Sunak: I’ll change the Equality Act to protect women’s spaces

[Binglebong]

Sorry to dump and run but this needed sharing.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/06/02/rishi-suank-equality-act-protect-womens-spaces-tory/

This is pretty much Self ID

Removing safeguards may well be cheaper.

What would be cheaper yet is scrapping the GRA.

KB explained to Kay Burley the reasons for the timing, to do with the court cases already mentioned. I posted a link upthread. She also says that it's unfortunate the election was brought forward so that she couldn't lay the legislation in the autumn. I agree. A later election would have been better, at least for this issue.

Depends on the GP and qualifications. In principal yes, but it needs to be via a specially qualified GP not a webberley-esque rando. There is lots of precedent for medical specialism and the Cass report has shown clearly how important it is to establish this for gender treatments.

This is all detail that would get ironed out in the consultation.

Do you have a particular reason to think a panel is a better "safeguard" than an individual for a process where the criteria is basically "prove you've lived as the opposite sex for a period of time"?

We put less "safeguards" into assessing people for PIP and that has actually resulted in deaths due to the wrong decisions getting made.

Oh so the Kemi's proposed changes trumps the increasing number of women murdered??
Of course its relevant,we are discussing how to improve womens rights, right to life is quite important, no?

14 years is the salient point, if they'd been in for just one term, perhaps but they have been too busy fighting among themselves, especially over Brexit.

Its funny how we now see a a whole raft of policies from the Tories, all of which could have been announced & acted upon since 2019.

Wonder what has changed? You'd think they'd been in opposition.

This is the point. The EHRC has said the Act needs clarification. Will KS do this .

Joan Smith - https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-tories-throw-down-the-gauntlet-on-gender/

Clarifying the Equality Act would protect women and girls from the biggest onslaught on women’s rights and privacy in my lifetime. It’s a test for Labour above all the other Opposition parties because Sir Keir Starmer is likely to be our next prime minister. If Labour fails the challenge, it will become a lost cause for many left-leaning women. Your move, Sir Keir.

How many things have the Tories said they’ll do to get votes and never implemented?

I wouldn’t trust them to do so. Unless there is a big push at population level. In which case any other party would do the same anyway.

Makes certain sections of so-called feminists look bad doesn't it

KB has a track record of stretching the truth to sound like whatever is best for her.
There was no reason at all not to do it last year. The Conservatives just didn't want to.

Oh my

What special GP qualification are you talking about?

Oh dear at ‘ironing detail at consultation’. At least be up front on how much easier it will be for men to get GRCs. Like a sick note.

Glad to see this being picked up and in Twitter in pp

11.30ish R5 - a senior law lecturer from University of Sussex (surprise surprise) misrepresenting the law - transwomen must have access to female spaces otherwise they are being discriminated against versus women..

Maybe not the institution to suggest dc attend if they want to learn about the actual law (or other realities)

I agree.
I'd like to know what the Tories are doing about the effective decriminalisation of rape. Kemi doesn't seem to be taking that very seriously

https://x.com/Haggis_UK/status/1797533058671030327

You know, the one where you qualify to see into souls and scan for the feminine mystique and see if brains are blue or pink.

This shows the problem with Sunak using this as an attack. Unless you're versed in the background it's not at all clear what the change will mean.

https://x.com/GMB/status/1797536066917765428

GPs can have specialisms Eastern
Maybe have a look at how medicine works?

I am not saying that the Tories have been great at this. I am saying though that some people are very keen to use hyperbole around this issue to further denounce the party. Perhaps to dismiss this law change.

So my question is if this is supposedly so easy to change, why hasn't it been changed? The party has a majority of seats, do you know whether there was a majority in the House to get this passed without significant pressure placed on all Tory MPs to vote it in.

Do you believe that those MPs on both sides of the house that supported this issue would be enough to pass any changes? Or have you assumed that the party would force votes in support?

The reality is, grimly, that there was not likely a majority available to pass this at this time. If you think otherwise, please tell us what you have based this on.

This is exactly what i mean "making stuff up"

This isn't Labours position, they are proposing making getting a GRC simpler BUT have not said how and there will be a consultation - after which, they will announce their plans.

You nor i do not know what these will be.

btw no i don't but then again, i don't support living as a women for 2 years sufficient either or making a GRC cost just £5 - i believe the GRC is pretty much 100% successful, which makes a mockery of the process.

What does it matter if a GP stamps it or the GRC clinic does?

And yes, that's my point. A process that involves "living as the opposite sex for a set amount of time" should be like a sick note.

The only party proposing any change to that process is Labour. The consultation gives the opportunity to better define gender dysphoria and what transgender means. And better define what "safeguards" are needed.

Under the Tories several doctors get to squabble about whether someone has been "living as the opposite sex" (or in reality, more likely 4 people look at an application and rubber stamp it because the criteria are vague).

X post, you said it better

And you don't think that Webberley can claim to be an expert at GP level?

I remember submitting to the Scottish Government's consultation. One that they completely ignored the over all feedback for.

You seem to hold a great deal of confidence in this and in the Labour Party. Why? I would suggest that removal of the panel does indeed make this just one step of self ID.

You do want GPs to take over the diagnosis

As much rigour as a sick note. Well done Labour

The reason it matters to women is because GP access is easy and very light touch. Along the same lines as a sick note. Practically Self ID

Why doesn’t it matter to you? How do you feel about men in single sex spaces?

It's impossible to "live as the opposite sex"- literally impossible.