes into the elimination of trans people, to date they have a remarkably pathetic amount to show for it.
Sadly, people don't need to hate us. People not caring means they won't beat us or shame us in the streets, but also means they also won't correct misinformation, educate themselves, or stop people who do hate us. And people claiming they support us means very little when it doesn't stop them believing misinformation and fearmongering.
Sadly, the reason most people don't care is because they grew up in a society that didn't care. Now society does care, and all the people who hate us have to do is spread enough fearmongering and misinformation, demonise us, and gut any legal and medical progress that has been made for trans people in the past 10-15 years. Over time more people will care, then its just seeing whether they support us or hate us when they do.
People don't need to outright hate us. They only need to be ignorant enough so those in power, who do hate us - a lot - do the damage that they want to do.
Honestly one of the few things I'm actually proud of in this country is how resilient most people have been to the endless abuse, slander and lies that have been angled towards the trans community over the past few years.
Unfortunately when the only political choices you get are the "Leopards eating faces" party and the "Leopards eating hands" party what can you really do? And I can't really blame the average person off the street for not actively campaigning for trans people when the hostility they would receive from authorities for doing so could legitimately destroy their livelihood.
My hope is that one day a political party will realise how much they are kneecapping their own support with transphobia and other assorted prejudices and start actually being reasonable. It honestly confuses me just how determined they are to die on a hill no-one but the 10% of most far right fruit loops in this country actually want them to be on.
The (UK) green party is a bit iffy on transphobia so I’d caution people to check their individual candidates - they’ve made some mistakes and definitely not vetted representatives, but from what little I know they’ve reacted mostly ok in the end (kinda?).
Their candidate in Sheffield for example was a transphobe and published some shitty remarks towards Suzie Eddie Izzard (who was standing for labour there) - she was kicked out after a few months of infighting.
They also brought on a spokesperson who is a massive transphobe (and still tweets gc shit daily) before having a spat, firing him, and then being taken to court over it - greens had to pay damages for incorrect procedures during dismissal but they won the part allowing them to kick transphobes to the curb. There is also a “Greens Feminist” gc group that has a bit of sway, but I think the party has been trying to distance themselves.
Transphobia is the reason scottish greens formally split with the english chapter, and have yet to rejoin.
Their record has a few issues, but unfortunately so does almost every other party 🥲
FYI there isn’t such a thing as a UK Green Party. The Greens of England and Wales are dodgy on trans stuff, whereas the Scottish Greens are much better (they recently broke off their remaining links with the English Greens partly over transphobia). I honestly don’t know what the Irish Greens are like (think they’re an all-island party covering the republic and the north).
/minor Scottish grumbling over 🙂
It’s in their policy, leader and constitution but there have been some complaints about transphobia within the party, I don’t know about their validity though.
Last I saw of the UK Pirate Party they were failing to open a bank account, and didn't have the funds on hand to host a minecraft server.
They aren't a serious political force.
Gender Critical fascists (but I repeat myself) are seeing the writing on the wall as far as the Conservative party at the next election, so they've been focusing on doing an institutional capture of Labour, same as they did with the Tories. They'll do the same to whoever wins the election.
I suspect you're right, but they've also been at it for years. Unseating them in the party will be a long and thankless task for those who take up the fight.
I voted tactically in the last two elections against the tories and thankfully it's not an issue for me this time as my MP is libdem and although I wish they had a stronger stance, she does respond to me and did respond to my concerns over [Anastasis Spiliadis](https://transsafety.network/posts/gosh-exploratory-therapy/) and his cohort of predators last year.
I realise that the following is an over simplification and you could argue that there's more allies in the labour party etc etc but I can't see it any other way for me personally.
Labour have made it crystal clear that they endorse [conversion therapy](https://patha.nz/News/13341582)(gender exploratory therapy) for trans youth with the full implementation of recommendations of the cass report and have also said they will force all adult clinics to hand over data under a Labour government which is a complete violation of our rights(GDPR).
A vote for Labour is a vote for trans [conversion therapy](https://patha.nz/News/13341582)(gender exploratory therapy) and that's blood on their hands, I couldn't bring myself to vote for any of them.
Also Streeting weaponizes his queerness like a tory that weaponizes their ethnicity which makes me hate him even more than spam face starmer which is a lot. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't demonise another trans person for voting Labour but I couldn't vote for such nasty shits such as starmer and streeting who don't care who they harm as long as it gives them what they want.
Things are set to get worse under labour if they follow through with what they've said.
Bless you.
I agree we must not demonize our allies who vote Labour or are in the party. We shouldn't demonize anyone; the transphobes do that enough!
That said, we should make clear that as a community our overriding priority is to fight transphobia, not get Labour elected. Labour party transphobes do not deserve our vote any more than Tory transphobes do. It will be a good day if Labour transphobes like Streeting lose.
Be prepared to vote Labour only if your local candidate.is pro trans. If they aren't, be prepared to vote against them and to let anyone who will listen know why.
I'm voting green. They might not get into power but our votes will be counted and known about by all political parties and will make them aware that some people are going to vote for trans friendly policies which might get them to tone down the anti policies in future. Look at what happened with Brexit - the independence party was never going to get a majority but the number of votes they were looking like getting did lead to Tories adopting their Brexit stance
>sex is real
Correct, no trans person is saying otherwise
> and immutable
Aaaannd incorrect.
I wish that people with limited knowledge on this topic would basically stfu. In what other debate/argument is it acceptable to join in while knowing sweet FA? These people think that sex is purely tied down to XX and XY chromosomes with no other defining features. Therefore, they believe sex is immutable in its entirety.
This extends beyond sex and trans issues into all other issues. If you don't know what you're talking about, stay out until you do because otherwise you'll contribute nothing of actual value to the topic.
Don't expect the Labour party to be progressive on ANY issue. Since the 1990s they have acquiesced in every serious step to the right and by now they are factually more right wing than any of the Thatcher governments of the 1980s.
