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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Liz Truss letter to EHRC; spot the contradiction

79 replies

InTheCanteen · 05/08/2022 13:14

The Conservative leadership election is giving women some opportunities to draw out the candidates on single sex spaces, services, sports and opportunities.

Frankly, I'm surprised this letter from February hasn't been more widely publicised up until now. I do hope Liz Truss can come up with a clear response: has she since changed her mind? Can she explain to us what she means by 'transgender people'?

twitter.com/TheAttagirls/status/1555514182493245445?s=20&t=mK96bvctJrsp2umZYK5r1A

Retweeted by Helen Joyce too.

Liz Truss letter to EHRC; spot the contradiction
Liz Truss letter to EHRC; spot the contradiction
OP posts:
jgw1 · 07/08/2022 15:42

Floisme · 07/08/2022 15:35

Yes thank you I'm aware of that, TooBigForMyBoots and it's why I said I was growing uneasy about saying I'd vote Labour if they would only commit to upholding this law. My main point though was that, if someone is writing in their capacity as a government minister then surely it's their job to outline their government's position, rather than any personal views?

The troubling part of that letter for me - and here I agree with you and other posters - is the bit about giving reassurance privately. I don't see how that word belongs in any ministerial correspondence

It is also the duty of any Minister if they disagree with the government position to resign, so we should conclude from that, either that Truss agrees with what she wrote, or is so dishonest we shouldn't trust her.

Floisme · 07/08/2022 15:51

I think it's your duty to carry out your government's position. That is your job. The rest is up to your conscience.

Please take this as your single, courtesy reply jgw1. I have no intention of embarking on another circular conversation with you.

HatefulHaberdashery · 08/08/2022 11:07

achillestoes · 05/08/2022 13:54

My interpretation is that Truss was getting the EHRC to issue the new guidance, while making it clear it wasn’t the government doing anything.

No, that's not what she's doing. She’s specifically refusing to support revision of the EHRC Statutory Code of Practice that provides clarity around the conditions for single sex spaces.

Why would she do that? That's just two faced, and makes her as mendacious as Penny Mordaunt.

In 2019, the Woman’s and Equalities Committee urged the EHRC to issue a new code setting out "clearly, with worked examples and guidance, (a) how the Act allows separate services for men and women, or provision of services to only men or only women in certain circumstances, and (b) how and under what circumstances it allows those providing such services to choose how and if to provide them to a person who has the protected characteristic of gender reassignment."

And when they finally do that, and try to ensure that the relevance of biological sex is clarified in in the EHRC statutory code, up pops Lizz Truss to deliberately fudge the matter:

“The Government has no interest in changing the current situation where transgender people are able to use facilities of their chosen gender”.

The law says different, so why is she misrepresenting the law? Why didn't she support EHRC in laying the revised code before Parliament? And instead choose to prop up TRA deliberate misinterpretations, which undermine women's safety?

HatefulHaberdashery · 08/08/2022 11:13

TooBigForMyBoots · 06/08/2022 16:07

So it's up to organisations to decide if they want to be single sex and transpeople can use the service of their choosing?Hmm

And why is Liz Truss asking that this reassurance is given to LGBT groups privately?HmmHmmHmm

No, Trans people cannot use the single sex service of their choosing if the Service Provider rejects that option and a person of the opposite sex reasonably objects. Schedule 3, Part 7, paragraphs 27 & 28 of the Equality Act 2010 completely validates and upholds the right to be in a female single sex facility (such as a public toilet) without any male born person.

See paragraph 734 and 739.
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/notes/division/3/16/20?wrap=true

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