South Tyneside Green Party adopts motion affirming its support for trans and non-binary rights
South Tyneside Green Party
4th December 2019
During the migration from our old website to the new one, we decided to bring this article along. Orginally published on 4th December 2019.
At our November meeting, South Tyneside Green Party unanimously adopted a motion to affirm its support for trans and non-binary rights.
This motion was put together by a member of Manchester Green Party in response to a rise in transphobia across society. The motion was written in consultation with members of the trans community and the wording of the motion has been considered and was ratified by the LGBTIQA+ Greens group at their meeting in October 2019
1. Over recent years and months, transphobic and trans-exclusionary rhetoric has dramatically increased across broadcast and print media, can be found on many mainstream websites, and is widespread on social media. Transphobic opinions have been expressed by elected representatives from across the political spectrum, and by notable public figures outwith the Green Party.
2. The membership of South Tyneside Green Party (hereafter ‘we’) believe that this is wrong: Green politics, and the principle that environmental justice is inextricably linked to social justice, cannot be reconciled with discrimination on the basis of gender. For this reason, we take this opportunity to publicly affirm our commitment to trans rights and trans positivity, and to reiterate our welcome to people of all gender identities.
3. We affirm the human, moral, and legal right to self-identify one’s own gender. We affirm that trans women are women, trans men are men, and that all genders (or lack thereof) and non-binary identities are inherently valid. We affirm the right of trans and non-binary people, as with other marginalised groups, to choose the language with which they identify oppressors. We require that all members of the party accept the gender determined by
each individual. We regard refusal to do so as transphobia, and affirm that any behaviour which demonstrates transphobia is trans-exclusionary.
4. Therefore, South Tyneside Green Party requests that all relevant national Green Party bodies enshrine within the members’ Code of Conduct the clear, unambiguous requirement for respect of all genders and their self-determination. South Tyneside Green Party further requests all relevant national Green Party bodies to ensure that violation of this requirement, particularly with regard to transphobia and trans-exclusion, shall be a serious,
actionable offence under the party’s complaints procedure.
5. Finally, we affirm that transphobic or trans-exclusionary language or action of any kind is not welcome in South Tyneside Green Party