UKIP Vs Labour: Birchwood Ward Lincs Council Council Election 2017 Leaflet Analysis

Local elections are pretty much a month away and thoughts are now turning to which council candidates to back in the race to improving the lives of constituents across Lincolnshire and England and Wales as a whole. In Lincoln, the local election is for a place on Lincolnshire County Council, currently controlled by the Conservatives. My ward, Birchwood has had Rosanne (Rosie) Kirk as County Councillor since 2013 yet there are a number of candidates vying to replace her. I've only received campaign material from Rosie and from the UKIP candidate, Kevin Harrington and I thought I'd share a few observations with you and give you some insight into my selection process.

Labour:

Rosie is Vice-Chair of the Adult Social Care committee on Lincolnshire County Council and holds the Social Inclusion and Community Cohesion portfolio on the City of Lincoln Council. Rosie's made the most of that position to help constituents in Birchwood, most notably setting up the Birchwood Youth Theatre in 2013 for children aged between 8 and 16. Every child should have access to a platform to express themselves creatively and BYT allows working class kids especially the opportunity to hone their talent, meet new friends and develop their linguistic skills too. Attending the BYT will undoubtedly help when it comes to passing English Literature and Language tests. I am 100% behind the BYT and hope that any future county councillor will continue to support the organisation.

As a County Councillor, Rosie has helped address key concerns of Birchwood residents:

• Rosie helped to protect Birchwood Library, which I used very regularly as a junior school and secondary school student. Books on religious practices helped me achieve an A* in GCSE Religious Studies and access to key source materials for my Year 9 History project on the First World War was vital, allowing me to score 100%. Every child in Birchwood should continue to have access to materials should they need them.
• Rosie voiced concern over the Serco contract (Finance and HR services were outsourced to Serco by Lincs County Council in April 2015 on a 5 year contract worth £70m). Serco has had a track record of making mistakes in calculating pay and benefits of school staff, with a recent example of an employee at Lincoln Monk's Road Primary School nearly being paid £1.5m. Serco blamed "human error" but with Serco employees making mistakes on a regular basis, it does beg the question of whether the £70m would have been better spent retaining HR and Payroll employees inhouse.
• Streetlighting has been switched off on my street (Regent Avenue) and I do feel unsafe when I'm walking round at night alone returning from meetings. Residents have voiced similar concerns. Rosie has taken notice of those concerns and is campaigning hard to try and get them switched back on in Birchwood. Labour councillors have already managed to get the time the streetlights are switched off moved up from 10pm to 12am.
• Rosie's campaigning to get the Whisby waste recycling centre re-opened. Reducing the number of waste disposal facilities in Lincoln has led to greater fly-tipping, especially in terms of white goods and mattresses which is completely unacceptable. Waiting times at Great North Terrace have increased too. Any county councillor for Birchwood needs to address the issue of waste over the next 4 years.
• Council cuts to Adult Social Care concern me greatly; the budget released for 2017-18 shows a reduction planned of £4.083m, which will be achieved through "increasing user contributions" (£1.663m) and efficiencies identified in joint commissioning of services (£1.685m saved). The Conservative Government has identified a need to increase funding for Adult Social Care so I hope that Lincs County Council will reconsider the reduction amount and ensure that disabled and elderly Birchwood residents are fully supported and can stay in their homes wherever possible. Rosie and Labour want to see extra funding made available for care staff to help people recuperate from hospital treatment in their own homes.
• Rosie opposes the current Sustainability and Transformation Plan for Lincolnshire which could put unnecessary strain on medical and nursing services at Lincoln County Hospital caused by the closure of Grantham Hospital's A&E and maternity services at Boston Pilgrim Hospital.
•  Rosie continues to support Birchwood Children's Centre, which offers training on first aid for parents in addition to crèche facilities and "Carers Connect", which allows carers in Birchwood to access free support without having to book an appointment.
• Rosie's also campaigned hard with Labour councillors on the City of Lincoln and County council to keep Lincoln South Fire Station fully staffed 24/7, stopping the Conservatives from implementing their dangerous austerity measure.
• Rosie's also passionate about improving road safety in Birchwood and this has meant tackling speeding by monitoring speeds of vehicles on Woodfield Avenue (literally next door to my street) and highlighting potholes on Birchwood's roads that need repairing. I'd like to see any future councillor continue this great work.

