Sex & gender in 2023

[ArabeIIaScott]

This thread is an attempt at a broad overview of where we are now, especially for those new to to the issues involved.

Main issues:

• Impacts of sex and gender in legislation on women's rights
• Safeguarding
• Children, young people, and 'gender incongruence'
• Freedom of speech, thought, and belief

Input and questions welcome! Please keep it factual and concise.

Sports - physical differences

www.boysvswomen.com

Regarding systemic safeguarding failures:

The Jimmy Saville enquiry looked at how he used his status and power, gained via celeb and charity, to be untouchable and without criticism.

He pushed boundaries under noses and no one felt they could complain.

Whistle blowing was ineffective / non existent, individuals feared reprisal and shame. Career impact. Silencing.

Effective channels to raise red flags.

He was cosy with people in power, police, royalty, the nation.

It's the ongoing process of safeguarding that keeps children and women safe. Not a bit of paper with dbs . Not a charitable status.

The way criticism or asking for better safeguarding is framed as akin to section 28 and homophobia, or labelled transphobic or conversion therapy dismantles safeguarding processes using social shame. Smearing as right wingers, bigots etc. No platforming, silencing.

See JKR, Glinner, anyone who's lost jobs. Anyone who has lost friends.

Hannah Barnes describes the Tavi team as being seen as a family and encouraged to be so. What happens if you need to raise a concern in such an environment?

Laura Izaguirre (not a big name, but an illuminating piece)

That made my blood boil.

I know, the whole piece was like the manifesto of a deranged individual. It's very clear this person has cultivated a 'victimised' status so they can push back aggressively at anyone who doesn't agree with them.

But very successfully. I have been a close witness of this entryism happening where something which has been created and maintained by and for women gets infiltrated by handmaidens who take it over, invite the men and then the men take over the positions of leadership, while both the women who built and maintained it and the women it was created to serve, are ousted. So infuriating. I think I am bitter about it.

I mean, even ‘Women Studies’ was changed to ‘Gender Studies’ and became about kink and healthy boundary-breaking - a much more appealing subject for these men.

Just watched this interview with Hannah Barnes, author of Time to Think, about the Tavistock GIDS. The book is also an excellent resource, but not everyone’s a reader and this interview covers all the salient points of the book.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4876346-hannah-barnes-is-on-triggernometry-later-7pm-sunday-20-august?page=2&reply=128624318

I've just waded through that. Bloody hell. Julie Bindel a Nazi? KJK funded by the American Christian right?

The author has borrowed a lot from communism regarding entryism, justifications and propaganda.

This came up on another thread so thought I would add it here too - KPSS's report about DBS safeguarding issues related to changes to identity -

DBS CHECKS AND IDENTITY VERIFICATION: SAFEGUARDING ... kpssinfo.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/DBS-Checks-and-Identity-Verification.pdf

https://twitter.com/HairyLeggdHarpy/status/1049289194370002945

Brilliant thread with the hansard from the original GRA debate in parliament that shows how all the issues we are facing were foreseen by some from the start.

Thank you for this excellent thread OP. Can add more but have to do in separate posts as I lose the post when I exit to copy more links!

Shamelessly sharing my own previous thread as it links to the recent ICONS women's sport conference and it is such a comprehensive resource- and this seems the ideal repository.
As commenters say, talks are time stamped so you don't need to watch the whole thing! (But we'll worth it)
It's comprehensive at it covers the history (Linda Blade on the ICO since the 70's to now), the present state of affairs (including amazing speeches from Reilly Gaines and other USA swimmers, and Colin Wright on how they have been able to use the science to effect the current turnarounds in sporting bodies, for example), as well as discussions the work still to be done. There are other sports issues covered I wasn't aware of, and several excellent Q&A sessions.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4868781-icons-international-womens-sport-summit-2023

Letter in The Herald Scotland by Dr Azeem Ibrahim OBE (Director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy) regarding puberty blockers being given to children -

www.heraldscotland.com/politics/23739201.puberty-blockers-scots-children-must-banned/?ref=psapp

Sports - Lia Thomas

www.spiked-online.com/2023/08/04/how-the-lia-thomas-scandal-could-save-womens-sports/

Good!

Dylan Mulvaney and Jeffery Marsh have helped too.

