What would happen if…

So, the proposed bill says the only conditions are you live in Scotland , you have lived in the gender for at least three months, and you promise to live in the acquired gender for the rest of your life. Nothing bars a woman for applying for a gender recognition certificate that she’s a woman. Contrary to what TRAs are saying , there is no requirement to be trans or to transition.

it’s a very strange bill. I don’t think they have thought this through. When civil partnerships were passed in law they explicitly excluded straight couples , but nothing here stops a woman from applying for a certificate saying she’s a woman. It wouldn’t be a lie and thus an offence because it’s perfectly true I’m “living as a woman”.

but the odd thing is if I applied for a Grc showing I’m a woman my husband would get the chance to annul the marriage. Could this be seen as a nice and cheap way to get around a costly divorce ? You want to divorce so just apply for a grc, pay five quid, get an annulment.

and what would the legal consequences of a woman having s GRC saying she’s a woman actually be? Fascinating stuff, someone should try it.

The new bill gets rid of the gender dysphoria requirement and shortens the time limit of “living as a woman”

That instantly qualifies ALL biological females who are 20+ years old - as they have 'lived as a woman' for at least the requisite two years, having 'transitioned' at 18.

I just checked out the current application form for a GRC and you need to have a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and to have “lived in your acquired gender for two years”. The new bill gets rid of the gender dysphoria requirement and shortens the time limit of “living as a woman”, so I honestly don’t see any reason why women couldn’t apply for a certificate to affirm their identity as trans women. It’s simply wrong to say the new bill requires transition. The requirement to medically and socially transition was very strong with the original application process, but now the medical element isnt needed at all and the social element is a token.

In order to get a GRC, you need to transition, that is, be transgender.

But it's all about feels and not anything provable. Non-binary comes under the trans definition - and all that means is that you don't conform to any of various arbitrary ridiculous stereotypes - a woman who has ever worn trousers or taken the bins out or a man who has ever baked a cake or remembered somebody's birthday - which virtually nobody does; so that means that we must all already be transgender and thus have transitioned.

Maybe we should all also campaign and demand our rights to identify as trans-racial - the question has been asked as to why you can change 'gender' (which most people understand as shorthand for 'sex') but not race - but nobody has ever given a reason beyond "erm, because that's not right, kind of".

Are you Asian but you sometimes like bland food and/or don't work in IT? Are you black but you aren't a fabulous disco dancer and/or can't run very fast? Are you white and you're a big fan of Bob Marley and/or own a corner shop? Then you MUST be trans-racial, based on the 'provable science' behind this!! It makes just as much (or as little - I'll leave you to decide) sense as with the transgender-NB reasoning, based on any old stereotype(s) you care to cite.

Arabella, was your transitioning your gender changing from, or to, your innate self identity that you've authentically been your whole life?

Are you sure? It might just be indigestion.

Whereas I know I'm definitely transitioning, I've never identified as a woman anyway, and it's been horrible having to live as one when I would much rather have preferred to go through life as a man, a gay man obviously as I like a cock or two. the hairs on my chin are getting thicker, I don't have any periods now, I'm currently wearing pjs from the men's wear section of Sainsbury's and I've just taken off my men's slippers. And I've not felt the urge to shave my armpits or my legs since 2010.

Plus I've worked in construction all my life, so can swear like a blokey bloke, make and install stairs and windows, put up shelves and I'm quite handy at unblocking an outside drain as well.

I also fart really loudly in company and announce to people I'm off for a shit.

I'm really looking forward to being a man officially and legally because then i can stop wearing a bra when i go out and everyone can marvel at my wonderful moobs.

Plus i own more tools, and know how to use them, than probably any of the men in my street.

I actually think I'd make a much better man than a lot of the men I know.

They'd be hard pushed to declare mine a fraudulent declaration.

Of course once I've done my paperwork and I'm officially a man if I then decide later that I'm feeling more femme and want to maybe get in touch with my feminine side well then I'll just have to apply again and become a transwoman. Of course I might, as you know gender is such a fluid thing, then decide to change again to a man. Then maybe a woman again. It will be such fun!

I'll just see how it goes as being a man first though.

Well, nobody can tell you because it's your Inner Special Feeling. Just for you.

Putting criteria or descriptors on that magical inner gender essence of yours would be invasive and prescriptive, when transitioning is a formless miasma of gorgeous soul-shimmering mystery that you are born with but also can suddenly be gripped by.

That said, I transitioned twice since teatime, and I think it might have been too much MSG.

I'm pretty sure we worked out before that most of us came under the trans umbrella (not identifying fully with gender assigned to us). So we must be entitled to a certificate to demonstrate this?

Did you want to buy a powertool or have a pee while standing up or just feel like wearing a pair of comfortable trousers. All of these would qualify you.

What does transitioning consist of please?

I think I might have transitioned last Tuesday but I'm not sure. How will I know?

I just got a utility bill, too, so that's that sorted.

Oh, gosh. Hold on.

I think ... wait ... oooh ...

I think I just transitioned.

Where do I sign for one of the new certificates please?

No effort needed. Just pay a fiver and off you go...

What would happen if... DadJoke realised that the whole thing is built on sand?

DadJoke? Bad joke, more like.

How does one transition please?

Impressive display of gatekeeping by DadJoke here.

Hardly in the spirit of the new legislation.

I was thinking last night, when should a woman in Scotland identify as a man:
When in their 30s applying for jobs so they arent discriminated against in case they go on maternity.
When shopping for cars so they dont get talked down to.
When applying for jobs as a primary school teacher as they are very keen for more males.
When a looking for work as a professional dancer as the market is female saturated.
When buying hairdye or having haircut - notably cheaper.

Any more?

Only transgender people transition

You don't know what either of those terms actually mean, though, do you?

Can someone please post the link to the new Scottish GRC application form as referenced by DadJoke ?

But it’s up to you HOW you transition! That’s the beauty of it! There is no definition and again, our Shona says it could be a change in utility bill, so you could use that date as the date of your transtion!

But as far as I can tell I have transitioned

I am no different to any man - except those that actually want to be women - that I can't understand so I guess I am not a woman

I mean my instincts say gender is something that should be deprecated but I am going with the consensus in government and toeing the line as best I can

If trans women are women, is the converse true? Are women trans women? If not, what’s the difference?

But that’s the beauty of the Bill! You don’t need to “lie” about being trans because there is nothing in the Bill about being trans. It’s all about living as the opposite gender and how you define that is really up to you (though I would suggest including some stereotypical stuff)

The Bill is clearly not just for trans people but also for anyone who might wish to legally be the opposite sex with minimal effort! 😉

Interesting
Might make it easier to get a hysterectomy. Just declare yourself a man and pay a £5.
I know women who've been refused or had to wait years.