Thanks all. There is still clearly a long way to go, but thanks to the women who stood up for sex based rights, at risk to their careers, sanity and even safety, there has been a very definite change in the air. Apologies for a couple of spelling mistakes now corrected.
Raised on an unrelated, actually Green policy last week, I had to succinctly explain why Andy Wightman was made to leave that party.
One day we might see the resurgence of a sorely needed environmental party; the double tragedy being that climate change is happening and undeniable, unlike the transmutation of gender.
Yes, Rob. What was done to Andy Wightman was utterly disgraceful. It took guts to stand up and be counted, just as Joanna Cherry did, in the SNP, and look what she was subjected to by her own people.
Thank you for this, Iain. The tide is turning but there’s still a long way to go. I don’t trust Starmer on this despite his recent u-turn. ‘Simplifying’ the process for obtaining a gender dysphoria diagnosis is simply self-id by the back door. There are too many doctors captured by trans ideology who will make this step a formality. We need a total rollback with no males in women’s single-sex spaces, jobs, jails or refuges, plus birth sex remaining on legal documents. Nothing less will do.
I'm not as confident as you that this ideology is being rolled back, unfortunately. Women's groups, and especially lesbian groups, are having real problems trying to hold meetings. Only last week in Aberdeen, a Women Won't Wheesht rally was hounded by TRAs. A 20-something male punched a woman in the face and allowed to walk without being charged. Compare and contrast to the treatment of gender critical women by the police.
Keir Starmer is the first national political figure to face down TRAs, stating a dictionary definition which, as you say, has got women arrested, and for that we should be grateful. The policy capture in the "third sector" is, however, going to take a long time to root out.
It's telling that Iain refers to Stonewall as a trans rights charity in the text, when, of course, it was less than ten years ago, AFTER the Equality Act was passed, that Stonewall even noticed trans people. And immediately set about delivering their bogus "equality training" to all our major institutions.
Hmmm, maybe, Anne. Remember too, however, that Starmer has only back-peddled here for fear of upsetting those votes he needs in England and, in doing so, has left "Scottish" Labour out on a limb! Some of them are furious. Leonard, Lennon and Duncan-Glancy were rabidly for self-ID. O'Kane was as well. Duncan-Glancy specifically claimed during one debate that the "demedicalisation" of the process was the whole point. I'm wondering how Sarwar is going to manage Starmer's change of heart. Elsewhere, Rosie Duffield got an "apology" from Wes Streeting when he acknowledged the sort of flak she'd had to take from her Labour colleagues (including him!) on the subject of self-ID. Personally I'm not convinced of Streeting's sincerity. He is one of the most rabid. The newest Labour MP, who looks about 12, is a former little helper of his and got selected to stand in that seat with little or no experience at all. Personally I think Starmer just saw which way the wind is blowing on this and did one of his, now common, u-turns. There are quotes still out there from Starmer like that, "It's not right to say only a woman has a cervix." There are some belters from others in Labour too. Emily Thornberry springs to mind!
I'm obviously delighted that Starmer is seeing sense but I think he's made a hell of a mess on this and on other policies he's ditched.
I totally agree with you, Jo. It's of a piece with all the other promises he's reneged on. But he isn't a stupid man, and he must realise the general public are dead against GR once they realise the implications. Other political leaders are just hiding the implications from the public. One of the under-reported aspects of GRA in Scotland is that ALL the parties voted for it at Holyrood, including a few Tories.
I also think it doesn't say much for Scottish Labour that they're willing to fight Starmer on this, but lie down like lambs over him keeping the two child cap.
I think that the media made a meal of the "all Parties at Holyrood backed this" line. What they chose to overlook was that only the Tories allowed a free vote. The rest were whipped to back it.
What I do recall, when the UK gov rejected the bill, is that Sarwar suggested reworking the Bill and was soundly slapped down by lunatics like Maggie Chapman and various others. Perhaps he'll suggest that again and allow his own MSPs a free rein this time. It's a potential escape route for him.
The two child cap is another u-turn by Starmer as you point out. Add to that the fact that he threw Sadiq Khan under a bus over the Uxbridge defeat and you see what he's prepared to do to win power. It's bizarre. Disturbing too.
Thank you for your independence of mind and journalist integrity, Iain. I suspect you are reaching a larger audience now than you ever would have if you had remained with The Herald..
