I'm sure you're right, all the signs point to it. I suspect there will be further attempts to piggyback it into peripheral legislation too. Digital ID was one obvious opportunity but there will be others and it is hard for a largely voluntary movement with minimal funding to scrutinise every bit of legislation. Groups like FWS and MBM led the way in Scotland and thank God for Sex Matters but we're up against a global army of well funded campaigners, activists, politicians and institution heads. The bigger question is why? I don't believe that Stella Creasy and Nadia Whittome and all the other posturing handmaidens don't know exactly what a woman is and why we need these protections so why are they so focused on this?
Why is happening across the globe with the UN, EU, WHO, most NGOs and global institutions pushing it? Our own govt, so desperately strapped for cash, is giving £21m to advance LGBTQ+ rights over the next three years along with hosting IDAHOT next May. I know it's a tiny amount in terms of overall govt spending but it would go a long way in the women's sector funding rape crisis or refuges. LGB rights were hard fought for and won at least in UK. Now they are being undermined by the parasitical TQ+ with government funding. I can't believe I'm living through such times.
Thank you for invaluable analysis, it does make me feel less worried although you do make it clear that the causal factor in some MP’s behaviour is that they still think men can be women and should be allowed at will into women’s spaces. I do find it incredible that the sexually driven nature of a proportion of cross dressing behaviour by men is not discussed in this context. I have been shocked at the alacrity with which some women ignore this very obvious and also very well documented fact in favour of an ideological idea of ‘trans’ identity. It is very depressing to see women’s safety and welfare considered a lesser cause than the paraphyllic imperatives of a tiny minority of men. At least you offer reassurance on the law as it stands. Thank you again.
All polls indicate a growing awareness amongst the general population that sex means biological sex. I doubt that any government of any stripe would regard such proposed legislation as parliamentary time well spent.
It's bloody relentless. To have gone through the GRR and now this nebulous, confusion attempting to remove women's rights and redefining sexuality. Getting sick of this now. Even when they are unsuccessful, this fight is costs us all in many ways.
True, but whilst it is both frustrating & gruelling, it sadly needs to happen. Nadine, Stella et al are now, in fact, doing some of the heavy lifting for us. They are simply too self-absorbed & arrogant to realise.
The fact that so many women are happy, nay, enthusiastic even, to give away women’s rights without seeming to recognise where that will or could lead is both deeply concerning and terrifying. Thanks for this article.
As I have written elsewhere, this has been on the cards for some time. It should have been obvious when Stonewall started arguing for the Equality Act's exemptions to be removed in their entirety and for "gender" to replace sex as a protected characteristic. It was reinforced to my mind by the dishonest language used by English politicians (particularly Labour ones) around the time of the GRR Bill in Scotland and the weaselly reference to "safe spaces". (See here - https://www.cyclefree.co.uk/is-the-equality-act-safe/).
Now they will try to use the conversion therapy ban to introduce the concept of "gender identity" (and how the hell can that be defined? You may as well try to define a "soul"). Then, as happened with the GRA, activists will spread misinformation about what it means, how it interacts with the Equality Act and will try, once again, to bully organisations into agreeing with them. They'll argue that not allowing a man with a female "gender identity" to go into a women-only space is a form of conversion therapy and so banned - or something equally risible. Just you wait. And, once again, women will have to fight in the courts.
We need to win the political battle as well. The Greens and the Lib Dems have set their face against women's rights. So have the SNP. Reform want to tear the Equality Act up and are no friend to women. And too many Labour MPs, as Akua shows so well, have no understanding either of the law or why single sex spaces are necessary for women and why sex is essential for sexual orientation to have any sort of meaning.
We need to write to MPs en masse and put down an ultimatum on this. Support the Equality Act and guidance as it stands or risk a vote.
Labour are gradually understanding that women are not happy about our protections and rights being eroded (viz incoming Health Secretary declaration) but there are some powerful lobbies at play, lots of misinformation and a belief that to avoid a trouncing by the Greens that they need to shift left. They need a firm reminder.