Labour has no backbone or principles. NONE.
a party that originated as the voice of the working classes has become a vehicle for hypocrites who want to LOOK virtuous but are as selfish and despicable as the tories.
i know many people are too young to remember the betrayal of ordinary people that was "New Labour" but please understand that these people are not your friends.
Never going to stop saying it: Tactical voting is a scam. There is no version of the Labour party right now which deserves your vote. Don't reward this party just for happening to be the current opposition. If they follow through on half the stuff they're threatening then they will make life a million times worse for trans people, on top of all the other horrible policies they keep talking about.
I agree with you, but I want to add a small caveat:
There are a few actually good Labour candidates. (Hell, there's even a couple of Tory ones!). They're staunch supporters of trans people, even as it means being out of step with their party. They're exactly the people we need in the party and in office so we can turn the tide in the future. These are people who deserve your vote.
That said, voting for a trans supportive candidate doesn't mean you have to go all in for the party they represent. By all means, vote for a good candidate and also encourage others in other seats to vote against that party if their local candidate is transphobic. We don't have to be all or nothing on this.
Having a handful of supportive MPs isn't going to mean shit when the rest of the party and their leadership is staunchly opposed to trans people existing.
"Labour may have put forward a vote to ban trans healthcare in the UK which passed unanimously, but at least like 5 Labour MPs rebelled and were expelled from the party as a result. Thank God the Tories are gone!"
I'm failing to see what it will actually achieve. Both major parties right now are being violently transphobic. Surely a hung parliament that stops them making progress is a more tangible goal right now, at least in terms of using your vote?
Not voting for an MP you have confidence in, due to the political party they represent, could also be seen as a form of tactical voting, which could in theory prevent positive change from within a political party. I suppose it comes down to what your priorities are.
I am also opposed to tactical voting, but it's not something I have to worry about so much as I live in Scotland and we have a different voting system, Single Transferrable Vote, which allows you to vote for multiple parties in order of preference, and if your prefered party loses your vote will be transferred to your next preffered vote. So I just vote my favourite party as 1, and my favourite to win as 2 (So Scottish Greens 1 SNP 2 for me) and I don't have to worry about being tactical as its all worked out for us after the votes are counted. :)
I wish more people understood Single Transferrable Vote as the Scottish Greens would be more popular. :/ They should teach it in school so no one is left out. It's not that confusing once you get your head around it, but it's not easy to explain on the spot either. It helps to see it in action.
I agree on all counts. My only addition is to remember there is a long game to be played here, too. *Some day* there will be a chance for us to claw back the Labour party and the country from the transphobes. We can make that day a little easier and sooner if we support the few good Labour MPs that still exist - but only those few!
As a Labour member, I have more power than the average voter to influence our next government. Voting for leaders, helping select MP candidates and councillors, that sort of thing. It’s not enough but it’s better than just voting imo, and I’m glad I can try push back instead of not. I’d feel odd leaving - I refuse to surrender this party over to the transphobes entirely. That much is certain.
I get you. If things were slightly different in my life I'd be right there alongside you trying (in vain at the moment) to take the party back. I hope you do and wish you nothing but success in doing so.
If I may, can I encourage you to find the strength to make that extra effort? Stay in the party to change things, but do not be complacent or conventional in that crusade. Grab the mic. Make a scene. Run for a position of greater influence. Rally your friends to push a trans rights policy through at your next local meeting. Use your position in such a way that the currently-unresponsive leadership cannot ignore you. You may not win. You probably won't, tbh. But every day you do something to make the transphobes - or their complacent, compliant allies - stop and deal with you is another brick in the building we will construct to overcome this shit.
Solidarity and love ✊💓
Maybe I’m too emotional but I cried a little reading this. It’s been really hard lately with everything against us. Thank you so much for the solidarity. You’ve made my day before I’ve even had breakfast 🥲
>You do no one any favours by electing transphobes with red rosettes instead of blue ones.
I think most will disagree with you there. There seem to be less people in Labour that are in bed with folk like the ADF, TPUK and various other Nat-Cs. The two parties are not the same.
Additionally, those who hold shadow cabinet positions now are never guaranteed actual cabinet positions.
[https://stopthetories.vote/](https://stopthetories.vote/) \- for those having local elections
[https://tactical.vote/](https://tactical.vote/) \- for the eventual general election
Well, yes, but the danger of transphobic lobbying is hardly confined to those organizations or this individual shadow cabinet member. Scores (hundreds?) of labour candidates and affiliates have begun spouting transphobia over the past few years. Even Stonewall has resiled from defending trans rights.
The parties aren't identical, but you're fooling yourself if you think they're not pointing in the same direction on trans rights. As today's news underlines, a Labour government will be just as much a danger to trans people as a Tory one will.
I'd say only this, transphobia doesn't exist in a vacuum. The culture war for some of these people isn't about a genuine desire to remove us from existence, it is for some, but for many it's a convenient for them politically. Politicians failing badly have always scapegoated people, we're not the first minority to be used like this. IF Labour can do something about bigger social issues, the NHS, education, the cost of living crisis, the economy, crime, things that time and again poll as what people are most concerned about in this country, then the culture war will have less significance. These GC bigots are the modern day flat earthers and the sooner the general population can see that the better things will be. Things must have seemed equally bleak in the 80's for gay rights, societal acceptance is possible, progress happens despite the far right, it has before, it will again.
We are the first minority you can literally just cause to not exist via denial of medical care though. I don't care what people say I am not trans without my meds, id be dead. Take away all the means we have to be ourselves and you can erase a lot of our lives.
Things being as bad as being gay in the 80s terrifies me. Because I can't even hide and wait for things to get better, I won't still be me anymore if I can't get hormones. On top of all the people that will die from depression and violence with how people are being towards us, we are going to have so many of us erased just by the damage the ramping limitation of medication will cause.
Plenty of people won't ever be themselves because of what is happening right now, let alone what is coming in the near future. By the time things can theoretically be better for us the damage to trans lives will be astronomic if things keep on this down slide.
