Woman's Hour Today, 17th March

[AbsintheFriends]

Scottish GRA consultation ending today. James Morton and Rona Hotchkiss. On now.

Rona Hotchkiss is always such a good speaker. Clear and factual. James Morton quite the opposite, I find, but Jane Garvey trying to cut through the obfuscation.

Ooh, off to find the link/recording.

thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3829786-James-Morton-scottish-trans-alliance-quote

James Morton 'We're Still Here' TRA conference 2018:
extracts from The HarpySings report:
"6) GETTING THE GRA WE WANT

This was a workshop with 3 experts sitting with groups and talking through activism. They were:

Helen Belcher (Lib Dems, Trans Media Watch)
James Morton (Scottish Transgender Alliance)
Alex Moore (GenderJam). Moore is from N Ireland.

James Morton gave some insight into tactics the TRAs will probably start using in England and Wales as they were successful in Scotland.

He said the TRAs need to build allies in mainstream women and children’s organisations so it looks like they care about them.

He also said what worked in Scotland's was a “constructive, friendly, innocent” tone when debating or in dialogue with the GC side. To be mindful about who is watching- essentially like what we do with the lurkers on the FWR board. To make the TRAs look like the reasonable side.

James also said that in dialect with elected officials, to clarify that the trans side aren’t silencing anyone but want to clarify the misconceptions being bandied around by GC feminists.

The Scottish GRA changes will probably be put forward in the 2019-2020 parliamentary year.

ames Morton talked about how they can get rid of “gender” markers on things like IT systems and places where it isn’t relevant- apparently GDPR might be able to help them here.

JM’s campaigning tips were to gain trust in the local community- and to approach moderate feminists, “correct misconceptions and forgive any ignorance they may have displayed”. They want to gain trust and make themselves likeable.

Apparently small acts like helping to campaign about period poverty or retweeting the local branch of Women’s Aid will make a difference and result in some reciprocation. They want to make it look like they care about Women's issues so they don’t appear threatening"

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3398737-We-re-Still-Here-Conference-8th-September-A-report-from-the-inside

BBC
"Ex prison chief expresses concern about trans women in female jails
The former governor of Cornton Vale, Rhona Hotchkiss, says that in her experience it is "always an issue to have trans women in with female prisoners”.

www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-scotland-51452489/ex-prison-chief-expresses-concern-about-trans-women-in-female-jails

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3823351-Ex-prison-chief-expresses-concern-about-trans-women-in-female-jails

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3799817-Scots-trans-law-is-threat-to-women-says-ex-head-of-prison

Link here it's about 36/37 mins in.

JM's weasily answers are just not convincing, especially when up against Rhona. Ignores completely the distress male bodied prisoners in female estate cause those women. And of course JM supports the current SPS policy - JM feckin wrote it!!!!!

Was this the first mention on Woman's Hour of the Scottish government consultation for sex self-id ?

(on the last day!)

I'm not a regular listener so can't say but it's the 1st time JM has faced the prison governor who has stated the trans prison policy JM wrote harms women & JM completely disregards that statement. Quelle surprise

It's the 1st time JM has faced the prison governor who has stated the trans prison policy JM wrote harms women & JM completely disregards that statement. Quelle surprise

I hope that the Scottish Government call Rhona Hotchkiss & James Morton to an extended interview into the prison policies.

Morton said on WH that the risk assessment will mean that male bodied sex-offenders will be kept out of the female estate however what Morton does not acknowledge is that this only refers to males convicted of sexual abuse/rape.

EVAW & CWJ are in court today about CPS failure to prosecute rape :
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3850749-Court-hearing-EVAW-CWJ-against-CPS

Just listened to this. Rhona said a lot in a very short time. I hope they get her back for a longer slot.

I'd like to see that - JM should be pushed to answer why JM continues to disregard the impact of male prisoners on vulnerable 'captive' women. JM should also be pushed to confirm their knowledge of what Rhona has said because trans orgs are involved in an panel/discussion on incidents that occur with trans prisoners - they're fully aware of the issues but have done their level best to ensure that is info that won't be made public because TW get enhanced privacy rights where their actions/behaviour that adversely impacts those women is kept hidden. JM wrote SPS policy so I'd also like JM pressed on what justification there is for this policy to disregard the impact on women when drawing it up.

JM needs to be held to account for the pernicious stealth attack on women's rights across many sectors JM has been the architect of, but especially female prisoners.