The divisive political weaponising
“It’s great to be able to be loud and proud – and I will continue to be loud and proud against homophobia and loud and very proud to be a trans ally, and I will ensure that UNISON always remains the best trade union for LGBT+ workers.”
That was the pledge from UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea this morning, when she addressed the union’s LGBT+ conference in Edinburgh, as she applauded the fact that being “loud and proud” was the event’s central theme.
Proud to be against homophobia and very proud to be a trans ally – there’s always that little extra that signals the category “trans” is the most urgent, the most in need of allyship and love and concern and endless encouragement.
UNISON, she continued, had “always strongly advocated for trans rights.” The union’s “brilliant” trans equality campaign helps “give our activists the tools to combat the divisive political weaponising of trans issues,” which is damaging to trans people , but also to the “whole of society”.
What “weaponising” exactly? Mention of the conflict with women’s rights? Is that the weapon?
The past year had seen over 400 members trained on how to be a good trans ally, while there’s also been a “bump in members taking part in UNISON’s trans caucus.”
But Ms McAnea was clear that such things were needed precisely because anti-trans discrimination is “not going away and we have to be ever more vigilant.”
Ever more. Ever more and more and more and more. It will never end.
If very-proud-to-be-allied nets “over 400” trained members, I wonder how many mere gays got? And those other less represented groups not mentioned at all, like oh I don’t know, women. How many ally trainees did the unmentioned wims get? Perhaps they think sexism is over.
@1: Women aren’t part of the LGBTQIAXYZ rainbow umbrella. Women are part of the patriarchy. Duh.
Such as the “homophobic” idea that it’s perfectly ok for a lesbian to not be the least bit interested in “lady-cock”, or the “homophobic” idea that there’s no need to trans away the gay with surgery and hormones. Congratulations, comrade, you’re a doubleplusgood rightthinker!
The belief that there’s nothing immoral about being a homosexual is transphobic. Therefore GC and the conservative religious right are in step, arms linked, on the same side.
Once a contradiction becomes accepted (sometimes males are female; sometimes females are male) anything can be logically derived.
That’s obvious. There’s no W in the alphabet soup…no F for Female, either.