Hi Betsy - thanks so much for all your obvious hard work on this issue. I'm like most women - supportive of trans people and not wanting anyone to feel discriminated against, but very concerned that the rights to privacy, safety and dignity of biological women are being completely erased with these ill-thought out reforms. I feel like we've all been sleepwalking into this, and women are too scared to speak out due to censorship and bullying.
I just noticed that a lot of the sample letters to MPs are out of date and refer to Marie Miller MPs private members bill, and this is confusing. The govt have recently announced they will do their own consultation in the Autumn about reforms to the Gender Recognition Act to make it easier for trans people to self-ID, and it is this we should be mobilising around.
I wrote the below to my (Tory) MP recently. I will post his reply when I get it. Thanks for all you've done.
Dear XX
I am very concerned about the government's proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 including:
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Removing the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria before being able to apply for gender recognition. The current need to be assessed and diagnosed by clinicians is seen as an intrusive requirement by the trans community; and
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Proposing options for reducing the length and intrusiveness of the gender recognition system.
The proposed changes would make it easy for a man to self-identify as a woman, without the need for any medical diagnosis.
I am concerned about the impacts of this on women and girls, as a biological sex, particularly the loss of our privacy, safety and dignity. I am also concerned about the impacts of this on freedom of speech.
Under the proposed reforms it will become easier for a biological man to access women-only services and spaces (such as public toilets, changing rooms, showers, hospital wards, women's prisons, domestic violence shelters etc), compromising our safety and privacy, simply by claiming to be a 'woman'. Anyone challenging this (that a biological male with male genitalia should not be in a women's shower at a public swimming baths, for instance) would be guilty of 'discrimination' under the Equality Act 2010. Many people have absolutely no idea that this will be the consequence of these reforms.
Sex segregation in some public areas happens for very good reasons, as much of the harassment of women happens because of our biological differences, and these biological differences are deeply private. To understand the potential consequences of these reforms you only have to see the enormous distress that mixed-sex wards cause in hospitals. It is also worth knowing that there are several extremely sexually-violent men who are now claiming to be 'women', including Ian Huntley who is requesting transfer to a women's prison.
I am also concerned that measures to increase opportunities for girls and women will be taken away if boys and men are allowed to 'identify' as a girl or woman. For instance, biological men who 'identify' as girls or women would dominate women's sport due to their different biology - larger size, and greater physical strength and stamina. Data collection relating to sex inequality will be rendered meaningless. For instance measurements of the gender pay gap, or the prominence of women in high-level roles in business would be skewed by inclusion of men who climb the career ladder as men, but then later on claim to be 'women'. Scholarships and awards for girls and women could go to boys and men, rather than the girls and women they were intended for to increase their representation and opportunities. The collection of crime statistics will become meaningless, such as the case of a rapist being reported in the media as a 'woman' because he 'identified' as a woman, despite being a biological male capable of rape.
No one doubts that those who suffer gender dysphoria face discrimination, depression and high suicide rates, but action to support transsexual people should not be at the expense of women and girls. Trans people should be supported in over-coming or coming to terms with their gender dysphoria rather than forcing an unwilling population to deny scientific and biological reality, and undermining the rights of women and girls.
These reforms were not in the Conservative manifesto and I am sure will be deeply unpopular if the consequences are understood, or become apparent if the law is changed. A consultation will be happening in the Autumn and I wondered what your views were on how women and girls will not be undermined through any reforms.
I have found this website very useful. As a parent I thought you might do too: www.transgendertrend.com/
Yours sincerely