The controversy highlights internal divisions within the Green Party on trans rights. Members express concerns over the party’s stance on gender-critical beliefs.
The Green Party has severed official ties with one of its largest members’ groups, Green Party Women (GPW), amid a dispute surrounding the party’s stance on sex and gender. Senior members of GPW claim that the disaffiliation was a result of their promotion of “gender-critical views.” However, a Green Party spokesperson contends that GPW was suspended for procedural reasons.
The rift underscores the divisions within the Green Party regarding its approach to trans rights. The party officially supports transgender individuals and advocates for making it easier to change legal sex through self-determination. Still, it has long faced tensions with members holding gender-critical beliefs, asserting that a person’s sex is immutable.
Documents obtained by the BBC reveal that GPW was disaffiliated for failing to conduct its planned Autumn 2021 committee election until January 2022, which breached party by-laws and invalidated the group’s leadership. GPW disputes this, alleging that the election’s timing was not the issue but rather a technical reason was used as a “politically motivated” attack.
Zoe Hatch, the GPW’s recently elected co-chair, described the decision as a “convenient way for the ruling bodies to shut down the women’s group.” Emma Bateman, a former co-chair of GPW, suggested that the disaffiliation aimed to “demonstrate that women stepping out of line will be punished.” The situation has led to concerns that the Green Party is gaining a reputation for misogyny despite claiming to support women’s rights.
Being unaffiliated means GPW can no longer access party resources or bring motions at the Green Party’s annual conferences. It has also lost its place on the Green Party’s leading Political Committee and the Equality and Diversity Committee.
The controversy emerged following a complaint against GPW’s leadership for alleged bullying. Chesca Walton, a former co-chair, had called for the disaffiliation, citing GPW as no longer being “a safe and welcoming space for all Green Party members, especially those who are trans or non-binary.”
While the Green Party has stated its support for trans rights and the validity of non-binary identities, tensions persist among members regarding policies on transgender individuals accessing women-only spaces. This dispute reflects a broader debate on trans rights and sex-based rights within the party, emphasizing the complex landscape of LGBTQ+ politics.
The Green Party has left the door open for GPW to rejoin, but the group must “meet the constitutional requirements.” The timeline for this reconciliation remains uncertain.