Opinion poll reveals backlash over trans rights (in Scotland)

Placemarking. I'm going to get chatting with my MSP.

The comments on Carolyn leckie’s piece seem to have a good split of Male and female, mainly GC to some extent, comments

Great comment from a gay man in his 50s about the importance of feminism at the end of that Carolyn Leckie article

Excerpt:

I too detect a level of aggression, largely from some people born biologically as men, insisting that they must automatically be given access to women's spaces and often reacting in disturbing, explicitly violent tone when women question this (the disgraceful monstering of Germaine Greer springs to mind). This, I feel betrays a level of ahistoricity and lack of respect for the work that people have already done - indeed are still doing - to create the conditions we all benefit from today. As a gay man, I became acutely aware that our struggle, while not identical, shared many of the aspirations of women for equality and respect....To see all that women and their allies have achieved over many years of actual, often violent, struggle dismissed and the heroes of the feminist movement abused and disrespected so that men who wish to identify as women can colonise biological women's spaces without negotiation or understanding of why this may often seem threatening or inappropriate is profoundly disturbing.

Comments better than the article
But the fear is there in that article from her
How come that women have been silenced and government say nothing
Almost like trans is more important than anything
Shut up women and be afraid

Good for her but it's very waffley. It's a bit 'please don't throw things', I'll caveat everything I say. I understand why, but really, it's time to make clear points.

Some great comments on the National article. Think this might be the beginning of the end of silence.

Carolyn Leckie coming out in the National

Iain McWhirter is going full GC on twitter in the last few days

twitter.com/iainmacwhirter/status/1051759293693800448

Ah just seen the reference to 'age of capacity (Scotland ) act'. Will Google it!

That's really chilling howon.
Who decides if a child "has capacity" -couldn't see that in the link, but maybe I missed it?

This is him: twitter.com/Bruce_Adamson

His Twitter bio: Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland @CYPCS - promoting and safeguarding children's rights

I discovered the other day that Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People submitted evidence to the Scottish Govt's GRA consultation pushing for children aged 12 and above to be able to change their legal sex EVEN WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT.

I wish I was joking:

www.gov.scot/Resource/0053/00539281.pdf

"Were application for a gender recognition for 12-15 year olds to be subject to parental consent, it is essential that provision be made to enable children with capacity to exercise their rights in cases where:

• a young person's views differ from those of their parents,
• where parents are in disagreement with each other;
• where the young person is looked after
• where there is no one with parental rights and responsibilities."

Is it me or is this incredibly sinister? Driving a wedge between a child (who could still be in primary school) and their parents? Wonder what he advocates should be done if there is parental refusal to support? Taking the child into local authority care?

Incidentally, he also believes the minimum age of criminal responsibility should be 16-18 years old.

"If parents of other children voice concerns about their child sharing toilets and/or changing rooms with a trans learner, they should be reminded of the school's ethos of inclusion, equality and respect.

How would this work? If a kid tells their teacher they are trans the teacher can’t inform their parents. But if another child is ‘unkind’ or whatever to the transkid they could be disciplined? Would the parents of this second kid be informed of the reason for their punishment?

In other words, would they be told of the trans status of the first kid while the parents of that kid were kept in the dark?

Yes, thank you alice - this has really been bothering me and I was starting to feel that Scotland could already be too far down the rabbit hole.
You've made me feel a bit more positive!

I agree with Alice. There is a lot of conversations happening at the moment. Everyone must contact their MSPs and ask them to take forward your concerns,. they can't if you don't.

Am just contemplating how best to word an email to mine. Must get my finger out!

There seems to be some unease privately amongst MSPs. Anyone in Scotland really needs to give them an excuse to voice that, so please contact them. Even just a short email saying you're worried about the impact on Equalities Act protected characteristic status for women.

I am very worried that the Scottish government will push ahead with this anyway, as nononsene said.
They're incredibly keen to be seen as 'progressive'. If the push back in Westminster comes mainly from 'the right' it will help bolster their position -a lot of people here will buy into the idea that if English Tories are against it, it must be a good thing.

Thanks breastfeeding that makes the issues very clear.

The SNP will force this through regardless. They don’t listen to what the people of Scotland actually want. Look at the named person nonsense and they’re still pushing ahead with P1 testing despite holyrood voting to scrap it

I'm hoping this is different. Most of the MPs voting against the testing were just doing it to give the SNP a kicking.

I have a faint hope that when they see how unpopulated this is with the voting public they might quietly kick it into the long grass ...

Advice from LGBT Youth Scotland
www.lgbtyouth.org.uk/media/1344/supporting-transgender-young-people.pdf

"If a transgender young person is sharing a room with their peers, there is no reason for parents or carers of the other young people to be informed"

"A transgender young person may not have told their family
about their gender identity. Inadvertent disclosure could cause needless stress for the young person or could put them at risk. Therefore, it is best to not disclose information to parents or carers without the young person's permission"

"If parents of other children voice concerns about their child sharing toilets and/or changing rooms with a trans learner, they should be reminded of the school's ethos of inclusion, equality and respect. Additionally, schools may wish to allow time to set up a meeting with any parent who has questions in order to address any concerns or misconceptions."

Also from LGBT Youth Scotland - their submission to UK Women & Equalities Commision

"We recommend expanding the protected characteristic of gender reassignment to include gender identity and expression so that non-binary identities and cross-dressers are clearly covered."

We support the Scottish Transgender Alliance’s Equal Recognition campaign which calls for the removal of the requirement for psychiatric diagnosis prior to applying for gender recognition.

We recommend reducing the age at which individuals are able to apply for GRC to 16.

"Further, transgender young people are aware of their gender identity and begin living in their acquired gender far earlier than the age of 16. We recommend implementing provision which would enable parents and carers to give consent for a child or young person to receive a GRC under the age of 16. "

data.parliament.uk/WrittenEvidence/CommitteeEvidence.svc/EvidenceDocument/Women%20and%20Equalities/Transgender%20Equality/written/19582.html

The SNP will force this through regardless. They don’t listen to what the people of Scotland actually want. Look at the named person nonsense and they’re still pushing ahead with P1 testing despite holyrood voting to scrap it.

So this policy will be decided by the will of the people but only those who knew and were able to fill in a consultation

Plus of course it would seem that the questions in the survey were clear and unambiguous, whereas the consultation was anything but.

Good question Red!

Excellent article.

“We’ve never heard of any trans child in Scotland transitioning without the knowledge and support of at least one of their parents,” he said.

So why give schools guidance suggesting they do this which flouts normal safeguarding practice about keeping secrets, goes adainst NHS guidance and ignores multi-agency working to protect the child then, James Morton?