Women & Equalities Committee 2.30pm Today, 9th June, Mary-Ann Stephenson Chair at EHRC giving oral evidence

[TheNoWord]

Work of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) 20026-27 - Oral evidence, Mary-Ann Stephenson, Chair at Equality and Human Rights Commission and John Kirkpatrick, Chief Executive Officer at Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Considering the absolute balloons on this committee, it will be well worth a watch. Only Rosie Duffield and Rebecca Paul have any sense.

You can watch live on Parliament TV from 2.30pm

https://committees.parliament.uk/event/27280/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/

Well, this is going as expected. Poor MAS having to deal with this nonsense. Nadia Whittome is like a petulant toddler.

The one from Plaid Cymru's not much better (I forget her name). I remember during the grilling they gave the Baroness, she took her to task because they're wasn't a rep from Wales on thebCommission and the Baroness, with great delight no doubt, informed her that was because the Welsh Government hadn't appointed one despite the Commission contacting them several times about it. 😂

She was to dimwitted to be embarrassed by her no nothingness. 😣

MAS: "I do understand and appreciate that, particularly for those people who have a GRC, that it must be a shock that the interpretation of the law that many had is not what the Supreme Court decided that the law was"

Honestly, it's like a compilation of all the worst TRA arguments from social media. It's a waste of an opportunity to ask well thought out questions about the code. I think MAS is an effective, articulate communicator, but you can detect her exasperation with these dimwits.

^ Especially when they talk over her!

Given that she was talking to a room full of people who are largely responsible for them having the wrong idea about the law, I bet none of them realised that she was taking a swipe at them. 😂

I wonder if it was a shock for Alex Sobel to learn that women have article 8 rights too.

Oh FGS
The "male child under 10 year old" argument
Bloke asks: where will it end??

Aagh, have some common sense man!

"Are we the dummies?" 🤔

MAS basically saying "it's not just about what TW want. Other people exist."

Great questions from Rosie Duffield and excellent responses from MAS.

Was that a careful criticism of "no debate"?

MAS also pointing out that TRAs can be violent!

MAS stating that following previous attacks RD mentioned, their offices have have also been attacked and had to move to another place for their safety.

The chair seems to think that because " women are unsafe walking around any public space" then why should that be any different when it come to established single sex facilities. Can she even hear herself?

That guy, was he from an NHS trust, seemed to suggest that the rules "were unenforcable" and that they therefore wouldn't be enforced. Who was he?What a bad faith idiot.

The man sat along side Mary Annn Stephenson was a picture of calm rationality and common sense. He told him that enforcement action would have to be taken, but that rather than be obstructive it would be far easier to co-operate and find ways to implement the ruling in the best interests, and the dignity, of all patients.

I really liked the way MAS and JK kept pulling the perspective back to women and to other groups in society.
i.e. THIS IS NOT ALL ABOUT TW AND WHAT THEY WANT

The point he was making was that it’s all well and good saying separate spaces should be provided from trans people to maintain dignity, but in the reality of a resource constrained NHS that isn’t going to happy. Dr Stephenson said earlier in the session that it probably wouldn’t be dignified to make a trans women who has been transitioned for a long time go on a male ward.

Dr Stephenson said earlier in the session that it probably wouldn’t be dignified to make a trans women who has been transitioned for a long time go on a male ward.

Yes she did, so depending on the specific circumstances a solution would be found that balanced all needs, e.g. a side room.

And as another member said side rooms would sometimes be needed for people with infections. What happens when an alternative space isn’t available?

How about setting out your suggestion?

I'm pointing out that she emphasised that a solution would need to be found that met the needs of all parties and she didn't just shrug and say "oh well, we'll just put the 84 year old TW in the women's ward then".
Other people needs deserve to be considered too.

Has it finished? Is there a transcript or perhaps a summary;or is it a case of 'you had to be there'?

You can click on the link in the OP to watch again (click "watch the meeting" and then click the arrow next to Big Ben)

They're going to have to be created, funded and sorted out.

Because otherwise, there's two options: you ignore the man who's made life very complicated for everyone with his gender identity and dump him in a male ward with all the associated issues for him -

or you dump him on a women's ward and create all the associated issues for those women, including those who will just leave rather than stay, and the women who may or may not end up raped and harassed depending on what kind of man he turns out to be.

There aren't easy answers to this: that most seem to just want to throw women to the wolves isn't an easier or better one.

But it is already happening, and that has been the ruling for a long time. Single sex spaces were always meant to be exactly that.Many organisations are already doing the right thing. It is not impossible nor even that difficult. The man who says he was a nurse was simply being obstructive and coming from an position of ideological resistance. I'm not sure i'd like him nursing me, quite frankly.

You can watch even now it is finished, if you follow the link.