'Polarised' debate on gender recognition is harming UK, says equalities chief

I don't think that's strictly true Maya. We seem to have gone through a slow process of immersion in Stonewall policy (for short hand purposes) which has now reached a saturation point. And those that were early critics in senior positions became casualties of the a vicious policing at it's peak, with the more circumspect surviving. People are learning more about this now and more balanced people are emerging, it's such an outlandish and anti reality approach to life that it will recede and more constructive people will take the lead but it's cyclical as all trends are and it's likely to take 5 years to recede fully. I don't think the position is fixed.

Gottalife seems to have GC views to me.

"Sexuality is nothing to do with transgenderism." I agree.

"Well it is impossible to know how it feels to be ANY other person, man or woman, you only know how it feels to be yourself. Exactly. So how does a male who feels like himself become a woman?

David Isaac was chair of Stonewall before the 2015 inclusion of T.

It seems like he is mildly gender critical but was unwilling or unable to be effective in that in any kind of perceptible way.

Ditto Sam Smethers at Fawcett, Sophie Walker at WEP. Presumably every senior leader of every organisation that isn't actively shouting "TWAW" . Its not that these individuals are particularly cowardly, but it is impossible for some combination of reasons (funding ? fear of own young staff? long term careerism? govt/GEO pressure?) for people to get to the top of these organisations and be openly and effectively gender critical.

Sexuallity has nothing to do with transgenderism. I never mentioned your dental hygienist. Notice I said COULD BE with a few hypothetical examples.

Well it is impossible to know how it feels to be ANY other person, man or woman, you only know how it feels to be yourself. And the gender you feel yourself to be.

What does it feel like to feel yourself to be a gender?

Well I guess anyone meeting me would have no idea that I identified as a boy for many years
I doubt they noticed at the time either.

Isn't that exactly the point? It's an internal thing that has no objective measurable effect

Think of all the people you meet, work or socialise with. It could be your doctor or dentist or optician or the supermarket checkout worker. Any
one of them could have a trans history but they are not going to tell you or anyone. That is their private business. That is stealth

What do you mean by a trans history?

You trying to say my dental hygienist might not be the sex I assume? Cos I'm damn sure what sex i see is true. And like most in the UK i see different drs each time I go, but I can tell which sex they are without much trouble.

Or by trans history you mean they Identify as maybe bi or lesbian? In which case that's none of my business as is my sexual history no ones business.

Think of all the people you meet, work or socialise with. It could be your doctor or dentist or optician or the supermarket checkout worker. Any one of them could have a trans history but they are not going to tell you or anyone. That is their private business. That is stealth.

If it's my doctor, it's not just their private business. If I ask for a female doctor to perform an intimate examination, I expect that doctor to actually be female, not a man who wants to be a woman. If such a doctor turned out to be male, I wouldn't view this as 'stealth', I would view it as fraud, or possibly sexual assault.

@Ereshkigalangcleg I trust you are right, people do don't they

Given the breadth of the trans umbrella I’m certain that I have for example come across men who cross dress in private. I don’t give af about that - what they do in private is up to them as is what they do in public providing they’re not trying to access single sex spaces

I do think an awful lot of what is being called 'gender' atm is just personality, to be honest. What you like doing, how you feel about the world, the friends you choose, the books you read, the hobbies you pursue, the career you follow, your sexual orientation... None of that adds up to 'gender' does it?

When they start labelling 100+ different genders you have to know it's personality, really. We're all different individuals. Why put labels on it?

The more worrying aspect is that he was appointed given his previous involvement with Stonewall - as single issue campaign is not a qualification for overseeing equality for all.

I agree.

However, as nobody can see your internal identity, it isn’t relevant to equalities law.

Well, except Layla Moran, with her ability to see souls. But that would depend on her being present at the time.

Just thought that if this had been the Guardian rather than the Observer whether they would have even included the observation that some women's groups have concerns about proposed changes to the GRA!

Not sure if there is a longer version of this interview elsewhere but if not this man comes over as being totally clueless.

But sometimes I think this is why peoplel ike this get jobs like this. They just dont understand so just sail through.

The more worrying aspect is that he was appointed given his previous involvement with Stonewall - as single issue campaign is not a qualification for overseeing equality for all.

Debate is never a problem

Suppressing debate is

Gender is a social construct made up of performative stereotypes. I’ve had my hair to my waist & worn high heels, and equally it’s been an inch long and I’ve worn a suit. Still a woman.

It is literally impossible for any man to know how it feels to be a woman. They can only imagine what it feels like same as I can only imagine what it feels like to be a man. I can’t ever know because I’m not a man

By "in common" does he mean "Share your space and shut your mouth." ?

gender is the true identity.

Some people describe their identity in terms of gender.

However, as nobody can see your internal identity, it isn’t relevant to equalities law. People experience prejudice because of structural exclusion and the perceptions of others, not their own sense of self.

In practice a lot of the exceptions can only be enforced by an intrusive physical examination and all the outrage that could cause. Hence there are a lot of "stealth" trans people
Please do explain the stealth part. I'm failing in understanding that bit.

Is overheated grumpy person a gender? Cause that is my true identity at the moment.