UKIP:

Kevin grew up in a working class family before going into the Army at 16. He achieved the rank of Major and decided to retire after 34 years service, moving to Lincoln with his family. He wants to make the UK "great again" and believes that UKIP can do this because they won't be forced into making austerity cuts or overspend. Kevin's campaign leaflet states that UKIP are "more than a one issue Party"- i.e. they do more than just "bang on" about immigration.

• Kevin believes council tax should be "as low as possible" but admits that public services need enough funding to be able to function appropriately. I don't know whether this means UKIP would continue supporting the Adult Social Care precept or not.
• Kevin mentions immigration as being a drain on local public services but local government officials have no control over immigration policy and as UKIP have no MPs, this isn't going to change any time soon.
• Kevin argues that "Green spaces should be protected"; in Birchwood, this includes the play area on Jasmine Green and Hartsholme Country Park. However what form of protection UKIP wants for such areas hasn't been disclosed in the leaflet. Would it include funding for park rangers who can provide education services for young Birchwood residents so they become actively involved in conservation efforts or does it simply mean that the green spaces won't be built on?
• Local homes (social housing wise) do tend to go to Yellowbellies. I've not heard of cases where Birchwood residents have been denied housing on the basis of nationality and this should continue to be the case. Instead of moaning about access, UKIP could support a social housing programme which would include accommodation for veterans.
• The suggestion that council executives should be fired rather than frontline Housing Advisors and Customer Service personnel would be broadly popular but there would need to be a personnel review to see whether this would be feasible. Considering pay freezes for executives would be a more practical and realistic offer to Birchwood residents.
• Kevin reiterates UKIP national party policy which argues for the scrapping of the Foreign Aid Budget. As this is national policy and UKIP have no MPs, it can't be implemented at a local level. UKIP can argue that local government funding has been reduced as a result of maintaining spending commitments such as the Foreign Aid Budget or HS2 but there's not a lot a UKIP councillor or controlled council can do about it, other than perhaps lobby central government for more funding. It is unacceptable that Lincolnshire as a whole only receives £88 per head and the Conservative led council should be lobbying more fervently for extra funding. At the moment, the council looks ineffective in the eyes of many residents. Therefore I do want to see more devolved powers handed to Lincolnshire but any proposal does need to be properly costed. Lincolnshire councils overwhelmingly rejected devolution because they didn't want an elected mayor which meant losing out on funding. Labour are committed to looking into all available options to try and increase powers at the local level.
• Kevin talks about the need to fight for, protect and promote "our British culture and way of life". Openness, tolerance and a spirit of inclusion are vital components of modern British culture and I'm not sure that UKIP and Keith fully endorse this, given their pledge to "ensure our society is based on our Christian values and laws". Christian values include being tolerant and compassionate towards other faith groups and accepting the separation of church and state. This means respecting decisions that have been made at Parliamentary level, enshrined in our Human Rights Act 1988 and Equality Act 2010. I will never vote for any candidate who doesn't accept the need to abide by and raise awareness of provisions contained within the Equality Act.
• I'm not particularly bothered whether a candidate challenges political correctness or not. I want to see a strategy that helps all residents in Birchwood, not just those who were born in Lincoln, Lincolnshire or the UK. A councillor is expected to be a community role model so one who may be unable to treat trans and non-binary people with the respect they deserve by using their preferred pronouns or listening to their concerns in the same way they would a cis person would not get my vote.

Conclusion:

After reading all the leaflets and electoral information I've received from both Labour and UKIP, my choice is pretty much crystal clear. I'm going to vote for the person who has a clear set of proposals to help improve the lives of Birchwood residents and who wants to listen to and understand their specific concerns. That means I'm going to vote for the person who cares deeply about facilitating creative arts access for working class kids, who understands that residents feel safer when streetlights are turned on all night and who wants to fund extra care workers to help people in hospital to be discharged so they can recuperate in the comfort of their own home after treatment. I'm voting for the person who recognises that waste disposal facilities and fully retained fire stations matter and that the library can still be a vital resource for budding historians and authors alike. I'm voting for the person who respects residents regardless of their nationality. On May 4th, I'll be voting for Rosie Kirk.
 

