Maya Forstater

Maya, thank you for the update. I work in HR, and have gender critical beliefs myself, and feel speaking up in my current organisation would be a significant risk so I have both a personal and professional interest. You’re being so brave to take this up and make this legal challenge - it is such an important point to be tested - so thank you for what you are doing and good luck.

Hi Maya, thanks for the update.

It will be so good to have this properly scrutinised in court - thank you.

I didn't donate initially as by the time I was aware of it you had already exceeded the target but would be very happy to donate to a future round.

Thank you for the update Maya. Didn't see it on Twitter as I'm now banned.

We're all behind you on this. Another one who will be happy to donate if there's another crowd funder.

Good Luck Maya.

Thanks for update Maya!

Very best of good luck

Thank you.

We’re all behind you Maya

Will be watching with interest. This is big!

Thanks for the update. Such a hugely important case so well done for being such a brave pioneer.

Great update, Maya. Happy to donate if more is needed. We need clarity around this.

Best of luck to you Maya and hang in there. Great you that have such a good team around you.

Thank you for the update, I’m glad this will be given a thorough review although it does sound gruelling. Strength to you all.

Thanks for the update Maya, it's going to be very interesting indeed. Strength to you and your legal team, there must be a lot of ground to cover before Nov. Dates noted, I will try to come to lend my support.

Thanks for the update, Maya.

Good luck. Sounds stressful. And long.

An update, in case anyone hasn't seen it on Twitter or by email......

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day and I made my way the Central Employment Tribunal in Holborn where I met my barrister Anya Palmer.

This was the "case management preliminary hearing", a two hour closed hearing to work out what the issues of the case are and in what sequence they should be dealt with.

Employment Judge Tina Elliot was presiding, and the solicitor and barrister for CGD were there. It was an all-female meeting, as my solicitor didn’t attend (to save costs and ensure that donations go as far as possible).

"Ladies", said the judge "this is going to be a very interesting case".

The judge highlighted that there has not been a previous case testing whether beliefs (or lack of beliefs) about sex and gender identity are protected under the Equality Act, so it “has the flavour of a test case”. We all agreed.

Alok Sharma the Minister of State for Employment has also said it is an important case, and it featured in the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development’s newsletter recently as one to watch.

Having reviewed CGD Europe’s defence to my claim and some of the points they raised in it, we asked to add the US parent organisation, and a senior member of its management, as Respondents. All are now being represented by the same UK lawyers.

We had already been given dates in November for a hearing, but because there are so many issues to deal with, it was agreed to make the this into a preliminary hearing to deal with an initial set of issues. The issues are whether my relationship with CGD Europe during 2019 was covered by the Equality Act 2010 and the all-important question about whether gender critical beliefs are protected under the Act.

There is work for both sides to do now in getting together all the documents the tribunal needs to look at (“the bundle”) and writing witness statements.

The date for the preliminary hearing was set as Wednesday November 13th, with four days for the hearing and two for deliberation (although it will probably take some time to get the judgment after that). It will be open to the public and the press. The judge gave us a date for a full merits hearing in May 2020.

Ladies (and gentlemen) this is going to be a very interesting case.

Thank you for the update. Glad to hear you’ve got some good legal support.
Onwards to July!

Waves to FiredMaya Fellow LTBT founder here!
I was the one who wrote the article about boys and stereotypes at the beginning of the campaign. Do you remember that we had to cut a line from it because it had upset a group transgender activists? It was the first time I really came into contact with that ideology and the illogic of it.

There we were trying to expand what it meant to be “masculine” or “feminine” so that anyone could be whatever the hell they wanted and transgender activist ideology went against that by reinforcing the binary that we were trying to take down.

I remember thinking then “this is gonna turn out to be a real shitshow!” and it did!

Good luck. Well done for speaking out. You were so brave to go on that awful radio show and the morning tv show so I know you can fight for your rights. You got this!

Well done Maya
Oh and just reminded me I have to do that thing again, you know, the thiiiing.Good luck xx

That’s great Maya thanks for updating us.

Thanks for the update, Maya.

Thanks for the update, Maya.

Hope you are okay.

Well done Maya. The thing we can't discuss is a real testament to the feelings of so many people - women and men.

OK trying again.... With less talk of the thing that cannot be talked about!

Thanks all for all support!

Update : Today I received news that the case has been accepted by the Employment Tribunal and we have been given a date for a preliminary case management hearing in July (this is just a short initial hearing to determine how the case should be conducted). I will keep you updated as far as possible, but things may be a bit quiet until the hearing itself, which is likely to be late in the year.

I've got lawyers @peter_daly and @anyabike (currently @anyabyke)