MSP quits ‘intolerant’ Greens in trans row
Wightman says party now ‘alienating and provocative’
A PROMINENT Green MSP has quit his party in a row over ‘in tolerance’ in the debate about transgender rights.
Andy Wight man yesterday announced that he is leaving the Scottish Greens after more than ten years.
The politician claimed there is ‘intolerant’ dialogue within the party on ‘questions of sex and gender’.
It comes after activists have tried to ‘cancel’ online a series of high-profile figures, including Harry Potter author JK Rowling, after they raised concerns about women’s rights.
In a letter to the party’s co-leaders, Lorna Slater and Patrick Harvie, Mr Wightman said he would still ‘support Green politics’ despite leaving.
The Lothians MSP said he had feared expulsion from the party after he supported an amendment to a Bill passed at Holyrood last week.
The Greens and the Liberal Democrats opposed the proposal by Johann Lamont to the Forensic Medical Services Bill.
The amendment sought to allow victims of sex crimes to be able to choose the sex, rather than the gender, of the person who examines them afterwards.
Mr Wightman said he had been minded to support the move but faced strong opposition from within his party.
In his letter, he wrote: ‘ For some time now, since I was admonished for attending a public meeting at Edinburgh University in June 2019, I have been saddened by the intolerance shown by some party members to an open and mature dialogue about the tensions and conflicts around questions of sex and gender in the context of t r ansgender r i ghts and women’s rights.’
He went on to say that he had been threatened with ‘possible suspension, deselection or expulsion’ if he voted in favour of Miss Lamont’s amendment.
He added: ‘I understand that the Scottish Green Party has a strong commitment to equalities and trans rights.
‘However, some of the language, approaches and postures of the party and its spokespeople have been provocative, alienating and confrontational for many women and men.
‘It has become evident to me that the sort of open-minded public engagement I would like to see take place on this topic is incompatible with a party that has become very censorious of any deviation f r om an agreed line.
‘Put simply, I cannot operate in this kind of environment.’
Responding to his resignation, a spokesman for the party said: ‘The Scottish Greens are focused on building a greener and fairer Scotland that tackles the climate emergency, so Andy Wightman’s decision not to be part of our movement any more is a matter of deep disappointment.
Land reform, empowering local democracy and community empowerment are core Green issues, and Andy’s contribution has been very i mportant, but the Greens remain committed to carrying on this agenda without him.
‘The Scottish Greens wish Andy well in whatever he decides to do next.’
The SNP has also had internal rows about transgender issues.
Candidates and politicians have attacked each other online, in particular over the Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
This would allow people to self-identify their gender, but campaigners have warned that such a move could affect women’s r i ghts t o access women- only spaces such as refuges and changing rooms.
‘Deselection or expulsion’