This is an important official petition to Parliament started by Sex Matters.
Privacy is guaranteed.
If you already know about it and would like to sign and share it,
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petition.parliament.uk/petitions/623243
Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex
The Government must exercise its power under s.23 of the Gender Recognition Act to modify the operation of the Equality Act 2010 by specifying the terms sex, male, female, man & woman, in the operation of that law, mean biological sex and not "sex as modified by a Gender Recognition Certificate"
The Equality Act 2010 covers nine separate protected characteristics, including “Sex” & “Gender Reassignment”. This protects people against sex discrimination and discrimination because a person is transgender.
There has been much confusion about how the Equality Act and GRA interact. This has caused uncertainty and conflict for women, transgender people, and service providers. The GRA includes a provision to amend other laws to make it clear whether a GRC changes the definition of sex for that law.
With 100,000 signatures the Government
will consider a debate in Parliament. 14000 more signatures are needed by the cut-off date 20th April.
Here is the Sex Matters Campaign
Make the Equality Act Clear
sex-matters.org/take-action/make-the-equality-act-clear/
To show how lawyers recognise the need for more clarity, these are links to House of Commons oral evidence given 23rd January and 10th:
^Women and Equalities Committee
Oral evidence: Gender Recognition Reform^
(Scotland) Bill and Equality Act 2010, HC 1098%^
Tuesday 31 January 2023
committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/12639/pdf/
Women and Equalities Committee
Oral evidence: Reform of the GenderRecognition Act, HC 884
Wednesday 10 February 2021
committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/1693/html/
About Lady Haldane’s recent judgement in Scotland:
FWS’s claim was dismissed by Lady Haldane in a judgment published on 13 December 2022. Lady Haldane stated that the meaning of the word ‘sex’ for the purpose of the EqA 2010 ‘is not limited to biological or birth sex, but includes those in possession of a GRC’.
didlaw.com/equality-act-case-study
N.B The Government has given its response following the first 10,000 signatures which should be ignored
The response does not address the question asked. It does not matter that sex based spaces are allowed as exceptions in the Act: lack of clarity is giving rise to litigation and the fear of it. There is a chilling effect.
Sex Matters wrote:
sex-matters.org/posts/updates/sex-in-the-equality-act/
Here again is the link to sign and share the petition:
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/623243