Please add your voice - Scottish Minister invites comments

[theOtherPamAyres]

It's not enough to tag ministers into your Twitter conversation. It's not enough to air our anger and frustration on MN. Sometimes we should grab an opportunity to show how many women feel strongly about this.

The Fairer Scotland/Trangender Equality Minister S. Somerville invites you to comment on her analysis of women's concerns.

For my part I think she's got it wrong. It's not just a case of 'fear of violent men' - although that comes into the equation. There's a ton of issues around safeguarding, privacy, dignity, the definition of women and so on. All of us come from different perspectives (mine is heavily towards the role of government in coercing women to budge up and give up rights).

I would ask you to consider replying to the Minister, even if you aren't in Scotland. A failure to respond in sufficient numbers will look as though the trans thing is opposed by a transphobic minority.

Please. Do it for Joan mcAlpine, me, you, and every woman out there.

blogs.gov.scot/fairer-scotland/2019/04/18/transgender-rights-and-equality/

Done...has anyone seen any comments yet?

I just read it.

Oh lord, where to start...… with some muppet who has already decided it's about some prissy idiots flapping about being assaulted and there are No Other Issues.

(Because that never happens. Ever. Especially in Scotland where TW never ever assault ten year olds in toilets and then get put in women's refuges. And we have such a fantastic track record of prosecuting assault, sexual harassment, rape and generally protecting women's privacy and dignity in the UK.... )

I'm starting to think a compulsory lobotomy is part of getting a minister post and Joan McAlpine just somehow managed to dodge hers.

It's a full time job keeping up with it all. It will be interesting to see how this will go in Scotland. It's a shame because the women politicians in the SNP seem to be intelligent and doing a good job...but they are closing their eyes and ears on this.why?

Going to do am frothing already 💪💪

I have responded, with no hope that it will be given attention. I and other women met civil servants re the GRA reform consultation and with Shirley-Anne Somerville’s herself. I see no evidence from this blog that anything we said was heard.

Bump

I just saw that the Guardian has publicised this under the heading of Standing up for Trans rights. What the hell happened to standing up for women's rights?

Done, although i notice they are not making anyone’s comments public yet.

The cynic in me says this is to avoid people feeling encouraged to join in, or so they can deny any overwhelming response that doesn’t fit with their own views.

Scotland wants to be ahead of the game with its woke credentials, but until we face up to the massive issues with sexism in our culture, it’s never going to happen. It’s like they are putting a rainbow coat of paint over the top of the mess that is society’s behaviour towards women. Our courts can’t even deal with sexual assault and domestic abuse appropriately but hey, lets redefine what it means to be a woman, so that everyone feels included. Fuck sake.

Thanks for bringing attention to this. I will write something up today or tomorrow.
Is there a bullet point list of key concerns and objections anywhere that I can reference while writing? I don't want to come across as rambling or ranty.

Especially in Scotland where TW never ever assault ten year olds in toilets and then get put in women's refuges

Or murder people and sexually assault female prisoners when placed in a female prison.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/19/trans-murderer-serving-life-will-receive-80k-gender-reassignment/

So, Shirley-Anne, how are we to make Scotland a place where everyone can feel safe if this is being allowed to happen?

AltogetherAndrews yes, I agree. And if you convince women that feeling oppressed by gender stereotypes means you should change your gender id, then we don’t have to worry about changing society. It’s misogynist individualism where woman is redefined to mean feminine essence.

Thanks, will indeed respond.

Is there a bullet point list of key concerns and objections anywhere that I can reference while writing? I don't want to come across as rambling or ranty
That would be great coz I get very ranty

My main concerns:

1. Children being taught unscientific and questionable theory as fact.

1. The potential for children/teens to be 'affirmed' as trans and put onto a path that involves potentially harmful medications, breast binding, surgery, etc. Also that information on this could be withheld from parents.

1. An apparent acceptance of 'male brain' and 'female brain' theories that is inherently sexist and harms everyone who doesn't conform to rigid stereotypes.

1. Safeguarding problems with regards to predators using and abusing self ID as a means to gain access to women and children.

1. Male prisoners taking advantage of 'turning trans' as a way to escape from higher-security, stricter male prisons, which may lead to:

6.Women in prisons being exposed to male-bodied offenders who may also be sex offenders.

1. Patients or people requiring care (especially elderly or vulnerable people) being pressured or frightened into accepting care from someone of the opposite sex when they wouldn't want that.

