GRA consultation is live. Let's get reading

Wow, that was long but I've done it!

Seriously though, other things in life where you have to endure tedious & intrusive bureaucracy:

• Post and pay recorded delivery with return to provide my original passport just to merge my pension account, cos of a mistake THEY made....

• pay £25 and endure intrusive HR interviews when I want to alter my working hours by 30 mins to help with my illness

• Provide passport, two proofs of address, bank statement and in-depth info about my life and household to sign on, including having a dude come to my house and ask personal questions about my housemate in case I am a fraud.

• To get married- passport, photos, proof of address, photo ID

I know it's a pain and time consuming but providing paper evidence just part of life? Should we all be demanding we don't have to provide evidence etc for stuff? I'd love that!

Then again I think they do understand the difference which is why it is being confused. I am guessing ‘experts’ from Stonewall, Mermaids etc helped in the writing of this document.

Some of this reminds me of a consultation that stated “unlawful exclusions should never be used without a formal planning process”. And the last consultation I responded to was full of typos and spelling errors. I do wander where they find people who write these documents. I despair that they can’t even understand the importance of discriminating between sex and gender.

Some young people take their own life and harm themselves

Indeed. Without comparator numbers the statistics don't show that transpeople are the most oppressed.people on the planet.

How many non-trans people self-harm?
How many women have upsetting things said to them?

"Some young trans people take their own life or harm themselves."

Some young people take their own life and harm themselves.

Can't believe they have defined sex as being assigned at birth by a medical practitioner.

Just how upset is "so upset"?

A conundrum indeed.

This line kind of leapt out at me (from section 114)

^As an example, refusing a transwoman with or without a GRC access to a
female toilet33 in a pub is likely to be unlawful34,^

From the easy read pdf

But the law does say that discrimination may be allowed in certain circumstances. Some services are allowed to be just for one sex.

For example Rape Crisis Centres want to be a safe place for women who have been raped by a man. They do not allow men in.

Trans women can only be refused if other women would be so upset that they couldn’t go to the centre.

How exactly are they going to assess this? It's one of those conundrums, how do you know about the women you don't know about?

If it becomes common knowledge that refuges and rape crisis centres might not be female only how do you determine the proportion of women who didn't attend on that basis?

Spartacus - Amazing point!!!

Spartacus

I agree, That jumps out at me. I can't believe the flimsy commitment to your own wellbeing that would make the process of gaining the GRC too onerous.

DH and I just gawped at the teen with the Stanley blade on their wrist agog. W.T.A.F!?!?!!?? Unfuckingbelievable.

Start using toilets and other single-sex facilities that match their gender identity

I mean, if that's living in your acquired gender, the very consultation itself is already rendering women's single sex spaces penis-inclusive.

That's an excellent point Spartacus.

I just had to renew my Blue Badge. It's essential for me to have one - I would barely get out if I didn't.

Despite last renewing it 3 years ago I had to send certified copies of my passport, proof of address, evidence I was eligible for the badge at al (usually something to say you get PIP or DLA) and photos of myself - the government website had the option for you to upload photos but my council specifically then asked for separate copies too. Oh and the council asked to see my medical prescriptions too, as if that is any of their business.

Honestly, I know they need to cut down on fraud but dealing with that on top of struggling to cope with daily life... a lot of things relating to disabled people seem specifically designed to put people off.

Yes, that image is particularly "great for people with learning disabilities"

How do you enforce the exemptions allowed under the EA if someone's documentation states they are a sex different from that at birth?

Yes, before we engage with the substance of the consultation, including an image of a child self harming is

Say what? When someone referred to this upthread, I thought they were joking.

This is not a race. Bide your time. Consider waiting to see what others thoughts are before sending your response

The consultation runs until 19th October. There will be lots of useful information here and elsewhere over the coming weeks to help you to put the most compelling arguments on your response. Don't rush it.

Elletorro makes an important point. Make notes, refine. But don’t send yet.

Thanks OldCrone

Unhappy with assigned gender female role. Sorry - you know what us ditzy women are like.