Labour promises to keep single-sex exemptions

[RoyalCorgi]

From the manifesto:

labour.org.uk/manifesto/tackle-poverty-and-inequality/

"Ensure that the single-sex-based exemptions contained in the Equality Act 2010 are understood and fully enforced in service provision."

This is quite something.

Yes I’m sorry I used your language example out of context I realise that is what you were doing and the language thing is interesting.

I just received this reply from my Labour candidate after asking for clarification on the manifesto conflict between stating it will uphold sex exemptions but also stating it will introduce self ID.

"Thank you for getting in touch with me about what i know is a very important issue to many people. While i'm pleased the Labour party have begun talking about sex and gender based policy i can see the contradictions that you have described and i'm afraid honestly i don't know the answer to your question. I don't know whether any policy on wards will be sex or gender based, and i completely understand the importance of clarity on this."

"I personally am committed to upholding the sex based rights as outlined in the equality act. I understand the importance of, support and will strengthen if necessary the commitment to have exemptions that protect safe spaces for women - including refuges."

"I hope that goes some way to helping you understand my position and should i be re-elected as you MP if you would like to spend some time together discussing this is more detail i would welcome that conversation"

I also asked the same question of my conservative and LD candidates but have yet to receive a response.

I was going to vote labour anyway I know don’t judge but they’re all shit so this has made me feel mildly better about it anyway.

Can anyone explain how Labour intend to prohibit GRC holders from entering spaces where women are undressed or otherwise vulnerable when every piece of their ID will say “female”? I just can’t understand how this is in any way workable.

I don't think it is workable, and I don't think it ever has been workable. The only reason it hasn't been an obvious problem up until now is because only about 5000 people have GRCs (about 2/3 of whom were born male), many of whom are decent people who would prefer to self exclude from single sex spaces where they might make women uncomfortable, so this sort of situation has been rare.

With self-ID opening up the route to a GRC for about 500,000 people under the trans umbrella, some of whom are driven by sexual fetishism part of which is validation in their female identity, not to mention the men who are not trans but will self identify as women to get a GRC in order to gain access to women and/or children, we will have a huge problem with this.

This link to a blog post by Julian Norman was posted earlier in the thread:

filia.org.uk/news/2018/8/23/has-everyone-really-got-it-wrong#

She says:
"It is legal for an organisation to exclude a trans person even with a GRC. Whether this is possible in practice is a moot point"

Claire McCann said her evidence to parliament regarding Transgender Equality:

"I would doubt that a service-provider of single-sex or separate services could turn away a trans service-user who holds a GRC because this is unlikely to be proportionate."

publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmwomeq/390/39007.htm

Self-ID for GRCs means that single sex spaces can no longer exist.

That's a refreshingly honest reply, ^Northern*. I do actually find that reassuring.

Do you have a suggestion for an alternative phrase?

Can't we just say "necessary"?

And in my world, anywhere it's necessary to separate men and women (boys and girls) for safety, privacy, dignity or fairness, it's also necessary to separate any other male-who-doesn't-identify-as-a-man from women.

AssignedNorthern
That does look like a promising reply from someone who is willing to look at the issue in depth.

Really impressed with the reply. I had resigned myself to not voting which I'm loathe to do. But I'm strongly considering voting labour although I'm still concerned that self id erodes sex based exemptions. This is such a tough call for me.

I can imagine. If my Labour candidate sent me a thoughtful personal reply considering my concerns and perspective I'd be considering it too. But he believes TWAW #nodebate. So no.