Gender Discussion #39

I received an email this morning with a response from the government on the “update the equality act” petition many of us signed. Basically says no need to update as the current legislation makes it clear that biological males can legally be excluded from females only spaces, it actually uses a counselling session for female victims of sexual assault as an example of how it’s legal to exclude someone who is biologically male:


You recently signed the petition “Update the Equality Act to make clear the characteristic “sex” is biological sex”:

The Government has responded to the e-petition you signed.

The Government's response

Under the Equality Act 2010, providers are already able to restrict the use of spaces/services on the basis of sex and/or gender reassignment where justified. Further clarification is not necessary.

The Equality Act 2010 provides protection against discrimination, harassment and victimisation across a number of grounds, including sex. We are committed to upholding Britain’s long-standing record of protecting the rights of individuals against unlawful discrimination.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) have published guidance on the existing legislation which provides much needed clarity to those offering single-sex spaces. It does not change the legal position or the law.

As the guidance makes clear, it is entirely acceptable for providers of single-sex services to take account of the biological sex of their service users. Where it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, the Equality Act 2010 is clear that service providers can exclude, modify or limit access for transgender people, even where they have a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). This includes where a service provider has concerns that the presence of individuals who are biologically male could prevent them from meeting their aims, such as in the example below, included in the guidance:

“A group counselling session is provided for female victims of sexual assault. The organisers do not allow trans women to attend as they judge that the clients who attend the group session are likely to be traumatised by the presence of a person who is biologically male.”

It is important that providers of single-sex services are clear that biological sex can be taken into consideration when providing services.

The Government is committed to maintaining the safeguards that allow organisations to provide single-sex spaces. It is important that the principle of being able to operate spaces reserved for women and girls is maintained. Government is committed to tackling harassment and abusive behaviours by all individuals, and ensuring single-sex spaces are safe for those using them.

The response to this petition was provided by the Cabinet Office.

Read the Government's response to this petition online.
Minister for Women and Equalities apologises for late response

The Minister for Women and Equalities, Kemi Badenoch MP, has apologised for the delay in responding to this petition. The minister said:

The delay was caused by exceptional factors including waiting for the conclusion of a directly relevant case being heard by the Court of Appeal in Scotland on this issue. We took the view that it would be helpful to the petitioners if we could respond in full knowledge of the Court’s ruling on this matter.

Read the Minister's letter apologising for the late response to this petition.
Thanks,
The Petitions team
UK Government and Parliament

I mean, @Very traditional, that response is disappointing considering we know what has happened at supposedly women’s organisations. The EA “allows” single sex spaces, but equally, these organisations are “allowed” to pander to angry men in dresses? Nothing changes.

I’ve been so angry the past few days, thinking about the absolute contempt rallied at GC women. The accusations of transphobia, the way the police have emboldened the TRAs through their handling of reports, the way that Nicola Sturgeon spat out her rejection of women’s fears about self-ID, her pals likening us to Nazis, TRAs (men!) publicly threatening to decapitate women. Yesterday Kellie-Jay Keen was threatened with her husband and children being doxxed by what seems to be a TRA infiltrator of the GC scene. And here we are: in a blink of an eye those fears were substantiated, yet I’m still afraid to speak openly about my beliefs. Still seeing “Fuck TERFS!” ranted about on social media by people I consider otherwise sensible. I’m very grateful for the GC women who speak out!

Well said Douglas Ross referring to this piece of human garbage as a “beast” that’s the only word for a double rapist. I see the Labour frontbenchers like Annelise Dodds are frantically back-pedalling, well too late now. You took the side of men.

Article in the Telegraph this morning mentions that they got hold of the court order made when Bryson was convicted and the judge actually directed he be remanded at Barlinnie, the all-male prison near Glasgow. Scottish Prison Service overruled it and put him in Cornton Vale instead. This one is going to run and run, I think.

EDIT: Daily Mail confirms he's in the men's wing of HMP Edinburgh now. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...son-trans-double-rapist-Isla-Bryson-held.html

Sorry if it’s already been shared but absolutely sick to my stomach reading this! The description of what this cunt was like in the classes as tipped me over the fucking edge. So after reading that- tell me how he was risk assessed as being ok to go to a women’s prison. The two rapes not being enough. What does the risk assessment involve if it doesn’t notice a long history of violent and aggressive behaviour towards women.
How can they possibly charge him and record it as a woman’s crime!? It’s a fucking disgrace. What does it do to crime statistics and analysis?? Distorted reality of things that HAVE to be accurate. Have they just sent a women into a men’s prison then? No. They’ve sent a bloke and his crimes are MALE.

Absolutely creepy that he was a student on a beauty course, not the fact he was transgender, but men in general I don’t think should be beauty therapists. I feel the same about male midwives (just my opinion, not looking to offend or have my mind changed). I have heard of male therapists sexually abusing clients while they are giving them a massage. Touching areas they shouldn’t be etc. it’s a rapists dream job. I turned up for a massage once (it wasn’t in the UK) and it was a guy and I just said no, it’s either a woman doing it or I want a refund. There was a lot of eye rolling on their part but they got a woman for me. No way in the world is some creepy guy getting his hands on me.

