Our LGBTQIA Liberation Officer, Lollie, speaks to Young Greens about issues facing trans youth in the Green Party and beyond. Opinions expressed are those of the interviewees.

I spoke to Lena, a Green Party member who has fairly recently become involved with the party again, and who works on green politics in her own way.
……

Hi, welcome, and thanks for doing this with me. Let’s start by hearing a bit about your involvement with the party.

I first joined the party in 2009. In 2018 I left because I wasn’t happy with how the party was dealing with transphobia. It was Sian Berry that made me return – I really appreciated what an active ally she was and I remember thinking “Yes. I want to be in the same Party as her.”

How able do you feel to get involved politically?

So, I’m co-chair of the LGBT network at my university, I’m also an Equality and Diversity advisor so I’m usually willing to put myself out there. But party politics is different for me because at work I know there’s a process for me to complain and for it to be dealt with. It’s imperfect, but I know how they work and that those processes are functional. I don’t really see the same of that necessarily within the party.

I came out in 2018 and I used to be really involved in my local branch but stopped attending during my transition, because I didn’t want to find out people I’d worked with closely were transphobic. And I actually haven’t been back to local meetings at all since because I don’t know what will happen.

I’m sorry to hear that. What can be done to make things safer for you?

There needs to be a value shift. We need changes in mid party leadership and how that runs, because at the moment it feels as if things get to disciplinary and then they vanish. Personally, I just need to know that things are going to get resolved when incidents do happen.

It’s notable that some quite extreme comments are just considered acceptable against trans people. And in my ideal party they wouldn’t be. If someone says something inflammatory or bigoted about is it would be considered as inappropriate as it should be.

In your opinion, is the situation worse now than it has been? Because it really does feel as if this has reached a boiling point in recent years.

In some ways I think so. It’s certainly more noted now. In 2016 when we were discussing gender self ID – people were happy to stand up and misgender people, it was acceptable. There were lots of attempts to improve things and tokenistic actions that missed the mark. Lots of things that came from a place of ignorance, nowadays we have more knowledge and that’s good but it means at the same time that the opposition are more vocal and feel they can be more visible.

Things have just ramped up and problems that were always there have been brought to the forefront.

What’s driving this? What’s behind the upsurge in transphobia?

That’s a massive question.

I think it’s a question of radicalisation – we understand radicalisation of young men but we don’t really understand radicalisation of middle aged white women. And what’s happening to these people, being exposed to transphobic rhetoric often at very vulnerable times in their lives is a kind of radicalisation.

There are a lot of people treating the transgender ‘debate’ as it were as an issue of women’s rights, or even as one of protecting children. How would you respond to someone who is coming from a place of genuine fear perhaps because they themselves have been badly mistreated?

What I would say to people impacted by this…it’s tricky really, because I try not to talk to people who want to remove me from society.

That’s fair enough.

I guess a point I could make is…we’re going through an oestrogen shortage right now. That’s a thing that effects menopausal cis women as well as trans women. That’s an example of something we have in common and could be working on together.

We shouldn’t be pitched against each other. Our needs and what will work for us absolutely align. It’s not an either-or thing. We’ve got to find ways to work together.

And also on the safety point, if abusive behaviour is taking place then it needs to be called out regardless of a person’s gender identity or what ‘side’ of the ‘debate’ they fall on. We’re not in support of violence regardless of who it comes from. We don’t need that behaviour.

What’s the most important issue of focus for you right now when it comes to trans rights?

What I’m seeing right now in my support work with young trans people are problems within families and relationships. I’m seeing trans people in abusive situations who are not recognising them as such. I’m seeing families breaking up because of issues related to a person’s transition.

The focus for me is just ‘how are we supporting people who don’t have housing?’ – that’s the key issue.

You mention your work with young trans people, obviously this has been a pretty eventful year with lots of heated debate going on about issues to do with young people and accessing trans health care. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on what happened with Tavistock and how that played out.

