SCOTTISH GRA REFORM ANNOUNCEMENT BROUGHT FORWARD

Love too how Joan repeatedly pointed out, women have no funding at all and are standing up against lobby groups with 6 figure government grants, and gets in policy capture.

And should women be consulted on how they live as women ?

Are there women consultants on this like gender studies experts

Yeah great great work 💪💪💪💪

I think instead now perhaps instead of asking define what a woman is we have to ask. How do you live as a woman

Is there rules and regulations

AFAIK all the countries who "led the way" didn't have much of an informed debate

Also AFAIK the UK is the only country so far where women realised this was coming, argued it, wrote to people, held meetings, raised awareness, forced it into the media and said no, there are big issues here. The aim was always - as is being argued by some desperate to get this through - to rush it through undebated, too fast for anyone to ask questions or point out the issues. Because everyone trying to push this through knows damn well if it's properly debated and argued and impact assessed it won't stand up.

Hugely encouraged that two big things are mentioned here: women's safety from men, and girls excluded from their own single sex spaces. That's been stated, it will have to be addressed. Now to work on them picking up on the rest of it.

Bloody well done Joan and FPFW and everyone else who has put hours of their lives into standing up for women over this, and defending the needs and massive issues for women that to TRAs are just meaningless 'transphobia'.

Something else I found really, really interesting? (I can't swear to this witout re-watching the whole session, but I'm pretty certain that Somerville didn't use "cis" once.

Withdrawing that schools guidance is huge

Yes I agree. And I think it's something that the people (on here and elsewhere) trying to get "Allsorts" type stuff out of their children's schools will be able to use as really useful ammunition.

Joan mcalpine is fucking amazing and I think more thank you cards are in order

Joan McAlpine
@JoanMcAlpine
My response to the #GRAReform statement today by
@SASomerville

@ScotParl

mobile.twitter.com/JoanMcAlpine/status/1141774459919044608

Yes it's fantastic news about the withdrawing of that LGBT youth guidance - "dodgy and flawed" doesn't come anywhere near to covering how appalling it was in so many ways, I was when I first read it.

This government has a duty to address the concern that reforming the process for gender recognition will increase the risks women face from men.

This government will therefore develop guidance that helps to bring clarity to these issues and ensures that policy makers and service providers better understand how to ensure that the hard won rights of both women and trans people can be collectively realised.

I hope the woke and TRAs are going to stop attacking us for mentioning these risks.

The reply by SAS to the question about why the LGBT Youth guidance was withdrawn was interesting. It was a very carefully worded admittance that that it was dodgy and flawed and they were hoodwinked by it.

Withdrawing that schools guidance is huge. It's a major acknowledgment that thinking up till now has been flawed.

I'm feeling cautiously encouraged.

What about the stress we women suffer every single day due to our biology and the relentless harassment by males of all identities? How does this compare to the dreadful stress of not being able to get cosmetic surgery on the NHS....?

In 2002, the European Court of Human Rights found the UK to have breached the European Convention on Human Rights in respect of the lack of legal recognition afforded to trans people.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwin_v_United_Kingdom

I'm reading through the transcript.

It says,
In 2002, the European Court of Human Rights found the UK to have breached the European Convention on Human Rights in respect of the lack of legal recognition afforded to trans people.

I thought the GRC was brought in to allow trans people to marry because same sex marriage wasn't legal then. Or was that to do with the issuing of a new birth certificate?

Given the equalisation of pension and marriage rights, it is an anachronistic piece of legislation. Why is the legal fiction of being the opposite sex even needed now?

The original purpose I believe was to avoid bringing in same sex marriage legislation. A purpose that's now defunct.

What purpose does a GRC serve?

I'd really like to see this question answered.

we should push to stop GRCs being given out

SAS kept mentioning how stressful the current GRC process is, and I kept thinking lets remove the stress by getting rid of the process

I'm in agreement. What purpose does a GRC serve?

Can't watch the parliament broadcast right now, so thanks to all who have live-reported it on here, most appreciated!

Thank you & well done to those who have spoken up on this. Joan McAlpine in particular, you deserve a medal.

Time to roll up our sleeves, then ...

Heartfelt thanks to all the women who worked tirelessly in opposing this and forming groups and publishing reports!

admittance that that it was dodgy and flawed and they were hoodwinked by it.

And if they can realise that, hopefully they can realise other things.

The reply by SAS to the question about why the LGBT Youth guidance was withdrawn was interesting. It was a very carefully worded admittance that that it was dodgy and flawed and they were hoodwinked by it.

Equality Impact Assessments will be very telling if done properly

Is there such a thing as negative EIA, ie looking at the impact of the legislation is not changed?

Transcript of the statement is up:

news.gov.scot/speeches-and-briefings/statement-on-gender-recognition

(Some excerpts)

The Equality Act already allows trans people to be excluded from single sex services where that is proportionate and justifiable.

It is our view that this applies even where a trans person has legal recognition. The Government’s proposals to reform the Act will not affect that position.

This applies even where a trans person has legal recognition. The Government’s proposals to reform the Act will not affect that position.

This government has a duty to address the concern that reforming the process for gender recognition will increase the risks women face from men.

This government will therefore develop guidance that helps to bring clarity to these issues and ensures that policy makers and service providers better understand how to ensure that the hard won rights of both women and trans people can be collectively realised.

This will be used across the Scottish Government and available to all public authorities to help inform policy development and implementation. It will also of course be publicly available.

The Scottish Government recognises that in taking the unarguably good general principle of inclusivity, and developing specific recommendations, the approach risks potentially excluding other girls from female-only spaces. That cannot be right.

We have therefore decided to replace the LGBT Youth work with guidance from the Scottish Government.

the Scottish Government will establish a working group on sex and gender in data comprised of professionals from across statistical services. This will be led by and report to the Chief Statistician.

The working group will consider what guidance should be offered to public bodies on the collection of data on sex and gender including what form of data collection and disaggregation is most appropriate in different circumstances.

Kota? Loads. I swear this autocorrect is having a laugh!

Well today I lugged Kota if heavy things around at work, swore rather a lot and farted in the lift. Just call me Jack.