Yes, indeed, the comment in the Times interview that sparked JK Rowling's backlash was "A woman is a female adult, and in addition to that trans women are women, and that is not just my view – that is actually the law.” But context is everything: in the "penisgate" LBC phone-in he said quite definitively that he is an advocate of safe spaces for women, and that Labour can be relied on to defend women. He went on to say "We have had legislation in this country which makes it clear that in some circumstances, particularly at the moment under the law when you’ve gone through a process, you can be recognised in the gender of your choosing, that’s been the position for over a decade now.” "In some circumstances" is key - there may be circumstances where trans women don't have all the rights of biological women, for the protection of the latter. This needs to be a very nuanced debate, which merits more than the gesture politics offered by the Tories. For quite a good account of Labour's "clusterfuck" on trans rights, see: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/labour/2022/04/inside-labours-clusterfuck-week-on-trans-rights
Robert Fish ● 1616d