Stonewall's "A Vision For Change": A New Dawn For Trans & Non-Binary Rights in the UK?

Today saw the much anticipated launch of LGBT rights charity Stonewall's plan for advancing trans and non-binary rights in the UK. "A Vision For Change" has been put together with the specific advice and guidance of the Trans Advisory Group, including Lib Dem Parlimentary Party Candidate for Chippenham and one of the founders of Trans Media Watch, Helen Belcher, Sarah Brown, a Lib Dem LGBT+ advocate who founded TransDocFail which identifies and challenges injustices against trans people in the NHS and private healthcare system and Aimee Challenor, current Chair of the LGBTQIA+Greens and a stalwart of the Coventry LGBTQIA+ community. The report is positive, wide-ranging and looks at all areas of personal and professional life, making a number of very interesting recommendations. I thought I'd proffer an opinion on some of the recommendations that'd make a difference to my life as a trans and non-binary person under the three headings given in the report: Empowering Individuals, Transforming Institutions and Changing Laws.

Empowering Individuals:

•  Having spoken to trans and non-binary people across Lincolnshire, I found that many do feel inhibited to disclose their gender identity or to speak out about their experiences. Roger, a 26 year old transman from Boston who has transitioned medically told me that he was scared of disclosing the fact he was going through transition to his colleagues on a building site because he thought they'd "mollycoddle" him and stop him from doing the bricklaying because they'd still perceive him as a woman, which was what he didn't want to happen. How to empower Roger may be different from how to empower a trans woman satirist like myself.
• People's identities are more complex than just relating to their gender identity. To think that trans people may only get a slot on a mainstream debate programme or art exhibition on the basis of their gender identity alone to talk about their gender identity alone can be extremely frustrating. Part of the empowering process has to include trans and non-binary and equal opportunities activists like myself accepting that many trans and non-binary people do not want to talk about their gender identity at all in public. Media organisations, arts organisations, businesses and political parties also have to respect a trans person's right to privacy and allow them to be in the driving seat when creating a platform for themselves.
• I've been very lucky to hear from and meet with plenty of inspiring trans people. They may not have a social media account and they may not think of themselves initially as role models but they are raising awareness of trans issues simply by finding the courage to be themselves, whether in the workplace, at their sports club or when out nightclubbing. I'm grateful for all trans people that have been open in public before me too, including Marsha P Johnson, Christine Burns and Paris Lees.
• I do agree with Stonewall's Trans Advisory Group that we need to encourage and empower a more diverse range of trans voices and talent to come through, helping them create and foster a platform, whether that be through designing intriguing artwork, creating a thought-provoking play on gender identity in the Regency period or appearing on Newsnight to counter the gender-critical radical feminist narrative that trans identities are part of a "trend"  that will "disappear soon". Stereotypes can be countered -e.g. that trans people are repressed homosexuals or are "mentally ill" or have to work as sex workers to stay off the street. We do value trans people who identified as gay or lesbian before their transition or trans people that had to work as sex workers to survive but there should be representation from heterosexual trans people too. Trans people of colour (British BAME trans) often have faced more oppression than white trans people and their voices definitely need to be uplifted wherever possible.
• I'm dyspraxic (a developmental disorder affecting my fine motor control -e.g. I have terrible doctors handwriting and I can't walk in a straight line to save my life so get mistaken for being drunk on nights out) and I'm pleased to see a call from Stonewall to expand the panel to include neurodiverse voices. Autistic trans people are at the moment being targeted by those gender-critical radfems who believe they were not "well informed enough" to make a decision about their gender identity. This clearly needs to be robustly refuted. Trans people who are unable to medically transition because of pre-existing conditions also face barriers to accessing platforms because they're not "believed" by friends and colleagues. Their voices need uplifting too!
• I'd love to see more trans and non-binary people getting interested in politics. This may include encouraging trans and non-binary people to participate in political parties to help shape party policy platforms or even encourage them to put themselves up as independent parliamentary candidates. Trans young people should be encouraged to get their voice out there (youth representation in Parliament is woefully low). The pressure of being the first trans/ non-binary/gender-fluid/genderqueer MP will undoubtedly be great but I'll be there every step of the way cheering them on. Who knows, I may end up putting myself forward to become part of the staff!
• LGBT+ organisations should definitely be encouraged to reflect on their current vision and policies so that they are being fully inclusive towards trans and non-binary people. Trans and non-binary people can be encouraged to put themselves forward for charity management positions. HR/Voluntary co-ordinators can enhance training to increase awareness of key issues, especially getting volunteers and employees to recognise the validity of gender self-identity and legal gender identity too. Organisations need to do more than pay lip-service to fulfill their equality and diversity remit; trans and non-binary peoples'  needs must be considered beyond tick-boxing surveys and positive statements.
• I'm very proud to have supportive parents and friends who haven't battered an eyelid in me stating myself to be trans and non-binary. I understand that for trans and non-binary people in rural communities, it may be hard to find even one positive ally to show them respect and friendship, hence why they keep their feelings secret for decades before deciding to transition. I agree that more needs to be done to support trans and non-binary people in the countryside, which is why raising awareness is vitally important. I'd like to see funding available to help establish friendship groups in every rural county to connect trans and non-binary people so they can share experiences and support each other in a safe and secure space. I also believe that religious groups have a role to play in challenging stereotypes; village vicars should present an open, tolerant and compassionate attitude towards trans and non-binary parishioners and make it clear that their door is "always open" should a trans or non-binary parishioner need to talk to them. Mandatory Sex and Relationships Education in schools, including faith schools at Key Stage 3 and 4 which is fully LGBTQIA+ inclusive should also help to dispel stereotypes about gender identity to reduce instances of bullying and harassment in the playground.

