Supporting Trans Rights and Standing Against Transphobia

Statement of the below South West Green Party Committee Members, Regional Council Representatives, South West Young Greens Representative and Staff, Thursday 10th March 2022

Committee: Amy Sparling & Neil Basil (Co-Coordinators), Sarah Vaughan (Treasurer), Charlie Hull (Non-Portfolio Member)

SWGP GPRC Reps: Ewan Jones

SW Young Greens Rep: Patrick McAllister

SWGP Staff: Guy Poultney (Field Organiser), Daniella Radice (Field Organiser), Steve Lloyd (Campaign Organiser)

Context

We note the recent Council of Europe report on anti-LGBTI abuse (https://pace.coe.int/en/files/29712) published in January 2022, which condemned the level of abuse in the United Kingdom in particular, and stated the following

“5. The Assembly condemns the highly prejudicial anti-gender, gender-critical and anti-trans narratives which reduce the fight for the equality of LGBTI people to what these movements deliberately mis-characterise as “gender ideology” or “LGBTI ideology”. Such narratives deny the very existence of LGBTI people, dehumanise them, and often falsely portray their rights as being in conflict with women’s and children’s rights, or societal and family values in general. All of these are deeply damaging to LGBTI people, while also harming women’s and children’s rights and social cohesion.”

We also note that the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) has set out a clear Trans Rights policy in RR530-538 (https://policy.greenparty.org.uk/rr.html).

“The Green Party recognises that trans men are men, trans women are women, and that non-binary identities exist and are valid. We shall respect transgender and non-binary people's identities as real. The Green Party shall include, and push for further acceptance of, transgender and non-binary people within all areas of society.” (RR530)

We wish to reaffirm that all forms of bigotry, including transphobia, are counter to Green values – whether expressed outright or under the guise of ‘debate’ and ‘reasonable concerns’ – and have no place in our party.

Resolution

We will continue to make the South West Green Party a welcoming and safe place for all, including trans and non-binary people.

We will commit our team to ongoing training on intersectional equalities, in collaboration with GPEW and in consultation with LGBTQIA+ Greens Liberation Group. We will also aim to offer training opportunities to the wider local parties.

We will continue to oppose all forms of bigotry, including transphobia, as there can be no environmental justice without social and economic justice.

We urge the Leadership, Executive, Regional Council and membership of the Green Party of England and Wales to take a strong stance against transphobia in all its forms.