Bristol Council insists women be called ‘people with ovaries’

[IwantToRetire]

The comments were made in a 39-page response to a consultation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on updates to its guidance, following the ruling that sex in equality laws refers to biological sex.

It wrote that “not all pregnant individuals would use the pronouns ‘she/her’” so it could lead to “emotional and psychological distress” for “trans men, non-binary, gender diverse or intersex individuals”.

“We strongly advise the use of more inclusive language such as using ‘they/them’ to refer to all individuals, or include other identities to reflect the diversity of individuals who access maternity or paternity services,” officials said.

“This could include ‘people with ovaries’ or the term ‘people who use paternity services’. We also recognise that individuals may not identify with the word maternity and prefer paternity as it is gender neutral.

“Additionally, it is unclear what support will be available to trans people who chest-feed to ensure they are protected from discrimination.”
Protections based on biological sex are “too vague”, the response added, as: “It is unclear whether it refers to anyone capable of pregnancy, or only those who were assigned female at birth.”

Council officials complained that the new guidance implies that “trans women are not ‘really’ women” and risked “creating a hostile environment in public services”.

Full article at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/22/council-says-women-called-people-with-ovaries/

And at https://archive.is/TOgKA

Did I say at any point “it” (not sure what “it” you mean) was disgusting?

I never did.

I suggest you stop with the hyperbole because it’s really not helping your argument.

Double

Taztoy · Yesterday 20:19
I worry about the children who are indoctrinated to believe they have two mothers when one of those mothers is clearly a man. That’s got to be damaging.

Surely it is disgusting to damage

Yes, the wholesale language change across the board ‘for the few’ is not actually for the few.

It is to block the concept in language, from everyone, that a mother must by definition be female, and a that female is never a male.

The fact that you and others have told me to accost a maternity service user about their identity, potentially while they are in labour, shows how angry you are. You are filled with rage.

That's because some people who can conceive don't perceive themselves as female and we count their perception of themselves as more important than your perception of them.

I never did that.

Errr... OK

It’s not about “perception” or “inclinations”.

I'm not saying you should be interrogating them about it, no.

What I am saying is that I don't really think the NHS needs to change the language it uses to refer to pregnant women for the sake of a tiny number of women who claim to want to be men but have chosen to do literally the only thing that really makes you definitely a woman and not a man.

If their gender dysphoria is mild enough that they can cope with being pregnant and giving birth, it's also mild enough that they can cope with being referred to as women, which is what they are.

I also think that if we aren't going to do the sensible thing and just abolish the Gender Recognition Act altogether, there needs to be a mechanism to cancel a Gender Recognition Certificate. For detransitioners, yes, but also for people like Freddy McConnell who swore an oath that she intended to live the rest of her life as a man and then immediately embarked on fertility treatment to get pregnant.

I didn’t.

I never told you to accost any user of maternity services.

My posts are on the thread. And I never said that.

But they are mothers regardless of their name, and they are the mother of the child, not the father, or simply 'the parent'. It is not kind to expect a child to use contorted and unnatural language, totally disimilar to that which their peers use; not contingent with social norms and expectations, cultural references etc

I don't think you need to explain how important individuality is to a forum of mothers who also happen to be their own person too.

What are you talking about? I am talking about midwives and doctors referring to pregnant women as "mum" over "Lisa". We don't want women to feel like they are now not themselves and just a mum, so using their names is encouraged. It seems like you're saying that women should get used to being nothing but a mother now and be fine if they are not addressed by their name any more but their parenting role instead.

How individuals perceive themselves is really neither here nor there.

But their perception does not, and should not, over-rule common sense, everyday reality, and the rights of professionals and everyone else to use correct terminology.

You seem keen to twist my meaning and intention to suit your own point.I have said nothing of the sort. But a woman who gives birth to a baby is the mother of that baby. I don't require beginners lessons in feminist theory.

it was you who came onto a thread about Bristol city council and its ludicrous pronouncements and introduced this unrelated issue.

I don't think it is always mild. I remember one real.life example we were given were of a couple where one woman had IVF a few times and some really devastating outcomes like late miscarriages. Her partner (a trans man) then stepped up so they could have a biological baby but it certainly wasnt something they were overjoyed at and that's partly why they really needed supportive maternity care. It very much enhanced their dysphoria but they ultimately wanted a (bio) family with their partner.

We change our language for the minority of couples who may be of the same sex so I don't see it as much different to be honest. We have less than 1% same sex couples because we don't have a local IVF unit.

You responded to my comment about why we are discouraged from routinely referring to anyone as "mum" or "mother". Or why we don't use archaic language like "mother's milk".

I was showing why these points about a trans man not wanting to be referred to as "mother" or "mum" would hardly be a big deal in a maternity unit because we are meant to be using people's names anyway! It seems like you want to goad trans people on maternity units by using these terms to make them uncomfortable.

You are just making this all up now.

It is you who is being confrontational and angry and the evidence is in your introduction of this unrelated theme to the thread in the first place, and your persistence over one whole afternoon and evening and into the following morning in pursuing it. You knew people would disagree strongly with you, Robin.

What you want is for HCPs to be able to call people what they want rather than what the person would prefer. You want to remove individualised care so everyone's maternity care is aligned with your views on trans issues. You don't just want to control your maternity care, but the care of everyone else, too.

It's really quite unhealthy.

So because you'd disagree about my job as a midwife and what professional standards I must meet, I should shut up?

I am not angry at all. More bemused that so many of you would let your wider values go out the window to ensure that trans people in the maternity system have a shit time.

It helped solidify my own beliefs that my personal views on such matters should have absolutely no bearing on the care I give. The alternative is acting as narcissistic and unstable as some of you have come across here.

Nobody here requires you to tell them what their intention is, nor what drives them.

You knew full well when you chose to post here that people would have a fundamental issue with the whole nonsense of pronouns and gender identity theory, especially when it comes to such a fundamentally female condition as pregnancy. You didn't innocently land in a place hostile to your intention. You elected to be provocative.

We don't accept or believe in the concept of a trans person as some unique type of human being that is without sex. You knew that. People who adopt such identities remain either male or female. It is not healthy to indulge these imaginings.It is the person with the 'identity' that needs to adapt to reality, not the professionals.

This is the sort of bollocks that should be ignored completely.

So we pay them with our money so they can have meetings, and discuss this sort of things. What's happening in UK? Personally, I identify as a ladybird 😝