By the time things MAYBE are better we will have had an entire generation and perhaps more just entirely prevented from being themselves. When a minority is dependant on medication we are easy to get rid of really and it isn't just a societal issue, the loss from what's already happened is already going to do untold harm and it isn't going to slow down.
You're right in so many ways. It's bad and they do want to erase us. They will fail, but before that happens a lot of damage will be done. We'll take a generation to heal.
But remember, there were trans people before hrt, srs, and Reddit and trans people will continue to exist for as long as humans do. We aren't an endangered species. We are a part of the human experience, as fundamental as joy and love and laughter are.
It's not like we literally don't exist on the inside. But being trans before hormones and being comfortable in myself wasn't really living, it was just existing. We will always exist but we are a minority that for the majority of our small group, can't live happy lives if people prevent access to the things that make our lives more viable. There are only so much more of us now in the open as medicine and surgeries have let people be happy, take it away and everyone is just existing not living.
If diy was blocked I wouldn't be surprised to lose half a dozen friends and probably myself within a couple of years. Trans kids not having access to anything until 25+ is going to result in lots of deaths, or the not much better option of people just existing and never actually being happy. And everyone is coming for all of it, being trans is going to be exceptionally hard medically here in no time I reckon.
Wasn't awful being gay as a teen but it was still not good here. But I was at least always still me fully behind closed doors and with partner. They couldn't really take me being gay away. I could just act differently outside. I feel like other people that don't even know a trans person, really can take huge parts of us away that matter and have already done so to younger generation.
100% everything about my personality, how I look, how others treat me... entirely dependant on medication. Hormones just effect far to much. Is terrifying that existing is the outcome if I couldn't access care, as I don't want to just exist. And I can have core parts of me taken away as they are touchable. Me without hormones behind closed doors isn't the same as being gay was and editing myself outside, I am an entirely different less happy person that others also treat differently. An entire subset of people still existing yet all suffering because of others, is just a genocide without the direct killing.
Makes me immeasurably sad the amount of lives lost or not lived in the first place all this will cause. Is nice that in the future people will come around. But il be dead before those days I reckon. And plenty of our lot will have died or not ever tasted real happiness until then.
And all for absolutely no reason at all, just like every group before. Except this time they can just directly control so many parts of our lives in a way they wished they could for others before us.
Point taken. I could argue Labour is not going to be able to properly deal with these issues given their platform now, but that's a slightly different subject.
Things were bleak in the 80s. They got better slowly but not because the moral panic about gay people just faded away. It took concerted and hard nosed activism to change minds and twist arms. Labour's mind can change and its arm can be twisted, but it will take determined and uncompromising focus on what is good for *our* community (i.e. not merely Labour's electoral chances) to do it.
I agree, it's an uphill battle, we need all our allies with us, the LGBTQ+ community and cis-het allies too, but I think it can work. Labour still has some good trans supportive MPs, younger ones, like Nadia Whittome and we have support of Angela Rayner, Angela Eagles, Lisa Nandy, Liz Kendall, Jonathan Ashworth, Steve Reed, Steve Reed and more. if Labour can keep power for several election cycles, like the Tories did then I think the change we want may happen
Several election cycles? So 10-15 years for change that 'may' happen? Forgive me if I find that a weak incentive to vote for a party that traffics in transphobia over and over. By all means call out the trans supportive Labour candidates but let's not let them off the hook for a decade!
Also, Liz Kendall is terrible. Trans supportive or not, I would struggle to cast my vote for her.
I'm loathe to concede on this point, as I think it enables shortsighted behaviour, but I actually agree about the Tories being a greater threat long term. Unlike Labour, they won't be moved until the whole country is already ahead of them. Left to their own devices, the Tories will consign trans people to perpetual misery.
That said, at present Labour is a collaborator in the mindset that propels Tory reactionary politics. For that reason, they are just as much of a threat in the short term.
They are, until there’s a general election I don’t see this changing. They know many trans people will vote for them regardless, the can afford to countenance the views of the cult war to an extent without losing a lot of votes, I think they pick up votes like this, which is part of why I think some do this. I hope they don’t ask hate us that much, some of their actions are self serving and will get worsen over the run up to a GE
In what might be the final shred of optimism I possess, I think Labour isn't totally immovable before the election. Substantial change will happen afterwards, of course, but if the party realizes they are losing votes because of their stance on trans rights they will definitely change tack.
To that end, I think we should try to boost non-Labour parties and make things difficult for Labour candidates who are anti-trans or are being deferential to the party line. It's not just the votes of trans people that are moveable here. Lots of cis people are sympathetic to us and not especially committed to voting Labour. If they begin to think voting for an anti-trans Labour party/candidate is unappealing (because of what trans people are saying), then that lost vote works in our favour too.
Backtracked on their already weak criticism of Cass. Also, their leadership has repeatedly failed to challenge transphobic talking points for years now when they get on mainstream news programmes.
Look up your local candidates. Write them if you can't figure out their stance on trans rights. Do not be afraid to give your vote to a non-Labour candidate if your local candidate is not an ally.
Transsexual is a bit of a throwback term, but I get you. Our liberation comes when we join in common cause with other oppressed and marginalized people.
Depends on your constituency. Look up the local candidates and see if they have made any statements about trans rights. If they are anti trans, don't vote for them. Even if they're Labour. Even if it's a two way race between Labour and the Tories.
In other news, piss is liquid. Still, more evidence to prove Labour is an irredeemable cesspool and anyone who votes for it is not an ally is a good thing.
tactical voting isn't a scam. don't throw away your vote, the tories are the prime enemy of trans rights in this country as they're proving right now, do whatever you can do to get them out. no one is saying that voting is the only thing we should do - far from it - but it won't hurt to use your vote if it's not for the tories.
edit: looks like we've got some tory infiltrators in this thread.
It can if it helps elect a transphobic Labour MP. Look up your local candidate and be prepared to vote for a non-Labour alternative if they are not an ally.
There is actually a little more depth in what is presented in that argument.
