Dear xxxxMP
I am writing to you as my local MP to express my concern about the proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act of 2004. I am interested to hear your views on this subject and how you will be approaching it with your colleagues in Parliament.
The purpose of these changes is to make gender identity a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 in place of gender reassignment. To pass gender identity into law would give ANY man legal status as a woman and ANY woman legal status as a man based ONLY on personal feelings. Gender identity by definition excludes and denies the existence of biological sex and so the protected characteristic of 'sex' would effectively be replaced by 'gender identity'. These changes threaten the essential and core identity of women. If we become unable to identify women as a distinct group based on our biology, then we lose the ability to name that group, advocate for that group, legislate for that group, protect that group and acknowledge the very real issues distinct to that group. And if we lose it, it is lost forever, and women’s very ability to name ourselves, speak out for ourselves, resist oppression and protect ourselves has been lost with it.
Redefining “sex” (a material and biological reality) to mean “gender identity” (a subjective feeling) not only compromises the safety of women and girls but also means that male violence against women can be hidden by being attributed to women. Furthermore, all kinds of discrimination against women and girls become invisible. Any person of the male biological sex will be able to self-identify as a woman, and from that point be recognised as such. Recognised as a woman in law (and crime statistics). Recognised as a woman in the media, recognised as a woman in the workplace (and gender pay gap statistics). Studies have shown that men identifying as women commit violent crimes at the same rate as biological men. If these men are included in the sex category they identify with this will inflate the female crime statistics. This fundamental change in shared language which has been understood for millennia, as women being adult human females, to women being ‘also male adults who identify as such’ makes men legally indistinguishable from women resulting in the independent legal existence of women as a biological sex class becoming non-existent, in order to protect the feelings of a tiny minority of males.
Once this occurs the repercussions for women are extensive. Any male will be able to gain access to sex-specific spaces and services. Women’s sport will be entirely undermined, women’s right to be in separate health facilities from males will disappear, women’s ability to choose female health professionals will disappear, female only schools will cease to exist. Sex-segregated facilities designed for the protection of women and girls would become segregated by gender identity. Any current space, or law, based on sex will cease to protect females. These policies will erode the human rights of women and girls by placing men above women in female-only spaces and putting women and girls at risk. A young girl who finds herself in a public changing-room with a naked adult male with a fully functional penis would be legally forced to call him a woman if he identifies as such as questioning his motives would be classed as a hate crime under the Equalities Act 2010. She would no longer have any recourse to legal protection from any man entering her private spaces, the law would demand that she protect his “identity”. Predatory men WILL exploit this eradication of women for their own personal gain. This is already happening. This will damage women, and genuine transwomen. 75% of males identifying as transwomen still have their penises. This fact coupled with the considerations above should give pause for thought. Sexual intimidation and assault on females by males is commonplace, not rare. This evidence from the British Association of Gender Identity Specialists suggests that male sex offenders could well be over-represented in the trans community, and therefore self-declaration without additional safeguards will put women at risk: gendertrender.wordpress.com/2015/09/13/gender-identity-specialists-warn-of-ever-increasing-tide-of-transwoman-sex-offenders/
The prison situation in the UK is very concerning. Even with the current safeguards in place there were at last count over 50 male transgender prisoners in women's prisons in England and Wales. However, HMPS do not even know basic information like how many of these people still retain a functional penis or how many were originally convicted for sexual violence against women. This is a disgrace. Plus we already have real cases of trans-identifying male prisoners raping female inmates in the UK. This is not a hypothetical situation. This is actually already happening. Relaxation of the GRC process can and will only make this situation worse as many more male prisoners apply to be moved. With no safeguards in place, and the ability to simply self-declare their new sex, it will be very difficult to deny them access to women's prisons without falling foul of the Equality Act 2010.
I am also concerned about the bill’s impact on children as the transgender movement has been co-opted by pedophiles. They propose that pedophilia is another form of sexuality that should not be discriminated against and that if a child can “choose” their own sex, they can also “choose” to be an adult and “consent” to sexual activity. It is concerning that many schools and other organisations are already implementing the bill before it has even been passed, for example the girl guides now allow biologically born boys that dress like girls and go by a girl’s name to join, including sleeping in the same tents as the girls. Adult males with a fully functional penis who identify as women are allowed to be guide leaders. Parents have no right to know and accommodation that was 'single sex' is now changed to gender id. Sex segregation has long been a universal protection for many good and obvious reasons. This law will effectively abolish sex segregation with no regard for the safety of children and adolescents.
Transgender people need laws to protect them from discrimination and to ensure their rights but this must not be done at the expense of the eradication of women. I cannot, and will not accept that erosion of biological sex is necessary, logical, desirable or anything other than harmful to women, adolescents and children. The vulnerability of women occurs because of biology, not identity. This is why sex is a protected characteristic under the Equalities Act 2010. The implications of replacing biological sex with self-identified gender are far reaching. The rights of transgender people and women must be considered separately, and the rights of one should not allow for the eradication of the rights and identity of another.
Please consider the needs and rights of women.
Please speak out for women.