Response from my MP

[exLibDem]

Finally heard back from my MP. Am feeling very angry and let down. I know I'm not the only one here who feels politically homeless.

This is an extract from the response:

"I am very clear that single-sex safe spaces for women are essential and must be protected. I also recognise that trans women have the right to dignity and safety too and will need to be able to access toilets, changing rooms and other single-sex facilities when going about their daily life.

The Equality Act 2010 already entitled trans women to use women’s facilities and this happens all the time, without many of us being aware. Indeed, predatory men wishing to access a ladies’ loo or shop changing room do not need to go through any process to do so – these spaces are not policed and nor could they practically be, without checking inside women’s underwear, which would be a gross violation of all women’s rights.

We cannot exclude trans people from society or force trans women to use single-sex facilities for men because of our concerns about predatory men. The law in our country has respected people’s right to self-identify for twenty years now, with safeguards to avoid abuse.

The Equality Act protects both hard-won women’s rights and trans rights, and shows that the two are not in conflict. In the case of prisons, hospitals and refuges, entry for all people – regardless of gender – is based on a risk assessment. It is proper that individual institutions and organisations implement their own policies according to the needs and wellbeing of their service users."

Twickenham. And staggeringly, this is the LD "spokesperson on Children and Young People"

It is awful that he is the spokesperson for children and young people. I feel so angry that people like this could have power over what happens to them.

I don’t think you can engage with that, because where do you start?

Maybe with a definition of what the phrase “single sex “ means, but I don’t hold out much hope.

Is it a safe seat or is there a chance that your current MP will lose the vote? If they do I would find it hard not to write a passive aggressive letter of condolence pointing out where they might have lost support!

'I am very clear that single-sex safe spaces for women are essential and must be protected. I also recognise that trans women have the right to dignity and safety too and will need to be able to access toilets, changing rooms and other single-sex facilities when going about their daily life.'

To paraphrase the mighty Jane in London, we need a new word for twaddle.

I'm sorry op, I know that doesn't help much.

How about this one?

Women of Dorset have contacted all those standing in the eight constituencies that cover Dorset, including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
Below is the response from Michael Tomlinson (Conservative) - Mid Dorset and North Poole.
Dear Women of Dorset,

Thank you for your email and your questions. I hope that the following answers them all for you:

A woman is an adult human female. You cannot “become a woman”. You are born female, with XX chromosomes and grow up to be a woman.

I welcome the recent announcement by the Prime Minister that the Conservative Party will introduce primary legislation to clarify that the protected characteristic of sex in the Equality Act means biological sex, in addition to legislating that a person can only have one sex in the eyes of the law in the United Kingdom. This means that organisations like refuges can use the law as it was intended. I agree that Women should have the right to female-only spaces in both everyday and specialist situations – whether changing rooms or prisons. Sport should be segregated by sex. We all know that male and female bodies have different capabilities – that is why sport has always been segregated by sex, which should continue.

The Cass report is a vital part of protecting our children. I am delighted that we have banned the use of puberty blockers in the NHS, and also blocked the loophole of private providers -we introduced regulations which apply to all UK private prescribers, as well as prescribers registered in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

Children in school should use changing rooms, play sport, share overnight accommodation and use toilets according to their birth sex. No child should be allowed to change their name at school without explicit permission from parents, and children should not be “socially transitioning” at school. As the Cass report states, this is not a neutral act. We need to protect our children.

Conversion practices are already illegal under existing legislation. I see no need to bring in an additional law which might criminalise parents, teachers and medical professionals who are providing support to young people.

I oppose any moves to bring in gender “self-ID”.

Official statistics should be clearly related to birth sex. Anything else will cause an inaccurate reflection of reality – whether crime statistics or for healthcare. And healthcare settings should use appropriate and accurate language. Women give birth and breastfeed, women get cervical cancer, men get prostate cancer. We need to ensure accurate, clear language is used.

Thank you again for your questions - please do let me know if I can help you any further.

Kind regards

Michael

Michael Tomlinson
Mid Dorset and North Poole

I am really unsure who to vote for. The LibDems are set to boot out the Tory incumbent - the Tories lost every single councillor in the last local election - but I can't vote for this.

From next week, one small comfort is knowing that if we ask questions of Ministers or MPs and they respond with smart-arse non answers. they will be doing so as part of The Government so I hope we can go back at them expecting them to be better. They sold themselves as being better and nicer let them prove it on this topic and on others.

Another Dorset candidate was more terse, but his heart seems to be in the right place!