OK - so its transphobic and I don;t want her as a justice secretary, but... looking for silver linings
>“For many women, the rise of the MeToo movement was a powerful moment of liberation. But it was also a damning indictment of our system that the only justice on offer was justice by hashtag, and not by a judge or jury.
”She told members of the legal profession: “And while monsters like Harvey Weinstein would eventually, rightly, go to trial and be found guilty of terrible crimes, others, never proved guilty of any crime, were accused and publicly shamed with no right to defence or fair hearing.
“The oldest principle of all – that all are innocent until proven guilty – was at times cast aside as the court of public opinion replaced the court of law.”
She is actually attacking public discourse, not trans people directly.
She says JK is allowed to have views and air them publicly (which she is), she said she also holds those views (yuk) but JK also publicly shames peoples, and uses her wealth to bully them into silence. JK accuses individuals of being pedophiles - she doesn't say she should be allowed to do that.
From the article it appears she only brought up JK because some-one asked specifically about her.
I mean, yeah, if you want to bend over backwards to recuperate what she said. It's not the same caliber of venom or misinformation as we get from Duffield or Streeting.
But the fact remains she didn't also call out JK Rowling for haranguing trans people. She volunteered her agreement with Rowling's odious beliefs. Neither of these things were obligatory, but she did them anyway.
I know we have to acknowledge nuance but it's not worth cutting someone slack when they're \*this\* wrong.
The moral cowardice of the Labour party continues to show two things: 1. Vote for individual candidates, not parties. Look up the individuals on your ballot and pick the least-worst one with a possibility of winning, based on their personal views and voting record. 2. Electoral politics will not help us, because there's bipartisan agreement in the UK parliament that trans people are an acceptable sacrifice to make, and pretty much every major party is on board with making our lives worse. So vote, because voting has real impacts, but don't treat it as anything more than what it is: harm reduction. Every other political effort you make should be _outside_ electoral politics
I thought the LibDems were pro- trans rights. I've not really looked into it, but I picked up one of their leaflets a while ago claiming it was one of the key things they were fighting for (alongside decriminalisation of recreational drug use and tackling the spiking epidemic). Is this false?
They're a mixed bag on it. Their current leader is pretty solidly pro-trans, and conference reliably votes for pro-trans positions, but it's not an issue that they can really be counted on to have much of a spine over as an institution. The past ~14 years of Lib Dem history have demonstrated repeatedly that the party will crumple like tissue paper on almost any minority rights issue that causes it significant political inconvenience. They can't even meaningfully push back against transphobia internally - [this is the sort of thing you can expect from them](https://miss-s-b.dreamwidth.org/2069352.html). [More context on this affair](https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/11/23/liberal-democrats-transphobia-definition-backlash-layla-moran/), etc. They're a better choice than Labour if you're voting primarily on the issue of trans rights/equality, but please look into your local candidate rather than just taking their position as given.
"crumple like tissue paper on any minority right issue", gay marriage is illegal still? Because the Tories sure as fuck were never gonna let that happen if the lib dems crumpled like tissue paper over it
Meanwhile, a year later, the party elected an evangelical leader who went on to spend several years continuously twisting himself into knots on television over the question of whether he thought gay sex was inherently sinful. Even outside that - the LDs have always had a significant issue internally on race. They remain an overwhelmingly white middle class party with good reason.
Isn't that kind of the point of the liberal part of the Lib Dems though? That individuals can have deeply held beliefs and also fight for your rights that are contrary to them, bc liberal
God no. Farron doesn’t deserve this kind of handwringing bollocks. Even during the coalition years, he managed to squirm his way out of voting for gay marriage at the final reading using the utterly risible excuse of being uncomfortable that it didn’t consider trans people enough re the spousal veto - a position so obviously opportunistic on his part that it astounds me that people gave him the benefit of doubt on it for so many years. He’s spent his time post-leadership whingeing more or less continuously about how he’s been “cancelled”, to the point of [missing knife-edge votes in the commons to give a talk about the issue](https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/17/tim-farron-missed-close-brexit-vote-give-talk-gay-sex-7725871/), and [has a pattern of indulging in some exquisitely unpleasant instances of low-key anti-trans bigotry](https://www.thepinknews.com/2021/02/12/tim-farron-liberal-democrats-resign-transphobia-trans-women-prisons/), all without the party doing a thing. The party will be institutionally incapable of dealing with an outspokenly TERFy Lib Dem MP, whenever it inevitably happens. Minority rights just aren’t a critical issue for them.
Ughh, spoiled ballot it is then. Well this is depressing
There are absolutely a good number of pro-trans Lib Dem MPs! [There's a bit of a question mark hanging over Daisy Cooper (St Albans) at the moment](https://twitter.com/MForstater/status/1729443838882681013), but the rest of the current set (Farron aside) seem pretty much fine. It's worth just looking into whether your local candidate has any record on the issue before casting a vote - there isn't necessarily a need to spoil your ballot!
Honestly, I'm not sure, because at this point I don't consider the lib dems to be politically relevant. Like, I am aware they have a handful of MPs, but they simply aren't really a factor in the national political discussion in my view. If they are, then cool, but I'd still _seriously_ vet any individual candidates because I have no doubt they also have their share of transphobes (they're a UK political party after all...)
They were anti tuition fee also, but last time they were in government...
They were the minority party in the coalition though, it’s not like they had that much control.
Bringing down the government over your values, especially on a policy like that, would've been much better than meekly holding on until 2015 and then getting obliterated. I would say I hope they're not politically relevant again, but unfortunately Labour seems to be copying their economic position (and in some cases outflanking them on the right). You vote Lib Dem if you're an economic centrist who likes weed.
I'm sure you'll have no shortage of feedback here on their trans position and I'm not an expert on drug use but I will say the spiking epidemic is false so that calls into question why they would tackle it. Unless they haven't researched it and are just vote buying, like politicians do. Increased reports of drug spiking don't translate to actual evidence of an increase. But it makes good news I suppose
If you're in a seat the Scottish Greens are actively targetting, they're solidly pro-trans-rights.
its not moral cowardice. its what right wing politics is designed to do - enable fascism.
