To be terrified about what will happen if the Gender Identity Bill is passed?

[TheWorldAccordingToToads]

I'm a nervous wreck right now

Will it replace sex as a protected characteristic? Does that mean that women will have no legal protection at all?

I'm scared .

[TheWorldAccordingToToads]

Someone please reassure me either this won't happen or I'm misunderstanding this

[TheWorldAccordingToToads]

[Oscarandelliesmum]

[5OBalesofHay]

Why are you scared?

[Gallavich]

50

Because if all that is needed to become legally a woman is a statement that you identify as a woman, sex segregated spaces will become illegal. Rape crisis centres and domestic violence shelters will be forced to allow men (who say they identify as women) to enter.
It will be incredibly dangerous for women and girls.

[Bellybootcut]

Why are you terrified? How will it affect you?

[TheWorldAccordingToToads]

Exactly what Gallavich said.

Will it mean we will no longer be able to ask for a female rape counseller?

[Dumbstrucked]

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Have you written to your MP? Doing something about it is a good cure for anxiety.

[Bellybootcut]

I'm sure you can still ask for a female rape counsellor. Why wouldn't you?

[TheWorldAccordingToToads]

How will it affect you?

If it replaces sex as a protected characteristic, it will effect all of us.

It will mean we will no longer be able to ask for a female HCP for intimate examinations. It will mean that we will be unable to ask to be examined by a female doctor if we have been raped or give a statement to a female police officer.

It will mean that a man just has to say "I identify as a woman" and that's it, he'll be allowed to access female toilets/changing rooms/sports/prisons/shelters. It means that if we see someone who is obviously male in a female space and we question what he is doing there, we will be the ones committing the hate crime.

It means an elderly frail person won't be allowed to request a carer of the same sex.

[5OBalesofHay]

Now I'm bothered by it. Wasn't on my radar before. So a bloke says he's a woman and that's it he can go to any women's space as a right . Not scared as am fine but fucking angry for those women who aren't fine.

[TheWorldAccordingToToads]

Not sure what the biscuit is for.

[Ofalltheginjoints]

Because bellybootcut the female rape counsellor you ask for may be biologically male with a fully functioning penis (think Tara the woman in the women's prison with the "7 inch surprise")
I would not want that to be the case in that situation (call me TERF if you wish) I'd like a biological female to deal with and that's the problem with this bill, female/woman comes down to a feeling rather then a biological fact

[TheWorldAccordingToToads]

I'm sure you can still ask for a female rape counsellor. Why wouldn't you?

Because sex will no longer be a protected characteristic. It will be replaced by gender identity which means you could only ask for someone who feels female.

[Wolpertinger]

Belly but who will your female rape counsellor be?

Will be a woman as you generally understand it, or a male to trans woman who is now entitled to call himself a woman?

[SallyGinnamon]

I'm terrified and furious in equal measures.

I fell like the whole world has gone mad.

'I'd like a female gynaecologist please'. 'Certainly'. In comes Dr Steph, ex Stephen in a frock and white coat.

How dare we say (s)he isn't a real woman????

[Herdingcows]

The biscuit I'm assuming was put there out of complete ignorance

[CecileSo]

Please remember that lots of people don't have this on their radar. So you will get biscuits, people saying WTF at you because it's so ridiculously unbelievable!

[SallyGinnamon]

The problem is that nobody dare say anything for fear of prosecution for using the wrong pronoun.

It's utterly bonkers.

[5OBalesofHay]

So basically your rape counsellor might have a cock but identify as a woman

[OnionKnight]

Wouldn't this affect men as well? Not trying to start a bun fight, I'm genuinely interested.

I feel more comfortable being seen by a male doctor, in theory could the male doctor be a woman who identifies as a man?

[TheWorldAccordingToToads]

I think there is some confusion about this.

If gender identity and sex were both protected characteristics I would be fine with that.

However the proposal is to get sex replaced with gender identity as a protected characteristic.

So basically anyone could say "I'm a woman" and that't it. They'll be allowed to access female prisons/shelters/changing rooms/rape crisis centres/etc even if they are 6ft tall with a full length beard.

[SarahOoo]

I think you need to calm down.....

[TheHouseOfIllRepute]

Woman will be a meaningless term
If a group of women want to group together to discuss/protest about any issues, including those affecting only women, anyone who self identifies will have to be part of that group
Your daughter could be sharing a room at uni with a fully intact male