Scottish women! Please write to your MSPs!

[ArabellaScott]

Info and templates from For Women Scotland on the proposed introduction of self ID in Scotland:

forwomen.scot/08/10/2022/gender-recognition-reform-bill-stage-1-action/

To find your MSPs:

www.writetothem.com/

Please spread the word!

From Rona Mackay:

Thank you for your email. I’m afraid I don’t agree with your characterisation of the GRA legislation to be debated in Parliament next week.

I am fully supportive of this legislation, which is being reformed in line with international best practice. It is an administrative reform relating to birth certificates, which does not affect the Equality Act 2010, or compromise women’s equality rights. It does not affect access to single-sex services and facilities.

I am aware that you will not agree with what I’ve said and I respect your right to take a differing view.

From Ariane Burgess:

Ariane, and the Scottish Green Party, wholeheartedly support the rights of trans people including that of self-identification. Trans rights and women’s rights are not in conflict, as all humans have the same human rights.

The Scottish Greens stand firmly for inclusive, intersectional feminism which recognises the intersectional nature of power which creates additional barriers for women facing multiple discriminations. You can read more about this here: greens.scot/womens-pledge

From Donald Cameron:

I attended the previous rally last September, and I have engaged with several constituents and organisations in recent months on this important issue.

More broadly, the Scottish Conservatives believe that the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, as presently drafted, does not fully protect women’s rights, and it does not offer enough protection for women’s safety. Women have raised legitimate and reasonable concerns about sections of this bill, and it is essential that the SNP Government listens to and addresses those concerns.

Improving the process for transgender people must not come at the expense of women’s rights and safety.

From Willie Coffey, who I can't believe repeated that line about predators don't have to pretend to be anything else!:

The main purpose of the proposal is to switch from a requirement for psychiatric diagnosis and medical evidence to a system of statutory declaration (“self-declaration”) for a small group of people in society.

No other rights are conferred by the bill and no other rights or protections are removed, particularly for women.

I'm certainly aware of concerns about the violence, abuse and harassment women and girls face in our society. But trans people are not responsible for that abuse, indeed they often face it themselves. All of the evidence tells us that the cause of violence against women and girls is predatory and abusive men; not trans people.

There is no evidence that predatory and abusive men have ever had to pretend to be anything else to carry out abusive and predatory behaviour.

The proposal has no impact whatsoever on the vast majority of people in Scotland but helps a small group of our citizens to feel valued – possibly for the first time in their lives.

QUITE RIGHT WILLY NASTY ABUSIVE MEN ARE THEY BIG BURLY TYPES U CAN TELL A BAD YIN A MILE AFF AND EMBDY WITH A LADY NAME IS OK BY ME APART FAE ALEX

OR JOANNE OR JOANNA OR JOHANN ANY O THEY J NAMES

Thanks for the reminder OP, I must do this.

I'm not in Scotland, but it seems to me that definitions are lacking here.

What do they mean by 'trans people'? Is a 'transwoman' any man who says he is, or is there some other requirement?

How does someone live in an 'acquired gender'? Is there a list of attributes someone should exhibit to show that they are doing this?

Since the statutory declaration is simply that someone is living in and intends to continue to live in their 'acquired gender ' (no definition), how can it ever be proven that someone lied about this? Could a prosecution ever take place?

I'm certainly aware of concerns about the violence, abuse and harassment women and girls face in our society. But trans people are not responsible for that abuse, indeed they often face it themselves. All of the evidence tells us that the cause of violence against women and girls is predatory and abusive men; not trans people.

How can we prevent a predatory and abusive man from changing the sex marker on his birth certificate to female, if the only requirement is that he says he is a 'transwoman' and begins to 'live in his aquired gender' (no definition)?

Can any of the MSPs in favour of this bill give any answers to these questions?

What do they mean by 'trans people'? Is a 'transwoman' any man who says he is, or is there some other requirement?

And therein lies the problem because it doesn't even matter if anyone can come up with a definition as the proposed law change doesn't mention trans at all. The only defining characteristic of having a diagnosis of gender dysphoria is being removed so the ability to change the sex recorded on your birth certificate will be open to 100% of the population.

WE HUD AT LEAST TWO CONSULTATIONS TAE EDUCATE YEES

I hadn't realised that. So many of the MSP replies here talked about 'trans people', that I thought that was who the bill was about. I hadn't realised it was deliberately making provision for everyone to simply select the sex they want to have on their birth certificate.

Do all these MSPs realise that this bill is not about 'trans people' at all?

Reasonable reply from Sandesh Gulhane here: twitter.com/Lealea2009/status/1582286449394663424

From Russell Findlay

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about the SNP government’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill.

The Scottish Conservatives recognise that improvements to the system of gender recognition would be beneficial for trans people.

