Discussion thread for Letters to our MPs about the GIB

[WoodPigeonInFlight]

Since the idea is to keep the "Open Letters to Our MPs on the Gender Identity Bill" thread for letters to MPs only, which is a really good idea, I thought I would start another thread for related discussion to help us formulate our letters.

I have three questions to help me write my letter:

1. Does anyone have an academic/medical type source/reference for the percentage of transwomen with an intact penis (which I have read is around 75-80%)?

2. I am trying to find my way round the reports etc for the Bill. Can anyone clarify and if possible link to the reports? I will answer this myself later if no-one else does, but just thought I'd ask.

3. Does anyone have an academic/medical type link for explaining auto-gynephilia?

Good idea. There are lots of points I am struggling to articulate.

Have you had a look at the Gender Critical Reference thread? You may find your answers there.

I sent this letter by email to my MP - I'm not putting it forward as a model but wanted to share the reply from him. As you will see, it doesn't answer my letter at all and reads like a Maria Miller press release

First my email

I wish to state my complete opposition to the Gender Identity (Protected Characteristic) Bill which has its second reading next week. Its aim is to replace Gender Assignment with Gender Identity as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010.

I appreciate that as a Private Members's Bill it is highly unlikely that it will get through the second reading stage but as it has been introduced by Maria Miller who is Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, it appears that the idea is being taken seriously by some at least.

If gender identity were to become a protected characteristic ( as for example it has in Canada) it would become illegal for self identifying women/girls , even with a fully functioning penis, to be refused entry to women only spaces or women only jobs, sporting events and so on.

Last week in Newcastle. a self identifying woman was charged in court with two counts of rape against a man. As only a man can rape, this woman clearly has a penis but she was referred to as a woman in court. As she was given bail, there was not the problem of her being remanded to a woman's prison although there has now been the case of such a person having to be moved twice from women' prisons because of inappropriate sexual activity with women prisoners.

I also believe that some police forces record crimes by trans women as female crimes which, clearly, in the long term would skew the crime statistics.

The whole issue of transitioning is complex and clearly potentially sets the rights of one group against the rights of another. I believe it is a folly at the moment to even consider such a Bill as a great deal of consultation and discussion needs to take place on this whole issue and its many facets.

I absolutely accept the right of people to transition and that they need protection against the transphobia that exists but this cannot and should not be achieved by taking away the hard won rights of women and girls to, for example, safe spaces, recognition of their achievements as female and the acknowledgment of the unique biological experiences of being born female.

I would welcome your views on this matter

Best wishes

I'll now try and post his reply - it's the photo of it above

What a fuckwit

Re autogynephilia, Ray Blanchard is the citation for that. Looking him up, he's got lots of articles, but these are probably key ones:

www.researchgate.net/publication/7735086_Early_History_of_the_Concept_of_Autogynephilia

www.researchgate.net/publication/308036975_Sexual_Arousal_Patterns_of_Autogynephilic_Male_Cross-Dressers

Re MPs, like most people I don't think they'll think too deeply about the question though they really need to as legislators. I think maybe we need to ask our MPs questions that they're gonna have to find out answers to. Eg 'what is the standard for gender identity as a woman? How does a biological male qualify and how do we know they're a woman?'
A: 'self declaration'
'Ok, so have you all thought about how changing the Equality Act will impact other laws on the statute books? Surely if the standard is self declaration then this Bill will provide a loophole for indecent exposure and voyeurism, which are offences according to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 -- all a man will have to do for his behaviour to remain legal is to go into ladies' changing rooms and claim to be a woman when challenged'

As potential legislation, I think it looks dodgy just on a legal basis and we need to point this out

The first link is Blanchard, other researchers wrote the second