Fair Play for women have got the conversion therapy consultation extended

Thanks for bumping this thread. You’ve reminded me to write my response this week.

I know this thread has gone a bit quiet but I just wanted a vent. I emailed my MP about this before the consultation was extended, using Sex Matters' very helpful response on their website, and got a promise that he'd received my concerns, had had a number of similar letters from constituents, and would look into it.

I've just had a follow-up which encloses a bland photocopy from Mike Freer, Minister for Equalities, saying that 'legitimate talking therapies and clinical conversations are distinct from talking conversion therapy' and that they therefore don't need to wait for the Cass review to report before going ahead with the 'conversion therapy' legislation.

The covering letter from my actual MP, however, is an absolute joke and chooses to interpret my original letter as expressing worries that conversion therapy (which it calls 'conversation therapy' ) could be harmful to LGBT people. So nobody actually read it, clearly.

I realise that he won't have drafted the reply, some eager young bright-eyed zealot probably did that. But..... FFS.

I will write back to correct the misapprehension. And I suppose it has at least reminded me that I need to complete the actual consultation.

Rant over.

I'm glad the consultation has been extended, I have yet to submit my response. So thank you.

Transgender Trend (Stephanie Davies-Arai) has also been quietly producing lots of authoritative and influencial guidance for many years. Their research is excellent. They published "My Body is Me!" by Rachel Rooney, a book for young children to encourage them to accept their bodies in all their diversity, in 2019. The Gov have turned to TT for a gender-critical alternative to Mermaids. Stephanie is fantastic!

Dr Nic & Maya have been doing fantastic work with this and so many issues.
I don't understand how more people can't see the dangers of transing children.

Yes Margarita, that is the ground son which Fair Play for Women and two autistic women were going to take it to judicial review. Had they not done this, the deadline would have remained the same and would have discrimated against disabled people.

According to an email newsletter I got from Stonewall, this is the reason:

"The extension comes after the UK Government failed to provide an easy read version of the consultation, which is necessary to ensure that the consultation is accessible for all"

Dr Nic is a force of nature

Bloody brilliant. This has reminded me to add "Donation to Fair Play for Women" to my Christmas list

Yes. Totally agreed. Sex Matters and FPFW are working well and effectively together, on these extraordinarily important issues.

I lobbied my MP for the delay via Sex Matters' very helpful form, so a shout out to them, as well as a congrats to FPFW.

#sexnotgender

The term "gender critical" was coined in order to distinguish these women and their allies (1) defending women's SEX-based rights and (2) challenging the introduction into UK law of "gender identity" (a wishy-washy concept which is not defined in the GRA). I am happy to describe myself as a "gender-critical feminist" as these are the issues which concern me.

Yes, thank you very much, Dr Nicola Williams.
Basically the proposals are a Trojan horse: Stonewall (for it is they!) want to introduce "gender identity" into UK law by the back door by banning conversion therapy for GI. As usual SW are trying to slip an unpopular measure (banning GI conversion therapy including for KIDS) through at the same time as the uncontentious ban on gay conversion therapy (which hardly happens in the UK anyway). We know their tactics now!

The legal challenge should have succeeded purely on the grounds that the consultation failed to meet the gunning principles. It may have been possible after the event to have had the whole consultation thrown out because of this but it would have been high risk.

I see in the easyread version they have avoided explaining what "gender" is so the can of worms is safely unopened. They've just said Transgender is when your gender is different from your birth sex.

I like the document, when they cut out all the waffle it's so stark.

Genuine talking therapy is used a lot by: counsellors (and) mental health professionals. It is a good way to help people with problems with feelings and their mental health. But talking conversion therapy is different because it tries to change your sexual orientation or change you from or to being transgender. We want the law to say that you have to be over 18 to give permission to have talking conversion therapy.

So I have a question. If Pips Bunce can change "genders" three times a week why is changing "gender" an illegitimate goal for counselling and therapy?

I am so grateful that we have women like Dr Nic and Maya who are working on this stuff full time.

Thank goodness for Dr Nic, I cannot imagine what the current landscape would look like without her calm, professional competence and willing to work hard behind the scenes.

I think there should be a statue of her

Update includes a link to the new easy-read version.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1039597/Banning_Conversion_Therapy_Consultation_-_Easy_Read.pdf

Has the old one been archived? I couldn't find it. It would be interesting to see what they've changed.