I’ve seen first hand what happens when a trans child gets support from the outset. They are happy and self-actualized and my fear was that we would stop seeing those young people if the original Tavistock ruling held, that we would lose that.

Do you have hope that this will get better? And what do you think needs to happen in order to get there?

For a long time, I think, LGB people have been telling trans people it’ll get better in ten years maybe…it’s a continuation of similar conversations we had around gay marriage. We’ve been told to wait and to hope for so long. It’s unhelpful, because it’s not getting better it’s getting worse. I’m pessimistic at the moment. But we are winning some fights!

I’m thinking of Green politicians throughout Europe that are in office now who are trans and in senior positions – that’s what’s going to do this. Making ourselves unignorable. We need more representation both so that we can advocate for ourselves better and so that young trans people can see that it is possible to have a successful future.

What does Trans Day of Remembrance mean to you? What would you like us to hold the day as?

When I look at the list of names of murdered trans people – it comes to mind that those names are sacred, those are names that have been chosen at personal risk.

It’s a list largely of POC and often sex workers and that’s often used by transphobic groups as an argument to dismiss us or they try to say that these people bought it on themselves, we need to challenge that urgently. We need to take the time to think about the most vulnerable. Think of these names as the names of people who deserve to live long and happy lives.

……

This interview was held to mark Trans Day of Remembrance 2021.

The post Trans Day of Remembrance Interview Series #3: Lena appeared first on Young Greens.

Our LGBTQIA Liberation Officer, Lollie, speaks to Young Greens about issues facing trans youth in the Green Party and beyond. Opinions expressed are those of the interviewees.

I interviewed Ash Routh, an experienced and longstanding party member, for their thoughts on Trans Day of Remembrance

……

Okay, thanks for joining me. Maybe let’s just start by hearing a bit about you and your involvement with the party.

Yeah, sure. I’m the co-chair of LGBTIQA+ Greens, joined back in 2010 – just before becoming a Councillor, before the general election that year, I was working rurally, mostly around housing, and that was my gateway into politics. The Green Party was always the obvious fit for me. And I’ve never looked back.

In 2014, I moved to Lancaster, and In 2017 I became a target candidate up there.

In Lancaster no one cared that I was trans; it was a total non-issue. The most heated debates were with friends about nuclear power or trains. I felt like we were all on the same side. And then I moved to Sheffield and suddenly I couldn’t move for being asked about being trans. I was in a hustings to be a City Councillor and I was being asked about the ‘trans debate’, as if that was relevant.

I’d never really been this interested in having these debates. So I joined LGBTIQA+ Greens because I thought if I was going to be forced into these debates, then I might as well meet them head on. That’s what I had to do, I can’t move politically without being asked about being trans so I might as well participate in the conversation because I certainly can’t opt out of it.

What’s most important to you right now in terms of trans rights?

It’s healthcare.

Waiting lists are ridiculous – I’ve been on a waiting list for a Gender ID clinic since 2018. I still don’t have a 1st appointment which means my first appointment is always at least 6 months away so functionally I will have been waiting 4 years.

We’re at a point now when some of our clinics are so overwhelmed that the waiting list is effectively infinite, at the current rate of treatment if you join now you won’t get seen for 20, 30 years.

We need more clinics and to change the model. Right now being trans is treated like a symptom – so treatment is a last resort.

There’s this systemic built-in delay – as if we can’t address multiple problems side by side. And it also creates a situation where some people can’t ever access the care that they need. We need to move to an informed consent model. Everything else in healthcare is based on this model so we just need to extend that to trans healthcare.

This also just needs to be talked about. People are dying on waiting lists. And no one is talking about it.

How safe do you feel right now as a trans person?

That’s an interesting question. Safe is a choice of words, I don’t feel unsafe in the sense of thinking I’m going to be attacked if I turn a corner but I do feel that this is a party where the experiences of LGBTIQA+ people are side-lined, and it’s important to note that this is a problem a lot of political parties and organizations have. But we are the Green Party, we need to do better. We can’t fail the same way everyone else is failing.

