Thistle Thrown Out of ‘Queer’ Green Party National Convention Workshop

On July 10th, Thistle, along with others who are part of the Dialogue not Expulsion caucus that formed shortly after the Georgia Green Party signed on to the Declaration on Women’s Sex Based Rights, attended AJ Reed’s (GP Delegate from Illinois) workshop called We’re Here and We’re Queer at the Green Party’s National Convention.
 
After AJ talked for about 40 minutes about all of the different identities under the LGBTQ+ umbrella these days, Ms. Pettersen raised her hand to ask a question about the tension between the “L” and the “T” that has emerged in recent years due to trans activism.
As soon as Thistle said the words “males who identify as transgender and also sometimes identify as lesbians”, she was interrupted by two men stating “trans women are women”, her mic muted and within minutes, she was removed from the workshop.

We at Defend Feminists believe that women should be able to refer to individuals by their biological sex no matter how said individuals may choose to ‘identify’, and that they should not be silenced and called “bigots” for stating facts. Referring to men as male does not constitute ‘hatred’ and is often a weak disguise for blatant misogyny.

As NZ feminist Renee Gerlich makes clear: “When women are bullied and no-platformed for saying that women are female, and that it matters, what is taking place is not an attack on “free speech,” it’s an attack on women. When women are silenced and trashed for making actually very plain statements, it does not reflect a growing “intolerance” for “diverse opinions” (believing that biological sex is real is hardly a new and quirky idea) it reflects rising misogyny. Speech is not under attack, women are under attack. Speech is not being harassed and threatened, women are being harassed and threatened. Speech is not an oppressed entity, women are an oppressed sex, and we’re oppressed frankly by men who have far, far more bollocks to spout about us these days than I care to spend a moment of my life defending in the name of their fake liberal values.”

You can read all about the incident at the Green Party workshop and also see a video clip of Thistle being thrown out by clicking on this link to the Dialogue Not Expulsion Caucus website. We hope that you read the accounts of two witnesses to the incident and that you will consider signing the DnE statement and also joining the caucus. All members and supporters of the Green Party are welcome to do both!

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