Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex

[Sidaway]

There's an active petition you can sign to this effect, if you're so inclined.

I'm not sure if we're allowed to link to it directly? Anyway, if you enter this thread's title into Google, it should come up.

Thanks @Ramblingnamechanger

Found it!

Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex

These are the key words to find the petition.

Women’s sex based spaces need protecting but can’t be when there is a confusion over the meaning of the word sex.

27,056 signatures so far
Google to sign if you wish:
Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex

Would Sex Matters be allowed to put advert in newspapers?

I wondered about that - would be happy to garden!

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/623243

Bump 💪🏼

I haven’t read the whole thread so not sure if anyone else has already raised this, but how would ‘biological sex’ be defined in the legislation? By reference to chromosomes?

Biological sex is not hard to define as there are two different reproductive pathways and humans are either on one or the other. Personally, I think attempts to derail the sex question by referring to people with DSDs have really run out of steam ...

Haha no

Google to sign if you would like to:
Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex

Theres a link near the top of this thread a thread on the Petitions&Activism board which has the petition link in it.
(If anyone is confused by this roundabout route, it's simply MNHQ policy that petitions links can only exist on that board, as an anti spamming control)

If you put petition links directly on this thread you risk it being moved to the Petitions and activism board where there are already threads. Can I suggest anyone who has done so reports their posts and asks MNHQ to remove those and leave this thread where it is, please?

(I don't make the rules, just seen too many people tripped up by this!)

Apologies will report my post

@Happylittlechicken @TheirEminence

Seriously though, what will it say? “Woman” means a person of any age who is biologically female?

@aseriesofstillimages i would sincerely hope not. A woman is an adult human female. A female child is a girl. 0/10 for the derailing effort. Must try harder

you know that current definition of “woman” in the EA is “a female of any age”? The point being, presumably, that discrimination on the basis of sex is not limited to adults.

True. So if you know the answer why are you asking?

I know what the EA currently says, what I don’t know is what you are proposing it should be amended to say.

errr. The clue is in the thread title…. I really really don’t know how you want it made clearer.

Hello!

Thank you everyone who has signed. Please keep pushing this out to your friends and family.

Sex Matters has set up a "Petitions Champions" group which we will email with materials, ideas, encouragement etc... on the campaign (sign up at www.sex-matters.org )

Some text to use in an email or whatsapp .....

[Name] – Will you join me in signing this petition calling on the government to make clear that “sex” in the Equality Act means biological sex?

[LINK]

This is really important, because the Equality Act covers sex discrimination, single-sex services and sports.

It takes one minute to sign the petition and your name will not be made public.

Here is more information on the campaign: [LINK]

So, if the definition of “woman” is amended to refer to ‘biologically female” instead of just “female”, you think the courts will definitely interpret that in the way you want? Or would “biologically female” (and male) also need to be defined?

Hello @MForstater , you may be better placed to answer my question above?