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The intervention of the EHRC in the Forstater appeal (in support of “gender critical” Forstater) has provoked surprise and anger.
The anger at this betrayal by the body that’s supposed to defend minority rights is justified, but perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised.
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The anger at this betrayal by the body that’s supposed to defend minority rights is justified, but perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised.
/Thread
EHRC commissioners are appointed by the Government and serve renewable 4-year terms. Every commissioner was appointed because they were agreeable to the Tories, and only a single commissioner appointed under the coalition has had her term renewed.
The Tories have not been shy about packing the commission with cronies. Two former commissioners claim they were sacked because they spoke-out about racism. https://www.newsweek.com/equality-race-racism-ehrc-equalities-human-rights-commission-1520714
One current EHRC commissioner, Pavita Cooper, was caught-up in a scandal when it turned out she had failed to declare donations to the Tory party prior to her appointment. #Torysleaze https://www.newsweek.com/equalities-human-rights-commission-ehrc-pavita-cooper-race-racism-equality-1513338
The Tory-packed EHRC seems to pick-and-choose its interventions politically, declining to investigate anti-Muslim bigotry in the Tory party or the deaths of people with disabilities following the wrongful withdrawal of their benefits. https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/ehrc-failed-to-consult-its-own-disabled-advisers-before-snubbing-dwp-deaths-probe/
The bias of these commissioners is readily apparent in their social media activity, and often well documented. E.g. Alasdair Henderson seems to have a number of extreme right-wing views. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/30/ehrc-board-member-under-scrutiny-over-social-media-use
But things got a whole lot WORSE following the appointment of Liz Truss as Minister for Women and Equalities by Johnson. She appointed Kishwer Falkner, known for her idiosyncratic views on British Muslims, as Chair. https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/new-head-uk-equality-watchdog-opposed-efforts-define-islamophobia
While Chair of the EHRC, Falkner has signalled her support for “gender critical” views, criticising inclusive language in the Maternity Bill (“pregnant people”) and aligning herself with the Lord Lucas amendments. https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2021-03-11/debates/EC12C047-2A9F-4503-8CD2-C55427C5AF2F/InternationalWomen%E2%80%99SDay#contribution-8F2425A9-0BCC-41C9-AF9E-A471D4F793BD
But Falkner is a total moderate compared with other Truss appointments to the EHRC. David Goodhart insists that “white self-interest” and “preference for your own ethnic group” are not racist. https://policyexchange.org.uk/white-self-interest-is-not-same-thing-as-racism/
Goodhart’s appointment, which followed his vocal support for the racist “hostile environment” policy, led to a number of a third-sector equalities groups declaring their loss of confidence in the EHRC late last year. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/nov/13/campaigners-criticise-senior-ehrc-appointment-david-goodhart
Appointed around the same time was Jessica Butcher, who dismisses evidence of a gender pay gap and accuses feminists of perpetuating a victim mentality. https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/11/22/new-british-equalities-commissioner-jessica-butcher-ehrc-metoo-liz-truss-tedx-cityam-observer/
Sadly, the EHRC’s intervention in support of transphobe rights is the inevitable result of packing the commission with reactionaries, Tory-donors and lackeys.