Transforming Institutions:

• Schools:
• As mentioned above, LGBTQIA+ inclusive SRE is going to be key in transforming attitudes towards trans and non-binary people over the long term. It's shocking to read that 9/10 LGBTQ+ students haven't learned about trans identities even though "58% of trans said they knew they were trans or non-binary by the age 13" (Metro, Youth Chances Survey 2014).  I believe that trainee teachers in every subject should be equipped with the knowledge of how to support trans and non-binary students during their PGCE. Teachers in subjects such as Religious Studies and PSHE should be prepared to talk about gender identity issues, perhaps using Stonewall resources or encouraging trans and non-binary activists to come into the school and give a talk about their experiences, as Stonewall's School Speaker programme facilitates. It's pleasing to note that the programme will have trained 60 extra speakers this year in England, which will be replicated for the next 4 years. Regardless, every school in the country should be helping to foster an attitude of tolerance and those who wish to discriminate against trans people should be challenged head-on through honest debate.
• The Workplace:
• HR professionals have a huge responsibility to ensure that colleagues and managers are aware of the importance of treating trans and non-binary employees with respect, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. This means creating training packages that disseminate practical information in an easily accessible, coherent way. Managers who fail to show respect for trans and non-binary employees should be subject to a disciplinary hearing, with their behaviour monitored in appraisal meetings by HR.  
• Certainly no employee should be forced to openly disclose their gender identity (including past history) but more and more often employees are being open with HR in order to help facilitate a package of support to help them have a smooth transition process at work; for example HR professionals can help to set up bathroom arrangements if necessary so that the trans or non-binary employee can have access to facilities that correspond to their gender identity. I agree with Stonewall in that HR professionals must ensure that any private health insurance covers trans and non-binary employees regardless of any intention to medically transition and that any documentation relating to trans and non-binary employees is kept confidentially in accordance with the provisions laid out in the Data Protection Act, 1998. Any disclosure of that information should be investigated and if done with malicious, the employees involved must be fired.
• Trade Unions can certainly do more to support trans and non-binary members, whether that be providing basic training sessions for reps and members or advocating with LGBTQ+ charities and organisations for changes to legislation, such as replacing the protected characteristic in the Equality Act from "GRS" to "Gender Identity" and removing the term "transsexual" from the legislation. Trade Union reps can also name and shame bad employers and agencies and help speak up for organisations that do have positive HR procedures in place.
• Faith communities:
• Attitudes towards trans and non-binary people is being challenged on a daily basis by trans and non-binary people of faith. Certainly some Christian denominations are resistant to change than others: Catholics do not recognise gender identities as valid beyond the binary gender system, evidenced by Pope Francis's comments that transgender people could lead to the "annihilation of man" even though he later admitted that Jesus would "not abandon transgender people". I looked at the Biblical basis for such a view in my blogpost"God Made Us All In His Image: Get Over IT: A Liberal Christian Trans Approach to Christianity"(http://sassysvensknorsk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/god-made-us-all-in-his-image-get-over.html) which shows that some Christian denominations are far more accepting of trans identity because there's no real concrete basis in Scripture to be discriminatory. Universal acceptance for trans and non-binary people can only come about as cis people of faith join with trans and non-binary people of faith to challenge stereotypes and to show that ethical codes do evolve over time. For example, 300 years ago, burning a woman as a witch was seen as a good act by most Christians in England; now that act would be seen as murder by members of the perpetrator's own congregation and thus punishable by a prison sentence. Challenging absolute restrictive orthodoxy, where religious texts and church doctrines interpretations are followed literally is happening all the time. Allies will continue to speak up for trans and non-binary people, even if it takes another 300 years before we are fully accepted by mainstream Christians across the world. Despite the enormity of the task I do agree with Stonewall that work with faith schools is vital in helping to challenge restrictive orthodoxy but I acknowledge the difficulty that work entails. I'm glad to hear that Stonewall will develop a new programme specifically aimed at stamping out homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in faith schools.