This is really common in the political sphere. I’ve spoken to my equivalents from other parties, and it’s basically across the board. The LGBT Conservatives couldn’t even get in a room with Liz Truss, she just wasn’t returning their emails or showing any interest in supporting them. And she’s the Minister for Equalities.

What can be done about this? How can we address these issues?

We can firmly establish a culture where the right of reply is upheld. So that liberation groups are consulted where things would substantially affect them. That group doesn’t have to agree with what’s being proposed but they should be consulted.

If we did that we’d be in a much better place. Our policy would be better for a start and we would create a better culture – nothing about us without us!

It’s important to understand where people are coming from. We have to recognise that there is on…I don’t like to say ‘both sides’ because that implies that this is a flat debate where everyone sits at two points of total agreement but in the generalized debate about women’s rights and trans rights it’s important to recognise that there is a big problem where on both sides people are being turned into caricatures.

It’s common for trans women to be compared with individual trans women who have done terrible things and be unfairly held accountable for those things. And there’s a problem with people assuming that all gender critical people are all acting in bad faith, certainly it is a movement that’s been co-opted by bad faith actors who then go on to use Trans women as a wedge issue.

But equally there are lots of people who have genuine worries, who may have been misled and we have to be sympathetic and reach out – it doesn’t benefit us to write off this huge chunk of the population and say they’re all bad people.

The Green Party is all about fixing the mistakes of the past. We’re about debate and dialogue and sincerity – of course not every Trans person has to debate their existence all the time but we do have to let those conversations take place and trust that there are people who will come round if they are presented with the facts.

How do we get back to that healthy debate and dialogue?

We need to relearn what we learned years ago, that we are a party, we are a democracy and sometimes things don’t go our way. Like, take HS2 for example; I am against HS2, I have many friends who are for HS2. We disagree, we debate, then we re-focus – and if Green Party policy changes to be explicitly pro HS2, I won’t quit the party. I won’t claim that everyone who didn’t turn up to Conference actually agrees with me and it’s just a vocal minority dominating the conversation. I won’t keep presenting motions to undermine the decision, or dog-whistle my dislike of HS2. I will just accept that the party has a stance and see the bigger picture.

I think we have forgotten that it’s okay to just disagree with party policy on some things. To just be in a party and not have it be a perfect fit is fine and to be expected.

To sum up; what does Trans Day of Remembrance mean to you? What would you like us to hold
the day as when we’re observing it?

Trans Day Of Remembrance is about remembering people who have been killed, but also about recognising privilege and extending a hand of solidarity. We’re pro migrant as a party and it’s important to look at how harsh life can be around the world and remind ourselves why we welcome people from all around the world and build a country that can be a sanctuary.

And we have a responsibility to do that – be a community that lifts each other up. We should all rally around trans people around the world and ensure that where we do fail to protect them we remember them and use that as a driving force to change the world for the better.

Sometimes we have to look at our failures to remind us why we do the work we do.

……

This interview was held to mark Trans Day of Remembrance 2021.

The post Trans Day of Remembrance Interview Series #2: Ash appeared first on Young Greens.

Our LGBTQIA Liberation Officer, Lollie, speaks to Young Greens about issues facing trans youth in the Green Party and beyond. Opinions expressed are those of the interviewees.

I spoke to Kacey, a young Green student studying for their A-levels.

…….

Hi, welcome and thanks for taking part in this with me. Maybe if we start just by hearing a bit about what you do with your local party and how long you’ve been a part of the Greens.

Thanks, yeah as someone who’s mostly just been involved throughout quarantine, I actually haven’t gotten that involved with my local party. But I have been working pretty much exclusively with LGBTQIA+ Greens for maybe a year. I’ve been supporting the greens for quite a long time and for a while I wasn’t sure about getting into politics, until things got to a point where I felt I had to get involved because, well, this is my future and I can’t just sit there and observe.

