Freddy McConnell appeal today (Transman who wants to be registered as their child's father) *Title edited by MNHQ*

[MrsSnippyPants]

Haven't seen anything about this and it just popped up on Sky News. Hearing continues tomorrow

Newspaper report here
www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/transgender-man-who-gave-birth-21629478

From an interview with Buzzfeed, it looks like McConnell will be applying to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal.

They can't.

Permission to appeal to supreme court was refused.

That poor child - unbelievable self indulgence

www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-52471697

BBC quotes the solicitor saying that they're going to try and appeal to the SC

"He said Mr McConnell was seeking permission to appeal and intended to go to the Supreme Court"

You can apply directly to the Supreme Court for permission to appeal if you are refused permission by the Court of Appeal.

It does seem that sense is being restored. Maybe now is the time to get the GRA repealed. It was 'of it's time' and is no longer needed. We have moved on. People already with a GRC could have a 'grandfather' clause allowing them to live out their lives with dignity but no new applications to be processed would be the fairest route.

"He said Mr McConnell was seeking permission to appeal and intended to go to the Supreme Court."

Ffs Freddy. Stop being selfish and learn that no means no. You cannot have you way all the time. The one world does not revolve around you! Think of your child, not yourself.

That poor child - unbelievable self indulgence

The Safeguarding implications if McConnell's case were successful would have been for many childen at their most vulnerable, when newborn.

Represented by Laytons and that Andrew Spearman. He's on the surrogacy ethics board.

www.laytons.com/people/andrew-spearman

But erm, forgive me if this is stupid, but don’t you swear when you get a GRC to live as the opposite sex. So how was a man allowed to go for IVF? Surely only women could get IVF, what with having wombs and stuff....

So how was a man allowed to go for IVF

This was actually mentioned. (Spoiler: outwith the remit of the case)

^The second matter is this. Before the President, and to some extent before us, there was
argument about the HFEA 1990 and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008
(“HFEA 2008”). In particular there was debate about whether the infertility treatment
which was given to Mr McConnell could lawfully be given to a man as opposed to a
woman. The President addressed this issue, in particular at paras. 150-169 of his
judgment. He was troubled by the fact that, despite an invitation to take part in the
proceedings, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (“the Authority”) had
not done so.
26. In all the circumstances we do not consider it necessary or appropriate to comment on
the question whether treatment was lawfully provided under the HFEA 1990 and HFEA
2008 for the following reasons. First, there is no dispute about this in the present case
between the parties. Secondly, neither the clinic nor the Authority has taken part in
these proceedings, so it would not be right to comment on their conduct. Thirdly, a
similar issue of law may arise in future cases, in which it does have to be determined
and it would only be right to do so after hearing full argument. Fourthly, as the
President noted at para. 129 of his judgment, the issues of law which do arise in these
appeals cannot turn on the happenstance of whether conception took place naturally or
by means of treatment under the HFEA 1990 and HFEA 2008.^

toriap2 I was thinking exactly the same. Getting pregnant and giving birth is not exactly "living as man" is it?

Freddie should lose their GRC as there is no part of “living as s man” which is compatible with being pregnant. I also dread to think what exposure to synthetic testosterone in utero has done to the baby

Getting pregnant and giving birth is not exactly "living as man" is it?

That provides a valid argument for why the genderist requirement of "has lived in the acquired gender throughout the period of two years" should actually be dropped altogether. But the more requirements that disappear from the GRA, the more Danielle Muscatos, Alex Drummonds, and Jess Bradleys start popping up in women's single sex spaces.

At its heart, this case is to force into law a compelled belief that being pregnant and giving birth is something that men do.

Poor kid, imagine wondering if you were only born to prove a point

^^ This.

I’d hope Freddy will now focus on their child rather than themselves, but I won’t be holding my breath. They don’t sound a very happy person to me, and, much as this idiocy angers me, I do hope they find some mental peace. I would suggest that all these legal actions are unlikely to help them achieve this.

@franke no it isn’t lol. So therefore getting a GRC is meaningless if people are just going to lie when applying for it. Shows how pointless the process is

I sure it wasn't Freddie's intention but this case provides a good foundation for repeal of the GRA.

Having your first child is such an overwhelming experience, I doubt I would have been able to cope mentally and physically with court case and a baby. I hope Freddie can concentrate ok their baby now and not appeal.

But the more requirements that disappear from the GRA, the more Danielle Muscatos, Alex Drummonds, and Jess Bradleys start popping up in women's single sex spaces.

It's been proved beyond all doubt that this will be pushed and pushed as far as is possible to push. Any crack will be forced open and exploited to the widest possible extent.

Which is why it's very clear there needs to be a separation between sex and gender. Sex remains a fixed, unchanging reality; there are transmen and women, there are transwomen and men, being trans is fine the way being gay or BAME or anything else is fine, there may be mixed sex and additional spaces and provisions to recognise this, as many as are needed and wanted, but there can be no confusion or fiction anywhere in law that gender choices equal an actual change in biological sex, or that terms and resources specific to biological sex can be changed or harmed as part of maintaining the legal fiction the GRA created. It is fiction. The Seahorse documentary is not about a man finding himself in the situation of giving birth, it is about a transman who wanted to get pregnant and give birth, using the female biology of their body.

Agree, the GRA needs to be repealed with a grandfather clause.

Wonderful news - sanity/reality prevailing.

I've always felt that Freddie is being used for ideological and political purposes.

It may well be what Freddie believes and wants at this point in time, but I'm troubled about the long term affect on Freddie and child.

I'm trying to think of or find a previous interview with Freddy after the chid was born. If I remember it accurately, Freddy had taken a role in the child's life that seemed nearer a NRP father, and I think GPs were providing a lot of care? There seemed to be an effort to follow the gender stereotypes and avoid a role or behaviour that could be interpreted as mothering. This may of course have been mostly for the benefit of the interview, but it left me with the impression that the child was being quite significantly affected by the issues the birth mother was experiencing with their body, their need to maintain an identity at odds with, and to want to take a very specific parenting role to maintain that particular identity regardless of having chosen to get pregnant and birth a child.

I ended up feeling sorry for the child in this situation, who has been pulled into all this confusion and will be internalising this from the person with whom they have the most powerful bond. If anyone remembers the source I'd love to re read.

I'm very mindful of the way the most radical devotees of this movement seek to sever familial relationships and biological connections - in favour of creating 'gender queer' relationships/families.

I've just listened to the report on this judgement on the R4 2.00 pm news headlines. I'm fairly certain it said the baby was born whilst FMcC was a biological woman who then transitioned to being a man after the birth. Is this not a very misleading version of what happened?

I think Freddie got a GRC and about 10 days later went for the fertility appointment so yes that is incorrect reporting. Hardly surprising.

I'm fairly certain it said the baby was born whilst FMcC was a biological woman who then transitioned to being a man after the birth.

Of course the baby was born whilst freddy was a biological woman! How could it have been born otherwise? Freddy was always and still is a Biological woman.