The Times - Mordaunt faces backlash from MPs re Trans reform

[RogerAllamsFangirl]

Apologies if this link doesn't work

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/9800cc34-cf02-11e8-bde6-fae32479843d]

Sounds really encouraging. Tim Shipman and Andrew Gilligan.

I think the MoD link is an interesting one. We know that a lot of late-transitioning trans-identifying people come from backgrounds where they've previously thrown themselves into hyper-masculine activities (they would typically say this is part of being in denial and in the closet - they over-compensate; an alternative explanation might be that they typically come from the sort of highly sexist upbringing that pushes boy children and young men into hyper-masculine activities, and that's why they have such rigidly entrenched views about what it is to be a man or a woman that, realising their own personalities don't fit the "man" box, it feels to them like transitioning is the only solution).

From the perspective of men within the military this looks like an easy win. Embrace these transitioning soldiers and hey-presto, instant equalities tick. Not in the slightest bit threatening to the male status quo. No men have to move aside. Military gets to look forward thinking and progressive and inclusive without actually having to do anything (like tackle sky-high rates of sexual harassment, or deal with racism, or anything like that). Okay, a few of the "Dorises" might get a bit upset when they realise that the coveted "first woman in a combat regiment" spot has already been nabbed by a transwoman who had already finished basic training before women were even eligible to apply, but hey, we can ignore that if we spin it right in the press.

Mordaunt will have come out of that experience pretty much already primed to think of trans issues as an easy win on the equalities front, one that can be ticked off without actually challenging or upsetting the status quo in any way (a big win as far as most Conservatives are concerned - after all the whole point of being conservative is that you don't want major social change, that's kind of the point...)

Personally my rank outsider bets are currently James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat.

I've thought for a while Tom T.

I always suspected the outcome would be some kind of compromise solution. Doctor and a year's wait would seem reasonable-ish given what else was on the table. What do others think?

Overall with Labour and SNP there would still be a majority of MPs that would back self ID. It is not a party specific issue.

Depends on the figures for Labour and other parties doesn’t it? The 67% worried about impact on women’s refuges and changing rooms was MPs of all stripes.

Penny's brother is gay. So she's likely to see stonewall as a good thing.

katiegoestoaldi find out who your MP by putting your postcode in here www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

Write them an email. Doesn't have to be complicated. Doesn't have to be long. In fact, the simpler the better.

Just say- I'm worried about the implications of men being allowed to self identify as women under possible changes to the gender recognition act.
Make it personal if possible- how this would directly affect you- perhaps through care that you might need, or through facilities you might use that you'd prefer to be women only.
Ask if they think a man can change into a women just by saying he is.

Give your name & address or they won't answer.

It doesn't have to be long or technical. At all. MPs are just people- just like all of us on Mumsnet.

An excellent article and excellent comments too. The fat lady has not sung yet, though, and in particular we need to keep working on Labour.

Penny's brother is gay. So she's likely to see stonewall as a good thing.

Plenty of gay men can see the issues with self-ID and Stonewall’s approach though. Having a gay family member is no excuse for the Minister for Women to lose the ability to think critically

R0wantrees I was v surprised May hasn't given Tom T any ministerial role at all. Its a glaring ommision. Perhaps he is not polishing the right boots.

Maybe he's steering clear?

Possibly. But that in itself is untory like!

Having a gay family member is no excuse for the Minister for Women to lose the ability to think critically

Lose the ability?

Your evidence for her originally possessing that quality is based on.....?

tumbleweed

The third MP thinking about quitting over Brexit is said to be the incredibly talented and politically skilled Andrea Leadsom.
I hope this is sarcasm rtb

@katiegoestoaldi

Are you talking about emailing your MP to get them to attend the meeting at the House of Commons on the 16th?

Here is something you might be able to use. I've taken it from my own email, but my message is deliberately specific, because my MP has already received letters from me. ( i've changed it a bit, so it is cut and pastetable for you).

Dear

I'm writing regarding proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act and the current public consultation.

There is a meeting at the HoC where my and many women's views are being represented by Fairplay for Women, TransgenderTrend and a Woman's Place UK. Details below.

Can I request that you attend as my MP?

