House of Lords debate #KeepPrisonsSingleSex

Dr Kate Coleman is brilliant! What a fantastic, knowledgeable, concise and clear speaker! Super star

Thank you for your work Dr Coleman if you are reading this!

Thank you for sharing the video OhHolyJesus!

If transactivists really wanted to keep transwomen prisoners safe they would be more than happy with that arrangement. Vulnerable transwomen can be housed in a separate trans unit, safe from the male prisoners.

The fact that they aren't happy, and indeed call it prejudice and bigoted shows that the aim isn't to keep trans prisoners safe, it's to validate their identity by housing them in women's prisons.

Prisons are not there to validate an identity.

I should have checked my own link, it's the last agenda item meaning that it could be quite a few hours before the relevant part starts.

The session starts at 2.30pm newnamenewyear but it could be hours before the relevant part happens. Or not, there doesn't seem to be a clear timetable available.

www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/055ab7fe-d712-487c-9f97-a474fc02dcff

Having looked at the amendment I don't see it going anywhere. But I think getting the amendment enacted into law isn't the primary purpose. I think something more modest and realistic is aimed for here: for there to be a debate and to cause those who support male rapists in women's prisons to take ownership of that position. It's to get them to stand up in Parliament and to go on the public record that this is a valid political goal and should be supported.

It's to make sure that when there's the "how could this happen!" handwringing in a number of years people can say "because these named people expressly pushed for it in the clear knowledge of valid concerns over what the likely outcomes would be".

Is there a link to watch the debate?

Dr Kate Coleman continuing to do sterling work on this issue as ever.

Some useful stats for the unaware, from Jean Hachett's tweet:

Women =5% of the prison population. 80% of women are in prison for non violent crime. Women in prison 135% more likely to self harm than men. Over 60% of women in prison have suffered head trauma consistent with domestic abuse

#KeepPrisonsSingleSex
#Amendment214
#Amendment97ZA

The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules)
page 5;

Separation of categories
Rule 11
The different categories of prisoners shall be kept in separate institutions or parts of institutions, taking account of their sex, age, criminal record, the legal reason for their detention and the necessities of their treatment; thus:

(a) Men and women shall so far as possible be detained in separate
institutions; in an institution which receives both men and women, the
whole of the premises allocated to women shall be entirely separate

www.unodc.org/documents/justice-and-prison-reform/Nelson_Mandela_Rules-E-ebook.pdf

I need to catch up on recent posts, so I’m unsure of progress today. However, I wanted to commend all of the women and other activists who have worked so effectively to get this on the HoL agenda and give these women a voice. Well done! You are seriously impressive. 👏

Females are not resources for servicing male need. They are as equally human, sentient and autonomous as male humans. And the idea that 'only a few females are getting actually, provably, escaped into the press, properly and seriously physically harmed by it so what's the biggie' is abhorrent. It's Dickensian. No decent human would tolerate it.

I wish everyone in the country could read that comment from redlake. It would peak the nation to hear a man described as a bigot for considering that natal females imprisoned for such heinous crimes as failure to pay a TV licence should have the right not to be at risk of rape from natal males locked up with them.

Redlake why can’t males who identify as women be kept safe within the male estate? Just as there is secure provision for child molesters, ex policemen, elderly males etc etc. who are at risk in prison. Why does this one subset of males need to serve time in the women’s estate?

Happy to be a bigot if it keeps born males out of the female prison estate.

If you see women as actual human beings (rather than mere props) who deserve to be protected whilst locked up, who shouldn't have to worry about the possibility of being raped whilst inside, you're a bigot?! Can't believe people say this shit out loud and actually think they're good, progressive people 🤢

If caring about women makes me a bigot, I'll fucking wear it with pride.

redlake
What's the term for someone who wants to house a male born rapist in a prison cell with a lone woman?

Asking for a friend

Redlake how do you define 'bigot'? As someone who doesn't agree with you?

Do you think it's only bigots who want to keep men out of women's prisons Redlake?

My blood pressure has only just come down from the last debate.

''Only 7 women have been raped or sexually assaulted by male trans prisoners, so housing rapists with women is fine'' was the gist of some of them With a hint of ''if only people took the time to know some trans people, then they'd be totally fine with convicted rapists being locked up with women''.

In a debate about keeping rapists, (not EVERY tw, only those convicted of rape) out of women's prisons. It was astonishing to see some of them show more sympathy and consideration to rapists than vulnerable women.

Lord Blencathra was absolutely brilliant, though.

Screenshot for those not on twitter. Re reading, he could be talking about seperate bills I suppose, but this is not made clear and neither has he clarified in later tweets.