What does Trans Day of Remembrance mean to you? What do you feel should we hold the day as if we’re observing it?

There’s definitely an argument for it being a solemn day, to think on the people who have lost their lives to transphobia and the fight against it. Let’s talk about people’s stories and not let them be forgotten.

A big part of my EPQ was about a trans youth who killed herself, but in all of the coverage I could find to cite it she was misgendered. It was very hard to find a source that remembered her as who she really was and that’s a big deal. We should remember these peoples lives and keep them in our memory.

It shouldn’t just be a solemn day though, of course we should look back on these people who need to be remembered but I think we can also celebrate how far we’ve come, celebrate what they did. They died believing in something that as become real. We are in a better position than we have been in the past. It may not be a perfect position, but I think we can still look back on what we’ve done.

So what would you say is most important to you in terms of your rights right now?

As sad as it is, I would rather it wasn’t a part of my identity that I have to constantly clarify.

So, when I enter spaces at the moment, I often feel like I have to explain myself. I have to say I am a trans person. Because of my identity I feel like I am singled out. I have to constantly be afraid of how I’m presenting, like ‘I have to bind’ ‘I have to present a certain way’ because otherwise I’m not a ‘real trans person’ and that’s actually been said to me before, that I’m not really trans because I’m not on hormones etc. and I have to justify myself as a person consistently and I am questioned so much.

It’s important to me that trans people don’t have to constantly justify themselves to others. Not have to always be thinking about the potential reactions of other people.

Would it be fair to say you’d like to have a sense of identity that’s not beholden to the preconceptions of others?

Yeah, I’d like to be able to say to people that I am a trans person as like a fun ice breaker as something that I can just say and not have to expect further challenges all the time. Because I so often have to be on guard and think ‘is this something I can tell people’, like when I was filling out my UCAS form I really had to spend a long time thinking about it, and that’s not something anyone should have to do with a piece of their identity. It’s them as a person, it’s not something they can change.

That really resonates with me – that having to parse out pieces of yourself. As a lesbian I’ve often found myself having to think ‘is this part of me acceptable in this context’ and questioning what reactions am I inviting if I’m honest about who I am?

With that in mind do you have any feelings towards the rest of the queer community and how we’re treating trans people right now?

I think that a lot of the non-straight people who hold transphobic beliefs are very vocal but I don’t actually think it’s a big majority. I think that these people try to speak for the community when they don’t have the right to. Like the LGB Alliance – they speak for groups they don’t necessarily stand for. I don’t think they speak for the community. When they say things like ‘trans people are dangerous to lesbians’ it’s very much a thing that they’re saying this on behalf of a community they don’t even really understand.

I don’t think it’s a big conflict. The LGB without the T stuff is kind of very separate from what I see of the people who are actually standing up for Gay Rights and really standing in solidarity and doing good work.

Do you think it’s fair to describe the general attitude towards trans issues as a culture war? Is that a useful idea in your opinion?

I don’t necessarily think so. It’s not a culture war when one side is people’s livelihoods and identities and the other side is people who disagree with that lifestyle.

Referring to it as a culture war is reductionist. Trans people feel threatened by anti-trans rhetoric, it’s very much about people’s lives and comfort and who they are as individuals being not necessarily attacked but questioned.

I feel safe within LGBTIQA+ Greens and with the majority of the wider party but there are occasions where I try to do things and – it’s not that I don’t feel safe, I just don’t feel comfortable I suppose.

I think our country especially focuses a lot on if something is just an opinion then it’s not actionable. So, people voicing hurtful but not necessarily targeting views are not seen as really a problem.

There are a lot of dog-whistles, words that connote more than they actually say – people don’t see these as a problem, they’re just ‘opinions’ so they’re seen as just as valid as the opposing view. And that’s everywhere, it’s in the news, in a lot of the UK. Not something that the party can easily crack down on.