The issues that women have been concerned about are currently coming to a head. We are now in a situation where a convicted, self-confessed rapist has been transferred to a woman's prison, despite not historically identifying as a woman, nor having a GRC. He sexually assaulted four women and has since been convicted.

This is 2018. How can women in prison not be protected from convicted rapists??

I'm not underestimating the issue when I say this is the most significant threat to women's rights in a hundred years. If you cannot identify the group called women, you cannot uphold their rights.

Which is how we have men representing women on all women shortlists, diversity boxes being ticked where women are represented by men, men who just cross dress twice a week (Phillip Bunce), receiving accolades designed for women to encourage them in business, and rapists assaulting incarcerated females.

Women everywhere are being silenced. The dictionary definition of women as an adult human female is considered transphobic hate speech.

Normal women have been arrested, prosecuted, threatened with rape, relentlessly doxxed, punched (resulting in a conviction) and threatened with bombs, purely for speaking about this issue.

I urge you as my MP to support me and other women over this issue by attending the meeting.

Meeting: How will changes to the Gender Recognition Act affect women’s rights? Tuesday 16th October 2018 at 10:30am until 12:30pm in Room S, House of Commons

Yours sincerely

----
Bear in mind you have to put your address in the email, because your MP will dismiss it if you don't confirm that you are in their constituency.

Also, here is a link to the consultation, where they fill it in for you. I think the site is down at the moment, but I should imagine they'll get it back up soon.

fairplayforwomen.com/email/?nonamp=1#wpforms-17854

That’s a great letter Datun!

Interestingly, this article was published yesterday at 6pm with no "comments pending". This meant that people could comment on the article in virtually real time, allowing discussion. Normally, comments are held up for hours.
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/9800cc34-cf02-11e8-bde6-fae32479843d

The very same article was then republished - with a different title - this morning at:
www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/tories-rebel-over-trans-law-change-r035h9kgn
Here, comments are pending as usual for any article on the trans issue!

Why do you think that happened? Was it a mistake to publish it early?

I've just fired a version of that letter off to my MP this morning, thanks for getting me started off, Datun.

I also included this bit:

Women are extremely concerned about changes that will affect us, without our being consulted. I have been out in the community handing out leaflets from Fair Play for Women and talking to women in in recent weeks, and have found near universal support for women to have our say on this topic that so deeply affects us. Women are worried for themselves and their children. Men are worried about their female loved ones and their children too. Your constituents need your support on this.

An astute analysis of Mordaunt’s background from Fermat there. Couple that with the fact that she’s clearly quite thick and you can see how she can end up in the wrong place on this - unless her more intelligent colleagues make her aware of the political consequences of doing so.

Someone mentioned upthread that many organisations are “ahead of the law”. If the new GRA is a compromise and say changes to one year with Drs comsultations, does that mean orgs such as GG, will be breaking the law, if they carry on with their own rules?

Great addition Sophocles !

Someone mentioned upthread that many organisations are “ahead of the law”. If the new GRA is a compromise and say changes to one year with Drs comsultations, does that mean orgs such as GG, will be breaking the law, if they carry on with their own rules?

There is that potential if they continue to call themselves single sex rather than single gender.

It worries me that the government would consider shortening the time needed to legally 'transition' even if they drop self id.

We should be moving to repeal the GRA and tighten up the language on the EA so that there is no legal fiction that sex change is possible, but instead there is protection against discrimination due to gender presentation. That's it, that's all that is needed for the law to protect EVERY ONE to conform or not to sex stereotypes as they please, without needing to force people to accept a lie, or lose the right to single sex spaces for privacy and safety.

I also should add that I don't think that any law should exist to allow people to pretend they are the sex they aren't because of dysphoria. I'm sorry it hurts, lots of other people also suffer from mental health disorders which are immensely painful and difficult to manage, including me - the pain of sex dysphoria, as bad as it might be, should not be made a special case legally because of the issues that causes for everyone else wrt privacy, safety, and truth. We need to all push for better mental health services.

I don't think this is a heartless position, this situation where sex dysphoria is treated like a special case with special legal protections (and screw the wider impact) should never have happened in the first place.

JoanSummers

Absolutely!

We should be moving to repeal the GRA and tighten up the language on the EA so that there is no legal fiction that sex change is possible, but instead there is protection against discrimination due to gender presentation.

I made this point repeatedly in my consultation response.