Does the government consultation re changes to the GRA start this week? Janice Turner thinks so

[R0wantrees]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/this-gender-battle-is-harder-to-solve-than-brexit-0jc0pn867
Janice Turner The Times:

(extract)
If Brexit is the most divisive issue in British politics, requiring a talent for squaring ideological circles and cajoling compromises from bitter enemies, reform of the 2004 Gender Recognition Act (GRA) runs it a close second. The consultation, long-delayed while three successive ministers for women and equalities scratched their heads, is finally launched on Tuesday.

Although even that isn’t official. Bizarrely the government wouldn’t confirm (or deny) the date. But I’ve seen emails: groups will give evidence in late July, a sleepy summer recess slot calculated, perhaps, to contain the GRA firestorm. Some chance.

Opposing forces are drilled for battle. On one side the trans lobby, including Stonewall and Gendered Intelligence, who claim changes to the process by which a trans person acquires a gender recognition certificate (GRC) are merely a tiny administrative tweak. On the other, feminist activists who fear that a legal redefinition of “woman” from biological sex to the nebulous, inner feeling of “gender identity” threatens female safety and privacy....

Most controversially she sought to replace the GRC process whereby a person must live in their new gender for two years and have a diagnosis of “gender dysphoria” (a mental disorder whereby a person feels their identity is opposed to their biological sex). Instead Mrs Miller proposed “self-identify”, ie a man could simply declare himself a woman with no requirement to transition physically.

The report caused a furore. Without hearing evidence from a single women’s group, Mrs Miller also proposed abolishing exemptions to the 2010 Equality Act which allow domestic violence refuges or hostels to admit only biological women. Interviewing Mrs Miller last year, I was flabbergasted by how little she had thought this through. She saw no conflict of rights at all: women, she said, must learn to accept without challenge male-bodied people using their changing rooms."
(continues)

Link to previous thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3269463-Government-response-to-the-petition

Does she know. Something we all don't know then as it's news to me if it's starting. Or is she just making stuff up

Here's the link with the share token;

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/this-gender-battle-is-harder-to-solve-than-brexit-0jc0pn867?shareToken=cf38efff426e9e97b2ec5749c66230c0

I would say it's a fair bet that a well established and respected journalist working for The Times may indeed know things that the general public does not, particularly when those things relate to a story she's been covering.

Thanks UpstartCrow

(by way of background)
Janice Turner wirites in both The Times & Sunday Times
Tweets at @VictoriaPeckham
"Janice Turner edited women’s magazines for eight years before she became a columnist on The Guardian. She has been with The Times since 2003 and since then has been shortlisted for the British Press Awards six times, winning interviewer of the year in 2014. As well as writing her column, she is an interviewer and feature writer for The Times."
She was also shortlisted for this years Orwell Prize for Journalism
www.orwellfoundation.com/journalist/janice-turner/

Right better get our campaigning hats on then. I'm trying to make a point I have just not seen anything about it being next they normally announce. These things in advance bit of a. Scoop there then if its correct

Once this is all over I want to send both Janice Turner and James Kirkup some sort of gift basket in thanks for their persistence in getting this issue in front of the general public while the rest of the media were doing their best to bury it.

The date will be very well known to many, no doubt subject to some negotiations.
Cf recent conference:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3268237-Westminster-Social-Policy-forum-today-Next-steps-for-transgender-Equality-WSPFEvents

I’d really like to know if the government has considered the costs to them of the proposed changes. I am presuming that when someone has a grc for their chosen gender, pension rules for that gender then apply. Why would every man not obtain a grc declaring them a woman to enable them to claim pension earlier? I appreciate that the rules are changing to make it the same age for both, but there could be a massive financial impact in the interim

AngryAttackKittens

Who doesn't like a good gift basket 😉

pension rules for that gender then apply.

This this is exactly why it was fudged in the first. Place and this as only just been resolved it court the government were. Very much aware of this cost at the time of the gra

Ouchiebum

The lack of impact assessments seems to be a common & serious issue.

cf Scotland
www.heraldscotland.com/news/16311379.schools-forget-girls-in-rush-to-adopt-pro-trans-guidance-campaigners-claim-as-christian-group-threatens-legal-action/

"A series of Freedom of Information (FoI) requests have revealed that councils have widely backed guidelines produced by organisations campaigning for the rights of transgender people but have not considered how the new approach will affect children – particularly girls.

The new guidelines tell teachers that if a transgender pupil wishes to share a changing room with "other young people who share their gender identity," they should be allowed to do so.

"There is no reason for parents or carers of the other pupils to be informed," it adds.