So why do you think we’ve got here? Why do you think this anti trans rhetoric has gotten so loud? What’s led us to this point?

I think it’s similar to how homophobia got so loud. A lot of it comes down to using progressive movements as a shield. Historically a lot of homophobia came from the basis of protecting people. Protecting children. It’s an awful way to frame it, but they always took a moral stance that they never rightfully had but they hid behind it.

I feel like that is happening again here, a lot of anti-trans groups will say that what they are doing is feminism, they use feminism as a shield. People feel more inclined to tolerate it when it’s framed this way. I think it’s only gotten this far because these people act like they’re fighting trans rights for the benefit of another group that’s under attack.

Mm. Yeah, that’s difficult because who doesn’t want to protect children? Who doesn’t want to defend women? It’s really difficult to argue with someone who’s saying these things and not be seen as a bad person.

Yeah. It feels like I have to clarify where I’m coming from all the time. Like I have to clarify as a trans person that I’m not a threat. Because they misread things and see me as a predator. And the fact that this movement has gotten to this point is not something that should be happening at all. I am a trans teenager trying to get through my A-levels, I am not a threat to women!

It’s honestly crazy to me. It’s why I’ve had to get so involved with politics.

Do you have hope that this will end and how do you see that happening?

It’s definitely possible. This has spiked, because there are so many very loud, very well known opponents [to trans rights] but I don’t think these people actually have the power to effect change even with their big platforms. I don’t think they’ll make lasting change, and I don’t think they believe that they will either.

There will need to be a lot of work [to promote trans rights] not just by trans people, or queer people, it takes a lot of support from allies.
…….

This interview was held to mark Trans Day of Remembrance 2021.

The post Trans Day of Remembrance Interview Series #1: Kacey appeared first on Young Greens.

As cuts to Universal Credit threaten to force 800,000 British people into poverty, no amount of cabinet shuffling will distract us from the real-world impact of Tory incompetence. 

Students and young people want politicians with the experience and understanding to prioritise wellbeing, create a fairer education system and provide stability in an uncertain future. This new batch of Boris Johnson’s unqualified accomplices will fail to provide this. 

Nadhim Zahawi’s promotion from Vaccines Minister to Secretary of State for Education is seemingly a reward for a successful vaccination programme, whilst the NHS staff who deserve this credit are pushed far beyond expectations by violent underfunding. Zahawi will balance the job alongside his property empire, with his background as chief strategy officer for an oil company.

The Young Greens resolutely reject interference in our education system by those with personal interests in the successes and profits of the fossil fuel industry.  The Green Recovery we so desperately need will never be led by those who line their pockets with the dividends of environmental destruction. Education policy must be made by professionals with young people’s interests at the forefront, not by a privately-educated millionaire who once claimed taxpayer money to heat his riding stables. 

With around 60% of the new cabinet being privately educated– in comparison to 7% of the UK population- Tory elites continue to serve the interests of their wealthy friends above the needs of the public at this volatile time of recovery. Three-quarters of ministers being white and only one-quarter female indicates more of the same stale leadership that has defined the politics of the past decade.

The Young Greens will continue to resist Tory rule and fight for young people’s futures, and we will win. As the Tories head to their party conference in two weeks, we will be paying them a visit– and we want you to join us.

The post Boris Johnson’s New Cabinet Places Fossil Fuel Interests Above The Needs of Young People appeared first on Young Greens.

As young Londoners, we have been particularly hit hard by the coronavirus. Our education, job prospects and mental health have all been impacted – especially for those of us with less access to financial protection, digital resources and green spaces.

As London’s first Green Mayor, Sian Berry would work hard to give young people a fresh start. We know this because she’s already at the forefront of protecting young people in London, from securing over £70 million of new funding for youth services to obtaining funds to tackle youth homelessness as a London Assembly member.  Sian has consulted London Young Greens to make sure our voices were heard. 

