A group advocating for sex-based rights was unable to have a stand at the Green Party conference due to a row over gender ideology.
The Green Women’s Declaration (GWD) claimed they were discriminated against by party leadership when, two days before the event, their stall was cancelled and they were unable to recruit new members.
The co-leaders of the Scottish Greens, Gillian Mackay and Ross Greer, recently announced that voters who believe in biological reality are not welcome in the party and ‘LGBT equality’ was described as one of its core principles.
Women’s rights
A Green party spokesman explained: “The Green Party will always offer a safe and welcoming space. The party decided that GWD’s presence at the conference would risk undermining that commitment and deter members from attending.”
The GWD announced it was seeking legal advice, claiming that the stall ban “undermines the rights of women to advocate for single-sex spaces, services, and sports — rights that are protected under UK law”.
The group referred to similar cases in the Labour and Liberal Democrat Parties where gender critical groups were vindicated due to the “right to lawful advocacy” and said: “The Green Party’s failure to learn from these precedents is astonishing.”
Fairness and equality
Fiona McAnena, Director of Campaigns at Sex Matters, stated: “It is extraordinary that the Green Party, which claims to stand for fairness and equality, is refusing women a platform simply because they uphold the reality of biological sex.”
She added: “Gender-critical beliefs are protected in law, as the Greens know from their own previous brushes with the law.
“Denying a platform to the Green Women’s Declaration looks undemocratic and discriminatory, as well as being anti-women. These people urgently need to get their house in order.”
Lisa Nandy under fire for wearing controversial ‘protect the dolls’ slogan
Landmark ruling: Supreme Court upholds ordinary definition of ‘woman’