Parliament hosting Stonewall panel event on trans issues and changes to GRA

[TheSecretMole]

See below invitation sent to all MPs. Anyone heard about it before or who is on the panel? I will try and do some digging and find out any details I can.



Dear MP,

I am writing to invite you to an afternoon panel event on trans equality, held in partnership with Maria Miller MP and PinkNews, at Speaker’s House on Tuesday 15 May, from 12:30 – 14:00.

Since last summer’s announcement that the UK Government would begin to consult on plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act 2004, we have witnessed increasingly negative media coverage and hostility towards trans people.

This event will provide a space where parliamentarians and other relevant stakeholders can hear from trans people and allies about:

• The current levels of transphobia and marginalisation that trans people are experiencing in everyday life
• The positive impact that a reform of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 will have for trans and non-binary people
• Separating the facts from myths on some of the key areas where opponents to reform have focused.

We will also be sharing findings from a piece of research Stonewall has produced with women’s organisations, which demonstrates that many single-sex domestic and/or sexual violence services are already trans inclusive.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP with my colleague Neil McDonald by Tuesday 1 May and they will ensure your name is added to the guestlist. We will then send an official invitation.

Should you have any questions, do let myself or Neil know.

With warm wishes,

Ruth Hunt
Chief Executive, Stonewall

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Pink News?!

That's like getting the DM in to advise on immigration

[ErrolTheDragon]

What About Women and Girls?

[MacaroonMama]

I feel SICK. All the hard work we have done in letter-writing etc. Do you think David not Brexit Davies might host a similar event for MPs with the A Woman’s Place crew?

[LangCleg]

I won't hold my breath waiting for the intimidation campaign by "exterminatory" feminists.

[TheSecretMole]

People might like to email their MPs to ask them to find out...

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Can't help being cynical and wondering if this announcement coinciding with the petition hitting 10,000 is a coincidence...

[NoSquirrels]

Wow.

What About Women and Girls?

We all need to write to our MPs.

[TurningWood]

It makes me wonder what other events are as biased when presented to MPs.

[Noqonterfy]

That's like getting the DM in to advise on immigration

Yep

[yetanothertranswoman]

It makes me wonder what other events are as biased when presented to MPs

Probably any event that activists organise.

[RedToothBrush]

Pink news, stonewall and maria miller all together, telling women to stfu cos trans umbrella and LGBT rights (cos they obviously acknowledge the mere existence of the amazing invisible lesbians and newly forming TSRainCrew).

Why now?

[Janie143]

How disheartening that only one side of the "debate" is invited

[TurningWood]

Now, because the debate has started and it shows them up. Maria as incompetent in her brief for a start.

[MacaroonMama]

Can we have a peaceful gathering outside Speaker’s House where we give out leaflets with real facts on? I would be up for that.
#WTGLWGH

[MumOfThrMoos]

Yep - definitely time to write to your MP - again....

[MacaroonMama]

Sorry for acronym - I mean When They Go Low, We Go High. (just seen other thread)

[LangCleg]

We will also be sharing findings from a piece of research Stonewall has produced with women’s organisations, which demonstrates that many single-sex domestic and/or sexual violence services are already trans inclusive.

Yes, because the leaders of these organisations have lost sight of their service users, just as Guides have lost sight of theirs, Swim England have lost sight of theirs, etc ad infinitum.

WAWAG?

[Popchyk]

If Maria Miller is hosting this then she sure as hell needs to be hosting another event where women's concerns are addressed.

And all MPs must be invited to that one too.

[Noqonterfy]

Its a bad mistake to ignore women in this debate about women really. The hostility would only get worse, not better. Women are needed as allies, not enemies.

[Trousersdontmakemeaman]

Debate has two sides.

Let’s hear how women's only services are inclusive. Let's hear how they make it work?
Let’s hear how they segregate on sex or are genitalia irrelevant in a refuge or rape crisis centre?
Let's hear what their plans are for malicious people trying to abuse the system. Do they have a financial contingency funds available for the legal fees or will they just cave.
Stonewall seem to know everything so let's ask?
Let's hear about gender fluid men or two spirit men being women one day and not the next and how that means I have no right to consent on any day at all to their presence in private female spaces.
Let’s hear why that’s is a legal requirement I have no choice over?
What myths do we hear like suicide, murder and “it never happens”, let's ask MPs to go along with these myths for busting.
What about the myth that a penis is female and a vagina is male?
I'm keen to know. Let's hear please?

Let hear how self ID supports my right to consent.

[CircleSquareCircleSquare]

What about women and girls?

[TurningWood]

All about transwomen, few trans men and no women is my guess.

Sigh, this just makes me want to get back in activism again and redoubled my efforts. Own goal Maria.

[ReappearingWoman]

I think it would be worth tweeting Woman's Place UK - they've been trying to get time with any MP & so far they've had 1hr with Dawn Butler. I think it's important for representation for women & girls to attend a meeting that's appears to suggest multiple MPs in attendance so they should be involved.

One sided presentation is not going to resolve this.

[Jayceedove]

Yetanother, do you think that we should come up with something to send for this meeting to digest off list?

There are one or two other sensible trans women on here (plus some just reading and not posting out of fear from what activists might say to them if they do I suspect).

If we sent a joint submission even from a dozen or so of us to that meeting and point out that these concerns are not only being shared by many women on here but also by a number of transsexual women who have been through the GRA process, too - then perhaps it gives them something else to think about when they meet in May?

[Tanith]

I think it’s important to emphasise that Parliament is absolutely the place for discussion and that debate, including all parties, is what we want.

Any demonstration or protest, I feel, may allow trans-activists to accuse women of trying to shut them down.

What we want is to be included in the debate and not sidelined.

On the plus side, they can hardly complain about the Womans Place HofC meeting while endorsing this one.