Saturday, November 26, 2022

Counsels' opinions on the Lib Dem definition of transphobia

One of Mark Pack's initiative in his first term as Liberal Democrat president was to ask the party's disciplinary subgroup to produce a definition of transphobia.

It was duly produced and adopted by the party. You can find the text and links to useful additional material in a Lib Dem Voice post from 2020.

Since the definition was adopted, doubt has been expressed about how legally watertight it would prove if the party were to use it as the basis for disciplinary action.

For that reason the party has commissioned an opinion from Guy Vassall-Adams KC, You can read it online together with the supplementary advice that he was later asked to submit.

A member of the party's' board commissioned a second opinion from Karon Monaghan KC and this can also be found online.

I'm not aware that these links have appeared on a Lib Dem blog yet, so I have posted them here.

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6 comments:

  1. Anonymous27 November, 2022 12:25

    The links you have helpfully provided are hosted by Liberal Voice for Women, a group of party members who believe that the sex based interests of women should be allowed to be heard in our party. They have been maligned by some, but they are ordinary people who believe that sex matters.

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  2. Juliet Line27 November, 2022 12:41

    Good to see these legal opinions getting an airing.

    FYI, the links are all hosted on this this Lib Dem blog. The Vassall-Adams opinion here: https://liberalvoiceforwomen.org/blog/gva-advice

    The Monaghan opinion here: https://liberalvoiceforwomen.org/blog/call-for-review

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  3. Anonymous27 November, 2022 15:20

    Have you seen some of the comments on this subject on Lib Dem Voice? Ye Gods.....

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  4. Anonymous27 November, 2022 18:04

    And LibDemVoice are only hosting one side of the argument. They have explicitly refused to post any messages from people who have concerns about the definition and who believe that sex matters. They've actually changed their editorial policy in the last week to make this plain. That's why you are only seeing that side of the argument on there.
    It's so disappointing: LDV used to be a really useful resource, allowing open discussion. Not any more.
    But for any LibDem member who wants to hear from members who support trans people but also believe that a man can't change 100% into woman and vice versa, https://liberalvoiceforwomen.org is the place to go.

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  5. Phil Beesley28 November, 2022 17:17

    Comments on the recent Lib Dem Voice thread shocked me. If the topic had been about depression or ageism or any of the other things about living, there would have been an awareness of greyness. Gender dysphoria is nothing new, and there is no binary solution about how people can be helped.

    I should be labelled transphobic because I believe that some people, a tiny minority, pretend to be transgendered in order to gain advantage in some way. Or that I believe that distressed people might find it difficult associating with trans people.

    Phobia is an irrational fear or an extreme response. I think that my considerations are rational and proportionate. I try.

    Laws about protected characteristics are not perfect, but I think that those who presume legal protection, can and should be protected, in ways which defend the rights and dignity of all people.

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  6. Anonymous29 November, 2022 12:44

    IF you scroll down the Lib Dem Voice thread you will see some of the arguments being made, but the editors don't like it.

    Tristan Ward

    ReplyDelete