It’s absolutely true that the scrapping of self-ID is the work of hundreds, no, thousands of ordinary women fighting to retain rights for our sisters.
But I personally would like to say thank you to @bindelj who stood practically alone against the threat of transgender ideology
for such a long time.
Secondly to @Womans_Place_UK who took up the mantel for those of us who wanted to address the issue within the context of broader structural inequalities and whose support and sisterhood gave me determination to speak out.
Thirdly to @nia_endingVAWG’s board of trustees who gave me the permission to speak out as CEO because they recognised the threat to specialist women’s services and made the issue a strategic aim for nia; and to nia’s staff & senior management team for everything they do for women
Fourthly to all the feminists who were knocking about on Twitter addressing this years ago and who helped me get my own thoughts in order. Too numerous to mention and I’m scared of missing women.
(But also to women and fellas who have come along more recently.
Thank you!)
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I’m quite happy to address this directly and now. I don’t need to dodge something directed at me or my work or collaborations by deflecting attention on to something else.
The founders of the Femicide Census were myself and Clarrie O’Callaghan in 2013.
When the Femicide Census was launched in 2015, it was managed in partnership between myself and a large charity with a different approach to transgender identity than my own. Clarrie was involved but because of her job at the time, could not be a legal partner in the project.
Regrettably I did not have the power to impose my own beliefs so we (myself and the larger organisation) reached a compromise. TIMs were named but excluded from the analysis so that their circumstances did not distort the data. It wasn’t what I wanted but life is full of compromises and I wasn’t going to lose the opportunity to create the Femicide Census.
For several reasons, including political differences on this issue and others, power imbalance, and other things, I dissolved the partnership with the larger organisation and Clarrie and I launched the Femicide Census as an independent legal entity in 2018. No males have been included since, nor will they be in future.
My own smaller project, Counting Dead Women has never included males.
I have never claimed that TWAW.
Hope this clears it up for anyone who was interested.
For the record: I have no problem recognising the humanity of people, including males, with transgender identities and acknowledging the loss that their death means to those who loved and mourn them.
I’ve written about Counting Dead Women, femicide and trans identified males several times.
Here in 2019 when someone didn’t like that I acknowledged the killing of Naomi Hersi on Transgender Remembrance Day
Today's prize for 'do as I say not do as I do' goes to @Oxfam
Oxfam says "Ten harmful beliefs that perpetuate violence against women and girls
Oxfam highlights "Ten harmful beliefs that perpetuate violence against women and girls’ as part of their campaign “to challenge and change the harmful social norms that justify abuse, to ones that promote gender [sic] equality and non-violence.” oxfam.org/en/ten-harmful…
Very bad day in the global fight for women’s rights.
Women in the USA will still seek to end unwanted pregnancies. However safe abortion will be harder to access and disproportionately so for women with low incomes.
This is a real life consequence of an empowered religious right.
I am not in the same movement as those who deny women autonomy over their own bodies. That should never be a right that we ‘set aside’ or deprioritise.
I don’t think we can claim to fight for women’s sex based right if we stand aside when something so basic is eroded, when the step backwards is so huge.
1.Court case: Successful appeal against Re:C so care workers cannot be required to purchase sexual access to women in prostitution for disabled men 2.Best decision by a politician/political party: Diane Abbott affirming stance against prostitution
3.Worst decision by a politician/political party: not a decision but Keir Starmer: cervixgate
4.Journalist of the year: Yvonne Roberts for Observer’s End Femicide campaign 5.Best new book: Tie: Selina Todd: Snakes and Ladders; Kathleen Stock: Material Girls.
Seeing the awful news about the death of 16-year-old Amber Gibson in Hamilton. I can't help but be reminded of the comments of Angela Crawley, Scottish National Party MP for Lanark & Hamilton East in the Women & Equalities Select Committee on reform of the GRA in April this year
She, Angela Crawley MP, said "perhaps a trans female has transitioned*, they are also at equally and perhaps greater risk of the same violence."
Greater risk? Of the same violence?
*Not sure what she meant there.
At least 13 women/young women have been killed and a male suspect identified/charged *in Scotland* this year.
In the UK, 9 people with a possible trans identity have been killed since 2009, ie the last 13 years.
How anyone gets that to be the same or greater risk is beyond me.