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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Chuka Umunna and the LibDem policy on GRC reform

27 replies

Binterested · 11/12/2019 21:36

Two weeks ago I had our LibDem candidate - Chuka Umunna - at my door canvassing for my vote. This is a LibDem / Tory marginal. I told him my concerns about the GRC reforms and he appeared to listen (although he mentioned how awful and intrusive the current GRC process is - much more awful and intrusive than women having to share medical wards and changing rooms with men obviously Hmm).

Anyway I emailed him the Jenni Russell Times article and told him he could only have my vote when he can say his party stands up for women. This was before the Jo Swinson car crash interviews by the way.

He has just replied with this :

“Liberal Democrat policy is to support the Equality Act 2010 and reform the Gender Recognition Act, which would make the gender recognition process easier by removing the requirement for medical reports, scrapping the fee, and recognising non-binary gender identities.

However this policy does not contradict our support for women. Our proposed reforms of the Gender Recognition Act does not impact the use of single-sex spaces, and therefore the law dictating use of spaces would be unaffected by reform.”

I’m glad he has said this and I think he probably thinks this ought to be the case but it’s just not the case in practice. If people get a GRC they can insist on being treated as a biological woman (and increasingly even without the GRC men are claiming access to women’s spaces and the NHS, prisons, schools, sports are all capitulating.)

Part of me is pleased that at least he’s not insane and insisting that TWAW always and forever like some of his party. But frustrated that he has no idea what an appalling policy mess this is and how seriously women’s rights are being endangered for the ideology of a few indulged fantasists.

Long term MNer by the way but name changed.

OP posts:
VMisaMarshmallow · 11/12/2019 21:45

Sounds like he side stepped it tbh.

And the fee? Isn’t it tiny, like to cover admin costs. I mean I’d be good with some form of funding if necessary for those who desperately can’t pay this, but these days we have to pay £15 + for a doctors letter so I don’t see how that’s even an issue. It costs to get a passport or a provisional licence or any form of ID and surely it’s the equivalent cost not the cost.

AutumnRose1 · 11/12/2019 21:40

So is he saying that having a GRC wouldn’t change access to a certain spaces?

It’s a nonsense unless the GRA is scrapped.