• Sport:
• As I noted in my response to Hadley Freeman's article on trans women (http://sassysvensknorsk.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/a-few-thoughts-on-hadley-freemans.html ) it's important that sports organisations foster an environment of inclusivity at the grassroots level. That includes clubs looking at designating/installing gender neutral changing facilities and challenging homophobic and transphobic chanting from fans and making sure coaches address any transphobic bullying coming from a trans person's teammates.
• Justice:
• The UK as a whole is failing trans and non-binary people who find themselves involved with the Criminal Justice System. Hate crime is underreported because trans people are afraid of their case being tossed aside by police officers who may not have met a trans person in their personal lives before. Therefore robust procedures must be in place for investigating officers to follow, including making sure they treat trans victims of crime with respect and dignity and keeping them informed about the investigation as often as possible.
• Trans prisoners are being denied access to counselling because prison officers may not understand the effect of being incarcerated with prisoners who are of the opposite gender identity to them. Training is essential to help prison officers treat  trans prisoners humanely. Wherever possible, trans prisoners should be housed in the prison which corresponds to their gender identity. Non-binary prisoners should be treated respectfully, with prison officers using the person's preferred pronouns.
• Young people who identify as trans and/or non-binary who are at the centre of custody disputes worry that they may be forced by one parent to conform to a gender identity which is no longer theirs. Family court judges need guidance to help them come to a determination that allows trans young people to be respected. I agree with Stonewall that guidance is needed more generally that informs court personnel of the need to remember the importance of correct pronoun use for victims.
• Health and Social Care:
• My Mum is a care assistant at a care home in Lincoln and she's told me of several occasions where a trans elderly disabled patient was disrespected by care staff (at her old care home) and by health professionals. On one occasion, the trans woman in question was referred to as a "poofy fake pussy oaf" because of she had had a fall in her room and the care assistant in question was angry about having to call out paramedics. Clearly such language and attitude is completely unacceptable which is why staff training on gender identity is of paramount concern, especially as the Baby boomer generation begins to enter advanced age.
• Family members of trans and non-binary patients in hospitals and care homes do not need to be grilled for information by medical professionals. Basic training about gender identity should allow them to make an informed decision -e.g. about which ward the patient needs to be put into. Pronoun usage isn't of immediate concern in emergency cases and the doctor/nurses can ask about pronoun use when the patient is able to tell them themselves.
• I am very lucky to have a GP that's polite, passionate about offering the best level of care to all and someone who went out of their way to find out more about trans and non-binary issues. Unfortunately my experience doesn't yet seem to be the norm. GPs have a responsibility to educate themselves on gender identity issues wherever possible. The General Medical Council guidance is there for a reason, after all. Any GP who fails to show any inclination to follow that guidance should be reported by colleagues or patients.
• Gender Identity Clinic waiting times are very frustrating; I'm currently waiting for my first appointment with Nottingham Gender Identity Clinic (GIC) which when I was first referred there in April was expected to take 18 months as a minimum. What needs to happen is the Government needs to provide a fund to help expand GIC services, whether that be increasing the number of GICs, increasing capacity within existing GICs by recruiting more sexologists and specialist nurses or changing the Gender Recognition Act so those who do not wish to medically transition can change their gender identity legally without having to wait for a medical diagnosis.
• More must be done to protect trans and non-binary youth homelessness. Organisations such as Stonewall Housing deserve to have central government funding to allow them to expand their capacity. I agree with the Trans Advisory Group's recommendation that social (and private landlords) must do all they can to protect tenants from transphobic abuse from fellow tenants wherever possible.