1. Those with certain religious beliefs being excluded from places that were previously single sex and are effectively no longer so.

1. 'No debate'. In a democratic, supposedly liberal and free country, we have to be able to debate (respectfully, politely, etc) and we have to fight for freedom of speech, thought and belief.

10. Violence, threats and insults that mean most women are terrified to even bring the subject up in case they lose their job/safety/kids/friends.

11. Women's sports.

12. The loss of single sex spaces erodes our rights as women to gather, be in each others' company and discuss issues pertaining to women.

13. The suggestion that a woman's body, that has such a huge effect on life with regards to female puberty, hormones, menstruating, bearing children, sexual assault and rape, etc, is somehow no longer what constitutes 'female' is deeply offensive to me. Being a woman has nothing to do with dress, mannerisms or 'feeling'; it's an inescapable biological reality that has profoundly affected my life, and that of all women, since birth.

14. The educators, gatekeepers and pressure groups pushing transgender ideology are often run by people without proper qualifications and credentials.

15. The erasure of lesbian (and to a lesser extent) gay sexualities, identities and cultures.

Something for a bullet point list:

Compassion and compromise is expected from women only. They have been treated unfairly by being excluded from consultation exercises and the decisions that would affect them. No impact or risk assessments were considered necessary.

Politicians do not expectation that trans lobbyist should show compassion or compromise. The starting point has always been "no debate, transwomen are women".

My female SNP MSP, who is a good personal friend of one of my friends, won't even reply to me on this subject. I am charitably taking the view that my email has been overlooked and will be printing it off and posting it to her office with a covering letter to see if that helps.

Joan McAlpine sums it up in a statement welcoming the MInister's invitation to women:

I hate the telling kids they need to lie. And not believe what they see. So they have no boundaries.

So when these boundaries are broken. Wher3 the fuck are we going with this.

So there is a boy in your changing room. Naw he is not a guy he is a girl. Suck it up. Kk he was a guy last week but today he is a girl.

Let’s lie

There’s a guy on your athletics team. Naw let’s lie he’s now a super brave girl

Despite the fact in our country you cannot transition till you ar3 18.

Suck it up girls. Know your boundaries.

Now we have none

I have met too many trans men and women, particularly young people, who struggle on a daily basis just to feel safe, secure and accepted for who they are

I wonder what she means by this. I am happy to accept transgender people as who they are - transgender people who should have the same rights as everyone else. Or is she asking us to believe that people can change sex?

Yeah old crone

We are a really small country. How can it be that she is meeting too many trans people that feel unsafe

How about meeting us women in Scotland. Who feel unsafe on football days or just walking home ffs

Do they get acces to her that us lesser mortals can’t.

Am not special or brave just bog standard woman with 3 kids
I guess am not stunning or brave enough for Shirley.

Also this:

The fear is that some men will use trans equality as a Trojan horse to access women and do us harm.

And I understand that. But it means the problem we face is not one of trans women wanting to feel safe and accepted – it is one of how we protect and safeguard women against potentially abusive men. That’s not a new problem in Scottish or global society – nor is it one created by trans women.

Actually, it is created by the sort of transwomen who think they should have access to women's spaces. If transwomen weren't given access to women's spaces then they couldn't be used as a Trojan horse. If men are abusive towards transwomen, as gender non-conforming men, then that is an entirely male problem to be sorted out, and shouldn't affect women at all. How has this become women's problem?

Transwomen should feel 'safe and accepted', but as transwomen, not women. If men have a problem accepting that, then direct your efforts at men, not women.

Just about to press post, and I see she's talking about 'trans equality'. What does she mean by 'trans equality'? Does she think transgender people don't have the same rights as everyone else? Or is she talking about the right of transwomen to be seen as women - does she really think people can change sex?

No doubt she doesn’t really think people can change sex.

She is just saying that rubbish as she would be the first politician in Uk to actually say that she don’t believe people can change sex.

Not one has said that yet

YY OldCrone. I picked out that section as well.

This is why we have to stop trying to “be kind”.

We need to avoid the argument that “bad men will use this”. We need to be pointing out every single time that male people, however they identify, are a risk to women, and especially in the spaces where sex segregation is used to keep women safe.

It’s not some separate “bad men” we need to keep out of women’s spaces. It’s ALL MEN.

I haven’t responded yet. Must go back and do it.