Legal transgender stuff

[TitaniasCloset]

I was hoping that on this thread someone could help me with understanding the legal issues. The laws that are trying to be passed and the time scales etc I'm just not very good with dates and times etc and I would love for whoever can to help me understand the laws that the government are seeking to get passed, regarding the trans gender issues, the opposition to that and the time scales involved.

I hope I'm not being unreasonable asking for this and not putting it together myself. 😀

[Battleax]

It's the Gender Recognition Act 2017 which is currently at the consultation stage. It is intended to update the GRA 2004. The main change would be that self declaration of sex would now be sufficient and the need for diagnosis, treatment or time spent living in the "intended gender" will be done away with.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40692782

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40713645

[Battleax]

The Corbyn and May both support that key change (self certification of "gender");

www.theguardian.com/society/2017/oct/18/theresa-may-plans-to-let-people-change-gender-without-medical-checks

Opposition is based around concerns about sensitive services, women's only spaces, sport and maternity provision, amongst other things.

The timescales will be dependent on the consultation and the legislative programme, passing both chambers etc, as these things always are. I suspect the House of Lords will be interesting.

I'm sure there'll be someone along who can make an educated guess at timescales, though.

[Battleax]

Is that the kind of thing you meant?

[TitaniasCloset]

Thank you so much, that's exactly what I wanted. 🙂

[hackmum]

Battleax - just a small correction. There is no Gender Recognition Act 2017. There isn't even a draft bill yet - it's all at the consultation stage. I imagine the bill, if there is one, will be next year and maybe the Act won't pass until 2019 if at all. These things take quite a long time. My suspicion is that the government is getting cold feet and once it realises the scale of opposition might drop it altogether. God knows they've got enough on their hands with Brexit.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Can I just jump on on this thread and ask about the Equality Act which I believe currently has exceptions where a GRC does not = opposite sex.

Is it proposed to remove these protections?

And why are some many bodies issuing guidelines which seem to go against these sex based exceptions?

[Datun]

And why are some many bodies issuing guidelines which seem to go against these sex based exceptions?

Because propaganda is being disseminated widely. In schools, universities and public bodies.

Guidelines are just that. But they are framed in such a way as to make it almost impossible not to follow.

For instance the guidelines being sent to schools in Scotland have a paragraph that says if parents are struggling to affirm their child’s new identity the local authority might have to get involved.

Its blatant and frightening.

As a result, there is a head of steam built-up culturally to allow men in women’s spaces, where they have no legal recourse to do so.

Loos for instance. There is no law that says a man can’t use the woman’s toilet. But culturally, it has always been accepted that they generally don’t.

The societal shift to accommodate transgenderism now means that culturally that unwritten rule, is being ignored. Or deliberately flouted to make a point.

Whatever tweaking there is of the current laws they need to clearly send out a message that will be accepted culturally.

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

There is no law that says a man can’t use the woman’s toilet

Id never thought of that - so the Equality Act is saying that in some cases it may be reasonable to act to exclude males from female spaces, not that in some cases it is illegal for men to enter female spaces?

[Datun]

ItsAllGoingToBeFine

I don’t think it is either of those two things. Presumably people who wrote the GRA did not foresee how it might be exploited.

God only knows why. If they had only consulted any woman on the planet...

[Battleax]

I suppose technically hack it' a 2017 consultation on amendments to the 2004 Act? There isn't a "Bill" as such, is there?

[Battleax]

Draft amendments that is.

[Battleax]

My suspicion is that the government is getting cold feet and once it realises the scale of opposition might drop it altogether. God knows they've got enough on their hands with Brexit.

I keep saying that to myself, but then I daren't hope, really.

[hackmum]

Battleax: "There isn't a "Bill" as such, is there?"

No, not yet. Let's hope there never is!

[IndominusRex]

Hope you're ok OP

[IndominusRex]

Sorry wrong thread. (Not that I don't hope you're ok)

[TitaniasCloset]

Yeah I'm fine,

Thanks everyone for posting. I need to sit down and try to get my head around this.

[Ereshkigal]

It's this that we need to raise awareness of and lobby to change.

[Beingrippedoff]

It’s worth bearing in mind that in Scotland the consultation process has already started. The SNP pride themselves on being progressive and I can see them trying to push this through in Scottish Parliament. That could then impact on rest of UK as people could pop up here, get their self id GRC and hey presto. Easy access to sex segregated spaces. In fact there is even a bit that asks whether people should have to live here to get GRC so potentially anyone in UK could apply.
Consultation is open to everyone including people outwith Scotland so please complete this if you don’t want this to happen!
consult.gov.scot/family-law/review-of-the-gender-recognition-act-2004/