appointment with MP about the proposal to change the GRA

[drum123]

Long time lurker on these threads which have opened my eyes to the whole trans gender issue and the dangers to women's rights/safeguarding. I'm going to see my MP in a couple of weeks to voice my concerns about proposed changes to the GRA. I'm not sure where he stands on this (he's Tory) but since I think this is the biggest issue we face at the moment, I can't just sit and do nothing. I'd like some help putting my thoughts together into a coherent statement that I can get across in the fifteen minutes I have with him. What are the main priorities? And which examples should I use to illustrate the points I want to make? I want to be clear here, I'm not transphobic, but am very concerned that people with other agendas are sheltering under the umbrella of trans gender and that self ID will make it much easier for these agendas to be normalised.

If he’s Tory I would go at it from the POV that the loony left are repeating the PIE fiasco again. Problems with one of Labours women’s officers, the greens and the whole Challenor fiasco.

What are the tories doing to ensure the safety of women, safeguarding of children, respect and protection for TRANSSEXUALS, have the tories thought about the liability issues when this all goes horribly wrong?

Guides - does he have daughters?

Public funding, which organisations is it going to, does this have potential to be embarrassing to the government?

Do they really think this is a vote winner? Mixed sex anything? Let alone hospital wards?

Has he read anything by Miranda Yardley, Kristina Harrison, Debbie Hayton? All trans, all very articulate all very concerned at ill thought out legislation.

Does he know David Davies can he have a chat with him?

I wrote to mine recently. Focused on the safeguarding issues.

Im going to see mine in a couple of weeks. I posted for help and got links to some useful threads. Will go and have a look

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3350246-Meeting-with-MSP
Here you go.

My MP is a barrister, so should be able to understand the legal ramifications of any changes. Hopefully that will make it easier to put my points across. Thanks for the suggestions so far, I'm going to practise hard for this!

Good luck. Fancy reporting back here? Im going to.

Thanks gardener. I will report back. The links are very useful, and I love the article by Julian Norman. Good luck to you too!

My MP seemed to take notice when I mentioned how the definition of "trans" had shifted from "up to 5000 people, with diagnosed dysphoria, who want to undergo surgery etc and actually get as close as they can to changing sex" (this was the group the original GRA was written to help) to be meaning "up to half a million people, not necessarily with dysphoria, who want to define themselves as the opposite sex for various reasons, but in many cases don't intend any medical changes at all and in almost all (male-born) cases wish to keep their penises intact" which is the group that would be covered by any changes made now...

Since his colleague, Penny Mordaunt has said “transwomen are women” and definitions are crucial to legislation, ask him to define “woman”. Then ask him to define a transwoman. Then point him to the Stonewall definition. Then ask him what you have in common with a transwoman (which includes “cross dresser”) that differentiates you both from men.

I went to see my MP (female, Lab) and also found that mention of the 'transgender umbrella' caught her ear. Important to focus on what individual service providers should do to deal with this issue. Bring up safeguarding. Also mention that it is perfectly reasonable to have some hurdles when someone wants to change their status in law, with a legitimate reason. Think, for example, of wanting to become naturalised as a British citizen - lots of hurdles there (residency, clean criminal record, employment history, language test, over £1000 fee etc.).

Good on you (two) for doing this. Face to face has to be the best way.

Somebody on here, Rowan? posted a helpful video of Posie Parker talking about seeing her MP (sorry, can't seem to find it)

Posie said she started by asking her MP if she thought TWAW? Then went into the stats about 85 percent under the TG umbrella having penises.

I started my MP meeting by saying that I was coming to see her about GRA reform consultation as it is the biggest role back of WR for a century. That you can't speak about the issue without speaking about trans.

I said that Penny Mordaunt had said that TWAW and that was the starting point. I stated that this concerned me.

I asked my MP the same question as Posie, does she think TWAW? If so why?. The whole TG issue seemed new to her and she said she'd have to think about it.

We then talked about key concerns, being branded transphobic and recent news stories.

I left her with a leaflet, a briefing sheet of stats and scenarios of voters impacted by GRA reforms (the pensioner in hospital, the parent of the daughter in a mixed sex changing room)

I followed this up with an email and links to key news stories and resarch and a letter to Penny.

I've just had a letter to say she's passed my letter on (PM will prob tear it up, but hy ho).

My experience was very positive, but I remember waiting, thinking, what if she opposes my view? But I was fully prepared to stand my ground, armed with evidence and that feeling that you get when you know you are fighting for what you believe in.

I had 10 mins or so and went like the clappers. I now wonder if she's picking up on the odd news story now, that nagging doubt... I mentioned the damage Maria Miller and Baroness Featherstone had done.

The case Rowan referred to about the 2 girls abused in the Scottish supermarket toilets and why MPs should be watching very carefully.

Good luck

Rollback!

If he’s a barrister, talk to him about how any change to the GRA or introduction of self ID will make the equality act almost meaningless. Ask him to think about how the protected category of sex in the EA can be used if the GRA makes the definition of woman change. Ask him to think about how self ID will impact the equality act,

At the moment I fear the government will use the cop out of changing. The GRA but not changing the EA, however just changing the GRA will make the EA unenforceable.

Ask him how sex based exclusions under the EA can be expected to be enforced if each case is decided on its own and needs to show its proportionate - ask him why fenale only spaces exist in the first place and why it’s up to individual providers to now justify themselves. Ask him how many providers he thinks will uphold sex as a protected characteristic if they’re likely to face vindictive lawsuits like Vancouver rape crisis.

Basically: changing the GRA makes the EA unenforceable and torpedoes women’s rights. Ask him about that.

I think the rush to ‘affirmation’ of kids agenda is particularly horrific because they cannot be fully understanding and consenting to the full implications of what they are doing by never achieving an adult post pubertal body. Parents don’t always appreciate that puberty blockers are not reversible and have side effects, hormones have side effects (vaginal atrophy etc) and you have to take them for a lifetime, and surgical interventions have loads of risks and side effects and can’t ever create an actual working genital system of the opposite sex.
I would suggest to read the transgender trend schools pack- which is evidence based and to talk the MP through the main points. Then you could ask the MP to advocate for more talking therapy for kids who need it. There is no doubt ROGD is a thing and those kids need support and help, not ‘affirmation’.

Thank you all so much for your help. Lots of reading and preparation to do, but if I can at least make him think about this and not just dismiss it, I'll be happy. I'm deeply unhappy that my local authority has adopted the SW guidance for all its schools. Luckily, as an ex teacher, I know that a lot of these guidelines get put on the shelf and never see the light of day again - fingers crossed that happens to this one!

Met mine. It went very well - much better than I'd hoped. Went with a pal who is GC too - we tackled it as a team which I would highly recommend if you can. We had a bullet pointed list of concerns and questions prepared mostly around the equality act and safeguarding re self ID. We almost got though it all - he was very attentive and wrote lots of notes. drum123 I mentioned the SW schools guide and others of that ilk and he seemed horrified. Said he shared our concerns and gave some useful advice about taking concerns further. Asked me if I had more information so I handed him the SAGES stuff and the Sex Matters as well. I was extremely nervous but so glad I did this.

I saw mine last week. There were two women in front of me who looked like they were a team - maybe it was you and your friend gardener! Mine didn't really 'get' it, but he listened and did seem to understand the legal implications. I gave him a document written by Julian Norman which another MNer sent me which argues the case for legal definitions. Hopefully, some of what I said will have sunk in.

Well done! Sounds like 2 positive meetings. Good to hear today as I'm having one of those days of thinking the world's going crazy...