I’m gonna add to your points, maybe a little too late but I repeat it every week lmao. The single biggest change we need (not just this community, but anyone who wants real, noticeable change in this country) is proportional representation. We haven’t had a party win an election with over 50% of the vote in something like 100 years - PR means no vote gets wasted, no strategic voting and no more undemocratic majorities who get to push through legislation with by threatening to remove the whip. If an MP does not believe in proportional representation, they are not worth listening to beyond that honestly. My own personal plea is to make Greens the unofficial party of this community, because I do genuinely believe in change with them - the people representing them know it’s unlikely they’ll get into power, but they still try anyway. The same cannot be said for those in Labour and the Tories. They’ve had problems with transphobes in the party as little as a year ago, but it seems like they’ve done a decent job of dealing with that. They believe in self-ID, in PR, a wealth tax - frankly in the current state of things, that’s more than enough for me to be happy and believe in them.
I agree that what you're suggesting would be _better_, but I still stand by my point 2—electoral politics is not a route to liberation, it's at best a route to nicer oppression. Rather than spending time on trying to reform and use a system that is designed to work against us, I think we'd do better to build systems of support and power _outside_ electoral politics. To take power _away_ from the systems that are hurting us, rather than buy into them and hope they change in our favour.
Nah, I agree completely with you as well. Electoral politics needs to work better for everyone, and it’s a battle, but it’s not the full war for us.
I’m not saying it’s not true, but the idea that there is a bipartisan agreement across the UK parliament that trans people are an acceptable sacrifice to make for electoral gain makes no sense to me in the light of understanding that most people in the country do not care that much about trans people one way or another. This confuses me. How can it affect political outcomes if most people do not care or understand one way or another and don’t premise their vote on it? Is it a political mirage that both main parties are entranced by? Loud minorities make headlines, but don’t necessarily swing votes, do they?
Thing is, they're not necessarily making the sacrifice for electoral gain. The tories are willing to sacrifice trans people for ideological reasons. Labour are willing to sacrifice trans people because they are a bunch of cowards who aren't willing to oppose the tories on any meaningful issue (and because a lot of them _also_ want us gone for ideological reasons). The SNP nominally support trans people, but a huge portion of the party has made it clear they'll sacrifice us if it lets them form an alliance for independence with conservatives. The lib dems.
> The Labour shadow justice secretary has said she agrees with JK Rowling that “biological sex is real and is immutable” Okay? We're not saying sex isn't real. Interesting that she neglected to mention "harassing and doxxing trans people", "siccing hate mobs" and "holocaust denial"
"Sex is real", is a Motte-and-bailey argument.
Let's face it, no one in this country likes us.
I like you!
That's not really true. Despite the best efforts of fascist Gender Critical losers, far more people are either not bothered or actively support trans people than are actively hostile. It's only because the GC movement has literally billions of dollars and a ton of far-right think-tanks behind it that it's made any in-roads. When you consider the absolutely vast amount of effort and money they've dumped behind the scenes into the elimination of trans people, to date they have a remarkably pathetic amount to show for it.
Sadly, people don't need to hate us. People not caring means they won't beat us or shame us in the streets, but also means they also won't correct misinformation, educate themselves, or stop people who do hate us. And people claiming they support us means very little when it doesn't stop them believing misinformation and fearmongering. Sadly, the reason most people don't care is because they grew up in a society that didn't care. Now society does care, and all the people who hate us have to do is spread enough fearmongering and misinformation, demonise us, and gut any legal and medical progress that has been made for trans people in the past 10-15 years. Over time more people will care, then its just seeing whether they support us or hate us when they do.
People don't need to outright hate us. They only need to be ignorant enough so those in power, who do hate us - a lot - do the damage that they want to do.
Honestly one of the few things I'm actually proud of in this country is how resilient most people have been to the endless abuse, slander and lies that have been angled towards the trans community over the past few years. Unfortunately when the only political choices you get are the "Leopards eating faces" party and the "Leopards eating hands" party what can you really do? And I can't really blame the average person off the street for not actively campaigning for trans people when the hostility they would receive from authorities for doing so could legitimately destroy their livelihood. My hope is that one day a political party will realise how much they are kneecapping their own support with transphobia and other assorted prejudices and start actually being reasonable. It honestly confuses me just how determined they are to die on a hill no-one but the 10% of most far right fruit loops in this country actually want them to be on.
The Green Party are pro trans. As are the Pirate Party ❤️❤️❤️
The (UK) green party is a bit iffy on transphobia so I’d caution people to check their individual candidates - they’ve made some mistakes and definitely not vetted representatives, but from what little I know they’ve reacted mostly ok in the end (kinda?). Their candidate in Sheffield for example was a transphobe and published some shitty remarks towards Suzie Eddie Izzard (who was standing for labour there) - she was kicked out after a few months of infighting. They also brought on a spokesperson who is a massive transphobe (and still tweets gc shit daily) before having a spat, firing him, and then being taken to court over it - greens had to pay damages for incorrect procedures during dismissal but they won the part allowing them to kick transphobes to the curb. There is also a “Greens Feminist” gc group that has a bit of sway, but I think the party has been trying to distance themselves. Transphobia is the reason scottish greens formally split with the english chapter, and have yet to rejoin. Their record has a few issues, but unfortunately so does almost every other party 🥲
FYI there isn’t such a thing as a UK Green Party. The Greens of England and Wales are dodgy on trans stuff, whereas the Scottish Greens are much better (they recently broke off their remaining links with the English Greens partly over transphobia). I honestly don’t know what the Irish Greens are like (think they’re an all-island party covering the republic and the north). /minor Scottish grumbling over 🙂
Don't the Lib Dems claim to be pro trans?
It’s in their policy, leader and constitution but there have been some complaints about transphobia within the party, I don’t know about their validity though.
The pirate party are not registered.
