Women & Equalities Commitee live today at 2.30

Congratulations to Rosa, Kathleen and Alice. Can't imagine how nerve-wracking that must have been. Some very weird questions and a couple of the committee clearly looking for quotes they can use to undermine the whole process. It really didn't feel like a process in which everyone was listening. Very disturbed by it.

I noticed that the chair thanked Professor Whittle, Professor Alex etc but when it came to introducing the second panel, it was Rosa Freedman, Kathleen Stock and she couldn't read Alice's name so wasn't sure of that - did she not have a list in front of her including appropriate titles of Professor and Dr??

Somewhat disrespectful.

I noticed that she referred to Professor Alex's exhaustion with the whole process..... many of the TRA's proclaim exhaustion on a frequent basis - I wonder why it is so tiring?

I'm so glad Rosa made the point in several different ways that all the definitions in law need to be added/re-written so we have total clarity and everybody knows what the law is. Also, it can't be stated often enough - if it's not a medical problem, why is hormone and surgical treatment on the NHS such a priority? Why the resistance to a full psychiatric evaluation before being granted a GRC?

Publication of written responses also pretty odd. 74 on 1 December, then a few today just to get to Stonewall's submission at ref 1575 before the session

I'd say the ability to get another enquiry opened days after the relevant minister outlined the governtment's intentions was evidence of quite an advantage!

very good point @anotherFOIrequester

I can’t believe panel 1 are saying there should be no waiting period at all, despite their being no annulment process, leaving detransitioners like Keira Bell stuck in the wrong legal gender for ever.

And Scotland are proposing it be available from age 16. Which is surely utterly bonkers? What other legal status change is irreversible, yet has no wait period?

None!

Rosa, Kathleen and Alice did a brilliant job. I don't know how they remained so cool. That MP who more or less accused Rosa of lying was a real treat, exposing herself as a total idiot as well as incredibly rude. This wasn't the whole committee so if they were self selected it doesn't bode well for the quality of their report. Hope it's not all being left to the zealots.

Rosa, Kathleen and Alice were fantastic. The last few questions from the Committee suggested they had their fingers in their ears though 🙄

So the first female MP that I saw was Kate Osborne, Labour, Jarrow, and the fair-haired one was Conservative Sara Britcliffe, Hyndburn and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour, Streatham. And Peter Gibson, as Gaspode noted above. They're all new MPs as far as I can see. And the deputy chair, Angela Crawley SNP, Lanark, MP since 2015.

❤️❤️❤️ Professor Rosa Freedman, Dr Kathleen Stock, Professor Alice Sullivan ❤️❤️❤️👏👏👏👏

^I noticed a tweet from Jane last night that mentions we have another Judicial Review at the end of the week-does anyone know what she's referring to?

Thread from Jane Clare Jones:

twitter.com/janeclarejones/status/1336724074182086656?s=21

Thank you everyone who has following and updating. I'm not holding out much hope that the MPs are listening at all. They all seem wedded to Stonewall nonsense.

www.conservativehome.com/platform/2020/08/nicola-richards-and-alicia-kearns-why-it-makes-sense-for-us-to-reform-the-gender-recognition-act-gra.html

The MP who wasn't listening to Rosa or Kathleen properly about the evidence and/or lack of it was Nicola Richards the Conservative MP for West Bromwich East

he's of course completely neutral about the issue....

www.facebook.com/Gibbo4Darlo/videos/556919898384733/

Okay, women of Darlington, let your MP know your thoughts on transwomen asap!

Male MP is Peter Gibson, Conservative.

committees.parliament.uk/committee/328/women-and-equalities-committee/membership/

Several people not there, I think.

The three of them were fantastic. Will they listen. Doubt it, which makes me even angrier. The gap between what they were saying and the quality of the questions they were asked was telling.

The TWAW bloke was Peter Gibson, Conservative MP

I'd say the ability to get another enquiry opened days after the relevant minister outlined the governtment's intentions was evidence of quite an advantage!

I was thinking just that! Why is this happening all over again then?!

Whittle is a terrible waffler.

I found the second panel members extremely impressive.

Thinking back to my own time at university a loooong time ago, I had the great good fortune to be taught by some very bright people who laid great emphasis on thinking critically and logically and backing up arguments with evidence. All three of the Professors on the second panel struck me as having that same incisive approach. I'd be delighted to think of a young person close to me being taught by any of them.