I joined GPEW after hearing Adrian Ramsay speak approx 17 years ago. Attracted by the policies, the understanding of climate chaos etc and the respect the party seemed to have for women.
I was a regular at local meetings, carried the banner at demos, delivered leaflets and knocked on doors. Myself and husband were also keen to liaise with other groups so we would attend all sorts of meetings and often have to listen to the insults thrown at GPEW for being Tories on bikes and strike breakers etc.
I was vaguely aware of gender ideology, supported it initially. Like so many, I thought it was about supporting very oppressed minorities.
One morning my twitter feed was full of upset Greens saying GPEW had been talking to bigots. Turned out Caroline Lucas had met with Womens Place UK. I was horrified – why had she done such a dreadful thing? I decided I needed to watch their videos and work out why Caroline had agreed to speak with such people. I nervously made a start, wine glass in hand to dull the pain. The first was a speech by Kathleen Stock. Took me back to my active feminist days. I worked through every video they’d posted looking for hate but…. I only found common sense and worrying information regarding attacks on women’s rights and safety. I realised I’d been duped.
The conference at Bristol was an eye opener – the police were called on a small group of Labour Party women giving out leaflets highlighting the issues I’d just learned about. Women were whispering in small groups and there was an air of disquiet.
It all went downhill from there.
Thankfully I found support in Green Party Women, and realised fighting to protect the rights and protections of women/children was going to be vital.
“I was expelled along with many others for supporting the 2024 General Election campaign of Alison Teal who I believe was the rightfully selected GPEW candidate for Sheffield Central. She resigned from GPEW after a No Fault Suspension imposed on her was unresolved after 18 months, meaning she was unable to stand as PPC, the post she’d been voted into by a large majority.”
Some parts of GPEW have divorced themselves from truth, reality and science. Keeping quiet was not an option for so many of us. So here we are.
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