Changing Laws:

• Gender Recognition Act 2004:
• Get rid of the requirement for a medical diagnosis of "Gender Dysphoria" before being able to apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate
• Remove the Gender Reporting Panel requirement for a GRC
• Allow non-binary, gender-fluid and genderqueer people to change their legal status and to use gender-neutral markers on their documentation
• Consider review of the "acquired gender" requirement; should it be 2 years, 1 year, 6 months or no requirement at all (if you identify as non-binary)?
• Get rid of the Spousal Veto requirement.
• Equality Act 2010:
• Change the protected characteristic of "GRS" to "Gender Identity"
• Remove "GRS" and "Transsexual" from the terminology of the act
• Make it explicitly clear that non-binary, gender-fluid and genderqueer individuals have legal protection under the Equality Act
• Include a separate protected characteristic for intersex individuals who may never identify as trans.
• Asylum policy:
• Remove the requirement for trans and non-binary asylum seekers to have to "prove" their gender identity
• Allow trans asylum seekers access to counselling if necessary
• Improve the quality of accommodation available at detention centres, making sure gender-neutral bathroom facilities are available for asylum seekers to use in safety
• Reduce the processing time for LGBTQIA+ asylum seeker applications from countries considered dangerous for LGBTQIA+ people
• Oppose mass deportation plans for those whose asylum application is rejected.

Conclusion:
Stonewall's "A Vision for Change" articulates a comprehensive plan to help improve the personal and professional lives of trans and non-binary people in the UK. There is much that Stonewall can do to help increase trans visibility, whether it be getting more trans and non-binary speakers into schools through the School Speakers programme or getting involved with the lobbying process to get the protected characteristic changed in the Equality Act. SMEs in Lincolnshire can also participate in "A Vision for Change" by equipping their employees with the knowledge and skills to deal with trans colleagues and customers with respect and looking at the implementation of gender neutral bathroom facilities for non-binary employees and customers. Schools can ensure that SRE and PSHE lessons include material on gender identity and teachers can use part of their Continuing Professional Development to read up on trans and non-binary historic and current role models. Prisons can ensure prisoners are treated with dignity, even if that just means remembering to refer to them by their preferred pronouns. Our Government however really needs to be at the forefront of helping to improve trans and non-binary rights in the UK. The GRA and EA can be updated, asylum seekers can be treated humanely with the introduction of gender neutral facilities and SRE programmes can be mandated to include lessons on gender identity. In business, HR management aims to try and facilitate change by appealing to the CEO to change his tone and thus the business culture. PM Theresa May and her Government should lead by example by fully implementing the proposals set out in last year's Trans Inquiry, many of which are referred to in Stonewall's "A Vision For Change". Political parties, including Labour, the Lib Dems and Greens can unite around the proposals and lobby for PM May and Justine Greening to start the formal process of amending legislation. It's recognised that Lib Dem and Green representation has been strong on at the Trans Advisory Group and the hope is that will translate to party policy for the next election (if not party policy already) if the Conservatives refuse to begin making legal amendments. We must not sit on our laurels. I hope Sarah Champion and Labour's Women and Equalities will read the Stonewall report and consider applying any additional policy principles to their platform as required. I have faith that this can be done without causing a reduction in rights for cis people. Onwards and upwards should be the direction for all of us who are interested in seeing rights improve for trans and non-binary people. Hopefully I myself can work with Stonewall to help facilitate this in the future.
 

