Sex-Based Rights vs Cancel Culture

by Shahrar Ali

Sex-Based Rights vs Cancel Culture

by Shahrar Ali
Shahrar Ali
Case Owner
Former Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Leadership candidate 2021, and national Spokesperson for Policing and Domestic Safety.
Funded
on 04th February 2022
£37,843
pledged of £40,000 stretch target from 1247 pledges
Shahrar Ali
Case Owner
Former Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Leadership candidate 2021, and national Spokesperson for Policing and Domestic Safety.

Latest: Aug. 1, 2022

Crowdfunder moved: Worthy of Respect in a Political Party

Changes to legal team

These cases need eye-watering sums of money to progress and reach trial. Through this crowdfunder, £37, 843 has been raised from 1,247 pledges, many of you giving more than…

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Sex-Based Reality Check

I am challenging an unlawful discriminatory and oppressive campaign that would have me removed as the Green Party of England and Wales Spokesperson for Policing and Domestic Safety. I have done nothing wrong. I have stood by the principles and values of the Party for twenty years; nine years as a national Spokesperson, two of which as Deputy Leader. 

Since 2018, I have been subjected to unrelenting abuse, harassment and detriment because I dared to express my gender critical views and seek rational consensus about matters of sex and gender identity. In 2021, I stood as Party Leader on a platform which centred women’s sex-based rights. I said space for respectful debate was needed – and that the intimidation of women, or silencing of their voices, must be tackled.

There are many areas of legitimate concern: around the provision of single-sex spaces in prison or rape crisis centres; safety or fairness in sports with trans competitors; or the dispensing of puberty blockers to children, without sufficient diligence.

Reciting the slogan, "Trans Women are Women", does not tell us much, if anything, about how to navigate these thorny issues; especially, when there can be competing claims for access to or provision of services for those with different protected characteristics. I have exercised my right, as a member, to propose policy to the Party's national conference – on issues from the need for better safeguards in prescribing puberty blockers; to the problems of continued affiliation with Stonewall. 

I have survived several earlier attempts to aggressively discipline me through the Party’s complaints processes. I fear that may not be the case on 5th February as this matter goes before the Executive.

The Party is failing in its duty of care towards me, and others, preferring to facilitate and endorse the present hostile environment and conducting itself contrary to the provisions of the Equality Act 2010.

My 2021 Leadership campaign struck a chord with women, many joining or returning to the Party in order to vote for me. Over 50% of electors gave me a positive preference – and 21% their first preference – not because they believed they were voting for a "transphobe", as has been alleged. Nor are those members transphobic who recently voted in a majority gender critical committee to Green Party Women.

I am not “anti-trans” as seems to be the unfortunate suggestion of some. I am a passionate advocate of equality and diversity through and through.


Why now?

On Saturday, 5 Feb 2022, the Green Party Executive Committee will have before them a recommendation from a newly formed Spokespeople Support and Monitoring Sub-committee that my Spokesperson appointment be suspended. They claim I have broken the Spokespeople code of conduct through my, “decision to champion a highly controversial position in the trans rights debate not compatible with acting as a spokesperson for the party.” 

Despite my repeated requests for them to provide me with evidence, these allegations remain unevidenced. To this day, I have not been told what clause I am supposed to have broken; or when, or how. Since Oct 2021, I have been further deprived, inexplicably, of my usual means of seeking support and soliciting advice on external communications. Moreover, the Co-Coordinators for Equality and Diversity have expressed grave concerns over the conduct of the Sub-committee and have decided to withdraw from it: 

"It appears that, from its very inception, the Group [Sub-committee] was set up with the primary intention of censuring Shahrar Ali. [. . .] As Equality and Diversity coordinators, our integrity is key; therefore, we cannot continue to validate this process by remaining part of this Group." (29 Jan 2022) 

What are we trying to achieve? 

We need a compassionate politics, where it's possible to agree to disagree; and to allow others who want to debate or negotiate their rights to be left free to do so without unreasonable interference or fear of cancellation. There is nothing compassionate in politics about the passive aggressive injunction to, "Just be kind!”; or else. 

This case has ramifications for the advocacy of women’s sex-based rights across political parties and charitable organisations.

What is the next step in the case?

If the Executive Committee approve and accept the recommendation of the Spokespeople Support and Monitoring Sub-committee to suspend me as Spokesperson for Policing and Domestic Safety, which unfortunately looks likely, it will have continued to conduct itself in breach of the Equality Act 2010. I will need to take urgent steps to seek to vindicate my position through legal action. Gender critical beliefs are protected in law, as clarified by the Maya Forstater case.