Below is the response from Richard Drax (Conservative) - South Dorset.
Answers for Women of Dorset from Richard Drax, candidate for South Dorset
Women of Dorset was established to protect women’s sex based rights & safeguarding in Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. We're an eclectic mix of women who believe that a woman is an adult human female and that:-

1. the law allows for single sex services and most people want to them but they are under attack;
2. organisations and staff are afraid even though everyone knows the difference between male and female;
3. language has become a battleground and everyone is walking on egg shells;
4. no one wants to be the one to tell someone that their sense of gender identity cannot override rules that protect the safety, fairness and dignity of everyone.

Confusion makes services less inclusive and less safe. It creates conflict and it isn't kind, least of all to women. It is up to the Government to put this right. Therefore, we have some questions which we'd like you to answer and respond to. The questions are as follows:

1. What is your definition of a woman?

An adult, human female

1. When it comes to policymaking on sex and gender issues, the key areas for the next government will be education and health. In these departments, and right across government, the solutions will be sex-based language, clear rules and data collected on the objective reality of sex, not subjective “gender identity”. Do you agree with this?

Yes

1. We call on all MP’s to commit to implementing the Cass Report. This means an end to children being prescribed puberty blockers or socially transitioned in schools. This should be supported with clear guidance about sex-based rules for schools from the Department for Education. Every education professional should understand that no child can be treated in school as a member of the opposite sex. Sex-based rules are there to protect and support all pupils, and children cannot be kept safe unless there is clarity about the sex of everyone around them. Do you agree with this?

Yes

1. Plans to ban so-called “conversion therapy” (in reality, evidence-based talking therapy) should be dropped. Any such law is bound to criminalise loving parents and ethical therapists, and to cause a chilling effect that will make it harder for gender-distressed people to get the support they need. Do you agree with this?

Yes

1. Any MP or party that is serious about being in government must commit to making the definition of sex in the Equality Act clear. The current lack of clarity means service providers, from pubs and gyms to rape-crisis centres, are failing to understand the law, opening women-only spaces to men who identify as women and buckling under fear of litigation. The result is that women’s privacy, safety and dignity have been undermined. Do you agree with this?

Yes

1. Parties must commit to giving women the right to female-only spaces in both everyday and specialist situations. This includes all public and private-sector facilities that have toilets and changing rooms, as well as hospital accommodation. It also includes specialist women’s sector facilities such as domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centres and prisons, as well as female-only sports. Do you agree with this?

Yes

1. There should be no move towards gender-self ID, whether openly or by stealth. The current lack of clarity on the meaning of “sex” in the Equality Act means any measure that makes it easier to gain a gender-recognition certificate would be disastrous for the rights of women and girls. Do you agree with this?

Yes

1. The removal of sex-based terms in healthcare and the justice system must end. Sex is always relevant in healthcare, and patients need to know that their records are accurate and that when they are asked about their sex or request a carer of the same sex, everyone is talking about biology, not identity. Sex also matters whenever a crime is committed. Misrecording male offenders as female makes it impossible to study patterns of criminality. When prison and police officers search suspects and prisoners, it’s the sex of both parties that matters, not their gender identity. Imprisoning trans-identifying men in women’s prisons is a breach of female inmates’ human rights. Do you agree with this?

Yes

1. It is crucial to fix the muddle that has been made of official data. The next government will inherit systems of recording sex that are a tangled, dangerous mess. It should use the opportunity offered by modern digital data systems to develop a simple, clear protocol for accurately recording everyone’s sex. Everyone’s rights can then be protected by sharing that information when it is needed, and keeping it private when it is not. Do you agree with this?

Yes

1. Fairness, safety and opportunity in sport should be protected for women and girls at all levels by restricting eligibility for the female category to those born female, excluding all males however they identify. Do you agree with this?

Yes

1. Finally, the next government must press regulators and regulatory agencies to do their jobs and protect everyone’s rights. The Charity Commission must be instructed to ensure that single-sex charities do not undermine their own mission by adopting self-ID. The Office for National Statistics cannot be allowed to make another error on the same scale as in the 2021 census, which featured a widely misunderstood question about gender identity written to please transactivists. The Equality and Human Rights Commission must do more to stand up for single-sex services and against the bullying and harassment of workers who care about sex-based rights. Do you agree with this?

Yes Richard Drax, June 7, 2024

Its a horrible dilemma especially given LibDems are even worse than the GP on this and take donations from PB manufacturers to the tune of £1.4 million I think.
I'm in a ground zero city where its overwhelming so I'm spoiling my ballot for the first time.😕

The Equality Act 2010 already entitled trans women to use women’s facilities and this happens all the time, without many of us being aware. Indeed, predatory men wishing to access a ladies’ loo or shop changing room do not need to go through any process to do so – these spaces are not policed and nor could they practically be, without checking inside women’s underwear, which would be a gross violation of all women’s rights.

But these spaces are policed. By the adults in the room. By the decent women (I can't speak for men.)

