04/01/2021
Britain’s Socialist Workers Party (which has no direct relation to the party of the same name in the States) is criticized by some for its tendency to build a party on the back of other movements, and sometimes relations between the SWP and gay groups such as OutRage! and Stonewall has been fractious. Nevertheless, compared with some of the more white macho left, the party can point to a long standing embracing of gay and trans right causes with gusto. Unlike the communist run Morning Star newspaper, it has not published articles by anti-transgender groups or hardline feminist organisations, a fact that has caused ripples across the political left and caused many trade unions to criticize the Star for capitulation to anti-trans right wingers. Writing in this week’s edition of the Socialist Worker, correspondent Kate says “All socialists should recognise an attack on trans rights is an attack on bodily autonomy for all”. She explains that the recent court case that saw a stop out on puberty blockers for young transgender people was bankrolled not by genuine feminists, but by known and well financed anti-abortionist campaigners. Kate’s article shows that those small groups of anti-trans campaigners have betrayed women nationally by leaping into bed with groups that seek to make female reproductive health choices difficult. In particular, the Gillick competency, a legal precedent allowing for young people to make decisions over their own bodies, has now been severely limited and undermined. Anti-abortionists hope to use this ruling to attack the right of women and girls to access abortion. Kate’s analysis was confirmed by Abortion Rights UK, a women led group that seeks to defend access to reproductive rights for women. They say “We note that Gillick competency came into law in 1985 as a result of a test case on giving under 16 year olds contraception. Pro choice activists are alert to the potential of any undermining of young people’s ability to access abortion care. We also note, with some concern that the anti-trans group legal team have a history of trying to weaken Gillick competence, working with the Pro Life Alliance, (a religious fundamentalist group). We will keep a close eye on future developments related to this case”.
