CALL FOR ACTION Women&Equalities committee calling for evidence on GRA reform - again?!?

Conversation
What The Trans!?
@WhatTheTrans
Seeing SO MUCH MISINFORMATION about this new Transgender Inquiry.

Weirdly, and hilariously, in 2015 I was a video editor who ended up reporting on the first trans equality inquiry. I don't know everything, but I know roughly what this actually is. (RETWEET WIDELY) (Thread)
12:55 pm · 28 Oct 2020·Twitter Web App
210
Retweets
30
Quote Tweets
255
Likes
What The Trans!?
@WhatTheTrans
·
8h
Replying to
@WhatTheTrans
THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC CONSULTATION.

Let me say it again.

THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC CONSULTATION.

This is not the same as the 2017 cluster fuck of nonsense. It has potential to be super weird, but this is not that.
What The Trans!?
@WhatTheTrans
·
8h
First myth that needs debunking. Liz Truss is not in charge of this inquiry. She is the minister for women and equalities.

This inquiry is being done by the Women & equalities Parliamentary Sub-Committee. This is a cross party committee of MP's.
What The Trans!?
@WhatTheTrans
·
8h
The committee is chaired by Caroline Nokes, a conservative MP but...a probable trans ally.

Will show why we believe this further down the thread.

I know that at least four of the members are trans allies.
What The Trans!?
@WhatTheTrans
·
8h
A parliamentary inquiry like this is very different from a consultation. For a start, this has more in common with a court case. The committee seeking evidence to be submitted. This evidence will be taken into account and will inform the committee of issues...
What The Trans!?
@WhatTheTrans
·
8h
...that need to be discussed during the evidence sessions that will come later.

You can expect evidence to come from Terfs, bigots, extremist religious nightmares...

...and Stonewall, and the LGBT Foundation, and the LGBT Consortium, and GenderGP, Mermaids, even us.

Oh how funny that last tweet is. PMSL

Hilarious response from hairy legged Harpy

Oh, I think we'll be just fine.

We are well able to answer questions, transparent about grassroots funding, and after all, you'd really have to be a 'bogus popup woman' to be a member of a 'bogus popup women's group'. Slightly smiling face

Not really a problem then.
At least, not for us.

Here you go

Deleted, Escape?

Thought it might be useful to read another perspective on the process, no idea of how accurate this is:

mobile.twitter.com/WhatTheTrans/status/1321435329069539329

mobile.twitter.com/christineburns/status/132143794423903436

This awful person never stops with the lies. Don't they realise no one believes them?

LOLeater absolutely yes do mention all of those. Do mention your professional experiences as a teacher. MPs rate a personal letter or email. I think it’s one of the most effective things we can do. Enjoy your nice wine

Most want to be seen as their transitioned sex.

Is it possible to compel others to see someone as the opposite sex?

in very exceptional circumstances *became any male at all

Transsexual people are dysphoric about their sex. They change their secondary and in some cases primary sex characteristics. Most want to be seen as their transitioned sex.

And having a way to permit this has been destruction tested, and it's proven that it doesn't work for female people.

Who incidentally were never consulted or even considered in all this, who had no input. It doesn't matter how distressed anyone may be: it can never be ok to make use of another person or curtail their rights in your own interests. And never ok for a government to make use of and curtail the rights of a whole sex class for the better interests of the other.

Women were made to compromise. It has led to this place, where women are fighting to retain any rights in law because some males in very exceptional circumstances because any male at all at any time with any agenda, gleeful enjoyment of women being unable to say no with misrepresentation of the law and death/rape threats, and a direct war on women having any sex based rights at all. And being called 'menstruators' and 'cervix havers'.

I'm afraid my sympathies are no longer there to be played on.

Thank you for raising this - I’m grateful to those of you who keep your eyes open and alert us to what we need to do.

I’ve had two glasses of very nice wine so probably incapable of composing an argument tonight but I’m keen to emphasise that I am not filled with hatred, that I simply wish to protect women and their sex-based rights.

