URGENTLY calling all Scottish gender critical Mumsnetters

[Badgerthebodger]

Apologies for the essay below:

We desperately need you to contact your MSP re the bill which was passed today. There is a great explanation of the situation here from Dr Nic Williams of Fair Play for Women

In a nutshell, the Scottish government have now redefined the legal meaning of the word "woman". It has now been expanded to include:
"A person who has the protected characteristic of gender reassignment...if, and only if, the person is living as a woman, and is proposing to undergo, is undergoing, or has undergone a process, or part of a process, for the purpose of becoming female

They have passed this bill in anticipation of changes to gender recognition law in Scotland. That's the law that hasn't been passed, indeed the law which has only just concluded it's consultation period.

We urgently need people to write to their MSPs, or better still meet them, to register your protest against this bill and the lack of consultation. Even the Equality and Human Rights Commission have raised questions about the bill - they have been ignored.

Why should the Scottish government get to redefine the word woman without so much as a by our leave? Why do they think we should accept men as part of our sex class? Why do they constantly conflate sex with gender, mixing them up so nothing is clear anymore? Just exactly what happened in Scottish government to make them think the beliefs of a tiny minority should influence policy?

Please, please please please, make your voice heard. Write to your MSP, tell your friends to do the same, meet your MSP and tell them that you do not accept this. I can help with letters if anyone needs any pointers but the strongest way to object is to write a personal letter telling your MSP exactly what you think.

TL, DR: Please write to your MSP re today's bill to register your protest

Plectrum and Betsy*
Thanks for links and info. Will get on it!

I was looking at applying for a public appointment. It asked me if I identified as disabled.

Thanks to all those who shared their MSP on PM, much appreciated.

I think I've got the template out to everyone who asked for it - can you let me know if I've missed you please?

Appreciate others chipping in as well. I know it seems like a done deal but if we assume they haven't thought about the wider ramifications of this bill then it's right that we bring it to their attention. It also opens a dialogue with your MSP, there have been some great results from people who have met their MSP in person so if you feel able to do that as well it would be fantastic.

Thanks to everyone who has written so far!

I see parellels with the named person scheme that the SNP pushed & pushed.

Does anyone else? Or does anyone have links to no2np? ( no2np.org )

It was squashed by the supreme court but maybe someone involved has insight that could help prevent self id getting that far.

Oh they have major form for forcing through 'bad law' the SNP's Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act e.g. has also been trashed and now is being withdrawn. Yet another total waste of time and our money.

Bejazzled oh yes that one is dubbed "the law no one wants" isnt it!
it was more the campaign side I was thinking maybe no2np had tips or maybe there are other campaign groups that do?

Is there anything that Scots women living in England can do?

The Act is not actually in force as other than sections 13 (which is simply an enabling provision to pemit secondary legislation by statutory instrument to be made if needed) and 14 (applying the title) there are no commencement dates.

The SNP are also ploughing on with the BTP merger that seems to be something that nobody wants except them. As Sturgeon likes to say they’ll take no lessons from anyone. They just do not want to hear what the general public think on anything. So I’m not hopeful we’ll be listened to.

Anyone but particularly @Badgerthebodger please can you tell me where the date of bill passed on 21st March comes from? Royal assent was 9th March per parliamentary website.
Thanks!

According to the print of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 on legislation.gov.uk, the Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 30 January 2018 and received Royal Assent on 9 March 2018. I'm not sure where 21 March comes from.
There will need to be commencement dates for the provisions of the Act to 'start them up' but as far as I know regulations containing commencement dates haven't been made yet.

Thank you ScarletBegonias
Those are the dates I see too.

I had a quick read through of the link you shared Plectrum. It’s not about women and TIMs. It’s about women and men and the whole thing is smoke and mirrors.

More than once it used phrases such as ”woman-centred, gender-specific services“

So the “women who have been sexually assaulted or have experienced any other form of violence” might include TIMs in the minds of those writing it. Or did I miss a section where it was spelled out that “men” includes trans-identifying males”?

Anyone but particularly @Badgerthebodger please can you tell me where the date of bill passed on 21st March comes from? Royal assent was 9th March per parliamentary website

The Act has been passed but only sections 13 and 14 are in force. It is sitting on the statute book but none of it is being put into effect in real life.

It will need secondary legislation (stautory instruments) to create regulations for how it will work. The SNP loves secondary legislation as it is not scrutinised in parliament the way primary legislation is. Secondary legislation is suposed to deal with the nuts and bolts of making law work but the SNP pushes through primary legislation which is so wooly that the SIs end up containing substantive law.

It will go live in the usual piece- meal fashion of Holyrood legislation.

Holyrood legislation is a mess- at least this Act is self- contained. There are other Acts currently sitting partly implemented which amend existing Holyrood and Westminster legislation which makes several areas of law a shambles.

Thank you Lass

Thanks Lass great, clear explanation (much better than I would have come up with)

Have had a reply asking for more information from my MSP's office. I sent the link. Will report back.

Cismyfatarse that sounds positive (i think?!)

My MSP would apparently "be happy to discuss this matter with you" he's SNP.

Is that good or bad? I cant help thinking that writing a reply takes less time so in person is positive but maybe it just means he wants to laugh in my face

I will require coaching...

Waddlelikeapenguin
Ooh mines snp too! No reply yet tho except acknowledgement. Hope its a good sign though. We could coach each other!

Got a two page reply from my MSP.
Disappointingly skims over the important stuff and bangs in about how wonderful this all is. Works on the assumption that anyone trying to access women's spaces is a mousy gender dysphoric individual who just wants to fit in. No acknowledgement of the risks.
Think I'll go and see him at a surgery. Not that he offered this up! Clearly I'm a horrible transphobe.

He also says Scottish Womens Aid and Rape Crisis support the changes. Is that true?

Gruffalo they rely on funding that I don't think the parliament would give them if they were not seen as being on-message.

Yes my understanding is scottish parliament wont fund if they exclude transwomen from women only spaces.