'The Sunday Times exposes the full scale of an "activist silencing campaign” against opponents of controversial gender reforms.'

[R0wantrees]

Andrew Gilligan
Be kinder on gender, begs Jan Morris
The writer and sex-change pioneer calls for tolerance amid a bullying campaign against opponents of the right to ‘self-identify’

(Extract)
Her comments come as friends of Penny Mordaunt, the minister for women and equalities, who is in charge of the consultation, said extremists on “both sides” were making the issue “more complicated”.

Mordaunt hopes to make a decision quickly after the consultation ends on October 19. The politician, a likely Tory leadership contender, faces a dilemma, with substantial opposition to the proposals in her party despite public support from the prime minister.

Sunday Times research shows that at least 15 public meetings held by feminist groups opposed to the proposals have been invaded, threatened, picketed, closed down or forced to move venue by transgender activists.

There have been at least six incidents of violence or intimidation against opponents of the reforms, with one trans activist convicted of assault. At least 11 opponents of the change have been targeted through their jobs.

Trans campaigners are bringing private criminal prosecutions against three opponents after the authorities refused to prosecute them.

Feminists say the reforms would allow any man who identified as a woman into protected female spaces such as changing rooms. Trans activists say anyone who identifies as a woman must be treated as such."

concludes:
"Only 18% of the public back the reforms, according to a YouGov poll. Yet few frontline politicians have spoken against them. “The silencing campaign has been successful,” said David Davies, the Tory MP for Monmouth, who has himself been subjected to three complaints by trans activists, all dismissed. “This is supposed to be a public consultation, but actually having a consultation and debate is the last thing the transgender lobby wants.”

I think Mordaunt wants to make a quick decision as to whether to rush self-ID through (if initial results are favourable) or boot it into the long grass.

She doesn't want it hanging over her either way. Because, as others have said, she's ambitious and can see this bringing her down.

I still think long grass will win. Because Mordaunt values her career above everything.

I think long grass. Are we taking bets.

If the press and women keep the pressure up this will go into the long grass, the excuse the debate is toxic.

Labour under Momentum will keep going with this.

GP will drop trans ideology.

LD are going to keep going with trans ideology.

I think a short letter to every MP asking do they want to be campaigning at the next general election as the party that facilitated the move of Ian Huntley from men's prison to the female estate? That would alienate voters far more than any Brexit outcome because, while Brexit a hot potato, Huntley would bring down the wrath of males & females of all ages, north and south etc.

I think long grass. Are we taking bets.

The self-identified as such MP's wife who posted a while back said 'long grass'.

I don't care. We are dealing with this issue now because 2004 has had such a slow burn and it was used as a, "Well, you've ceded all of this. But this legislation is out of date with our present desires so here is just a tidy-up. A fresher, an update. There are no implications for EA 2010".

If this goes into the long grass, somebody will pick it up and use the same arguments of "updating in line with current reality". The current reality being that organisations are acting ahead of any changes because they're terrified of being sued. And because the guidance from Stonewall and EHRC is in error.

If this goes into the long grass, then it will be implemented by default. And in a surprisingly short timescale.

I want to repeal the 2004 GRA.

Women want to take back control.

Women decide the definition of woman.

No males, no lies, no compromise.

Arran: agree. Long grass is better than legislation. But the fight will go on to reverse every self ID policy already implemented, sometimes against the law. It will take years of sacrifice when we should be advancing women, not defending long held positions. The momentum of battle will leave us, because we are not basement dwelling obsessives, while the basement dwelling obsessives will continue to attack, and try to create case law by precedent, like this glinner deadnming nonsense.

arranfan, exactly.
My local authority's response to the Scottish consultation included saying that "this is what we do already so it would be good for legislation to be brought in line with that."
(Not an exact quote but very near. The words 'brought in line' were used.)

National legislation brought in line with a local authority!!!!!

In my opinion, this whole consultation was rigged so that only trans activists would know what was happening. They probably still see it as a formality. Penny and her friends have clearly only consulted with the activists who want the changes (without any thought to women, as per usual, or giving a toss about liberties like freedom of speech). Lord only knows what's been going on behind closed doors....
Trans activists claim to feel threatened by women with leaflets, yet women's groups have been systematically targeted and shut down. Private prosecutions, the West Yorkshire Police, doxxing, a bomb threat, graffiti, masked protests, a woman was assaulted...
I believe this whole set-up was to handwave everything through, and for all the activists groups, media, and all political parties to congratulate themselves on their "wokeness."
They may still end up doing that, because I honestly think this is has always been plan A. I don't think they even have a plan B.
At least some people are waking up, though, so it might be a little harder to ignore the lack of consent from the women who are saying "no."
It's interesting how sensitive the activists are to even the tiniest questioning. Jonny Best and his petition got a response from Ruth herself, who actually misrepresented the truth! Trans activists are like princesses sleeping on top of a million mattresses who cannot tolerate the even the tiniest pea of dissent.

heresy

Yes.

Yes: agree with this totally.

Opposition parties need to wake up to an opportunity to blast the Conservative party and Liberal democrats.

It's an open goal, if they could but see it.

During the coalition goverment, a Lib Dem Minister comes up with a Transgender Equality Action Plan. The Minister didn't ask for it and it wasn't a priority, but the Civil Service had it ready for her. The Conservatives begin implementation through guidance documents outsourced to transgender organisations. The Women (oh the irony) and Equalities Parliamentary Committee, meanwhile, push for further boundaries to be breached.

Any Opposition Party worth their salt would be on its feet at PMQs, pointing out the government's folly, questioning the lack of parliamentary debate, and challenging the assault on women's rights and safeguarding.

