Next oral evidence session on Reform of GRA - 12th May at 2.30pm

[Leafstamp]

The next session and speakers have been announced:

committees.parliament.uk/event/4466/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/

Seems to be medic/nhs type people.

Does anyone know anything about John Stewart or Dr John Chisholm CBE?

dev.selfcareforum.org/about-us/self-care-champions/dr-john-chisholm-cbe/

Does anyone else get the feeling these speakers are going to be very pro-trans rights?

Which is fine. But not when they impact on women's rights.

Bumping for anyone seeing what the week ahead may have in store.

Is there anything we can do. Anyone we can email?

Chisholm is chair of BMA 'ethics' committee and has pushed an extreme trans activist agenda. He brooks no dissent and tried to get the BMA to intervene in the Tavi appeal (against Keira).
Luckily there was enough pushback to ensure the vote went against intervention, but the sheer awfulness of the BMA submission to the WESC enquiry, shows absolute capture.

This is not a neutral panel and definitely not representative of the wider medical profession.

@Procrastinator3

Dr John Chisholm tweeted in favour of banning trans conversion therapy last year:

twitter.com/DrJohnChisholm/status/1283723550415888385?s=20

"The abhorrent practice of gay & trans conversion therapy to persuade people to change their sexual orientation or gender identity shd be banned. It is a violation of human rights & medical ethics, it damages mental health, & there is no clinical evidence to support it.
@BanCTorg "

Last year, Dr Michael Brady got loads of push back on twitter from females who were offended that he used "everyone with a cervix" as part of his health promotional tweeting. He never apologised to the women he upset.

twitter.com/drmbrady/status/1310178657940525057?s=20

Strangely when it comes to his own sex, he doesn't seem to have an issue calling them men. I've not seen him mention "everyone with a penis" or "everyone with a prostate".

twitter.com/drmbrady/status/1338382912417357826?s=20

@RedDeerRunning

Chisholm is chair of BMA 'ethics' committee and has pushed an extreme trans activist agenda. He brooks no dissent and tried to get the BMA to intervene in the Tavi appeal (against Keira). Luckily there was enough pushback to ensure the vote went against intervention, but the sheer awfulness of the BMA submission to the WESC enquiry, shows absolute capture.

This is not a neutral panel and definitely not representative of the wider medical profession.

Agree. Unfortunately the medical establishment- GMC, BMA, NHS England, CQC are fully captured. It would be career suicide for any doctor in a senior position to come out against self-ID.

Anyone watching?

Dr Hutchinson is saying NHS Gynae services are refusing to see TW in their clinics.
Is it the case that someone who has genital surgery is sent to Gynae if they have issues? Do gynaecologists get training in male bodily conditions? Shouldn't they see the consultant that did the surgery?

Just tuning in myself.

I would have thought the answer to your last question is yes! And no to the penultimate question!

I haven’t been able to post, but I am tuned in.

I hope the answers to your questions, are no, no, yes.

Just tuning in.

I would think the answers to your last two questions are no and yes respectively!

I would hope/think the answers to your questions are no, no yes respectively!

Just tuning in.

Anyone watching?

Thank you, yes it does. My computer has gone haywire today so I missed a lot it.
I found Dr Hutchinson quite compelling but a lot of the failings of the NHS they’re talking about are across the board and not restricted to trans healthcare.

I’ve got through 10 minutes and I’m already angry.
They are discussing how intrusive it is to be asked questions to evidence their claims of incongruity with their biological sex and criticisms faced by not presenting as ‘feminine enough’, with the comment that overall, it is dehumanising.
A PIP questionnaire, for example, asks you how many times you go to the toilet and whether you can do this without assistance or adaptation, to determine if you are ‘disabled enough’ to receive benefits.
So far, two speakers are in agreement that gender identity cannot be objectively evidenced, that a reliance on gender stereotypes is the fault of ‘cis women’ (how does Harriet know those women are cis?) one argues that it should solely be a legal process without needing the requirement of a medical assessment.
I’ll get onto the why are we formally recognising that which cannot be objectively evidenced? later.

Mumsnet playing up this avo I thinj so apologies for duplicate posts above.

I got a bit cross when they were saying epilation is offered at the GIDS clinics. Is this offered on the nhs to eg women with PCOS that can cause excess hair growth?

According to one speaker, GIDS also offer talking sessions called "how to get the sex you want"

I have just watched this and am confused. The NHS guy was saying that when they get diagnosed as having dysphoria they are given a prescription and started on hormones the same day.

Doesn't that mean everyone with dysphoria is trans? Is that the only treatment for dysphoria, do they not try anything else? Doesn't seem right, surly hormones/surgery should be a last resort!

Watching it on catch up. Already struck that there are studiously being addressed as 'Dr' when the women were always addressed by first names in previous consultations - even though they were professors!

@PennineSpring

Dr Hutchinson is saying NHS Gynae services are refusing to see TW in their clinics. Is it the case that someone who has genital surgery is sent to Gynae if they have issues? Do gynaecologists get training in male bodily conditions? Shouldn't they see the consultant that did the surgery?

Women would miss out on vital appointments in an already overstretched NHS if pressure were put on gynaecologists to examine trans women. Neo-vaginas are not the same as vaginas and given that something like 80% of trans women retain the sexual organs they are born with it makes even less sense. Gynaecological do not exist to validate trans women. An individual who needs their sense of self worth boosted does not deserve to be seen by a gynaecologist- inevitably that would mean bumping a woman down the list. Please can we wake up from this.

Gynaecological services that should have said. Can someone in the NHS find some courage to call this out?

Please can we wake up from this

My sentiments also.

Doesn't that mean everyone with dysphoria is trans?

Well, I would hope that patients are given the option of whether they want treatment for their gender dysphoria. They shouldn't just be handed a prescription regardless. My understanding is that people with gender dysphoria are not necessarily trans. The trans bit is about how they choose to identify. Which is why it's such a nebulous concept. If I 'identify' as being a cat or being a slim 21 year old, then that clearly doesn't make me one!

Is that the only treatment for dysphoria, do they not try anything else? Doesn't seem right, surly hormones/surgery should be a last resort!

For other psychological conditions, I believe that a two week watchful waiting period is recommended, but sadly, in common with other conditions (from diabetes to high blood pressure to mental health problems), drug treatment is often more popular with both doctors and patients.

Here is what nhs have to say on it: www.nhs.uk/conditions/gender-dysphoria/treatment/