Thank you so much. This is essential reading for people like me trying to push back on the R&A and Scottish Golf’s 2024 Transgender and Non-binary Policies. England Golf has the same policy. They allow men to self-identify as women and play in all Women’s Handicap Competitions with a Women’s Handicap, from the sex-based tees rated for Women in a Category called ‘Female Golfer’. There are only two Categories on the R&A sex-identifying Central Database of Handicaps (CDH) - Male Golfer and Female Golfer. The database is binary but people who identify as the opposite sex can play in the Category of their Choice. Biological sex is impossible to identify by any organiser of a competition. You cannot enter any amateur golf competition without entering your CDH Number. Catch 22
Why have a supreme Court if an indoctrinated government is going to override any decision they make based on law. Its a thundering disgrace that politicians can manipulate the law to destroy women and children's hard fought for rights to pander to mental delusion and fetish. Im sick of this insane disgusting crowd of chancers in parliament trying to destroy my right to single sex services, and pandering to morons who think you can change sex. This government has to go
It is not a thundering disgrace that parliament can ammend the law. That is literally what parliament is for; they are the only people who can change the law and that is what they are elected to do.
I am fine with MPs trying to change the law using proper parliamentary processes, I'm convinced it will fail in this case as the changes they want are not accepted by the majority of society and the government won't want to open this controversial issue.
See my comment about the conversion therapy ban. Once you instil "gender identity" in law this does reopen this controversial issue. There are already laws in place sufficient to deal with conversion therapy. That's not why this ban is being pushed. It's to get this ludicrous concept enshrined law and use that to leverage women's rights out of the way, now that the GRA route and self-ID in Scotland have failed.
Once the concept of 'gender identity' as an innate characteristic is legitimised via the conversion therapy ban (or any other legislative route) then there is a perfectly valid argument that it be included as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act.
In that scenario the best outcome that we could hope for is it be included via a redefinition of the pc of gender reassignment, the worst that (as in Australia) it be used to revise the pc of sex. Even in the best case outcome there would be the potential for further mischief via amending the exceptions.
We have advantages over early adopters of self id; it would be near impossible now to do this under the radar, we have a sizeable cohort of legal expertise honed in the battles to date, media omerta is no longer absolute, we have an increasingly aware, informed and unwilling public - and most of all we have women who are not going to stop saying "No!".
Superb Akua. As a lesbian without penis, I am eternally grateful for your continued efforts.
Thank you! It's entirely my pleasure.
I'm sure you're right, all the signs point to it. I suspect there will be further attempts to piggyback it into peripheral legislation too. Digital ID was one obvious opportunity but there will be others and it is hard for a largely voluntary movement with minimal funding to scrutinise every bit of legislation. Groups like FWS and MBM led the way in Scotland and thank God for Sex Matters but we're up against a global army of well funded campaigners, activists, politicians and institution heads. The bigger question is why? I don't believe that Stella Creasy and Nadia Whittome and all the other posturing handmaidens don't know exactly what a woman is and why we need these protections so why are they so focused on this?
Why is happening across the globe with the UN, EU, WHO, most NGOs and global institutions pushing it? Our own govt, so desperately strapped for cash, is giving £21m to advance LGBTQ+ rights over the next three years along with hosting IDAHOT next May. I know it's a tiny amount in terms of overall govt spending but it would go a long way in the women's sector funding rape crisis or refuges. LGB rights were hard fought for and won at least in UK. Now they are being undermined by the parasitical TQ+ with government funding. I can't believe I'm living through such times.
Thank you for invaluable analysis, it does make me feel less worried although you do make it clear that the causal factor in some MP’s behaviour is that they still think men can be women and should be allowed at will into women’s spaces. I do find it incredible that the sexually driven nature of a proportion of cross dressing behaviour by men is not discussed in this context. I have been shocked at the alacrity with which some women ignore this very obvious and also very well documented fact in favour of an ideological idea of ‘trans’ identity. It is very depressing to see women’s safety and welfare considered a lesser cause than the paraphyllic imperatives of a tiny minority of men. At least you offer reassurance on the law as it stands. Thank you again.
All polls indicate a growing awareness amongst the general population that sex means biological sex. I doubt that any government of any stripe would regard such proposed legislation as parliamentary time well spent.
It's bloody relentless. To have gone through the GRR and now this nebulous, confusion attempting to remove women's rights and redefining sexuality. Getting sick of this now. Even when they are unsuccessful, this fight is costs us all in many ways.