I am a teacher and I want to talk about my concern that girls are sometimes seeing transitioning as an escape from unlooked for male attention and unhelpful gender stereotypes. I am of course completely opposed to the use of drugs and surgery upon healthy children.

I’m keen to talk about women’s refuges, hospitals and prisons, how Ministers have a duty to protect the physically vulnerable women there.

I want to focus on the way biological sex is a reality. Gender is a word we’ve made up to try to pigeonhole males and females into narrower prescribed roles which I reject.

I wouldn’t feel comfortable changing in the gym changing rooms next to someone with a penis.

Are these the sorts of issues I need to mention?

Really helpful post Arabella thank you.

So your answer to this question would presumably be "no", if the only people who want a GRC are suffering from gender dysphoria.

But I do wonder why they are even considering removing the requirement of a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. Why would anyone want to obtain a GRC when they don't suffer from gender dysphoria?

Thanks, stumbled, cross posted.

The text below is from A Womans Place facebook feed:

'The Women & Equalities Committee is calling for evidence on how to implement government proposals on the GRA. The deadline for submissions is 27th November.

It is not unusual for a committee to establish such an inquiry to response to government recommendations.

We will be looking at the information and guidance on this call for evidence and will share our thinking with you.

In the meantime, we will need as many women as possible to respond so please have a look at this guidance from the Committee and start thinking about what you want to say.

Edited: The Committee can be in no doubt that these proposals do not simply impact a small number of people and that for any changes to be effective they must take into account the views and concerns of the whole population but in particular women and those with other protected characteristics.

The Committee will also have new members who will not have been involved in previous considerations so it will be important to make sure they understand the issues and hear women’s voices.

Sex matters. Women matter. Let's make sure the government is working for us too.

This thread from Lord Lucas provides good insights into how best to respond to the a Committee's call for evidence
twitter.com/LordLucasCD/status/1321380352976408578?s=20'

Suggests this is seen as another step in the process, maybe, rather than a repeat of earlier consultation? How to implement gov recs. Maybe more bureaucratic than anything?

ArabellaScott - as was said up thread. This is usual parliamentary procedure. The relevant Committee always scrutinises the report of a Government Department.

Read the web page. They explain it. committees.parliament.uk/work/658/

I'm suspicious of the timing when you consider that JR for trans prisoners in the female estate was just postponed due to MOJ's failure to produce documents in a timely manner. How different would the submissions look if press coverage of women being raped in prison was front and center?

Transsexual people are dysphoric about their sex... most want to be seen as their transitioned sex....your compromise would solve absolutely nothing for them

Well, pretending men can become women is not just upsetting women. It is costing them their safety from dangerous men in prison, they are losing or being excluded from sports, they are losing places on all women shortlists. I could go on.

What you are saying is that it is their way or no deal. Where's the compromise in that?

I don't suppose there is any point in asking Caroline Nokes or the W&E office exactly why on earth they are re-doing this consultation weeks after the last one was finished with?

Just out of interest why would the Committee say that if you need help or support to contact Citizen's Advice???

committees.parliament.uk/work/658/

And yes, the committee needs to clarify WHO the GRA is for. Is it for those with gender dsyphoria or to validate people's gender identities?

One of the things that concerns me is the interaction between self ID and medical treatment.

Thinking about Keira Bell, what path is there apart from affirmation if somebody has already obtained a GRC?

Transsexual people are dysphoric about their sex... most want to be seen as their transitioned sex....your compromise would solve absolutely nothing for them

And yet 'being trans is not an illness' therefore what is there to be 'solved'?

A compromise of a third, mixed sex space would be best for everyone, surely? SIngle sex male, single sex female and mixed sex for those who do not wish to use the correct facilities for their sex and for those who say they are not bothered about keeping single sex facilities. I might even be tempted to use the third space myself, if the queue was shorter

Gender identity respected

I think the government needs to explain what gender identity is before they start recording it.

Whether you agree or disagree with the current law it was written to protect privacy. Endorsing the idea of gender identity rather than protecting the privacy of people who suffer from gender dysphoria would be a huge ideological change.