Our attention has been drawn to a declaration by the self-styled Women's Human Rights Campaign (WHRC). You would expect that we would support the aims of such an organisation and, in some ways we do. Women's rights are human rights - just as trans rights are human rights. However, this declaration is not so much in support of women's rights as campaigning against the rights of trans people to exist. I have attached a copy of this 'declaration' and you will see that they call for the repeal of the Gender Recognition Act and make outrageous and inaccurate claims about trans people. Click here to download it: DECLARATION On Women'Sex-Based Rights-_FINAL_VERSION_AMENDED. It is a lengthy document, but please read it to understand what we are up against.
A number of claims are made which they incorrectly state are supported by recognised human rights organisation. The WHRC Declaration argues for the removal of rights currently enjoyed by trans people and would effectively eliminate all existing protections and definitions of trans people in UK law. It also makes wide-ranging claims to be derived from the UN Declaration on Human Rights and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). However, by introducing the notion that there are specific human rights that belong exclusively to a class of people based on a set of physical characteristics correlating to an assignation of sex, which is/has always been immutable, it is wholly incompatible with a current reading of CEDAW.
. You can read Mallory Moore's analysis of this document here: https://chican3ry.medium.com/the-whrc-declaration-explained-part-1-5ded6522aa33
It makes depressing reading, doesn’t it?
I saw an appeal from Christian Aid on Facebook a couple of days ago, asking for support for women and girls in Afghanistan. The first few posted responses were sensible and supportive. Then came a couple of comments that stated: “At least the Taliban recognise what a woman is.” and “Western governments could learn a lot from them”. These were both coded transphobic messages. When I responded stating my disgust, I was referred to extracts from the bible.
It most certainly is depressing reading and totally without any support, scientific, biological, ethical or moral. As is common with all these groups they pander to the fears of the public by making their claims without justification and unfortunately with far too much support from media and politicians. Although we currently have majority support from the population in the UK this constant drip feed of anti-trans messaging seep into the collective consciousness of the general public.
As to what the Taliban recognise a woman as being – a third class person with no rights, totally at the behest of their husbands/fathers, just there to bear children and to keep the men happy – I wonder whether that is really what those commentators believe.
I guess it illustrated the depth of their hostility towards trans people. They somehow saw the Taliban as a preferable alternative. It beggars belief!