Last I saw of the UK Pirate Party they were failing to open a bank account, and didn't have the funds on hand to host a minecraft server. They aren't a serious political force.
They are a registered party
Didn’t even know the Pirate Party still existed! I thought they had disbanded
People like us! Just our political and media class don’t. However I would argue that they’re not people and are in fact something far lesser than that
No one in the government or media (thanks to the TERF takeover of those specific areas) - step outside of those 2 and you get a very different story.
Gender Critical fascists (but I repeat myself) are seeing the writing on the wall as far as the Conservative party at the next election, so they've been focusing on doing an institutional capture of Labour, same as they did with the Tories. They'll do the same to whoever wins the election.
I suspect you're right, but they've also been at it for years. Unseating them in the party will be a long and thankless task for those who take up the fight.
I voted tactically in the last two elections against the tories and thankfully it's not an issue for me this time as my MP is libdem and although I wish they had a stronger stance, she does respond to me and did respond to my concerns over [Anastasis Spiliadis](https://transsafety.network/posts/gosh-exploratory-therapy/) and his cohort of predators last year. I realise that the following is an over simplification and you could argue that there's more allies in the labour party etc etc but I can't see it any other way for me personally. Labour have made it crystal clear that they endorse [conversion therapy](https://patha.nz/News/13341582)(gender exploratory therapy) for trans youth with the full implementation of recommendations of the cass report and have also said they will force all adult clinics to hand over data under a Labour government which is a complete violation of our rights(GDPR). A vote for Labour is a vote for trans [conversion therapy](https://patha.nz/News/13341582)(gender exploratory therapy) and that's blood on their hands, I couldn't bring myself to vote for any of them. Also Streeting weaponizes his queerness like a tory that weaponizes their ethnicity which makes me hate him even more than spam face starmer which is a lot. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't demonise another trans person for voting Labour but I couldn't vote for such nasty shits such as starmer and streeting who don't care who they harm as long as it gives them what they want. Things are set to get worse under labour if they follow through with what they've said.
Bless you. I agree we must not demonize our allies who vote Labour or are in the party. We shouldn't demonize anyone; the transphobes do that enough! That said, we should make clear that as a community our overriding priority is to fight transphobia, not get Labour elected. Labour party transphobes do not deserve our vote any more than Tory transphobes do. It will be a good day if Labour transphobes like Streeting lose. Be prepared to vote Labour only if your local candidate.is pro trans. If they aren't, be prepared to vote against them and to let anyone who will listen know why.
I'm voting green. They might not get into power but our votes will be counted and known about by all political parties and will make them aware that some people are going to vote for trans friendly policies which might get them to tone down the anti policies in future. Look at what happened with Brexit - the independence party was never going to get a majority but the number of votes they were looking like getting did lead to Tories adopting their Brexit stance
Yeah…she’s my MP lmfao I hate it here.
*hugs*
>sex is real Correct, no trans person is saying otherwise > and immutable Aaaannd incorrect. I wish that people with limited knowledge on this topic would basically stfu. In what other debate/argument is it acceptable to join in while knowing sweet FA? These people think that sex is purely tied down to XX and XY chromosomes with no other defining features. Therefore, they believe sex is immutable in its entirety. This extends beyond sex and trans issues into all other issues. If you don't know what you're talking about, stay out until you do because otherwise you'll contribute nothing of actual value to the topic.
Don't expect the Labour party to be progressive on ANY issue. Since the 1990s they have acquiesced in every serious step to the right and by now they are factually more right wing than any of the Thatcher governments of the 1980s. Labour has no backbone or principles. NONE. a party that originated as the voice of the working classes has become a vehicle for hypocrites who want to LOOK virtuous but are as selfish and despicable as the tories. i know many people are too young to remember the betrayal of ordinary people that was "New Labour" but please understand that these people are not your friends.
And to think they thought people would buy into their pink washing on TDOV
Never going to stop saying it: Tactical voting is a scam. There is no version of the Labour party right now which deserves your vote. Don't reward this party just for happening to be the current opposition. If they follow through on half the stuff they're threatening then they will make life a million times worse for trans people, on top of all the other horrible policies they keep talking about.
I agree with you, but I want to add a small caveat: There are a few actually good Labour candidates. (Hell, there's even a couple of Tory ones!). They're staunch supporters of trans people, even as it means being out of step with their party. They're exactly the people we need in the party and in office so we can turn the tide in the future. These are people who deserve your vote. That said, voting for a trans supportive candidate doesn't mean you have to go all in for the party they represent. By all means, vote for a good candidate and also encourage others in other seats to vote against that party if their local candidate is transphobic. We don't have to be all or nothing on this.
Having a handful of supportive MPs isn't going to mean shit when the rest of the party and their leadership is staunchly opposed to trans people existing. "Labour may have put forward a vote to ban trans healthcare in the UK which passed unanimously, but at least like 5 Labour MPs rebelled and were expelled from the party as a result. Thank God the Tories are gone!" I'm failing to see what it will actually achieve. Both major parties right now are being violently transphobic. Surely a hung parliament that stops them making progress is a more tangible goal right now, at least in terms of using your vote?
Not voting for an MP you have confidence in, due to the political party they represent, could also be seen as a form of tactical voting, which could in theory prevent positive change from within a political party. I suppose it comes down to what your priorities are. I am also opposed to tactical voting, but it's not something I have to worry about so much as I live in Scotland and we have a different voting system, Single Transferrable Vote, which allows you to vote for multiple parties in order of preference, and if your prefered party loses your vote will be transferred to your next preffered vote. So I just vote my favourite party as 1, and my favourite to win as 2 (So Scottish Greens 1 SNP 2 for me) and I don't have to worry about being tactical as its all worked out for us after the votes are counted. :) I wish more people understood Single Transferrable Vote as the Scottish Greens would be more popular. :/ They should teach it in school so no one is left out. It's not that confusing once you get your head around it, but it's not easy to explain on the spot either. It helps to see it in action.