True, but whilst it is both frustrating & gruelling, it sadly needs to happen. Nadine, Stella et al are now, in fact, doing some of the heavy lifting for us. They are simply too self-absorbed & arrogant to realise.
The fact that so many women are happy, nay, enthusiastic even, to give away women’s rights without seeming to recognise where that will or could lead is both deeply concerning and terrifying. Thanks for this article.
It is an excellent, clear analysis.
As I have written elsewhere, this has been on the cards for some time. It should have been obvious when Stonewall started arguing for the Equality Act's exemptions to be removed in their entirety and for "gender" to replace sex as a protected characteristic. It was reinforced to my mind by the dishonest language used by English politicians (particularly Labour ones) around the time of the GRR Bill in Scotland and the weaselly reference to "safe spaces". (See here - https://www.cyclefree.co.uk/is-the-equality-act-safe/).
Now they will try to use the conversion therapy ban to introduce the concept of "gender identity" (and how the hell can that be defined? You may as well try to define a "soul"). Then, as happened with the GRA, activists will spread misinformation about what it means, how it interacts with the Equality Act and will try, once again, to bully organisations into agreeing with them. They'll argue that not allowing a man with a female "gender identity" to go into a women-only space is a form of conversion therapy and so banned - or something equally risible. Just you wait. And, once again, women will have to fight in the courts.
We need to win the political battle as well. The Greens and the Lib Dems have set their face against women's rights. So have the SNP. Reform want to tear the Equality Act up and are no friend to women. And too many Labour MPs, as Akua shows so well, have no understanding either of the law or why single sex spaces are necessary for women and why sex is essential for sexual orientation to have any sort of meaning.
We need to write to MPs en masse and put down an ultimatum on this. Support the Equality Act and guidance as it stands or risk a vote.
Labour are gradually understanding that women are not happy about our protections and rights being eroded (viz incoming Health Secretary declaration) but there are some powerful lobbies at play, lots of misinformation and a belief that to avoid a trouncing by the Greens that they need to shift left. They need a firm reminder.
Thank you so much. This is essential reading for people like me trying to push back on the R&A and Scottish Golf’s 2024 Transgender and Non-binary Policies. England Golf has the same policy. They allow men to self-identify as women and play in all Women’s Handicap Competitions with a Women’s Handicap, from the sex-based tees rated for Women in a Category called ‘Female Golfer’. There are only two Categories on the R&A sex-identifying Central Database of Handicaps (CDH) - Male Golfer and Female Golfer. The database is binary but people who identify as the opposite sex can play in the Category of their Choice. Biological sex is impossible to identify by any organiser of a competition. You cannot enter any amateur golf competition without entering your CDH Number. Catch 22
Why have a supreme Court if an indoctrinated government is going to override any decision they make based on law. Its a thundering disgrace that politicians can manipulate the law to destroy women and children's hard fought for rights to pander to mental delusion and fetish. Im sick of this insane disgusting crowd of chancers in parliament trying to destroy my right to single sex services, and pandering to morons who think you can change sex. This government has to go
It is not a thundering disgrace that parliament can ammend the law. That is literally what parliament is for; they are the only people who can change the law and that is what they are elected to do.
I am fine with MPs trying to change the law using proper parliamentary processes, I'm convinced it will fail in this case as the changes they want are not accepted by the majority of society and the government won't want to open this controversial issue.
See my comment about the conversion therapy ban. Once you instil "gender identity" in law this does reopen this controversial issue. There are already laws in place sufficient to deal with conversion therapy. That's not why this ban is being pushed. It's to get this ludicrous concept enshrined law and use that to leverage women's rights out of the way, now that the GRA route and self-ID in Scotland have failed.
Exactly.
Once the concept of 'gender identity' as an innate characteristic is legitimised via the conversion therapy ban (or any other legislative route) then there is a perfectly valid argument that it be included as a protected characteristic in the Equality Act.
In that scenario the best outcome that we could hope for is it be included via a redefinition of the pc of gender reassignment, the worst that (as in Australia) it be used to revise the pc of sex. Even in the best case outcome there would be the potential for further mischief via amending the exceptions.
We have advantages over early adopters of self id; it would be near impossible now to do this under the radar, we have a sizeable cohort of legal expertise honed in the battles to date, media omerta is no longer absolute, we have an increasingly aware, informed and unwilling public - and most of all we have women who are not going to stop saying "No!".