SCOTTISH GRA REFORM ANNOUNCEMENT BROUGHT FORWARD

2.12 Section 2 of the Act provides that for the purposes of the Act, “woman” includes “a person who has the protected characteristic of gender reassignment (within the meaning of section 7 of the Equality Act 201010) if, and only if, the person is living as a woman and is proposing to undergo, is undergoing or has undergone a process (or part of a process) for the purpose of becoming female”.

This would suggest women aren’t actually included at all as it makes no mention of actually women but only ‘includes’ men.

Super boosting this - they even talk about how reporting on gender equality on boards links up with their requirement to report under the Equality Act with no mention that that requires reporting of sex.

consult.gov.scot/equality-unit/gender-representation-on-public-boards/ closes 4th of august

Something current that we can do is challenge this legal definition of women which was posted upthread.
The consultation is ongoing.

I note they carefully avoid the gender/pronouns of the person who attacked Julie though by mentioning male violence the implication is clear.

It seems a bit ‘peoples (sic) front of Judaea ‘ up there

It’s actually been a good thing. Means women get together and find their way of getting involved. Don’t have to answer to a central committee! I think we will co-ordinate over the consultation stuff, but, for me, I think it’s been quite a good thing. Obviously not perfect, confusion can be a problem, but good that women are getting together to do whatever they can.

@Mbwashenzi I was in public gallery. Trying to do live tweeting....

I think the Scottish Government should actually run proper surveys with prisoners and service users of eg refuges where the survey responses are mailed (freepost) directly back to the dept running the consultation. Internal focus groups and surveys are open to fudging of the findings, particularly if the managenent believe their funding is at risk. The voices of women and girls who will be affected need to be unmediated.

We reeeeeally need Joan (or anyone) to make sure that the scope of the IA and consultation a) includes women b) includes gender critical women c) includes the actual service users of women's orgs (women in prison/ shelters) not just the captured people running them and d) starts from the POV that TWAM. If we can't do that then the whole consultation will be worthless.

THIS

Informing the wider public of what the actual implications of any changes will be crucial too, alongside asking politicians to consider the impact on women and girls

Who else should I write to? Somerville (again), McAlpine? Is there a particular committee in charge of this consultation?

The consultation will be done by the Scottish Government - specificially Anne Somervilles department. Individual MSPs don't have a role except possibly asking q's of relevant Ministers

What might be useful is lobbying Somerville about the nature of the consultation - and getting the government to encourage organisations providing services to women to consult with service users and providers before responding.

The last time round a lot of organisations - Women's Aid, Zero Tolerance Rape Crisis etc - seemed to send in TRA supporting statements, with no internal discussion (that anyone was aware of anyway).
The idea that their is a connection between them knowing - and providing - the opinion the Scottish Government wanted and their dependency on grants from the Scottish Government is a difficult one to shake .. Some pressure on Shirley Anne S to try and dispel that wouldn't be a bad thing.

Me too. For the first time in all of this we're at the front in terms of knowing what's going on (ish) so we can start trying to predict the next move and get ahead of it rather than being on the back foot.

• yes, ByGrabthar. A letter/statement/request setting out immediately what concerns we have, who needs to be included in the discussions and questions about the terms of the debate.

I plan to write to MP and MSPs next week to raise points of concern.

Who else should I write to? Somerville (again), McAlpine? Is there a particular committee in charge of this consultation?

I'm not convinced they will 'reach out' to anyone and especially not individual wummen.

If some of the various Peoples' fronts of Judith would put together a letter that we could sign, I'd be happy to do so?

We reeeeeally need Joan (or anyone) to make sure that the scope of the IA and consultation a) includes women b) includes gender critical women c) includes the actual service users of women's orgs (women in prison/ shelters) not just the captured people running them and d) starts from the POV that TWAM. If we can't do that then the whole consultation will be worthless.

Yes.

Protected not porridge!

Not read the whole ft.

'the Equality Impact Assessments will be very telling if done properly I think'

Can't they just do it like they did the one for putting transwomen into women's prisons, that some one saw a copy of and posted on here?

Section for impact on porridge characteristic of sex, just write 'n/a', jobs agoodun.

We reeeeeally need Joan (or anyone) to make sure that the scope of the IA and consultation a) includes women b) includes gender critical women c) includes the actual service users of women's orgs (women in prison/ shelters) not just the captured people running them and d) starts from the POV that TWAM. If we can't do that then the whole consultation will be worthless.

Good.

So many stories of men's threatening and violent behaviour towards women at the moment, it's making me despair.

ForWomenScotland have done this great long thread of lesbians being threatened and abused at Pride - it seems lesbians are out at Pride, and men wearing dog masks are in.

twitter.com/ForwomenScot/status/1142535847411163136

‘Protester charged for ‘abusing’ feminist

The Scotsman 22
Jun 2019
By GINA DAVIDSON
A 25-year-old has been charged with threatening and abusive behaviour after a women’s rights event at Edinburgh University earlier this month.
The person was cautioned and charged by Police Scotland after it was reported to them that Julie Bindel – a leading UK feminist – had been verbally abused and “almost punched”.
The campaigner had been speaking about male violence towards women at a discussion on the future of women’s rights at the university’s George Square campus. The incident occurred when she left the building.
A report will be sent to procurator fiscal, which will decide on the next steps. A police spokesperson said: “A 25-year-old has been charged in connection with a report of threatening and abusive behaviour.”

And in other good news, the person who attempted to attack Julie Bindel has been charged.

This is good

blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/06/holyroods-trans-rights-pause-is-a-good-thing/

I think Twitter skews perception - it's far from an accurate sample of the populace, is heavily weighted towards some demographics and excludes some others. It gives a false impression of so many things.

Cannot believe it's come to this but bravo Stephen Daisley! Don't think I have ever agreed with him on anything and we've had some heated arguments on Twitter about independence, but that is a bloody brilliant article. Nice turns of phrase, too.

The TRAs will now try to limit the scope of the consultation to prevent GC arguments being heard. Like a starting point of TWAW and not having to provide a definition or justify who is covered by the definition of Trans who could apply for a GRC. An unrestricted consultation will expose them to too much antiseptic daylight.