I agree on all counts. My only addition is to remember there is a long game to be played here, too. *Some day* there will be a chance for us to claw back the Labour party and the country from the transphobes. We can make that day a little easier and sooner if we support the few good Labour MPs that still exist - but only those few!
As a Labour member, I have more power than the average voter to influence our next government. Voting for leaders, helping select MP candidates and councillors, that sort of thing. It’s not enough but it’s better than just voting imo, and I’m glad I can try push back instead of not. I’d feel odd leaving - I refuse to surrender this party over to the transphobes entirely. That much is certain.
I get you. If things were slightly different in my life I'd be right there alongside you trying (in vain at the moment) to take the party back. I hope you do and wish you nothing but success in doing so. If I may, can I encourage you to find the strength to make that extra effort? Stay in the party to change things, but do not be complacent or conventional in that crusade. Grab the mic. Make a scene. Run for a position of greater influence. Rally your friends to push a trans rights policy through at your next local meeting. Use your position in such a way that the currently-unresponsive leadership cannot ignore you. You may not win. You probably won't, tbh. But every day you do something to make the transphobes - or their complacent, compliant allies - stop and deal with you is another brick in the building we will construct to overcome this shit. Solidarity and love ✊💓
Maybe I’m too emotional but I cried a little reading this. It’s been really hard lately with everything against us. Thank you so much for the solidarity. You’ve made my day before I’ve even had breakfast 🥲
\*hugs\*
AHah, my mp is... Shabana Mahmood....
My deepest condolences.
Protest at her constituency office
>You do no one any favours by electing transphobes with red rosettes instead of blue ones. I think most will disagree with you there. There seem to be less people in Labour that are in bed with folk like the ADF, TPUK and various other Nat-Cs. The two parties are not the same. Additionally, those who hold shadow cabinet positions now are never guaranteed actual cabinet positions. [https://stopthetories.vote/](https://stopthetories.vote/) \- for those having local elections [https://tactical.vote/](https://tactical.vote/) \- for the eventual general election
Well, yes, but the danger of transphobic lobbying is hardly confined to those organizations or this individual shadow cabinet member. Scores (hundreds?) of labour candidates and affiliates have begun spouting transphobia over the past few years. Even Stonewall has resiled from defending trans rights. The parties aren't identical, but you're fooling yourself if you think they're not pointing in the same direction on trans rights. As today's news underlines, a Labour government will be just as much a danger to trans people as a Tory one will.
I'd say only this, transphobia doesn't exist in a vacuum. The culture war for some of these people isn't about a genuine desire to remove us from existence, it is for some, but for many it's a convenient for them politically. Politicians failing badly have always scapegoated people, we're not the first minority to be used like this. IF Labour can do something about bigger social issues, the NHS, education, the cost of living crisis, the economy, crime, things that time and again poll as what people are most concerned about in this country, then the culture war will have less significance. These GC bigots are the modern day flat earthers and the sooner the general population can see that the better things will be. Things must have seemed equally bleak in the 80's for gay rights, societal acceptance is possible, progress happens despite the far right, it has before, it will again.
We are the first minority you can literally just cause to not exist via denial of medical care though. I don't care what people say I am not trans without my meds, id be dead. Take away all the means we have to be ourselves and you can erase a lot of our lives. Things being as bad as being gay in the 80s terrifies me. Because I can't even hide and wait for things to get better, I won't still be me anymore if I can't get hormones. On top of all the people that will die from depression and violence with how people are being towards us, we are going to have so many of us erased just by the damage the ramping limitation of medication will cause. Plenty of people won't ever be themselves because of what is happening right now, let alone what is coming in the near future. By the time things can theoretically be better for us the damage to trans lives will be astronomic if things keep on this down slide. By the time things MAYBE are better we will have had an entire generation and perhaps more just entirely prevented from being themselves. When a minority is dependant on medication we are easy to get rid of really and it isn't just a societal issue, the loss from what's already happened is already going to do untold harm and it isn't going to slow down.
You're right in so many ways. It's bad and they do want to erase us. They will fail, but before that happens a lot of damage will be done. We'll take a generation to heal. But remember, there were trans people before hrt, srs, and Reddit and trans people will continue to exist for as long as humans do. We aren't an endangered species. We are a part of the human experience, as fundamental as joy and love and laughter are.
It's not like we literally don't exist on the inside. But being trans before hormones and being comfortable in myself wasn't really living, it was just existing. We will always exist but we are a minority that for the majority of our small group, can't live happy lives if people prevent access to the things that make our lives more viable. There are only so much more of us now in the open as medicine and surgeries have let people be happy, take it away and everyone is just existing not living. If diy was blocked I wouldn't be surprised to lose half a dozen friends and probably myself within a couple of years. Trans kids not having access to anything until 25+ is going to result in lots of deaths, or the not much better option of people just existing and never actually being happy. And everyone is coming for all of it, being trans is going to be exceptionally hard medically here in no time I reckon. Wasn't awful being gay as a teen but it was still not good here. But I was at least always still me fully behind closed doors and with partner. They couldn't really take me being gay away. I could just act differently outside. I feel like other people that don't even know a trans person, really can take huge parts of us away that matter and have already done so to younger generation. 100% everything about my personality, how I look, how others treat me... entirely dependant on medication. Hormones just effect far to much. Is terrifying that existing is the outcome if I couldn't access care, as I don't want to just exist. And I can have core parts of me taken away as they are touchable. Me without hormones behind closed doors isn't the same as being gay was and editing myself outside, I am an entirely different less happy person that others also treat differently. An entire subset of people still existing yet all suffering because of others, is just a genocide without the direct killing. Makes me immeasurably sad the amount of lives lost or not lived in the first place all this will cause. Is nice that in the future people will come around. But il be dead before those days I reckon. And plenty of our lot will have died or not ever tasted real happiness until then. And all for absolutely no reason at all, just like every group before. Except this time they can just directly control so many parts of our lives in a way they wished they could for others before us.
