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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions
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Shortshriftandlethal · 25/06/2026 14:13

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 14:10

This bill doesn't have anything to do with what spaces someone can access.

No, but the underlying establishment of what exists as a protected category and on what basis was important.

'Gender identity' is not mentioned in the Equalities Act. It is not a protected category. It has no firm definition that is universally recognised - aside from subjective, self reporting...unlike all of the other categories.

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 14:10

Shortshriftandlethal · 25/06/2026 14:10

The questions yesterday ( Women and Equalities) about what is the point of a GRA are important......because it has been established that self definition does not necessarily have an objective existence that can be universally recognised. Yes, you exist as a human being that imagines oneself in a certain way...but your imagination does not trump measurable or physical reality.

People with, or without,a GRA, cannot acceess the provisons that have been set aside on the basis of sex - unless they are of that sex.

Edited

This bill doesn't have anything to do with what spaces someone can access.

Shortshriftandlethal · 25/06/2026 14:10

The questions yesterday ( Women and Equalities) about what is the point of a GRA are important......because it has been established that self definition does not necessarily have an objective existence that can be universally recognised. Yes, you exist as a human being that imagines oneself in a certain way...but your imagination does not trump measurable or physical reality.

People with, or without,a GRA, cannot acceess the provisons that have been set aside on the basis of sex - unless they are of that sex.

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 14:09

BridgetPhillipsonIsACowardlyJobsworth · 25/06/2026 14:03

Are you really still parroting the "we don't even know what gender meeeeeeeeeeeeeans" line? This isn't actually a contested issue, the only "Issue" is gender criticals refuse to accept any reasonable definition because you don't want to believe that either gender identity or trans identities exist so you have to pretend it's all too complicated to fathom.

Thanks for the "good faith" posting, why do I even bother to think I might get a sensible, well-thought out, adult response from you? You really have blown it. So childish.

Your gender identity is your internal sense of what sex you are.

How do we build a robust law around someone's "internal sense?" Define "gender identity" so it covers everyone that this law will cover and in a way that can be proven or disproven in court.

a process of gender reassignment.
Define "gender assignment" so it covers everyone that this law will cover and in a way that can be proven or disproven in court.

non-binary people

Define "non-binary people" so that it covers everyone that this law will cover, and in a way that can be proven or disproven in court.

who are trans but haven't "undergone a process"

Define "trans" and "undergone a process" so that it covers everyone that this law will cover, and in a way that can be proven or disproven in court.

This doesn't create any conflict with the Equality Act because protecting these people from conversion therapy doesn't have any impact on how service providers and employers operate, which is what the Equality Act governs.

I think you might be incorrect here, but perhaps some legal bods can give us the Actual Answer.

I'm going to leave this here so others can have a think, and perhaps come up with some grownup answers.

You don't need to respond unless you want to. I won't be corresponding with you about this again. It's a waste of my time.

ed. sp.

Edited

How do we build a robust law around someone's "internal sense?"

The same way we build law that protects people's sexual orientation (an internal sense) and religious beliefs (an internal sense). If we can't build a law around "an internal sense" then gender critical beliefs certainly can't be legally protected, is that what you're arguing for?

Ereshkigalangcleg · 25/06/2026 14:09

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 14:01

And trans people aren't going to stop existing just because you stamp your foot really hard and wish it so, nor are they going to stop being entitled to rights, recognition and protection, nor are decent people going to stop believing that they are entitled to such, so you'd probably better find a way to come to terms with that reality or the rest of your life is going to be very frustrating indeed.

They don’t have to stop existing. They just need to respect women’s rights to our own single sex spaces, and stop talking down to us and over us about our own lives. Hope that helps.

OldCrone · 25/06/2026 14:08

Your gender identity is your internal sense of what sex you are.

Your internal sense of what sex you are is more correctly defined as a 'sex identity'. In some academic literature on child development you'll find the term 'gender identity' used for this. What they are talking about is the stage of development where a child understands that they are a boy or a girl and that this can't be changed.

If you give it a moment's thought, you'll realise that it's nonsense for a boy to have an internal sense of being a girl, or vice versa. Your internal sense of who or what you are can only align with reality, otherwise it is more correctly defined as a delusion.

To put it another way, if you're going to say that a man can have an internal sense that he's actually a woman, you'd have to accept that he can also have an internal sense that he's Cleopatra or Napoleon or a cat.

noblegiraffe · 25/06/2026 14:08

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 14:04

They don't. All the available research shows regret rates are low.

Nope.

I’m talking about kids who have thought they were transgender. Not ones who have taken medication or surgery so nothing to do with ‘regret rates’. We know most desist. From my experience as a teacher most desist.

Why is that?

Shortshriftandlethal · 25/06/2026 14:05

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 13:59

Where is the proof same-sex attraction exists? Where is the proof love, happiness, or hope exists? Where is the proof depression exists? You - obviously - can't see an internal state; that doesn't mean it isn't real or that people don't really experience it.