Thanks all. There is still clearly a long way to go, but thanks to the women who stood up for sex based rights, at risk to their careers, sanity and even safety, there has been a very definite change in the air. Apologies for a couple of spelling mistakes now corrected.
Brilliant summary. So many charlatans are now being exposed.
Hallelujah!
Raised on an unrelated, actually Green policy last week, I had to succinctly explain why Andy Wightman was made to leave that party.
One day we might see the resurgence of a sorely needed environmental party; the double tragedy being that climate change is happening and undeniable, unlike the transmutation of gender.
Yes, Rob. What was done to Andy Wightman was utterly disgraceful. It took guts to stand up and be counted, just as Joanna Cherry did, in the SNP, and look what she was subjected to by her own people.
Thank you for this, Iain. The tide is turning but there’s still a long way to go. I don’t trust Starmer on this despite his recent u-turn. ‘Simplifying’ the process for obtaining a gender dysphoria diagnosis is simply self-id by the back door. There are too many doctors captured by trans ideology who will make this step a formality. We need a total rollback with no males in women’s single-sex spaces, jobs, jails or refuges, plus birth sex remaining on legal documents. Nothing less will do.
I'm not as confident as you that this ideology is being rolled back, unfortunately. Women's groups, and especially lesbian groups, are having real problems trying to hold meetings. Only last week in Aberdeen, a Women Won't Wheesht rally was hounded by TRAs. A 20-something male punched a woman in the face and allowed to walk without being charged. Compare and contrast to the treatment of gender critical women by the police.
Keir Starmer is the first national political figure to face down TRAs, stating a dictionary definition which, as you say, has got women arrested, and for that we should be grateful. The policy capture in the "third sector" is, however, going to take a long time to root out.
I’m with you on this. Talk is easy, we need action on the Equality Act and the Gender Recognition Act. Stonewall started this but we’ll finish it!
It's telling that Iain refers to Stonewall as a trans rights charity in the text, when, of course, it was less than ten years ago, AFTER the Equality Act was passed, that Stonewall even noticed trans people. And immediately set about delivering their bogus "equality training" to all our major institutions.
Hmmm, maybe, Anne. Remember too, however, that Starmer has only back-peddled here for fear of upsetting those votes he needs in England and, in doing so, has left "Scottish" Labour out on a limb! Some of them are furious. Leonard, Lennon and Duncan-Glancy were rabidly for self-ID. O'Kane was as well. Duncan-Glancy specifically claimed during one debate that the "demedicalisation" of the process was the whole point. I'm wondering how Sarwar is going to manage Starmer's change of heart. Elsewhere, Rosie Duffield got an "apology" from Wes Streeting when he acknowledged the sort of flak she'd had to take from her Labour colleagues (including him!) on the subject of self-ID. Personally I'm not convinced of Streeting's sincerity. He is one of the most rabid. The newest Labour MP, who looks about 12, is a former little helper of his and got selected to stand in that seat with little or no experience at all. Personally I think Starmer just saw which way the wind is blowing on this and did one of his, now common, u-turns. There are quotes still out there from Starmer like that, "It's not right to say only a woman has a cervix." There are some belters from others in Labour too. Emily Thornberry springs to mind!
I'm obviously delighted that Starmer is seeing sense but I think he's made a hell of a mess on this and on other policies he's ditched.
I totally agree with you, Jo. It's of a piece with all the other promises he's reneged on. But he isn't a stupid man, and he must realise the general public are dead against GR once they realise the implications. Other political leaders are just hiding the implications from the public. One of the under-reported aspects of GRA in Scotland is that ALL the parties voted for it at Holyrood, including a few Tories.
I also think it doesn't say much for Scottish Labour that they're willing to fight Starmer on this, but lie down like lambs over him keeping the two child cap.
I think that the media made a meal of the "all Parties at Holyrood backed this" line. What they chose to overlook was that only the Tories allowed a free vote. The rest were whipped to back it.
What I do recall, when the UK gov rejected the bill, is that Sarwar suggested reworking the Bill and was soundly slapped down by lunatics like Maggie Chapman and various others. Perhaps he'll suggest that again and allow his own MSPs a free rein this time. It's a potential escape route for him.
The two child cap is another u-turn by Starmer as you point out. Add to that the fact that he threw Sadiq Khan under a bus over the Uxbridge defeat and you see what he's prepared to do to win power. It's bizarre. Disturbing too.
Thank you for your independence of mind and journalist integrity, Iain. I suspect you are reaching a larger audience now than you ever would have if you had remained with The Herald..