Becoming a woman in Scotland only takes a moment, these days

[Seventrees]

So more "progressive" news: "For Women Scotland" has lost its judicial review case against the Scottish Government. The Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act is supposed to make companies have women on their Boards, because of the under representation of women. The Scottish Government and now a Scottish court have determined that a "woman" includes a man, just as long as he uses female pronouns and a female name and ticks the female gender box on forms. He can dress and behave as a man, no problem, and of course doesn't need to have gender dysphoria, be taking hormones or anything else. Oh, and you're not supposed to ask for any evidence of his using female pronouns, etc.

So if you're a (biological) man, but happen to have a unisex name and title - say you're called Dr Leslie Jones - all you have to do is tell people you use she/her pronouns and you qualify as a woman if a company appoints you to their board. Job done - the board now fully represents women!
The Scottish Government is now fully expected to use this in other legislation. Everyone who wants to be a woman - for ever or just for a (convenient) day - can be one now.

I'm so sad and sorry for Scottish women, you have my sympathy.

No haud yer wheesht, get your ribbons and your chalks out. Solidarity and a hug from me.

And of course as a man declaring yourself as a woman, you are completely protected by the hate crime bill and can shout down any biological woman if she says anything.

It's crazy. I can't possibly think most people in Scotland are on board with this. I'm not usually much of a feminist but the last 12 months have been rough (single mum, work full time in a male dominated profession, not much flexibility from work, turned 40 so seeing how the gender pay gap kicks in for many of us ). I honestly think most of the issues I face come from being a woman not from having a feminine identity (I'm not sure I have one of those anyway!) If a woman is being put forward on a public board to represent me I would have thought she should be a woman? I appreciate transwomen can identify with how a woman feels but it's not about feelings if we are talking about female representation?

Well I think they may be able to identify with how a trans woman feels and that is a different experience from being a biological female.

I really have no beef with people who go the whole hog (though getting that on the NHS is another matter) but this self ID pish is just pish.

write to your msp - not that that makes a sniff of difference where I am as we have a Cons MSP who can do nowt, and regional SNP MSP who has sod all interest in our views just follows the SNP rules.
Having regional MSPs as well as an MSP for your area sounds a good idea but the regional are appointed, I think, on the National vote. So if whole of Glasgow votes one way the votes of countryside voters is totally overwhelmed, by the city voters. Not good. I feel completely disenfrachised. But doesn't stop Nicola proclaiming what the PEeeple of Scotland think.

Yes, it might be how some people think (or don't think at all) but plenty of folk don't agree.

The whole erosion of women’s rights via the trans agenda reeks of something more sinister to me. I can’t understand how we have arrived here so quickly and how yielding our institutions have been! It feels like there is a plan that’s being worked to. I hate the way that the first people to get ‘worked on’ by Stonewall and Mermaids and the like are children. Sexualising their childhood experience and warping ideas of ‘gender’ to suit an agenda that just looks perverted, not actually trans. The glaringly obvious safeguarding issues with men in women’s changing rooms and toilets where normally there will also be children. The scandal of allowing male prisoners to clearly play the system and get housed with female prisoners, most of whom are very vulnerable. And here we are, 50 percent of the population reduced to a subset of their own sex. Why there is virtually no outcry just shows how little is thought of women in our society and how easily our fears are dismissed. The fact that it’s usually older women who have some life experience of how badly the cards are stacked against our sex just makes it easier for women to be dismissed; society values older people almost as little as women and girls so older women are worth very very little. I am absolutely sick of it.

Apologies for the lack of paragraphs!! Should have previewed

Was a joke, still a joke but now Scotgov policy

I agree Iamhanginin, I bet the majority of Scotland aren't aware this has happened, and wouldn't support it either. It's nuts. And at what point, if we write to MSPs or raise it publically will we be deemed to be committing a hate crime?

I agree. When I tell people what’s happening it sounds so ludicrous they don’t believe me.

Most people o know say,” ach, each to their own” and shrug, but don’t seem so keen when the reality is explained.

When you tell a man that literally all he has to do to become a woman in Scotland is to declare himself one, the stupidity of it becomes clearer.

The crazies seem to be in charge in Scotland now. Its so sad. I don't even want to live here any more. A lot of the councils are run like this now too.

Its amazing that women are still banned from sports facilities (such as certain golf courses) and cultural events (the Lerwick Up Helly Aa guizer roles, some common ridings full participation) and no-one in power is prepared to do anything about it. I wonder how a woman who simply declared herself to be a man for a day, using male pronouns, in such events might be treated.

The Lerwick Up HellyAa discrimination against women is particularly blatant. Women are only allowed to be hostesses, not march in the full procession, and public facilities such as halls, are used. But the local authority refuses to implement the Equality Duty!

I have to say that Scotland is a really sexist country now for women.

That's terrible Greenland. Could women who want to be guizers not just identify as men? Would be very tempting.

Of course, anyone can be a woman, but it seems not everyone can be a man - why on earth would that be

You can be a woman in the Masons now but only if you used to be a man in the Masons!

@Blurberoo 😂😂 it’s so mad

@Ifyourefeelingsinister

That's terrible Greenland. Could women who want to be guizers not just identify as men? Would be very tempting.

Of course, anyone can be a woman, but it seems not everyone can be a man - why on earth would that be

I get the impression that wouldn't go down well (a woman identifying as a man for the day or the festival).

It does seem much harder for transmen to participate in all aspects of society compared to transwomen.

@Blurberoo

You can be a woman in the Masons now but only if you used to be a man in the Masons!

love the consistency- they’ve always been women, oh unless there is a membership, title etc at stake...

This sickens me. the contempt for women from the Scottish Govt is appalling and now, with the passing of the Hate Crime Bill, any comment against TW in biological women's spaces and roles is a crime.
It is actually incredibly sinister. I wish more women in Scotland were aware of what is going on in the name of Trans rights

I don't think it's that clear-cut, dementedma. We need to speak out at least to the extent that the law allows us to. There may need to be some test cases. Which implies taking a risk, of course.

@dementedma

This sickens me. the contempt for women from the Scottish Govt is appalling and now, with the passing of the Hate Crime Bill, any comment against TW in biological women's spaces and roles is a crime. It is actually incredibly sinister. I wish more women in Scotland were aware of what is going on in the name of Trans rights

This is really in accurate.

Yep, it is a disgrace.