Open goal, I'd say.

Agree with all of this heresy . Self ID has been gift wrapped and is ready to be handed over. This whole consultation was intended to be just a pretty bow on the package.

The irony, I think, is that a U-turn on self-ID be great for the Conservatives themselves to capitalize on. The public mood seems to be for boundaries/sovereignty to be maintained (given Brexit), for politicians to reconnect with the ordinary voters, and to focus on things like helping the disaffected people outside the "London bubble" and the economy. People seem to want a bit of solid ground under their feet, and feel listened to. Self-ID is in every possible way the complete opposite of this. Not a single ordinary person looks at Hannah Mouncey playing against women and thinks it is fair. Not a single ordinary person looks at Jacinta Brooks and thinks this person belongs in a women's changing room with their 14 year old daughter.

Not one.

If it goes through, everyone will just think "have we all gone mad?!" and get incredibly frustrated that the Conservatives seem to have abandoned their core voters.

So if the Conservatives had any common sense right now, I think they could say that we have done our duty, looked at the negative responses, taken into account the public polling against self-ID, agree there are concerns, etc.... Say "we did our bit but it was not to be," as the people are against it. Or better yet, say there was such stifling of the debate by trans activists that self-ID cannot be pushed through in any legitimate fashion.

IMO, a clever politician could really decide to be the "common sense" voice now. Liberal principles like free speech, individual rights and democracy seem to be abandoned... So many people are politically homeless right now, and that centre ground is fertile pickings.

But I strongly suspect everyone with a significant stake in this sorry mess will just pretend they cannot see the harm they are causing women, keep restricting free speech rights and decide dissenters don't exist. When someone is very ideologically driven, they will carry on despite all reasonable protests, facts and logic. And these proposed changes are, in my opinion, entirely an attempt to enshrine a particular ideology into law.

I've nicked this from a post of seafret. From the original 2004 debate about the GRA:

Baroness O'Cathain said "We must not allow our natural sympathy for those who struggle with a serious psychological problem to blind us to the problems that the Bill will create for other people. If the Government persist in pushing through the Bill, they must make radical amendments to protect the freedom of conscience of those who simply do not believe that the law can declare a man to be a woman or a woman to be a man. It is only common sense and a basic human right for individuals to be free to believe fact rather than fiction, otherwise we are entering a dark future of coerced totalitarian-style law making."

I’ve just fallen in love with Baroness O’Caithain

(if initial results are favourable)

Well, surely they need to take into account, if going off sheer volume of replies rather than actual substance, that people like the LGBT Greens literally had a prefilled for for people to simply add a name to. So TRAs could just spam this over and over very easily!? So by my reckoning, there may well be more 'people' responding positively, but a lot of those are just spam as the wording will be identicial.

I wonder if actual substance of replies will be taken into account.

Or if obvious spam replies will be discounted. I would hope so, as a consultation is not about who can spam the most identical replies, its about actually..peoples opinions surely?

I think long grass. Are we taking bets.

I would bet self ID shoved through. Going purely off the way she refuses to speak to womens groups whilst courting stonewall and assuring them that they will get what they want (which is self ID AND a removal of the single sex exemptions...), and her statement that the consultation begins from the premise' transwomen are women'

I think it will get put through as well. My bet is it will be along with mealy mouthed reassurances that the EA won’t change. Then we will see a few tra court cases challenging what’s ‘proportionate and reasonable ’ and no one else will dare even try to comply with the EA.

People have suggested some kind of trust to run a war chest to fight legal challenges. Problem is, no one wants to be a trustee. I can't because my employer requires me to declare external interests, so I'd have to out myself at work.

Penny Mordaunt sees herself as a potential leader of the Tories, though not everyone is convinced she is bright enough. May is dead in the water and will be gone before the next election.

May was essentially annointed by the Daily Mail following Cameron's resignation.

The Mail will know that their readers dont like self ID. Both from comments and clicks. Ergo Mordaunt needs to wise up if she wants to stay in any race. I could see Gove in particular lifting his head above the parapet, given the battering his wife has received.

My concern is about the damage that is being done now, anticipating changes to the Act. So we need both the new Tory leader to be actively GC in order to roll back some of the Girl Guide and other nonsense, and for the Tories to win the next election. I do not see Corbyn doing anything to protect women.

Single issue politics, but this issue is that important. If women have no value, the rest whether it be housing, education, crime etc becomes meaningless.

I'm left enough that a Labour party that's heading further left should be my natural home, but I will throw my support behind any politician who steps forward on this issue and stands up for the safety and privacy of women and girls.

(So not only does the natural Tory base not want this, they will pick up disaffected voters from other parties if they have the backbone to actually push back on the gender bollocks.)

Prediction:

Consultation results ought to be published within 12 weeks, or a reason given for the delay.

I predict that the government will say that the response has been overwhelming and that the results will be published as soon as practicable.

There will be months, if not 12 months of delay, in the forlorn hope that interest will wane. Equality Ministers will come and go. MPs will sit tight - knowing full well that there is no immediate need for their saying anything for at least 6-12 months

Meanwhile, the grassroots women's GRA campaign continues to challenge existing forms of self i/d. Scandals, anomalies, absurdities and tragedies keep the issue in the public eye.

yes, I agree with theOtherPamAyres

for some reason our elected politicians are totally unwilling to pick up the political bunce that could be had from standing up to this nonsense

but equally they know a yucky issue that they don't particularly care about when they see one

so they'll take the 3rd way. long grass, excuses, out of parliamentary time etc etc