How much we are raising and why?

£10k, initially, in order to meet the costs of legal advice, including issuing proceedings against the Green Party. Some of these costs have already been incurred.

Every person has their limit of how much abuse, harassment and victimisation they can take; as do I. Vexatious allegations were also directed to my place of work, such are the disproportionate depths to which some of these individuals will stoop. I need your support now. Please be as generous as you can afford.

I will take whatever steps are necessary to defend free speech and combat authoritarian abuse in the body politic. Please, after contributing, do share this page widely. Thank you for supporting me in defending free speech and standing up for women's sex-based rights!


Coda

Here are some examples of me speaking out against the new cancel culture: 

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Update 4

Shahrar Ali

Aug. 1, 2022

Crowdfunder moved: Worthy of Respect in a Political Party

Changes to legal team

These cases need eye-watering sums of money to progress and reach trial. Through this crowdfunder, £37, 843 has been raised from 1,247 pledges, many of you giving more than once. I cannot thank you enough for your donations, alongside incredible messages of support, publicly and privately. I have also put my life's savings into this case and my biggest headache is financial.

My legal representation has been superlative, to date, but for various reasons I have decided to make some changes. Please now continue to support this case on the following page:

Worthy of Respect in a Political Party

Six months on

This discrimination case is going the distance. I have been targeted with impunity even since my removal as a spokesperson and this only strengthens my resolve to see justice done for my earlier mistreatment. I want to be clear, this case it not so much about me personally but it is about:

  1. The right of women to be able to defend their access to same-sex spaces or provision of services when crucial to their dignity or safety.
  2. The right of children to be protected from prescription of puberty blockers without medical due diligence, leading to a potential pathway of life-altering drug dependency for life.
  3. The right of women to be able to self-organise, or congregate, without fear of intimidation, silencing or cancellation.

Morally and politically my determination is as strong as ever. Fighting injustice is not something I can just switch off. It's in my bloodstream. The recent legal victories of Maya Forstater and Allison Bailey are highly relevant to this case as they concern discriminatory treatment in professional settings.

My case, if successful, will lay down a legal marker that discrimination against political representatives for their gender critical protected belief is not tolerable. Given the importance of political debate to informing public policy and driving good legislation we must confront and overcome the authoritarian attempt to silence and intimidate.

Thank you, with every fibre of my being, for your continued support for this claim to defend the right of every politician to be free from discrimination for expressing their protected belief in the reality of biological sex.

Speaking live on Free Speech nation about my case, 10 July 2022:


Update 3

Shahrar Ali

June 11, 2022

This Case will be Going the Distance!

On 5 Feb 2022, I was publicly removed as Green Party national spokesperson for Policing and Domestic Safety after vocally standing up for justice for all, including, for daring to defend the sex-based rights of women, sounding the alarm about safeguarding of children, and for defending the right of women to be able to self-organise without fear of intimidation, harassment or cancellation.

This landmark case would defend the right of spokespersons and representatives in all political parties to be able to express their gender critical protected beliefs without being subjected to intimdation, discrimination or cancellation, such as I and others have had to suffer and endure.

We must not have to tolerate such abuse and attacks when calling out, say, the zealous erasure of women's sex-based rights in talk or when calling for the absolute necessity of medical due diligence before putting children on a pathway of gender-affirming, life-altering healthcare, for life. Rarely have children been so at risk of exposure to online harms and danger. They need us to step up and protect them always from the risk of making poor decisions.

Meeting with Sharron Davies and Daley Thompson to discuss the impact of transgender athletes on women's sporting competition.

Surely we have had our fill of spineless politicians, especially of the left, adopting rabbit-in-headlights mode? Whether in their refusal to answer straight questions on the material difference between sex and gender identity or the vital importance of respecting that difference in life and law - in policing, prisons, schools, healthcare or sport, to name just a few areas.

The Green Party will be defending the claim. Therefore, this case will be going the distance, as I have always been prepared for. My legal team are busy at work drafting and preparing the next round of legal matters. I have accordingly raised the stretch target and please accept my assurance that every pound you generously pledge will be spent wisely and in single-minded pursuit of victory in this case.

My case is a compelling one, which the added forensic scrutiny of a trial of the sort we have seen in Maya Forstater and Allison Bailey, will only help amplify the full horror of the discriminatory treatment I have had to endure.