Shelagh was such an utter queen in that exchange with that creep, Nick. Ah diddums didn't get a chance to talk down to and belittle a woman, poor little Nicky. I can only imagine the tantrum that got thrown in Bristol after she put him back in his place!

weeweegie said:

Did anyone in Scotland see the party political broadcast tonight from the Scottish Greens? With a trans man/non binary person called Gray. Addressing the nation at peak time. No I will never fucken vote Scottish Greens! Bunch of LOONS.

Talking of loons, I stumbled across a Janey Godley tweet where she’s praising her ‘trans pals’. She thinks gender critical people hate trans people. The poor poor trans This is a narrative that she’s happy with, cos she can denounce us nasty terfs and she gets to feel all warm and fuzzy and supportive. And more importantly the TRAs are off her back. Last thing she would want is flack from TRAs, she’s already been ‘cancelled’ for old offensive tweets. She can’t understand it’s about women’s rights, not hatred of trans people. I used to be a fan of her comedy and my heart goes out to her with what she’s going through with her cancer but I have no respect for her deluded wee rants against pretty much her target audience. Regular wee Glesga wummin (like me and mum) don’t take any shit and wouldn’t be backwards in coming forwards about women’s rights to safety, privacy and dignity. We are no nonsense and can see right through it. Janey is just trying to protect herself in all this, she doesn’t actually care about trans people at all.

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Couldn’t have said this better myself. I no longer read Janey’s tweets or posts on anything she’s on. I scroll past it all. I feel for her health wise and admire her courage throughout. She’s on no one’s side but her own here though and definitely looking out for herself.

HockyRorror said:

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I wonder if this is the beginning of the end for Sturgeon. She's losing the plot and lashing out. She absolutely can't stand the backlash there has been with the gender reform bill because she's been unchallenged for years.

On the thread above there is a for women Scotland thread mentioned where they look at Nicola Sturgeons record on woman's issues since she has been in Parliament - funnily enough they cannot find much out

MmmB777 said:

Sorry if it’s already been shared but absolutely sick to my stomach reading this! The description of what this cunt was like in the classes as tipped me over the fucking edge. So after reading that- tell me how he was risk assessed as being ok to go to a women’s prison. The two rapes not being enough. What does the risk assessment involve if it doesn’t notice a long history of violent and aggressive behaviour towards women.
How can they possibly charge him and record it as a woman’s crime!? It’s a fucking disgrace. What does it do to crime statistics and analysis?? Distorted reality of things that HAVE to be accurate. Have they just sent a women into a men’s prison then? No. They’ve sent a bloke and his crimes are MALE.

Scots beauty students asked to strip in front of trans rapist after sex attacks

Ayrshire College students told how they got naked for spray tan sessions in front of Isla Bryson, 31, while unaware she was awaiting trial for two rapes she committed as a man.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

[/QUOTE

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I’m extremely surprised it was the lead item on STV News last night. They’re basically SNP TV.

I just want the tide to turn on this issue and for more people to see it for what it is and speak up more. I want more people with a public platform to speak up, to embolden ‘regular’ people to do the same and make the majority heard. It saddens me that JKR is one of the only well-known women speaking out about this. And she can afford to, because if they try to cancel her she has enough money that they can’t ruin her livelihood.

blahblahboring said:

I just want the tide to turn on this issue and for more people to see it for what it is and speak up more. I want more people with a public platform to speak up, to embolden ‘regular’ people to do the same and make the majority heard. It saddens me that JKR is one of the only well-known women speaking out about this. And she can afford to, because if they try to cancel her she has enough money that they can’t ruin her livelihood.

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I think the tide is starting to turn. This week has been quite a dramatic shift in bringing this issue to the forefront of public media

thegirlscout said:

They deleted the photo from their instagram. The next photo was a set of children and the optics just look so bad.
Rich women who want to buy luxury aren’t going to be swayed by shit like this. If they wanted to do something different they could have got gender non conforming models.

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Yes but I'd rather they were actual women modelling clothes. Women are already conditioned to believe that they should be 6ft tall with no hips for the model look.

If Burberry really wanted to sell to women why not choose some that look like everyday women just normal/average sort of size would do. The problem is that they always pick extreme looks for advertising e.g. very tall and skinny, covered in tattoos or extremely overweight when trying to be different. They can never use women of average height and weight.

blahblahboring said:

I just want the tide to turn on this issue and for more people to see it for what it is and speak up more. I want more people with a public platform to speak up, to embolden ‘regular’ people to do the same and make the majority heard. It saddens me that JKR is one of the only well-known women speaking out about this. And she can afford to, because if they try to cancel her she has enough money that they can’t ruin her livelihood.

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Annoyingly, it seems the tides might turn because finally some men have noticed what women have been trying to tell people for years. But if that’s what it takes..

Blond3g1rl said:

I think the tide is starting to turn. This week has been quite a dramatic shift in bringing this issue to the forefront of public media

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I'd like to think that was the case, my husband keeps saying it's all a 'phase' like the pronoun thing but I really don't think it's going away any time soon unless women keep campaigning against it.

More coming out about this rapist.

I work for a local authority so can't express my opinion publicly without repercussions. But we are now in a world where a MAN with a PENIS is a serial RAPIST and then transitions into a 'woman' and everyone is more concerned with mis-gendering him. Kevin McGuire, who I used to rate, can get in the fucking BIN defending this fucking animal. I hope this is the beginning of the end of this fucking nonsense which is one of the most dangerous and warped ideologies of all time. Hopefully, Owen Warner will wank himself into oblivion soon too.