For Immediate Release
June 13th, 2021
For further information, Contact:
Ann Menasche <aemenasche@georgiagreenparty.org>
counsel assisting in defense of Georgia Green Party
Hugh Esco <hesco@georgiagreenparty.org> 912-571-1833 (cell, sms)
Secretary, Georgia Green Party
Expert Witnesses Testify to Defend Georgia Green Party
as Georgia Party Defense Witnesses Denied Hearing
State Party faces Expulsion from National Party
over Support for Rights of Women, Safeguarding of Children
Last week, the Georgia Green Party released videotaped testimony of six expert witnesses who were denied a hearing before the Accreditations Committee, as a part of their defense in proceedings seeking to revoke the accreditation of the Georgia party as a member of the Green Party of the United States.
On December 23, 2020, the National Lavender Caucus (LC) filed a complaint against Georgia seeking the revocation of its accreditation as a member of the national Green Party. Since then, the Georgia Party has been forced to battle spurious charges of transphobia while being denied a fair opportunity to defend itself. The Accreditations Committee is expected to soon refer the Complaint against Georgia to the Green National Committee.
At the heart of the LC’s Complaint is an amendment to the Georgia party's platform endorsing the Declaration on Women’s Sex-based Rights. This Declaration has so far been signed by 18,189 signers from 137 countries and 344 organizations. The Declaration reaffirms women and girls’ existing sex based rights under international law. It challenges the discrimination women face as a result of changes in law and policy, replacing sex with gender identity as a protected class. Critics claim that 'gender identity' is built on circular definitions and sexist stereotypes. The Declaration and the Georgia party platform amendments challenge the medical “transitioning” of minor children, incapable of informed consent, known to result in sterility and other severe medical issues, 'turning healthy bodies into life-long medical patients' according to Georgia party officers.
Hugh Esco, Secretary of the Georgia Party, described the proceedings before the Accreditations Committee as “a star chamber-like kangaroo court” marred by numerous procedural irregularities, and “a public embarrassment for a Party which is supposed to value grassroots democracy.” Those irregularities are expected to be catalogued in a forthcoming report, but include a refusal to allow Georgia to have its own witnesses heard by the Committee.
On May 11th of this year, the Georgia Green Party submitted a brief in its defense, along with a witness list and a request for a hearing at which it might offer its witnesses. The Committee in a May 16th response from CoChair Andy Ellis wrote that they "have decided to reject the request."
The Georgia party conducted video depositions on May 22nd and 23rd, inviting the Complainants to send counsel to cross-examine its Defense witnesses.
The witnesses, denied a hearing before the Accreditation Committee, and featured in the depositions released last week include:
- Amparo Domingo, Womens Human Rights Campaign
- Dr. Julia Mason, peaditrician, Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine
- Hilla Kerner, collective member, Vancouver Rape Relief
- Aaron Kimberly, RN, Gender Dysphoria Alliance Canada
- Scott Newgent, Trans Rational Educational Voices
- Sinead Watson, a detransitioning woman
Kimberly, who identifies as transgender, formerly coordinated transgender health services for young people at a multi-disciplinary clinic in British Columbia. Kimberly testified to making the choice as an adult to transition due largely to the homophobia encountered as a lesbian and expressed concerns about the 'ideological capture' of the 'systems of care' which currently shapes gender medicine, testifying that "80% of the improvement in my mental health has been the rejection of queer theory and gender ideology as a part of my identity and a part of understanding what gender dysphoria is".
Kimberly is one of six experts who have provided taped testimony so far in the Georgia Green Party's defense, responding to the charges leveled against them. Additional video depositions are planned to cover the balance of the Defense witness list.
"No one joins the Green party to hate. We reject the narrative that standing for the rights of women and girls constitutes bigotry against trans-identified people", said David Josue, cochair of the Georgia party. "The Accreditations Committee has denied us a fair opportunity to mount a defense before their Committee. Nonetheless, we fully intend to take our case directly to the Green National Committee and to the
world at large”.
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For background please see:
Testimony of Aaron Kimberly -- Gender Dysphoria Alliance Canada
https://www.dialoguenotexpulsion.org/nlc-vs-ggp/testimony/Aaron_Kimberly--Gender_Dysphoria_Alliance_Canada
Defense Pleadings in the matter of the
National Lavender Caucus vs the Georgia Green Party
https://www.dialoguenotexpulsion.org/nlc-vs-ggp/pleadings
Video Depositions in the matter of the
National Lavender Caucus vs the Georgia Green Party
https://www.dialoguenotexpulsion.org/nlc-vs-ggp/testimony
For background on the assault on democracy under way
within the Green Party of the United States
explore the links available under the
Internal Democracy option in the menu at:
https://www.dialoguenotexpulsion.org/
Press Releases of the Georgia Green Party related to this case
http://www.dialoguenotexpulsion.org/nlc-vs-gagp/prs-rls
Declaration on Women's Sex-Based Rights
https://www.womensdeclaration.com/en