But, once again, we don't and can't legislate for something so subjective and without any quantifiable evidence for its existence other than self reporting. Which is why 'Sex' in the equality act refers to biological sex ( which is objective and measurable) and not assumed 'gender identity'.

People who have the protected category of 'gender -re-assignment' already have protections from discrimination, yet this still doesn't give them the protections afforded to people based on their sex, if the person with the GRA is not of that sex. ( in spite of how they feel or identify)

This fact establishes that, on one hand, you can believe something to be true about yourself, but you don't necessarily have the protections afforded to those that actually do have that characteristic.

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 14:04

noblegiraffe · 25/06/2026 14:01

Why do so many of them change their minds?

They don't. All the available research shows regret rates are low.

Heggettypeg · 25/06/2026 14:03

One thing that struck me is that the wording for sexual orientation protects one's sexual orientation per se from conversion, ie a gay orientation is not specified. So attempting to coercively persuade anybody about their sexual orientation is out.

But when it comes to gender, there is protection against coercive persuasion not to be trans, but no protection against coercive persuasion to be trans. Leaving a clear field for indoctrination and emotional pressure in the latter direction.

In other words, the right to one's gender identity ( or to an absence thereof) is only protected from conversion if one identifies as transgender. That's not equality. That's privilege.

BridgetPhillipsonIsACowardlyJobsworth · 25/06/2026 14:03

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 13:44

Are you really still parroting the "we don't even know what gender meeeeeeeeeeeeeans" line? This isn't actually a contested issue, the only "Issue" is gender criticals refuse to accept any reasonable definition because you don't want to believe that either gender identity or trans identities exist so you have to pretend it's all too complicated to fathom.

Your gender identity is your internal sense of what sex you are. For most people, this aligns with their biology. For a minority of people, it doesn't. These individuals are transgender. The EA protects these individuals from discrimination if they are undergoing or proposing to undergo a process of gender reassignment. This draft may offer slightly wider protections by also explicitly including non-binary people and it looks like it may also cover people who are trans but haven't "undergone a process" which is reasonable because conversion therapists tend to target people pre-transition so it avoids a loophole where they can get away with this. This doesn't create any conflict with the Equality Act because protecting these people from conversion therapy doesn't have any impact on how service providers and employers operate, which is what the Equality Act governs.

Are you really still parroting the "we don't even know what gender meeeeeeeeeeeeeans" line? This isn't actually a contested issue, the only "Issue" is gender criticals refuse to accept any reasonable definition because you don't want to believe that either gender identity or trans identities exist so you have to pretend it's all too complicated to fathom.

Thanks for the "good faith" posting, why do I even bother to think I might get a sensible, well-thought out, adult response from you? You really have blown it. So childish.

Your gender identity is your internal sense of what sex you are.

How do we build a robust law around someone's "internal sense?" Define "gender identity" so it covers everyone that this law will cover and in a way that can be proven or disproven in court.

a process of gender reassignment.
Define "gender assignment" so it covers everyone that this law will cover and in a way that can be proven or disproven in court.

non-binary people

Define "non-binary people" so that it covers everyone that this law will cover, and in a way that can be proven or disproven in court.

who are trans but haven't "undergone a process"

Define "trans" and "undergone a process" so that it covers everyone that this law will cover, and in a way that can be proven or disproven in court.

This doesn't create any conflict with the Equality Act because protecting these people from conversion therapy doesn't have any impact on how service providers and employers operate, which is what the Equality Act governs.

I think you might be incorrect here, but perhaps some legal bods can give us the Actual Answer.

I'm going to leave this here so others can have a think, and perhaps come up with some grownup answers.

You don't need to respond unless you want to. I won't be corresponding with you about this again. It's a waste of my time.

ed. sp.

noblegiraffe · 25/06/2026 14:01

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 14:01

And trans people aren't going to stop existing just because you stamp your foot really hard and wish it so, nor are they going to stop being entitled to rights, recognition and protection, nor are decent people going to stop believing that they are entitled to such, so you'd probably better find a way to come to terms with that reality or the rest of your life is going to be very frustrating indeed.

Why do so many of them change their minds?

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 14:01

Ereshkigalangcleg · 25/06/2026 13:55

Men will never be women, whatever crap sophistry you come out with 🤷‍♀️

And trans people aren't going to stop existing just because you stamp your foot really hard and wish it so, nor are they going to stop being entitled to rights, recognition and protection, nor are decent people going to stop believing that they are entitled to such, so you'd probably better find a way to come to terms with that reality or the rest of your life is going to be very frustrating indeed.

OldCrone · 25/06/2026 14:00

fromorbit · 25/06/2026 13:37

More takes from X

From LGB alliance

Bev Jackson

It is clearly no coincidence that the draft Conversion Practices Bill has been published almost simultaneously with the plan to press ahead with the puberty blockers trial. The expectation is presumably that opponents will be overstretched and unable to fight both effectively. Gender identity activists always underestimate our strength and determination. Big mistake!

Caroline Farrow
·
1h
They published the conversion therapy bill this morning. I’ve read all 20 pages so you don’t have to. It’s worse than the press release admits.

