What's wrong with the GRA consultation?

I'm going to take all this and write to my MP too. Thanks for this thread OP, it's basically written my letter for me!

It's not a consultation.

For a consultation to be fair it has to exist in an environment where it can be discussed freely.

There are many many reasons why this has not been allowed to happen, and not all stakeholders have been identified.

Government should encourage public meetings - that includes local government.

They should facilitate and encourage debate. They shouldnt be retweeting or supporting individuals that try to shut down debate. They should be using inflammatory language and they should be critical of those who do and trying to calm things public rather than hiding under the desk for the subject out of fear.

They should understand conflicts of interest, they should understand where certain groups or individuals have multiple roles which restricts and narrows voices (eg Stonewall saying it represents all trans people, lesbians and gays and this being accepted despite many being very critical of it)

They should be correcting when lies are told about current law and where the law is heading.

Talking about unintended consequences should be encouraged.

They should understand which groups have particular vulnerable or reasons why participating might be more difficult. There should be a plurality of cultural backgrounds - not just white middle class student politics.

Honestly the whole thing is a disgraceful episode in how not to encourage healthy public debate.

It's hard to find many things that have been done well.

It's not very inclusive to the disabled.
I had to ask here.

The secrecy for a start - public consultation?? That no one has heard about?? I have just spent the last couple of hours handing out FairPlayforWomen leaflets to rugby fans heading to a local match. Chose my victims carefully I admit, ie friendly looking groups, not too drunk etc, couples. Started off with that nice leaflet about sports which is a great icebreaker and talking point. NONE of them had heard about it. They all got it straight away. Had a nice little printout of Jacinter too, just for added effect.

Also when you go to fill it in it is very offputting - it looks as if only trans people are meant to be filling it in. I didn't know where to start and would have made a compete hash of it, or not even done it, if I hadn't had FPFW and WPUK advice to look at whilst completing it.

Being on line only is very non inclusive, I know some older people are very adapt silver surfers, my Mum is for a start, but plenty aren't, or don't have access to the internet.

That anyone can fill it in, no matter the age of that person or what country they are in.

I found the Fair Play for Women website very helpful when filling it in.

my brother, who is fairly brainy looked at it and if you don't know the law, its a mind fuck, he found it really hard to understand.

I sorta feel what right with it - nuffink.

The fact that hardly anyone knows it's happening.

At the beginning it says something about 'trans people are valid'. I think that isn't a neutral statement. It rather implies you are a bigot if you don't respect trans identities above all others in your answers to the questions. What does the statement even mean?

It doesn't ask women how they feel about losing sex-segregated spaces. It is concerned with the feeling of trans people only.

Some of the questions seem to be pretty confusing. I needed guidance to know how to fill it in.

That women who try and talk about it are accused of hate speech.

The fact that it is online.

That the government has done no advertising to the general public about it.

Penny Mordaunt stated that the consultation starts from the premise that transwomen are women. So a total whitewash from the outset.

First thing under 12's are encouraged to be hero's and fill it in.