Take note of 28th January 2025, the last date before a UK general election must be held.
According to current Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester, beyond the big announcements of HS2, banning smoking for youth, and replacing A & T-level exams. In his speech to members he supported the health ministers comments surrounding redirecting the NHS on it's "woke" policies on gender.
Sadly that means that we have 16 months of ongoing commentary related to gender critical views by those who have no desire to depart from being wilfully ignorant. Based on experience we know that the commentary will be exclusionary, hurtful, degrading, and designed to divide and distract from the inability of the current government to address the real problems facing citizens of the UK.
This post was the result of a conversation I had last night with the amazing members of The Girls Club, an amazing inclusive organisation of women in senior roles and business owners. I feel blessed to belong to inclusive groups like this.
The general perception by the members in attendance was that things in the UK are good or getting better. They weren't aware of the decline from 1st to 17th position on this years ILGA Europe country ranking for LGBTQ+ people.
The rhetoric goes beyond gender critical views, the entire LGBTQ+ community is part of this ongoing rhetoric.
Nor the impact on the communities mental health. Let alone that the Home Secretary has said internationally that being a woman, or LGBTQ+ is not sufficient to claim asylum. Discounting the stories of oppression that asylum seekers have claimed. Interestingly the LGBT+ community was singled out numerous times in that announcement, especially in the news highlight reels, which says more about the UK press. The same press who have printed more than 400 articles against trans persons in the first few months of this year.
So in general terms no it's not getting better nor will it anytime soon unfortunately.
This is exacerbated by the fact that 12 months from now there is a USA federal election. That means that there will be twice the rhetoric on all media that we currently face from both sides of the Atlantic. Make no mistake, this is a battle for human rights for up to 20% of the population depending upon where you are located.
This doesnt even factor in the attacks on women's rights or Black and ethnicity minority communities who are also experiencing similiar attacks from the same people.
So prepare your armour allies and warm up your voices, this is a call to action to raise your voice, let it be heard that human rights are for everyone and the rhetoric of a loud minority who only wish to live in days gone by, is not the society you want to be a part of. This also applies to those in political opposition who sit on the fence and dip their toes in without taking a stance only to hope they get votes from the fallout of the loud minority.
As we face an intense 20 months of exclusionary rhetoric, let's unite in raising our voices for human rights. This battle isn't just for the LGBTQ+ community but for the rights of all citizens. Regardless of political affiliations, let's stand together against division, distraction, and the failure of addressing real societal problems by some in power. Join me in this call to action—let's be the change we want to see.
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With over 25 years of experience in corporate and board leadership, including the past seven years focused on supporting the LGBTQ+ community and women's rights, I am available to speak, mentor, or consult for your next event. Please contact me at cynthiafortlage@cynthiafortlage.com with any inquiries.