Take more than a shallow approach to LGBTQIA+ definitions & acronyms, Philip Davies

So that "well known" bastion of equality activism and "inherently useful" addition to the Women and Equalities Committee, Philip "I can't be arsed to understand the complex nature of gender identity and sexuality so I moan about semantics" Davies, current MP for Shipley decided to write an article in HeatStreet criticising the acronym describing the gender variant and sexual variant community (https://heatst.com/world/philip-davies-its-time-to-stop-this-obsession-with-the-letters-lgbtq/).
Davies prides himself in acting in "Your Interests, Not Self-Interest" but I must say when I first perused the title I thought he was giving his best attempt at Horatian satire but the way he moans and berates equal opportunity activists by moaning about "out of control PC culture" really grinded my gears. His article smacks of wanton ignorance, which is disturbing given the fact he's been assigned to do a rather important job....scrutinising equality and diversity legislation to make the lives of those who identify differently "from the norm" (whatever that norm happens to be these days) better.

One of the jobs the Women  and Equalities committee is meant to do is to hear moving evidence of discrimination from constituents (as well as those who can't or choose not to vote) and to consider possible resolutions to reduce that level of discrimination, whether it be to change the protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010 from "Gender Reassignment Surgery" to "Gender Identity" to cover more than those trans people who want to medically transition or to ask employers to think about changing their HR documentation to be inclusive of non-binary, gender-fluid and genderqueer identities. I think it's entirely unacceptable that Davies willfully chooses to shout about his life lived in ignorance of intersex people whilst moaning about activists wanting to get him fired from the committee, for example. He and his dinner party posse probably snigger at the thought of anyone being even a smidgen different from them, judging from the initial response recorded in the article. They haven't bothered to go on YouTube and familiarise themselves with authentic intersex voices, instead they "can't understand" why intersex people do not want to be referred to as "hermaphrodites".

Well Mr Davies. Mr Anti-Pot 1967 called. They want your outdated, snobbish, bigoted views back. If you ask an intersex person if they want to be referred to as a "hermaphrodite", most will say that you are being deliberately misleading and trying to stigmatise their experience. That's why I made a conscious effort when I  pretty much first started blogging to find out more about what intersex and asexual meant. I even blogged what I found out (on Intersex here: http://sassysvensknorsk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/awks-sre-convo-moment-we-need-to-talk.html and asexuality here: http://sassysvensknorsk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/awks-sre-moment-no-2-we-deffo-need-to.html) and pointed out individuals who are trying to help change attitudes within Christian denominations such as Lianne Simon (http://sassysvensknorsk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/intersex-challenge-to.html). From all the research that I undertook and from talking to intersex and asexual activists and friends, I concluded that school students really need to know about intersex and asexuality before they leave school (in the KS4 stage at the latest) to help challenge stereotypes and foster an attitude of positive inclusivity in our young people. It's not "PC madness" to teach students in Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) about gender identity (non-binary and trans) as well as helping them understand that sexuality can be fluid too - with asexuality, pansexuality and bisexuality being just as valid as homosexuality. Davies, rather than poking fun semantically in his article, could set a decent example for MPs in his party by doing more in-depth research than looking up the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Right's online definition as a dinner party trick. I thoroughly believe he should spend some time getting in touch with organisations such as Intersex UK, The UK Intersex Association (UKIA), Organisation Intersexual in the UK and The Asexual Visibility and Education Network so that he can find out firsthand what being intersex or asexual is like in the UK. If Davies did speak to activists and these organisations, he may realise that legal reform is needed.

