EHRC has now sent its new guidance to ministers

[Charabanc]

Here we go...

ETA it's not "guidance" any more, it's the new Code

Equality law regulator submits updated code of practice to Minister for Women and Equalities

Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:

“Over the past two years the EHRC has undertaken a major project to update the entire statutory code of practice, which was published in 2011, to reflect over ten years of new legislation. Following the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers in April, some additional sections required further revision.

“We have now submitted an updated draft of the code to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The government is responsible for laying it before Parliament. Once Parliament has considered its content, I look forward to the EHRC publishing this guidance, fulfilling our statutory role to provide clear information that protects everyone's rights under the Equality Act 2010.

“We have been clear that service providers, associations and public functions should not wait for the code of practice to be published to make any changes needed to comply with the law. As duty-bearers they must assure themselves of their legal responsibilities in their own specific circumstances and seek independent legal advice where necessary.”

Following ministerial approval, the UK Government must lay the draft code before Parliament for 40 days before it can be brought into force.

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/media-centre/equality-law-regulator-submits-updated-code-practice-minister-women-and-equalities

Well, that's bleak, @FlirtsWithRhinos . I suppose the most worrying thing is, the perception that it's getting worse, not better.

I should hope that Starmer knows by now that the trans issue alone is enough to take down his government and Labour will be a sitting duck if they can't neutralize it by 2029. There's zero benefit for Labour stalling the guidance unless they intend to table it. This is beginning to have the hallmarks of Labour's chronic problem - unwillingness to make painful decisions and allowing them to fester until events force their hand at the least opportune time.

Well it won't be laid today (I assume) because the House isn't sitting (as it's a normal Friday).

Although I see that one SI has been laid today, so who knows?!

Then there's only Monday and Tuesday before the House rises on Weds 17th for conference season, and doesn't sit again until Monday 13th Oct.

We will see it once it has been laid. So, once the 40 day period starts (which does not include recesses etc).

Keep checking here:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/new/uksi

I think I have seen an example of an M&S store with separate male changing but mixed changing for women to use. That is certainly discriminatory.

I saw a bizarre M&S advert on Facebook yesterday - it said “underwear to cover all bases (literally)” and one of the pictures had what looked like a pair of lacy male y fronts on it on a very androgynous female body (Which easily could have been a male one). This had disappeared when I saw the ad later on. But the few comments were saying, is that a man, those knickers look like men’s underwear? So I suspect someone in the social media team was being provocative.

Still not laid according to the quote from this article - https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/supreme-court-trans-single-sex-spaces-b2826924.html

Also - Lush and Ben and Jerries are sad - quick, stop the entirety of government.

Why is so difficult simply to go back to how things have been for the last 50 or 60 years or more? It's just a case of people staying in their own lane. What's so difficult about that?

Nothing is difficult. We all know who is a man and who is a woman. They're just having tantrums because they don't want to do it.

Or more specifically, they don’t want to say ‘no’ to men.