Anne Sinnott vindicated - she was right!

Yes, obviously the majority of women here would agree on the situations where the 'single sex exemption' should be applied. But I don't think they are all exceptional circumstances. Women need single sex facilities in their everyday lives, it's not an exceptional thing.

That phrasing seems to me like a warning that women will have to fight every single case to 'prove' that we are allowed the rights we already have. Like the people who will have to argue are the people who want to have a single sex space, NOT the people who want to have a 'single gender' space. Women's rights have always been considered negotiable so it's nothing new, of course.

Pam You are going straight to hell... sentenced for talking common sense!

in very exceptional circumstances

I take this to mean

• exclusion from places where women are vulnerable - undressing, sleeping etc
• exclusion from initiatives that are targetted at increasing participation of women in public life - in sport, in employment, in politics etc
• exclusion from services designed for and targetted at women

For instance, it would be wrong to exclude a trans identifying men from a lunch celebrating Women in Business. It would be right to exclude men who identify as women from being nominated for a Woman in Business award.

It would be wrong to exclude a boy who identifies as a girl from attending Harrow or Eton, or one of the other all-boy schools. It would be right to exclude them from an all-girls school.

It would be wrong to exclude a trans identifying man from a job in a nursing home. It would be right to exclude them from tasks dealing with the intimate care of frail, elderly women.

We should send that piece to the GirlGuide UK!

"Amendments to the policy also make explicit that the council has discretion to apply the “single sex exemption” in the Equality Act 2010 in very exceptional circumstances."

What do they mean by this, though? I suppose normal changing facilities and public toilets aren't considered to be 'very exceptional', being rather everyday settings. But it seems to me that keeping all such intimate spaces single sex for the safety of women and girls is always going to be a proportionate means to achieve a legitimate aim. I mean, if you assign higher priority to a woman's safety than a trans person's sense of validation.

Massive well done Ann. You are an absolute star.

CircumzenthinalArc I thought that but at least another Labour female candidate got in at the by-election. And Sarah Brown thankfully didn't.

www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/kelley-green-elected-to-cambridge-city-council-as-she-wins-petersfield-by-election-for-labour-1-5694834

That's excellent news. There seem to be a lot of small things at the moment that are all adding together to make me feel slightly more hopeful.

(she's Ann without an E)

Well done.

Well done ann sinnott.

Jeez. Sorry.

I need coffee.

I've done the same - sorrry Anne

Sorry. Just felt it was important to acknowlege and correct an error for some reason

Anne!

CrackpotsArePots Wed 26-Sep-18 06:34:43
Sarah needs to iron that T shirt. All women should know how to use an iron

FGS Crackpots, dont tell TRAs that!
its bad enough having to watch Jane Fae's 'performative knitting' on TV shows, they might get ideas

Great news about the council reinstating the correct wording and usage of the act though, and a salute to Ann - a woman of principle, vindicated.

Yes! Well done Anne - that's a great result

And actually - yes. If you're a male person who wants to use women's facilities the very least you can do is officially change your paperwork and carry evidence that you have a GRC.
Agreed - why is this such an outrageous suggestion? I'm sure the overwhelming majority of people working in a school present no threat to young people but you don't hear them complaining when they're asked for a DBS certificate.

And good for Ann - I'm glad she didn't stand down for nothing.

Well done Ann.

She still left her job over this so it's not a win exactly. Women still suffering for supporting women's rights. I don't see Sarah Brown losing anything.

Good.

Great news!
Stop believing the fruitloops and start following the god damn equalities act.

Thank Godess for that - this is local to me.

Funny how Cambs Council’s legal advice is different from some other organisations legal advice, no...?

Wow, they rowed back pretty quickly when presented with facts. Brilliant.

Well done Ann Sinnott