Here we go again:
Labour MP Rosie Duffield has denied allegations that she is transphobic, after a row erupted following her comments about a cervical cancer campaign.The debate started last night on Twitter after Ms Duffield commented on a CNN tweet about new American Cancer Society guidelines that state: “Individuals with a cervix are now recommended to start cervical cancers screening at 25 and continue through age 65, with HPV testing every five years.”She liked Piers Morgan’s reply ‘Do you mean women?’ After being flooded with complaints, Duffield added: “I’m a ‘transphobe’ for knowing that only women have a cervix….?!”
The JK Rowling saga started with a similar comment on basic female biology, as I recall. On seeing a message aimed at "people who menstruate", she replied "I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?". Now it's Rosie Duffield's turn to provide a biology lesson which doesn't meet with trans approval.
The people at Labour Campaign for Trans Rights are horrified:
We in the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights are shocked by the comments made by Rosie Duffield today. To insist that “only women have a cervix” denies the existence of trans men and many nonbinary people. Not all women have cervixes, and not everyone who has a cervix is a woman.
Inclusive language harms nobody and costs little; it is a simple act of support for trans people in a political culture that is increasingly hostile towards us. The level of hostility that exists towards something as basic and harmless as inclusive language is representative of this climate of intense transphobia.
Labour MPs partaking in this right-wing campaign to marginalise, exclude and oppress trans people is unacceptable if we are to continue calling ourselves the party of equality. Moreover, it is contrary to the socialist principles of equality and liberation and represents a deep failing of that MPs responsibility to their transgender constituents.
We expect the party whips to take this forward, and the Labour Complaints Team to take forward the numerous complaints we know of already.
We need education and engagement to build understanding and solidarity towards trans people at every level of the party; including MPs, the leadership, party staff, and ordinary CLP members....
They want understanding and solidarity but only on their terms, while completely failing to understand how petty and vindictive they sound.
I don't suppose that they asked Duffield what Duffield's preferred pronoun is. Did they simply assume "their"?
Posted by: Michael van der Riet | August 05, 2020 at 08:34 AM