Legislation - Gender Recognition Bill (Scotland)

The first consultation showed the strongest support for GRR (60%)

/publications/review-gender-recognition-act-2004-analysis-responses-public-consultation-exercise-report/

This dropped for the second consultation-

www.gov.scot/publications/gender-recognition-reform-scotland-bill-analysis-responses-public-consultation-exercise/

And the most recent, the Call for Evidence, showed a clear majority against the GRR -

murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/2022/06/02/who-is-giving-evidence-to-the-committee-on-gender-recognition-reform/

The Scottish Government's hand was forced at the 11th hour to hold an additional evidence session because they had refused to hear from experts on VAWG -

forwomen.scot/18/12/2022/emergency-evidence-session-by-ehrcj-committee/

www.holyrood.com/news/view,emergency-committee-session-on-grr-demanded-by-scottish-conservatives

The women's groups who were in support of the bill are all majority funded by the Scottish Government. Funding from the Scottish Government is contingent on being 'inclusive' which is why there are currently no single sex rape crisis services in the Lothians which receive government funding. Beira's Place (entirely funded by JKR) has used the single sex exemptions allowed in the EQA2010 is being threatened with challenges for 'discrimination'.

The SNP had to whip its members into voting for the Bill and even then, faced the biggest revolt by SNP MSP's since they came to power.

www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/nicola-sturgeon-rebellion-nine-snp-28344938?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

Scottish Labour issued a whip for their MSP's to vote for the GRR and still faced rebellion.

www.holyrood.com/news/view,anas-sarwar-everbody-has-lost-since-msps-passed-scottish-gender-recognition-reforms

The Scottish Greens, who voted en masse against the six words amendment in the Forensic Medical Services Bill, voted unanimously for the Bill.

The Scottish Lib Dems who have a leader who 'did it all for Beth', voted unanimously for the Bill.

In addition, the SNP, Scottish Greens, Lib Dems and Scottish Labour voted against suggested amendments being put in place to restrict sex offenders from changing their gender, including -

• an amendment to pause an application for a GRC for those charged with rape or sexual assault which was defeated by the casting vote of the Presiding Officer.

• an amendment which sought to prevent convicted sex offenders being allowed to change their gender.

www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/disbelief-sex-offenders-permitted-change-28783804?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-scottish-greens-vote-against-28496491?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

There were over 150 amendments, discussed over 2 days, with the majority voted down, including a suggestion to yearly monitor the effects of the GRR Bill on women and girls rights.

The Scottish Government was warned repeatedly that the legislation was poor and conflicted with reserved legislation. They ignored it in their zeal to push the Bill through and so Section 35 was invoked -

murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/2023/01/09/gender-recognition-reform-scotland-bill-use-of-scotland-act-powers/

www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/alister-jack-invokes-section-35-28970563?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

And as I've just seen that Arabella has posted this on another thread -

www.holyrood.com/editors-column/view,when-once-dominant-parties-are-in-decline-their-pain-becomes-tangible

...

I saw that - was reading about him. He seems to be a significant and important voice on this.

He seems to have been involved with the Biden campaign?

More if that pesky right wing funding.

One for the TRA's who come onto FWR and insist that 'no one is saying that humans can change sex - you're just being ridiculous!!'

Good point Waitwhat. And they are very prominent.

They’re either deluded simpletons or malevolent trolls. My money’s on the latter.

Analysis by MBM regarding the 4 organisations which are contesting Section 35. It is very revealing

murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/2023/09/11/who-are-the-interveners-in-the-judicial-review-of-the-uk-governments-use-of-section-35/

How very depressing that 3 of those 4 organisations have explicitly called for the removal of the exceptions in the Equality Act 2010.

So no employers and service providers would ever be able to reserve some spaces, services and occupations for members of one sex only.

And those organisations are funded by taxpayers money. Including money from NHS trusts. I bet people who have donated money to or fundraised for their local NHS foundation have no idea that this is how their money is being used. I’m surprised that Scottish voters feel so satisfied with their public services that they’re happy for their taxpayer’s money is being used to support these organisations seeking to remove the right to single sex spaces.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) proposed a 2021 census question on sex and gender identity which allowed self ID for the sex question. Thus making the data collected less accurate for planning services (eg maternity) which need data on biological sex. It took a legal challenge to force a last-minute change to collect information on both sex (biological sex) as well as gender identity.

I have firsthand knowledge of the level of pressure on ONS officials by trans lobby groups dating from 2017.

Useful timeline (but appreciate) Fair Play for Women will be seen as a biased source - https://fairplayforwomen.com/sex-in-the-census-our-legal-challenge-to-stop-the-ons-redefining-sex-2/

Guardian article about the successful legal challenge - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/09/guidance-on-sex-question-in-uk-census-must-be-changed-high-court-rules