As someone who has said this is all about power and control this is a marvel to see play out in court.
What I find unfathomable is that this is post Forstater and Fife NHS has been totally oblivious to Forstater.
Then there's the complete inconsistency of saying transwomen are women and that sex isn't definable and then insisting on the use of the word cis. Trans and cis can not exist without a recognition of sex. It's impossible.
As rightly said this is a power play and this person has become fixated on a particular woman because she refused to go along with the power play.
Then we have the logic that transwomen can not be outed as transwomen because that is harmful to their dignity and mental health but women, can not have single sex facilities unless they disclose they are victims of sexual abuse despite the rate of women being victims being something like 1 in 4.
This creating a hierarchy of system where male is the default, transwomen take priority which women must either tolerate or must go through a trial of disclosure of sexual abuse with potential to be suspended and lose their job in the process. How is this equality in the workplace in action? Keep in your heads this action and right to use the female facilities rests on the Equality Act...
Remind me why historically women's toilets were established in the first place? Was it because they were are risk of social pariahhood for using single sex facilities because it was unbecoming for a woman and she risked sexual abuse for using them, and because the very act of using them was a invitation for abuse because she was not a lady if she did and was a lower class unworthy of respect?
Hmmm.
It's fascinating to see.
This person is consistent and a true believer because they fundamentally truly and utterly believes they are entitled to use the women's and any woman who disagrees is a threat because she will not submit to this authority on the matter. The point has come out repeatedly in how they relate to others - they relate to transwomen NOT women - as their primary community. It's telling. When you watch behaviour not identity it plays out time and time again.
Again how is this consistent with equality and the Equality Act?
And the truly terrifying part of this, is that post Forstater, no one in authority at Fife NHS was willing to challenge or question this. Why? It's an important question to ask. Why has this got to this point where it's playing out in court? That's fundamentally concerning because it's totally against safeguarding protocols where NO ONE is above scrutiny or questions.
And thus this situation also demonstrates something very scary and why we should be concerned - it perfect recipe for all manner of issues - because it demonstrates abuse of power without accountability or checks and balances. That can manifest in all manner of ways - and abuses of power always harm those at the bottom of the pile and not those wielding this unquestioned power. This isn't about Fife NHS at that point. This is about how this can be about equality? How can it be about human rights, if the rights and dignity of women is so invisible to authority that they never stopped to question someone throwing their weight about so much?
Question: How does this doctor and Fife NHS win this case without over turning Forstater?
How can you state that women working for NHS Fife have dignity and equality in the workplace in this scenario?
I have to say, hats off to all concerned in bringing this to court regardless of the eventual judgement.
We are at a point, where Sandie doesn't lose the case, even if the ruling goes against her. It's impossible. Why? Because politically it's an untenable situation with this doctor making power plays like this - the law is a reflection of the public and is only enforceable if it has public consent.
Sunlight means even if the judge rules against Sandie, this isn't a position that's going to last long. Not with so many eyes watching this and how the subject has become a pivotal issue whilst so few people have been paying attention. (Some of us have seen that coming a mile off and warned it was coming).
I also find it utterly fascinating to see 1984 actually quoted as part of the case - it's another point, I've made over and over again on here.
I wonder if the doctor realised that the case is now Lose - Lose for NHS Fife?
Once again - it's about behaviour not identity.
Identity politics is a shield for behaviour which otherwise would be considered unacceptable. This comes in many forms. Unfortunately since abuses of power, do not have to be sexualised in nature, they allow ones which are sexually motivated to go ahead if it isn't challenged and that's why we should be wary. NC recognising and expressing that this problem of power and control and how this person was about trying to assert dominance really hits the nail on the head for that reason. And that's why it will be just so hated as an observation.
Bravo to all.