We don't need to check inside anyone's underwear to see who is a man and a woman. We live in a civilised society where we respect women and good men wouldn't break women's boundaries like that.

Why would he suggest checking in underwear?! Seems creepy - is that the only suggestion of how to fix their problem?!

What's the bloody GR certificate for then?

The EQ act doesn't allow that.

Also when I was a child, I was sexually harassed on four separate occasions by blokes dressed up as women for 'fun' so I've been very aware thank you.

Oh FFS doesn't this tosser realise that if TW access them then this is no longer a single sex space.

It's become impossible to debate because language doesn't make sense any more.

'I am very clear that single-sex safe spaces for women are essential and must be protected. I also recognise that trans women have the right to dignity and safety too and will need to be able to access toilets, changing rooms and other single-sex facilities when going about their daily life.'

What is the matter with them that they don't see that the two things cannot exist at the same time, and that their commitment to the second cancels out the first?

Of course it means that the 'essential' single sex services waffle is mere lip service: they see women's spaces and bodies as an entitlement for men.

I had similar shite from my local Labour candidate. I asked about women, he told me all about vulnerable men needing dignity. That he means, in fact, that this 'dignity' is compelling non consenting women to take their clothes off in front of said men, is just..... you're left wondering wtf they're smoking.

I quite like Jane's wording! And thank you. It does help to know I'm not the only one who is sad, angry and frustrated at the choices tomorrow.

I'm so sorry for what happened to you.

The argument is so extreme. Threatening women with having even more dignity removed, unless they put up with the loss of some of their rights

I know. It's completely illogical and tbh I don't know how we are in a position that elected officials are so blatantly dishonest.

Btw I know everyone is assuming that this is a man, but I think it's even more galling that this is a female MP.

I was so pleased when I read that first sentence and thought oh maybe this is someone prepared to stand up against the madness of their party... and then the rest as you say completely cancels it out and shows they don't care about women at all

Courtesy of Official Journal of the European Union C 303/17 - 14.12.2007:

Article 1 - Human dignity

Human dignity is inviolable. It must be respected and protected.

Explanations
Case Law References
National Constitutional Law
EU Law
International Law
Products

Text:

*The dignity of the human person is not only a fundamental right in itself but constitutes the real basis of fundamental rights. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrined human dignity in its preamble: ‘Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.’ In its judgment of 9 October 2001 in Case C-377/98 Netherlands v European Parliament and Council [2001] ECR I-7079, at grounds 70 — 77, the Court of Justice confirmed that a fundamental right to human dignity is part of Union law.
It results that none of the rights laid down in this Charter may be used to harm the dignity of another person, and that the dignity of the human person is part of the substance of the rights laid down in this Charter. It must therefore be respected, even where a right is restricted.*

The presence of a man, no matter how they see themselves or how they present, is an abrogation of my most fundamental of human rights.

Your MP isn't Layla Moran???

This is why I cannot put my x next to the Lib Dems tomorrow and will vote Tory for the first time in my life (our seat is neck and neck Tory/LD).

It's the same about any issue, like animal rights, housing etc xx

Getting down to the nitty and gritty, quoting, if you need to pee out of a penis then urinals, if need to sit down then women's toilets. However if trans, this is difficult. Yes there are and will be more options. In council buildings there are unisex toilets, have been for many years, but a lot more need to be incorporated into other places. In hospitals they are often single cubicles so no problem. I think we would all prefer single cubicles free for all, lot easier to have a poo 💩!

Finally sent her my response today:

Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I have to say I am extremely disappointed - this is not an accurate reflection of the legislation and nor does it address my concerns and those of many other women.

I simply cannot support a candidate or a party who is not prepared to take women’s rights seriously. This is not about discriminating against or excluding trans people, but rather seeking to ensure that women and girls across society are treated with dignity and respect.

It is beyond my comprehension that educated women and people who say that they are standing up for children are seeking to engineer a position (or an ex post reinterpretation of current legislation) where they are actively supporting biological men having access to women and children's spaces.

If you are re-elected, I hope that you will in fact take on board the voices of women in your constituency. I see nothing in your response or the policies of the Lib Dems demonstrating that you or your party have been listening to gender critical viewpoints. I would be very keen to share my concerns and lived experience with you and your colleagues.

My LibDem candidate:

Is your name inspired by the Lib Dem writing the response, @PanderingShitwits ?

What exactly are the "safeguards to prevent abuse" then and doesn't their party support getting rid of them?

There aren't any. My student daughter silently seethes as male students barge into female loos with impunity 'because they know better than you about their gender identity.'

Maybe some are sincere, maybe not, but they are all equally alarming, annoying and male.

@Ereshkigalangcleg of course, medical science has advanced and now all the LibDems have changed their sandals into legal cervixes.