I was talking with a friend this morning about the Supreme Court case, and she perceived it as removal of trans people's rights and a denial of their existence.
I wanted to emphasise that the need for a clear definition of "woman" is needed in order to ensure that women's rights are protected.
But when she questioned what I meant by women's rights, I got stuck for a minute. The discourse has focused so much on toilets and changing rooms that I actually couldn't remember!
Eventually I said it's the right to not be discriminated against because of your biology. Is that pretty much right?
So, the right to not be fired for getting pregnant.
The right to paid time off work to recover from pregnancy.
The right to access contraception to avoid getting pregnant.
The right to end a pregnancy in some circumstances.
The right to not be prevented from voting because of biology.
The right to not be prevented from having a bank account without a husband's permission due to biology.
The right to not be prevented from owning property because of biology
The right to not be paid less for the same job because of biology.
Am I missing anything?
Is the right to single sex spaces actually a woman's right? Or is it a human right because men also have the right to single sex spaces where it's necessary for privacy and dignity?
Could trans people's rights to be free from abuse and harassment eventually lead to trans spaces being enshrined in law for their privacy and dignity?