No mass movement worthy of the name has ever succeeded without women at its forefront - and yet just last month a gender critical member was verbally abused at an internal meeting by another member. She was told to "Shut up, you stupid cow!", in front of everybody from behind a veil of webinar anonymity (but has since identified themselves to our authorities). We must overcome this vicious environment to be an all-inclusive party, all the better to be able to face the collective existential challenge of the climate emergency.

Your response, to date, has been phenomenal and I absolutely would not be able to progress this case without you. Please continue to support my legal case by donating to our legal fund and by circulating this appeal, for the sake of the best of us in politics, now and in the future.

Thank you, with every fibre of my being, for your continued support!

Shahrar xx

Update 2

Shahrar Ali

March 19, 2022

Claim Lodged: Ali vs GPEW

Thank you, with every fibre of my being, for your continued support! I would not have been able to progress this case, alongside my legal team, without your generous donation!

Yesterday, 18 March 2022, was a key milestone in my case. I lodged my claim against the Green Party for unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation for daring to express my gender critical views.



This case is landmark: if successful, we will set down a legal marker that discrimination against members of political parties for holding gender critical protected beliefs will not be tolerated. Call it: Worthy of Respect in a Democratic Party.

I have consistently fought for the equality of all across society and strongly advocate for mature, respectful debate where conflicts in the accommodation of rights may be thought to reasonably exist and require negotiation. It's vitally important for proper functioning of representative democracy that debate can happen where debate is necessary. And, by God, it is necessary!

Lodging the claim has been a costly exercise, as will be taking this case to trial. My legal team has been phenomenal in every way and I can assure you that every pound you may choose to donate will be, or will have been, wisely spent.

You can hear me interviewed live recently by Andrew Doyle on Free Speech Nation on the foundations of my legal case and my determination to combat authoritarian abuse in politics.



Support Shahrar Ali in his fight to combat authoritarian bullying in politics, stronger safeguards for children and for the rights of women! Please donate to his legal battle.

Update 1

Shahrar Ali

Feb. 22, 2022

Legal Pre-Action Protocol Commenced

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for supporting my case to defend sex-based rights from cancel culture. Your generous donation has already been put to work, enabling my legal team to get on with preparing and progressing the case.

On 5 Feb 2022, as feared, the Green Party Executive committee did remove my Spokesperson role. This was announced by the Party Chair on Twitter.

A blogger astutely summed up my thought crimes:

"And what exactly are his views? Just what is he guilty of? Guilty of defining what a woman is in biological terms; guilty of speaking out against the harassment and abuse faced by JK Rowling, Rosie Duffield, and Kathleen Stock; guilty of arguing that female rape victims should have the right to request to be examined by someone of the same sex; guilty of proposing a party policy that called for better safeguards in prescribing puberty blockers to children; guilty of being concerned about Stonewall’s lobbying practices and the way it has been misrepresenting the Equality Act.

"Those crowing about his removal on social media seem to think that being sued for discrimination will be a good look for the party. I’ve a strong suspicion they’re going to be in for a shock."

We had some excellent coverage in the Telegraph at the weekend. You can read the full story here Green Party spokesman sues after being sacked for transgender views (or click image below).

My solicitor, Shazia Khan, a partner at Cole Khan Solicitors, said my suspension was “a targeted act of unlawful victimisation”, and was quoted in the article:

"My client has commenced pre-action protocol in claims of harassment, victimisation and direct discrimination contrary to the Equality Act 2010 against the Green Party of England & Wales,” she told The Telegraph.

“Dr Ali has been subject to a deliberate, coordinated, and strategic targeting because of his gender critical beliefs. He is vocal in support of women’s rights and the use and misuse of language in relation to sex and gender.”

As I write, over 700 people have backed the case and we have raised over £17,000. Thank you so much for your support!

This is a cross-party political and non-party political campaign, to which all are united in our shared concerns about the threat to women's sex-based rights and to child safeguarding, too.

Whilst I don't like to have to ask for money - please know that every extra pound you may wish to put is going towards this necessary legal battle and that I'm in this for the long haul. Please do whatever you can to promote knowledge of my case. Here is a form of words you can share among your networks (or feel free to use your own):

Support Shahrar Ali in his fight to combat authoritarian bullying in politics, stronger safeguards for children and for the rights of women! Please donate to his legal battle here:

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/sex-based-rights-vs-cancel-culture/

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