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THREAD/: We post today to support Luisa Attfield’s thread concerning trans rights, and to explain why Socialists Against Antisemitism feel her drawing similarities between how transphobia and antisemitism can be fought is valid and important. (1/16) https://twitter.com/l_attfield/status/1312719395807006720
Labour members and representatives have a duty to behave responsibly on their social media platforms, and that includes not being seen to endorse or instigate discrimination against minority groups. (2/16)
While we condemn any abuse directed at Rosie Duffield or Marsha De Cordova, it is not wrong to hold elected officials accountable for engaging with transphobic individuals or seemingly endorsing transphobic sentiments. (3/16)
Though De Cordova's actions have not yet become a pattern of behaviour, it is extremely important for the Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities to not seemingly play minorities off against one another. (4/16)
In the case of Rosie Duffield, however, a clear pattern of behaviour has been developing, and this has continued despite LGBT+ Labour engaging with her in good faith and her apologising for previous actions on this issue. (5/16)
Duffield has now mocked the Co-Chair of LGBT+ Labour for raising concerns about her behaviour. (6/16)
Some, including prominent members of JLM, have compared Duffield's behaviour with regards to transphobia to that of Chris Williamson regarding antisemitism. This is not without foundation; (cont) (7/16)
(cont) Chris Williamson routinely claimed antisemitism in Labour was a smear motivated by those factionally opposed to him or Jeremy Corbyn. Duffield has accused those criticising her of being part of a 'communist pile-on'. (8/16)
This indicates she too sees criticisms of her over transphobia through a factional lens. More widely, those who have leapt to Duffield's defence have in the past referred to 'the trans lobby' and 'witchhunts' - (cont) (9/16)
We hope we don't need to point out the worrying similarities between this language and responses to Labour antisemitism. Duffield has yet condemned neither such comments, nor the abuse of LGBT+ Labour's Co-Chair instigated by her mockery. (10/16)
Duffield routinely stood in solidarity with the Jewish community within and without the Labour Party, and rightly condemned the likes of Chris Williamson for his baiting the Jewish community. That she is now baiting trans people through her online activity, (cont) (11/16)
(cont) in a similar way to Williamson’s baiting of Jews, is more than disappointing. (12/16)
This problem is not unique to MPs. Transphobia is becoming a real problem in Labour. We feel moved to comment in such stark terms precisely because of the similarities between how many in Labour treat transphobia and how antisemitism was treated. (13/16)
Labour is making considerable strides to address the latter, but has done very little yet to prevent the former from rearing its ugly head. (14/16)
Socialists Against Antisemitism stands unequivocally in solidarity with trans people, both within and without the Labour Party, and calls on the party to investigate De Cordova's, and, more pressingly, Duffield's behaviour. (15/16)
Trans women are women, trans men are men, and non-binary identities are valid. Labour must affirm this, by treating all bigotry and discrimination with the same level of seriousness. (16/16)/ENDS
