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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Women and Equality Select Committee

50 replies

RedDeerRunning · 10/12/2020 15:20

Does anyone know what the deal is with the written submissions for the WESC? I submitted my evidence well within time and it is not showing on the Committees website. Worryingly, there are very few published submissions from individuals or groups from a GC background (and therefore women's concerns about self-ID are not available to see). I know from various email groups and this site that there have been many women submitting evidence and it is very concerning that this is not available.

Even more suspicious is that the submission at the current top of the pile (ie the first one available when looking) is from stonewall.

Am I being paranoid to suggest that this 'committee' is not impartial and is hiding evidence that conflicts with their desired outcome?

OP posts:
PennineSpring · 10/12/2020 15:32

They seem to be publishing the evidence in batches, the last batch included the Stonewall one. I imagine it's quite a slow process.

ArabellaScott · 10/12/2020 15:32

If you're paranoid, then I am too.

That said, I submitted evidence but asked to be kept anonymous. It was very unclear whether 'anonymous' evidence would be posted publically, or even read, or whether they would respect the anonymity of respondents.

Given that I think many gc women reporting as individuals will potentially ask to be anonymous, perhaps this will have some bearing on it.

I'm not sure, though. Watching the committee last night was pretty sobering.

Original poster
RedDeerRunning · 10/12/2020 15:36

Mine was not anonymously published and I know of plenty of others that have been submitted but are not showing.

OP posts:
Thelnebriati · 10/12/2020 15:38

Does anyone have the link to see the submissions, I've lost it and its not easy to find online?
Last time I looked mine still hadnt been published.

Thelnebriati · 10/12/2020 15:57

Thank you - mine is missing. I can't think of a good reason why. Do they email you if they reject your submission?

PennineSpring · 10/12/2020 16:17

Mine's not on there either but I didn't submit it until the last day so I don't expect to see it yet.

Socrates11 · 10/12/2020 16:20

It's a cumbersome way of presenting the written evidence, especially for anonymous contributors. I only want to read not download every item. Then ... Is 98 submissions the final number? Why isn't there a list filed by date submitted? How many more need uploading? Just really unclear on the basics from that website.

PennineSpring · 10/12/2020 16:21

I've just read this submission and I can't believe they've forced the sex marker to be removed from their NHS records! It's so dangerous. It also defies common sense. They're still a sex, despite their non-gendered identity. Barmy.

committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/15430/pdf/

ConservativesForWomen · 10/12/2020 16:21

Nobody we know, either individuals or groups, has had their evidence published yet, nor have they had emails accepting or rejecting.

Our best guess is there is just a hell of a lot to get through and they are not being particularly efficient.

testing987654321 · 10/12/2020 17:39

I don't know anyone who's been published yet, but we all submitted on or near the deadline. They are just taking their time over it.

FeedTheSparrows · 10/12/2020 17:50

I was just discussing this with someone this afternoon. I made a submission on 26 Nov on behalf of a group and it has not been published. We did not ask for anonymity. I plan to email and ask what is going on. I received an auto-reply acknowledgement of my submission so I have no reason to think they didn't get it. It is really frustrating, esp. as others have said the pro GRA reform submissions seem to outnumber the GC ones (based on what they have published so far).

Angryresister · 10/12/2020 21:23

I put one in well before the date but said although I put anonymous in the box, I wanted it to be published. Yes at present the submissions from once side seem over represented, judging by how many have not been put up. I think the comité came over as underprepared or downright biased already so....

gardenbird48 · 11/12/2020 11:28

mine's not on there yet. I wonder if maybe the committee are given access to all first to consider, then they get published? I live in hope.

gardenbird48 · 11/12/2020 11:38

some interesting submissions on there. They seem to be focusing on publishing the pro self-id ones first? I wouldn't have thought that the word 'shitty' was appropriate for use/publication for a Select committee but maybe that's me being old??

ScoldsBridle · 11/12/2020 11:44

I too am hoping that this is just the tip of the iceberg of submissions with many more to be uploaded? Wish it said that somewhere on the page though. I also think I asked for anonymity and submitted shortly before the deadline - it’s not on there yet. Great that Stonewall is at the top though Hmm One would hope that the submissions ran to many more than the current 5 pages.

HecatesCatsInXmasHats · 11/12/2020 11:44

The only fair process would be to do wait until all submissions can be uploaded at a similar time - allowing that that might take a few days - rather than in stops and starts like this which makes it seem like the dice has been loaded, even if that's unintentional. Because of the way they're doing it it's impossible to know whether there's definitely more of one side of the argument than the other. We know there are loads missing.

HecatesCatsInXmasHats · 11/12/2020 11:47

Stonewall's submission has been at the top since before the hearing on Wednesday, which given we know there must be more to add, again seems unfair (even if unintentional).

SorryAuntLydia · 11/12/2020 14:12

Mine is missing too.
Hmm

gardenbird48 · 11/12/2020 15:06

so out of the most recent submissions, there are 2 that give an error message, 11 that are pro self-id and think that none of the proposed changes are remotely good enough and 2 saying no to self-id (one of those is from the wife of a prominent transwoman saying that in their experience the requirement for the GRC to get through life is minimal.

I wonder when the rest will come.

Angryresister · 11/12/2020 15:22

I don’t think the committee have read more than the first two, judging by their performance the other day. Will they bother to read the rest? Mm

thinkingaboutLangCleg · 16/12/2020 22:42

They’ve published 105 responses now. I can’t believe there aren’t many more. I sent mine in weeks ago and it’s not up yet. I thought they were meant to publish all responses?

morningtoncrescent62 · 16/12/2020 23:02

The pace at which they're being uploaded is very odd. They seem to be doing them in fairly small batches, a few days apart. The first ones went up before the call for evidence had even closed. I really don't understand this. Surely there are office staff with enough expertise to check through for anything obviously defamatory and then upload them all. I imagine they've had hundreds if not thousands of responses. At this rate it'll take months to publish them.

Angryresister · 17/12/2020 12:22

There have been a few more published on 15 th which seem to mainly be from lawyers. But the majority still not there

SorryAuntLydia · 13/01/2021 00:27

A load more have been published - including a rather bizarre one from NatWest... still can’t see mine yet.