Rishi Sunak says 'a man is a man and a woman is a woman'

jadis · 10-06-2023, 04:37 PM

It's a genuinely fascinating moment in world politics when the prime minister of Britain feels compelled to weigh in on our species' sexual dimorphism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5kQ...TheIndependent

The wee fella's stance on this contentious topic contrasts with the rhetoric of some of the other players in UK politics, including Ed Davey of the Lib Dems. Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon was forced to step down earlier this year, with many citing her policies on the trans issue as a major factor. For Labour's Keir Starmer, dropping the party's commitment to self-ID was another way in which to differentiate himself from his predecessor, the more radical Jeremy Corbyn.

I am fascinated with gender politics in general, and in the UK and Ireland in particular for several reasons. Unlike in the States, the positions on the trans issue don't quite map onto the left-right divide in the same predictable fashion. Literally all the advances made by trans activism were achieved under conservative governments, while a lot of the pushback came from grassroots feminist groups. Much more than the US, it's a political culture with a longstanding tradition of labor unionism, where radical politics were never confined to a few urban centers (let's just say that there are good reasons why E.P. Thompson's masterpiece wasn't entitled The Making of the American Working Class) and feminist activism is a fascinating part of that story.

I think I'm relatively familiar with the discussions: I've been getting my news mostly from The Guardian for as long as I've had a smartphone. First of all, because Canadian media is a joke. Second of all, because I've always liked British culture. And not least, because The Guardian's excellent coverage has set it apart from the lying US media during things like the Snowden leaks (and apparently during the Iraq war, though that was before my news consuming days).

But I don't live there and would welcome the opportunity to learn from UK-based users.

So... What do you think about Rishi's statement? Or Starmer's change of direction from Jezza? Or the Twitter meme about "terf island"? Or Sam Smith's ongoing struggles with gender norms?

All together now:

Gender on the streets of London
Gender on the streets of Birmingham
I wonder to myself
"Could life ever be sane again?"

10-06-2023, 04:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
jadis Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: dont ask Posts: 1,232	Rishi Sunak says 'a man is a man and a woman is a woman' It's a genuinely fascinating moment in world politics when the prime minister of Britain feels compelled to weigh in on our species' sexual dimorphism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5kQ...TheIndependent The wee fella's stance on this contentious topic contrasts with the rhetoric of some of the other players in UK politics, including Ed Davey of the Lib Dems. Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon was forced to step down earlier this year, with many citing her policies on the trans issue as a major factor. For Labour's Keir Starmer, dropping the party's commitment to self-ID was another way in which to differentiate himself from his predecessor, the more radical Jeremy Corbyn. I am fascinated with gender politics in general, and in the UK and Ireland in particular for several reasons. Unlike in the States, the positions on the trans issue don't quite map onto the left-right divide in the same predictable fashion. Literally all the advances made by trans activism were achieved under conservative governments, while a lot of the pushback came from grassroots feminist groups. Much more than the US, it's a political culture with a longstanding tradition of labor unionism, where radical politics were never confined to a few urban centers (let's just say that there are good reasons why E.P. Thompson's masterpiece wasn't entitled The Making of the American Working Class) and feminist activism is a fascinating part of that story. I think I'm relatively familiar with the discussions: I've been getting my news mostly from The Guardian for as long as I've had a smartphone. First of all, because Canadian media is a joke. Second of all, because I've always liked British culture. And not least, because The Guardian's excellent coverage has set it apart from the lying US media during things like the Snowden leaks (and apparently during the Iraq war, though that was before my news consuming days). But I don't live there and would welcome the opportunity to learn from UK-based users. So... What do you think about Rishi's statement? Or Starmer's change of direction from Jezza? Or the Twitter meme about "terf island"? Or Sam Smith's ongoing struggles with gender norms? All together now: Gender on the streets of London Gender on the streets of Birmingham I wonder to myself "Could life ever be sane again?"