An example of legal reform that is needed badly concerns the rights of Intersex people in the UK. In fact, the Tories as a whole should take a leaf out of the Green Party (England and Wales)'s book and introduce Intersex Rights as part of their overall LGBTQIA+ platform promise:

• Intersex will be a protected characteristic under an updated Equality Act
• Specific legislation will be introduced protecting minors from being forced to have unnecessary medical invention
• NHS Staff (including GPs) should be trained on how to help intersex individuals
• Gender markers or "indicators" to be expanded beyond M or F on legal documentation

I'm hoping that Labour and the Lib Dems would back such changes and include promises to protect intersex people in their next General Election manifesto. It's not mind-boggling stuff to introduce and doesn't detrimentally affect anyone. On the contrary, it would help improve our overall equal rights record, which, let's face it, could do with a bit of a touch-up!

Davies mentions more than just Intersex and Asexual "labels" in his article. For example, "Queer" people are dismissed in a very "flash in the pan" way, with Davies calling queerness something that's
"en vogue" right now but "doesn't add anything to LGBTI". OK...someone point out to him that Q has been recognised in the acronym because Queer identity isn't something that can be dismissed as invalid. It's not as worthless as Drumpf's promise to protect LGBTQIA+ people from discrimination (the US Government having now removed federal protection for employees and removed the right to openly state gender identity and sexual orientation in Census 2020 documentation). Queer identity certainly isn't as passé as Davies is suggesting. I'd ask him to get in touch with the fabulous Elena Guthrie and Sidonie (Sid) Bertrand-Shelton  of  the "Kicking The Kyriarchy" podcast, intersectional feminists who identify proudly as queer what queer identity means to them. Also, Davies could contact Sarah Moore, Communications guru at Stonewall and proud "hard femme" and "queer queen" if he wants to be informed further. One of the points that some queer activists have pointed out is that the advantage of queer theory is that it actively attempts to resist definition. Others prefer to have a clear cut definition (see Jan Wickman's post, "Queer Activism, What Might That Be?" for a more nuanced perspective on trying to clear-cut define Queer identity: http://trikster.net/4/wickman/2.html).

Davies goes on to point out that some people are pansexual, some are two-spirited, curious, polyamorous etc etc. I don't want to break the bad news to him but there's a reason why the + symbol is added to the acronym. How many more identities should be added for the acronym to "look" entirely inclusive before the + is currently being debated. The Greens use LGBTQIA, the Lib Dems, Labour and yes, the Tories, only use LGBT before the +. Is it really that difficult to adapt to a changing acronym in the grand scheme of things? Not if you bother to go away and do the research, Mr Davies, as HR professionals, GPs, nurses, police officers and yes, your fremenies like Sarah Champion and Jess Phillips have to. Still, semantic battles are a very small part of the discussion about gender identity or sexuality and we should really be open to learning as much as possible by listening to authentic voices.

Yet Davies doesn't show any willingness to acknowledge that he might need to go away and research beyond the "labelling" which he himself petulantly labels as being "PC". Yes, some gay activists, some lesbian activists, some trans activists, some intersex activists do not like the LGBTQIA+ acronym.  Yes some people are confused as to the "natural order" expected within the LGBTQIA+ community, despite the fact that it's not meant to be hierarchical at all. Davies should understand that privilege in the LGBTQIA+ community works well for white "professional" gay men who present themselves as "straight acting" at work but  trans women of colour end up being murdered by disgustingly evil transphobic men in the US and trans women at work end up facing discrimination from uneducated bigoted managers. I find it not too baffling that Davies only really knows gay men who may be less than empathetic to trans people (not transsexual Davies). It's all about white non-empathetic men standing together for you, isn't it Davies?

There are intersex activists who do believe that their voice has been "bunched up" with trans voices, despite the fact that intersex people are not trans. As for pansexual and polyamorous and two-spirited activists, they hardly ever get the chance to access a large enough platform for their voices to be heard, which leads to straight men like Davies dismissing their identity off as quickly as I dismissed the £350m magic money tree Brexiteers were planning to plant for the NHS. Instead of focussing inanely on the acronym, focus on listening to a diverse group of voices. Appreciate their passion, note their concerns and then work with them to suggest a plan of action and then fight tooth and nail to get that action plan implemented. That's what we "PC feminists" aka intersectional feminists on the left have been doing (hence why the Equality Act was passed IN THE FIRST PLACE) and keep on planning to do. We'll leave Davies and his PC bashing moany cronies to their brash trash dinner party bubble....no invitation sought thanking you kindly Davies!