However, I believe the bill as drafted does not protect women’s rights. Many women have raised legitimate and reasonable concerns about sections of this bill, and it is essential for Nicola Sturgeon and her ministers to listen.

My Scottish Conservative colleagues and I have also been concerned about a lack of sufficient engagement with women’s organisations prior to the bill’s introduction. It is crucial that no individual or organisation should be excluded from this process, regardless of their views.

I am also aware of concerns raised about the bill in relation to safeguards for children and young people. This is a very sensitive area about balancing the need to recognise those with gender dysphoria and the need to protect vulnerable children and young people who are unsure of their identity and risk embarking on gender hormone treatment prematurely.

The Scottish Conservatives have called for a public inquiry to be held into the increased number of children being referred to the NHS Sandyford clinic in Glasgow. Almost 1,000 children are on the waiting list for a first appointment with this service, including 86 pre-pubescent children. Child referrals to the service increased fifteen-fold from 2013 to 2019. It is essential for an inquiry to examine whether appropriate safeguards for vulnerable children are in place.

My colleagues and I will scrutinise and challenge this legislation very carefully as it progresses through the Scottish Parliament, to ensure that appropriate protections for vulnerable children and young people are not undermined. We will not support any reforms that put the welfare of children and young people at risk. And improving the process for transgender people cannot come at the expense of women’s rights and safety.

Thank you once again for contacting me on this issue.

DONE! no replies as such as I emailed quite late in afternoon

Thanks for the reminder. Will do it tomorrow. I am so angry

"proposed introduction of self ID in Scotland:"

It's not a "proposed introduction". Self-ID already exists.

No, Margarita , it most certainly does not exist in Scotland or anywhere else in the UK.

FYI Margarita, this is what happens in countries which do have self I'd.
torontosun.com/news/provincial/hunter-exclusive-sex-offender-who-ids-as-woman-busted-for-shelter-attack/wcm/426228a4-1036-457d-899a-98003fb74bd7/amp/

Going to write to mine again. But Lorna slater is one of them who I wrote last time

going to see if I can find her reply

Daniel Johnstone

Thank you for getting in touch to share your concerns around the planned Gender Recognition Legislation. Let me start by saying that I think it is vital that we ensure that a calm and clear discussion on these matters is able to take place. Recently there has been an atmosphere of tension and hostility around the conversation on Trans rights, and this is concerning.

This is not a clear cut issue for me. I believe in equality for all, and fairness for Trans and non-binary people. I also hold concerns around the rights of women, and believe that medicalised approaches to many issues – such as a distinction between sex and gender and safe spaces for women – are important. As a dad of two daughters I take this issue very seriously, and it is important to me to listen to the concerns of all my constituents on both sides of this discussion.

Ultimately I stand by the stance Scottish Labour took on this in our manifesto, which stated: “We will ensure that Scotland's transgender communities gain new rights. A Scottish Labour Government will change the law to provide legal recognition for people who do not identify as men or women and remove the psychiatric diagnosis requirement from legal gender recognition process. Scotland's young people who wish to seek legal recognition of the gender they live would be entitled to do so from the age of 16 under Scottish Labour."

I will continue to seek opportunities to discuss this further with colleagues and will work to ensure that these issues are properly considered as the debate makes its way through Parliament.

Kind regards
Daniel

AH THINK WHIT MARGARITA MEANS IS IF EXISTING SINGLE SEX EXMEPTIONS DINNAE STOP MALES FAE RUNNING RAPE CENTRES WTF DIFFRERENCE WILL IT ALL MAKE AMIRITE MARGARITA

Slater

Good afternoon,

Thank you for writing to me about your concerns.

Myself, and the Scottish Green Party, wholeheartedly support the rights of trans people including that of self-identification. Trans rights and women’s rights are not in conflict, as all humans have the same human rights. The human rights of minority groups should not be open to debate and interpretation, they should be accepted.

The Scottish Greens stand firmly for inclusive, intersectional feminism which recognises the intersectional nature of power which creates additional barriers for women facing multiple discriminations. You can read more about this here: greens.scot/womens-pledge.

In the recent cooperation agreement between the Scottish Greens and the Scottish Government we agreed to reform the Gender Recognition act to establish a more straightforward system for obtaining legal gender recognition for trans people. I believe that trans people should not have to go through a degrading, traumatic and intrusive process to be legally recognised in their gender.

I hope that you agree that we must do more to improve the lives of the trans community who have been the target of a hate campaign for the past few years.

GOOD ON YE LORNA NAEBODY SHD BE DEGRATED OR TRAUMATISED APART FAE WOMEN I HOPE YOU BIGOTS AGREE

None of the others bothere to answer. Said they were busy. Will try again

Carry on writing! Is is worth writing to Alison Johnstone as she is presiding officer does she actually vote?