While the Italian left, including women, silently suffers Cirinnismo and Boldrinismo and its transcult (the news of an appeal by the European Commission has just International House of Women in Rome in support of Monica Cirinnà as mayor, see here), militants of the Spanish left, Podemos and Izquierda Unida, revolt en masse against the Ley Trans (see here) proposed by their own party's Igualdad minister, Irene Montero, the local Cirinnà (the Psoe has always opposed the law), denouncing the "imposition" of ideas "diametrically opposed to women's interests". without any internal debate and in solidarity with the feminist front that is gathered in Contra Borrado. We recall that The Ley Trans intends to introduce gender self-certification (self-id) in Spain. and that in the same spirit in Italy the Zan law against homobi-transphobiawhich has already been approved in the Chamber of Deputies with the unanimous support of the centre-left (including women). keeps gender identity at the centre, ignoring arguments to the contrary put forward by feminism (you can read them here): All the world is a country. Let the militants of the Spanish left set an example for the Italian ones.
Activists from Podemos and Izquierda Unida signed two documents critical of the Ley Trans proposed by the Ministry of Equality (headed by Irene Montero, Podemos, ndr) in which they denounce the fact that the project has not been subjected to internal debate and requires concepts and ideas 'diametrically opposed to women's interests'.
The Podemos document, signed by some 1,700 exponents, militants and members of the purple formation, declares 'concern' about the Ley Trans, the text of which 'has not been discussed in any body of the party, nor with the base'. As they denounce, at government level Podemos 'has imposed a unique and unenforceable position', which is why a 'public and internal' debate is 'demanded', and to consider 'the positions of practitioners from different disciplines' dealing with the issue.
"To say that 'rights are not up for discussion' is a form of authoritarianism that is unacceptable in any democratic organisation that we cannot share or allow," says the text entitled "In Podemos there are also feminists".
THE TRANS LEY 'DESTROYS HISTORICAL FEMINIST CLAIMS'.
Among the first signatories were the head of Feminism of Podemos in Ponferrada, María Páramo; the head of Feminism of Podemos in Avila, Lucía Spínola, city councillors such as Colmenarejo (Madrid), Alberic (Valencia) or Pasaia (Guipúzcoa) or the exponent of the State Feminism Circle and party militant Mar Benavent. Benavent complained that apart from no debate, the draft of the Ley Trans had seen the light "without the necessary legal guarantees", so as not to have to deal with the rights of other categories.
This law 'destroys historical feminist claims', said Benavent in an interview with Onda Cero, and added that the moment one raises 'any objection or doubt' about it, one is branded as 'transphobic'.When you are accused of transphobia, the dialogue is over," he complained.
The document explains that "many feminists' have joined Podemos 'with the firm hope of seeing our historical demands represented'. as well as the protection of our rights. Which is well known "oppression" is "based on the sex with which we come into the world, observable and verifiable biological reality that we cannot ignore or distort if our intention is really to achieve women's liberation'.
"We know that gender is a social construction that functions as the tool that allows, supports and perpetuates this oppression, and that only its abolition will allow us to break with the patriarchal structure that keeps us subordinate and vulnerable" continues the Podemos women's document. So theories that 'go so far as to contradict what has been affirmed in more than three centuries of feminist struggle not only have nothing to do with the positions and objectives of our agenda, but slow down and weaken our progress'.
"We are clear that the irruption of queer theories into our spaces constitutes a clear manoeuvre of entrism that aims to disarticulate our struggle, depoliticising and weakening our collective strength by making the magical thinking and the purest individualism as weapons to manipulate reality at will,' the statement continues, saying that one cannot afford 'to question that it is we, the women, who constitute the political subject of Feminism'.
The petitioners call for the feminist movement not to become "a bag in which to keep things that have nothing to do with its raison d'être and that clash head-on with its objectives" and to be "firm and decisive" in the face of situations such as those denounced.
TRANS LEY IS 'INADMISSIBLE' ON CHILDHOOD
Regarding childhood, the petitioners consider it "unacceptable" that attempts are being made to "disguise as protection the very real mistreatment" that is based on the "postulates supported by queer irrationality" defended by the Minister for Equality.
"Directing minors towards hormonal and surgical proceduresPreventing the free development of their personality, perpetuating sexist stereotypes is something we cannot tolerate,' the manifesto states in relation to children.
Therefore, the signatories of the document demand that the ministry led by Irene Montero 'take into consideration' the position 'expressed both by the many feminist thinkers and by numerous organisations' as they regret, their requests for a meeting were 'ignored', which they consider 'disrespectful and irresponsible'.
NO ALSO FROM IZQUIERDA UNIDA
The militants of Izquierda Unida also published a manifesto in very similar terms. Under the title "Retake Feminism'. party activists opposed to the 'ideological turn that institutional policies are taking on feminist issues". "As a coalition we suffered first the disappearance of the Women's Area, then the expulsion of the Feminist Party and, more recently, the proposed 'gender self-identification' law known as Ley Trans," the text explains.
With regard to the Ley Trans, it complains that the project has been presented publicly in a "very superficial way", "without a thorough debate", without taking into account all the social actors or going into the legal issues in depth.
"The bill wielded by the Igualdad minister, which we consider a symbol of the entry of these neoliberal policies into the political sphere of the left, not only does not improve the defence of the rights of transgender people, but on the contrary favours the "erasure" of these people, of LGB people and of women in general". warn the petitioners.
It is also stated that the historical abolitionist agenda of the feminist movement, covering prostitution, pornography, surrogacy and gender, has shifted to defending 'certain postulates of neoliberal normative ideology and gender' which 'have nothing to do' with those of Izquierda Unida and the coalitions to which it belongs.
The manifesto calls for 'deep and honest' reflection and the involvement of 'all parties' in the debate. The signatories close their statement by opposing "these new policies that take over the feminist struggle and disarticulate it".
PODEMOS: 'TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS'.
When asked about these documents, Podemos said it had voted 'on numerous occasions' internally in support of human rights, which include the rights of trans people.This is how the co-spokesperson of the Purple Formation, Isa Serra, describes the text signed by the members of her own party. Although, she says, she "respects the opinion of these women" in the "internal congresses" and in the electoral programme they voted in this way. "I believe that on numerous occasions the party as a whole has voted in favour of human rights," he said. "Our election manifesto is clear on that, and the rights of trans people are human rights."
(the original article heretranslation by Cecilia Salas)
