Came out as GC and wrote to my MP

[GoldenBlue]

I've been on a bit of a feminist voyage of discovery this year, having historically declared myself as an egalitarian. More recently I guess I peaked, with transwomen in women's sport being one of my turning points.

I work in public sector and fear that expressing GC views could be career limiting, but I felt strongly that I must do something.

So I wrote to my MP with concerns about sex based rights, protection of single sex spaces in relation to changing rooms, prisons, refuges etc and fairness in single sex sports (as I think it is a good tactic to emphasise sportsmanship and fair play as I have found men tend to 'get that' more than the safety angle strangely). I also wrote about concerns about conflating sex and gender (sexist stereotypes) and the confusion that can lead to.

I've had a sensible response back

^Many thanks for your email.
This is a complex area to reform and I appreciate that many people want to ensure that the Government gets the balance right. On your behalf, I have raised your concerns with the Government’s equality office. I will, of course, inform you of the response as and when it is received.
All the best and stay safe.^

I'll update if I get a response back from the equality office

I know it's only a small thing, but to me this was a big step in doing something, rather than just being concerned

[GoldenBlue]

Italic fail

[334bu]

well done

[wellbehavedwomen]

Thank you so much. We all need to speak up - there's power, and freedom, in numbers.

[CheeryTreeBlossom]

I too hesitated before emailing my MP because you have to give your address and name so it's putting yourself out there as GC and to people in your local area who may know you.
Well done for taking the step, and that's a decent response you've received.
I'm still waiting for one after nearly a month so might need to go chase them.

[GoldenBlue]

Yes I was pleasantly surprised about the response. My MP is a Conservative and male. I'd be interested to know whether responses are different according to party and sex of the respondent.

But you are right, having to provide my address was very uncomfortable, I'll be 'on a list' now :) hey ho....

[tellmewhentheLangshiplandscoz]

Nice one OP, and it's not an awful response either.

I contacted mine recently to ask the same and got an initial response withering on about the need to be kind and sympathetic to someone who's feels like they're in the wrong body, yada yada. I wrote again agreeing that of course we should all be free to express ourselves but what will he (my MP) be doing to ensure safe spaces/ female shortlists etc would continue to be protected in law and also what his opinion was on the matter ( I know, he was hardly likely to actually answer that last bit in writing but he'd irritated me a bit).

Heard not a jot back. Guess he isn't GC

[TheFnozwhowasmirage]

Well done! I bit the bullet and wrote to my female conservative MP.,after seeing her boast on social media about how she'd met with trans groups to ' enhance their rights and freedoms'.I got back a load of patronising nonsense about how hard and degrading it was to be trans,and that trans people posed no threat to her safety or mine.
She might as well have patted me on my head and told me to 'be kind'.🙄
It took a few days for my rage to subside enough to reply. I have asked which women's advocacy and child safeguarding groups she has consulted during this process. I also told her that she doesn't get to tell me when I feel safe or not.
I'm not optimistic about a reply.

[GoldenBlue]

Wow @TheFnozwhowasmirage that is awful, I'd have been very uncomfortable receiving that response.

I'm already kind, as I am sure many of us here are. I wish trans men, trans women and anyone else that feels uncomfortable in their own skin all the best and want protection for those that are vulnerable.

But that doesn't change the fact that women and girls rights need protecting, particularly in places where they are unclothed and/or in confined spaces.

I also wish for fairness for all in sports. It would be unkind to wish it any other way.

I do believe both trans women and trans men need additional consideration and risk assessment in the prison system for their safety and the safety of others around them. That may result in a requirement for 3rd or even 4th spaces to ensure all who are vulnerable are protected. And physical safety trumps emotional validation every time.

[ruabon]

I'm afraid my Tory MP is not seemingly replying to any correspondence any more. I've known three people who have written recently without a response.

Incidentally I have expressed views about protection of women in changing rooms in conversations at work, and I am in the public sector, and had no comeback or complaint.

[ThinEndoftheWedge]

Well done OP.

One small step leads to another...