JK Rowling agrees to meet with Labour over trans issues - but lays out conditions
JK Rowling has agreed to meet with the Labour Party - but has laid out a number of conditions
PA
JK Rowling has agreed to meet with the Labour Party - but has laid out a number of conditions.
The Harry Potter author said she would only meet with the party's leadership if Angela Rayner revokes her endorsement of a charter that described two organisations, Woman’s Place and the LGB Alliance, as "hate groups".
She said: “I’ll be happy to meet after Keep Prisons Single Sex, Lesbian Labour, Women’s Rights Network, Woman’s Place and the LGB Alliance have been given in-person meetings with the Labour leadership.
“I’d also like to know whether Angela Rayner still considers the last two organisations hate groups – asking on behalf of female survivors of domestic violence and gay people who don’t subscribe to gender identity ideology.”
JK Rowling has agreed to meet with the Labour Party - but has laid out a number of conditions
PA
Over the weekend, the author accused the party of "abandoning" women concerned about transgender rights.
Writing in the Times, Rowling said she would find it hard to vote for Sir Keir Starmer, saying she has a "poor opinion" of his character.
She also accused the Labour leadership of a “dismissive and often offensive” approach to women's concerns.
In respondse, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves offered her a meeting to provide “assurances” over the protection of women-only spaces.
Meanwhile, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he feels "Pretty depressed, to be honest".
He added: "I have a lot of respect for JK Rowling both in terms of what she’s done for children and literacy but also the work that she’s done campaigning for women and in particular violence against women and girls.
The Harry Potter author said she would only meet with the party's leadership if Angela Rayner revokes her endorsement of a charter that described two organisations, Woman’s Place and the LGB Alliance, as "hate groups"
PA
"I think that we’ve clearly got more work to do to rebuild trust with people that we’ve lost on this issue."
The shadow health secretary added: "I think we can find a way through that both treats trans people with the dignity and respect that they deserve, and also treats women with the respect that they deserve, particularly protecting women’s spaces, women’s voices, and right to speak up.
"So, when women like JK Rowling do speak up, I think it’s important we engage seriously with the arguments that she’s making, with the concerns that she has.
"And also we listen to what trans people are saying about the everyday injustices and indignities that they’re experiencing too, whether that’s hate crime or poor provision in public services."
He also said "biological women have felt excluded” at times in debates on transgender rights.
He told Times Radio: "I think at times in pursuit of inclusion we’ve ended up in a position where women have felt excluded, biological women have felt excluded.
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"And there are practical examples of this in terms of things like NHS language and documentation."
Asked about Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s position on the issue, Streeting said: "I think what Keir has been trying to do on this – I think we all have – is to try and respect the fact that there are people whose gender identity is different from their biological sex and to try and be as inclusive as possible."
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