That twitter thread and accompanying image:
Nikki da Costa
@nmdacosta
Why is society's inability to define 'woman' relevant to the furore on conversion therapy legislation? Because once again ordinary, everyday words - 'talking therapies' - are being given new definitions, throwing linguistic obstacles in the way of anyone that spots an issue 1/
LGBT groups appear to view anything which is not gender ‘affirmative’ care – that affirms the gender identity – as conversion therapy. They appear to want to ban legitimate therapy that seeks to help a child understand if anything may lie underneath their gender dysphoria 2/
EXAMPLE 1 : a female victim of sexual assault subsequently develops an intense discomfort with her female anatomy and expresses a desire to undergo medical intervention to change her body. A psychotherapist would look at how sexual assault may contribute to gender dysphoria 3/
EXAMPLE 2: A boy who has been relentlessly bullied for his gender non-conformity may conclude that if he were a girl then he would ‘fit in’ and the bullies would stop. This child may require psychotherapy rather than affirmation 4/
EXAMPLE 3: a same-sex attracted girl growing up in a deeply religious family, declares that they are a boy. Her struggle with same-sex attraction and/or internalised homophobia may be relevant. 5/
Gender identity ideology is at heart of the proposals - that gender identity, even in adolescence, even with all the turmoil of puberty, is innate and fixed. It permits no curiosity of whether U18s are being failed in other ways (sexualisation, objectification, homophobia) 6/
Nor does it permit concern that a child or teenager may undertake medical treatment with lifelong consequences, and "very limited research on the sexual, cognitive or broader developmental outcomes" [Cass]. Nor compassionate highlighting of detransitioners' as @jk_rowling
has 7/
MPs must decide. Do they wish to criminalise care usually seen as good practice? Allow accusations that only affirmative care is acceptable? Or do they wish to pass legislation without definitions as France and Canada did (two pages, two days debate per bill) 8/
The government is right to reflect. ‘Legislating’ – getting a bill to Royal Assent – isn't hard. Passing good legislation +avoiding unintended consequences is far harder. In a world where ordinary meaning of words is twisted, lawmakers must take responsibility. Definitions matter
In particular consider, what does it mean to move to assigning 'transgender status' to U18s, rather than recognising gender dysphoria, when it is impossible to distinguish a durable trans identity from a passing phase of an adolescent’s development.