Doctors are protected; the bill carves them out.

Mums aren’t. There’s no equivalent line anywhere in it for a parent.

And “emotional pressure” is written in as something that can make your conduct “abusive.”

So a mum who urges her daughter to wait, to be at peace with her body, is left to a prosecutor’s view of whether that was abuse. She could get up to 5 years in prison.

It goes further. The police or your local council can ask a court to order you to stop, before any charge, before any offence, and even without you in the room to defend yourself. Breaking that order is itself a crime.

Hilary Cass was reassured doctors could keep working. Fine. Now show me the line that protects a mother.

There isn’t one.

It needs stopping

Maya Forstater
The puberty blockers trial and the promised conversion therapy bill are both solutions looking for a problem. The actual thing they are trying to solve is how to legitimise the idea of adult transexualism as being an in born trait which requires extreme societal accommodation.

Rosie Duffield MP

Make no mistake, this will include parents who are convinced their healthy child may simply grow up to be gay and would like them to pause, talk and think carefully before drastic surgery...

Parents convicted of ‘conversion therapy’ face five years jail.

Maya Forstater
The puberty blockers trial and the promised conversion therapy bill are both solutions looking for a problem. The actual thing they are trying to solve is how to legitimise the idea of adult transexualism as being an in born trait which requires extreme societal accommodation.

This can't be repeated often enough.

Remember what all this is really about. It's all really about adult male transsexuals.

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 13:59

Ereshkigalangcleg · 25/06/2026 13:54

Where is the proof of “internal sense of what sex you are” existing in everyone, that can differ from your actual sex?

Where is the proof same-sex attraction exists? Where is the proof love, happiness, or hope exists? Where is the proof depression exists? You - obviously - can't see an internal state; that doesn't mean it isn't real or that people don't really experience it.

OldCrone · 25/06/2026 13:58

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 13:47

Some people might think they are gay for a period of time then change their mind. This doesn't mean gay people don't exist.

But they haven't lopped off healthy body parts or taken medication with irreversible effects during the time when they thought they were gay.

And they certainly haven't pushed the idea that confused children should have their bodies irreversibly changed either.

Shortshriftandlethal · 25/06/2026 13:57

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 13:51

Cool. Legislation obviously has to take into account people and experiences other than yours.

We don't legiislate for every possible range of human feeling or sense of self. That would be ridiculous. When something is so subjective, how can one legislate for it?

Ereshkigalangcleg · 25/06/2026 13:55

Men will never be women, whatever crap sophistry you come out with 🤷‍♀️

Ereshkigalangcleg · 25/06/2026 13:55

Right backatcha

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 13:54

Ereshkigalangcleg · 25/06/2026 13:52

Well yes, obvs it has to take into account people experiencing life in their male bodies. We call these boys and men.

That angry little footstamp can be heard three counties away.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 25/06/2026 13:54

Where is the proof of “internal sense of what sex you are” existing in everyone, that can differ from your actual sex?

noblegiraffe · 25/06/2026 13:54

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 13:47

Some people might think they are gay for a period of time then change their mind. This doesn't mean gay people don't exist.

I didn’t say transgender people don’t exist, I was merely pointing out that feeling an incongruence between internal sense of sex and biological sex doesn’t mean you are transgender like the pp claimed.

Shortshriftandlethal · 25/06/2026 13:53

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 13:44

Are you really still parroting the "we don't even know what gender meeeeeeeeeeeeeans" line? This isn't actually a contested issue, the only "Issue" is gender criticals refuse to accept any reasonable definition because you don't want to believe that either gender identity or trans identities exist so you have to pretend it's all too complicated to fathom.

Your gender identity is your internal sense of what sex you are. For most people, this aligns with their biology. For a minority of people, it doesn't. These individuals are transgender. The EA protects these individuals from discrimination if they are undergoing or proposing to undergo a process of gender reassignment. This draft may offer slightly wider protections by also explicitly including non-binary people and it looks like it may also cover people who are trans but haven't "undergone a process" which is reasonable because conversion therapists tend to target people pre-transition so it avoids a loophole where they can get away with this. This doesn't create any conflict with the Equality Act because protecting these people from conversion therapy doesn't have any impact on how service providers and employers operate, which is what the Equality Act governs.

It is highly contested. This point was discussed at yesterday's 'Women and Equalities Committee' - when panelists asked " What is the point of a GRA, and what does it convey "?- if it doesn't afford the holder of the certificate ( bearing in mind most trans identified people don't have/or seek a certificate) the right to use assumed 'Sex' based provisions.

Nobody can explain, with any consistency, what a 'gender identity' is....it is always a circular argument that comes back to amorphous feelings and stereotypes.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 25/06/2026 13:52

Well yes, obvs it has to take into account people experiencing life in their male bodies. We call these boys and men.

Zoonosis · 25/06/2026 13:51

Ereshkigalangcleg · 25/06/2026 13:49

I don’t have an “internal sense of what my sex is” other than knowing I’m female, and experiencing life in a biologically female body.

Cool. Legislation obviously has to take into account people and experiences other than yours.

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