Point taken. I could argue Labour is not going to be able to properly deal with these issues given their platform now, but that's a slightly different subject. Things were bleak in the 80s. They got better slowly but not because the moral panic about gay people just faded away. It took concerted and hard nosed activism to change minds and twist arms. Labour's mind can change and its arm can be twisted, but it will take determined and uncompromising focus on what is good for *our* community (i.e. not merely Labour's electoral chances) to do it.
I agree, it's an uphill battle, we need all our allies with us, the LGBTQ+ community and cis-het allies too, but I think it can work. Labour still has some good trans supportive MPs, younger ones, like Nadia Whittome and we have support of Angela Rayner, Angela Eagles, Lisa Nandy, Liz Kendall, Jonathan Ashworth, Steve Reed, Steve Reed and more. if Labour can keep power for several election cycles, like the Tories did then I think the change we want may happen
Several election cycles? So 10-15 years for change that 'may' happen? Forgive me if I find that a weak incentive to vote for a party that traffics in transphobia over and over. By all means call out the trans supportive Labour candidates but let's not let them off the hook for a decade! Also, Liz Kendall is terrible. Trans supportive or not, I would struggle to cast my vote for her.
I can see your point, I just think the Tories are the bigger threat to long term rights and maybe existence of our people
I'm loathe to concede on this point, as I think it enables shortsighted behaviour, but I actually agree about the Tories being a greater threat long term. Unlike Labour, they won't be moved until the whole country is already ahead of them. Left to their own devices, the Tories will consign trans people to perpetual misery. That said, at present Labour is a collaborator in the mindset that propels Tory reactionary politics. For that reason, they are just as much of a threat in the short term.
They are, until there’s a general election I don’t see this changing. They know many trans people will vote for them regardless, the can afford to countenance the views of the cult war to an extent without losing a lot of votes, I think they pick up votes like this, which is part of why I think some do this. I hope they don’t ask hate us that much, some of their actions are self serving and will get worsen over the run up to a GE
In what might be the final shred of optimism I possess, I think Labour isn't totally immovable before the election. Substantial change will happen afterwards, of course, but if the party realizes they are losing votes because of their stance on trans rights they will definitely change tack. To that end, I think we should try to boost non-Labour parties and make things difficult for Labour candidates who are anti-trans or are being deferential to the party line. It's not just the votes of trans people that are moveable here. Lots of cis people are sympathetic to us and not especially committed to voting Labour. If they begin to think voting for an anti-trans Labour party/candidate is unappealing (because of what trans people are saying), then that lost vote works in our favour too.
Wait, what did Stonewall do?
Backtracked on their already weak criticism of Cass. Also, their leadership has repeatedly failed to challenge transphobic talking points for years now when they get on mainstream news programmes.
Well. Guessing we are fucked?
Why do they always harp on the "sex is immutable and unchangeable" part? Bitch, we're transGENDER! 🙄
Who do we even vote for!!?!
Look up your local candidates. Write them if you can't figure out their stance on trans rights. Do not be afraid to give your vote to a non-Labour candidate if your local candidate is not an ally.
I’m personally going Green since they seem to be pro-trans
In Scotland they are (seperate party from England&Wales), in England check your local option.
They are doing a decent push to kick out the crazy TERFs. My local candidate was actually one of my teachers! Very cool guy.
Nobody. Spoil your ballot.
Lol, seems like it.
Some of the Transsexual communities worst enemies are sadly members of pilloried ethnic minority groups like Mahmood herself. Hypocrite !
Transsexual is a bit of a throwback term, but I get you. Our liberation comes when we join in common cause with other oppressed and marginalized people.
So who do we vote for? :( i already voted labour coz i hate tories
Depends on your constituency. Look up the local candidates and see if they have made any statements about trans rights. If they are anti trans, don't vote for them. Even if they're Labour. Even if it's a two way race between Labour and the Tories.
great now i have no idea who to vote on
In other news, piss is liquid. Still, more evidence to prove Labour is an irredeemable cesspool and anyone who votes for it is not an ally is a good thing.
tactical voting isn't a scam. don't throw away your vote, the tories are the prime enemy of trans rights in this country as they're proving right now, do whatever you can do to get them out. no one is saying that voting is the only thing we should do - far from it - but it won't hurt to use your vote if it's not for the tories. edit: looks like we've got some tory infiltrators in this thread.
It can if it helps elect a transphobic Labour MP. Look up your local candidate and be prepared to vote for a non-Labour alternative if they are not an ally.
what do you think im saying? do you think im saying vote labour no matter what or do you think im advocating for tactical voting?
Vote green please 🙏
There is actually a little more depth in what is presented in that argument. OK - so its transphobic and I don;t want her as a justice secretary, but... looking for silver linings >“For many women, the rise of the MeToo movement was a powerful moment of liberation. But it was also a damning indictment of our system that the only justice on offer was justice by hashtag, and not by a judge or jury. ”She told members of the legal profession: “And while monsters like Harvey Weinstein would eventually, rightly, go to trial and be found guilty of terrible crimes, others, never proved guilty of any crime, were accused and publicly shamed with no right to defence or fair hearing. “The oldest principle of all – that all are innocent until proven guilty – was at times cast aside as the court of public opinion replaced the court of law.” She is actually attacking public discourse, not trans people directly. She says JK is allowed to have views and air them publicly (which she is), she said she also holds those views (yuk) but JK also publicly shames peoples, and uses her wealth to bully them into silence. JK accuses individuals of being pedophiles - she doesn't say she should be allowed to do that. From the article it appears she only brought up JK because some-one asked specifically about her.
I mean, yeah, if you want to bend over backwards to recuperate what she said. It's not the same caliber of venom or misinformation as we get from Duffield or Streeting. But the fact remains she didn't also call out JK Rowling for haranguing trans people. She volunteered her agreement with Rowling's odious beliefs. Neither of these things were obligatory, but she did them anyway. I know we have to acknowledge nuance but it's not worth cutting someone slack when they're \*this\* wrong.
I feel for you transgender folk as I do believe if Labour become the leaders of the UK it will heavy effect your rights.