We’re proud of these five policies that truly show our commitment to tackling the climate emergency and achieving social justice. Our 2021 manifesto paves the way for reducing inequality and builds resilience for a secure future.

These ideas are for and by young Londoners. We’ll be campaigning to see them delivered on 6th May.

1. Enhanced Power for Young People

As well as giving 16 year olds the vote, a Green Mayor would enhance the powers of the London Youth Assembly:

• Greater scrutiny and resources to investigate issues of concern to young people. 
• A guaranteed slot during the Mayor’s Question Time.
• Annual budget amendments.
• Fair access and true diversity members through remuneration for their time and 6 new seats for college and university students

“Under 18s especially are so tired of being ignored while our presents and futures are decided by officials we weren’t allowed to elect. Giving the Youth Assembly more power really will put young Londoners’ issues on the map.”

Kirsty McMillan, chair of the under-18 Greens.

2. Greater Green Job Opportunities Through a Creative Autonomy Allowance

Sian would take action to make a difference through radical pilots such as a new Creative Autonomy Allowance (CAA). The CAA would provide additional support for young people starting small businesses and seeking creative and arts careers. 

“Since my leadership role is voluntary, sometimes my time and energy are at capacity. The CAA could be fundamental in allowing me to build a mentorship scheme, jobs board for the community members’.

Neelam, ‘DON’T SLEEP ON US’, East London

3. Protection and Expansion of Youth Discounted Travel

As mayor, Sian would continue to defend free bus travel for under 18s and Zip Oyster card discounts and work with young people and students to extend these concessions further; aiming to increase the age limit to 21 for carers as a priority and for all young people as soon as possible. 

“Having lived in zone 6 and travelled into school in zone 3 growing up, Zip card discounts made the journey affordable. As a young adult, I had to move areas in London and switch to cycling to be able to work in London as the zone pricing is extortionate and travelling from zone 6 to zone 1 was the equivalent of 4 months rent”

Amy Luck, Young Green Committee Member

4. Expansion of Youth Services 

Sian has worked incredibly hard to expose austerity cuts to youth services, winning new funding through the Young Londoners Fund (YLF) and would expand the YLF further, and continue to lobby the Government to reverse council cuts to budgets. 

“A Green Mayor will never give up on pushing the Government to make youth services a statutory service and to fund councils to provide a comprehensive programme of youth centres and youth workers.”

Sian Berry, Co-leader, Green Party

5. Protections for University Students

As well as creating safe streets around schools, a Green Mayor would expand this to roads outside colleges and universities, closing them at busy times to allow for both safe travel and space for student community events.

Sian and fellow Green Party London Assembly member, Caroline Russell, already won requirements for a proportion of student accommodation to be affordable in the new London Plan, but believe that the Mayor’s definition of this at 55 per cent of the maximum maintenance loan is too high. A Green Mayor would work with student unions and student campaign organisations to bring this down.

As a campaigning mayor, Sian would support calls from Green students to support students affected by the coronavirus crisis, including rent rebates, refunds and grants and support for mental health. She’d also campaign for the national Green Party policy to write off student loan debts.

“To see Sian not only acknowledge, but proactively looking to relieve, the financial and emotional burdens that students have faced over the past year is a testament to Sian’s work with students across the city.”

Billy Wassell, Young Green Students Co-Convener 

Sign up to help the campaign here!

The post Sian Berry pledges 5 transformative policies for young Londoners appeared first on Young Greens.

The Young Greens believe that: 

• Universities should not be financing the corporations driving our planet towards climate disaster.
• As the divestment movement continues to grow, every new institution to pull their finances from the industry, helps us move one step closer to removing its destructive grip from our economy.

If you would like to sign their petition please do so here or here.

If you would like to follow their campaign, or get in touch with how you could launch something similar at your institution, please follow them!

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