The guidelines say young people should be able to compete in the sports events for the gender they identify with, and says if other pupils are uncomfortable using changing rooms or toilets with transgender pupils, they should use other facilities or wait until the transgender pupil is done.

However none of the councils involved, nor the children’s commissioner, nor Education Scotland have carried out an equality impact assessment to ensure the rights and wellbeing of other pupils are unaffected. This means the impact on other students has not been taken into account." (continues)

I've read in a few places that it's starting next week. The LGBT action plan with the results of the survey is due out on Tuesday I believe.

We know the consultation will launch before the summer recess which starts on 24 July, so whatever the exact date, we don't have long.

Pension age equalises this year so there wouldn't really be a financial impact in that sense.

They are saying they have done an impact assessment (I realise the question is about age but I would hope the impact assessment would cover ALL protected characteristics?!):

The Government will publish the consultation on the Gender Recognition Act before summer recess. We have assessed the impact of consulting on reforming the gender recognition process as part of our Public Sector Equality Duty.

Here: www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-06-19/155328/

Reported this week:

A transgender woman who was unable to access her pension was discriminated against by UK law, the European Court of Justice has found.

The woman - known as MB - was refused the female state pension at 60 because she chose not to annul her marriage.

MB said she preferred to stay married to her wife "in the sight of God".

But a court has ruled a person who has changed gender does not have to annul the marriage they entered into before that change, to receive a pension.

Under the UK's 2004 Gender Recognition Act, trans people acquired the right to formally change their gender by obtaining a full "gender recognition certificate".

But the law states a certificate cannot be issued to a married person who does not have their marriage annulled on the basis of their gender change.

In the UK, women born before 6 April 1950 can apply for a state pension at age 60, while men born before 6 December 1953 must wait until 65.

MB, who was born male in 1948, married in 1974 and had two children. In 1991, MB began to live as a woman and underwent gender reassignment surgery in 1995, but did not apply for a gender recognition certificate.

When she reached her 60th birthday in May 2008, MB applied for a state pension, but was refused on the basis that legally she was still a man, and should therefore wait for the male pension at 65.

MB challenged the decision and her case went to the UK Supreme Court, where the judges were "divided" on the issue.

Supreme Court judges referred it to the EU Court of Justice for guidance... continues

concludes:
"After almost a decade, MB will finally be paid her pension and recognised as a woman by the government," they said in a statement.

"This is a small decision but it has great importance in the move towards increased equality and respect."

The case will now return to the Supreme Court to apply the ruling, but MB's lawyers said they are "hopeful" the Department for Work and Pensions will apply the ruling "without delay".

www.bbc.com/news/uk-44612117

They are saying they have done an impact assessment (I realise the question is about age but I would hope the impact assessment would cover ALL protected characteristics?!):

Yes it definitely should. The government really dropped the ball on this type of assessment of trans issues. I hope they do a thorough, honest and proper impact assessment, including ensuring those too intimidated to speak up have a safe and secure way of doing so, anonymously if necessary.

Right. Who gets consulted? Where?

How do we respond and make our voices heard? I’m presuming a letter to my MP is the start. What else?

including ensuring those too intimidated to speak up have a safe and secure way of doing so, anonymously if necessary.

See current threads:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3292541-Heads-up-to-all-ManFriday-members
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3291058--ManFriday-group-closing

twitter.com/Womans_Place_UK/status/1012782132635111425

Speakers include Kathleen Stock
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3289890-great-piece-by-academic-kathleen-stock-mentions-mn

I saw this yesterday. This it? Reading in. (Also please look at my Twitter thread thread. Don't add to it. Just look at the link)

Ah, I see that is not the event as this was already referred to upthread.

Once this is all over I want to send both Janice Turner and James Kirkup some sort of gift basket in thanks for their persistence in getting this issue in front of the general public while the rest of the media were doing their best to bury it.

Same here. They've been heroic.

Comments on the article are refreshing.

I think someone, somewhere, needs to pay for some more polling. More questions than Wings Over Scotland did but along those lines. We need evidence of public opinion on the underlying issues.

The trouble with polling is, as we know, that the broader population don’t have an informed view on the issue. Most are like I was - wanting to be nice and helping people who seem to be suffering, and not realising what a Trojan Horse is presented by this campaign.

Bowlofbabelfish

I have been wondering if there may be mileage in small informal groups of sumbissions or comment which focuses on particular aspects eg re clinical trials, data, homeless provision, gyny services, schools, cultural/religious groups etc etc.

Being mindful that the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

I think there are so many (possibly unintended) consequences and theres value in the focus not always being political / ideological.