Glancing through media today I came across two articles which to my mind highlight the differences currently being banded about on Trans issues.
The first one I came across was on the front page of the Scottish edition of The Times. It’s headline was in larger print than the headline article on the front page giving it considerable weight. It has more prominence than “China protest biggest since Tiananmen”.
“Global risk from SNP Gender Bill”
For heaven’s sake. Robin White, a discrimination and employment barrister, who posted the article rather pointedly suggests that trans people may also be responsible for global warming, the death of the Queen, the mortgage rate rise and the recent spell of hot weather……
Apparently the UN expert considers the consultations for the proposed reform as being insufficiently fair and inclusive. From my perspective the consultations have been broad and thorough having been going on for some years and have included all perspectives. However they do not accept some of the anti lobby’s views as there has been a significant lack of any specific evidence to support there general contentions. What is more concerning to me is that the proposed reforms do not in themselves do not change any existing rights women currently enjoy. Trans woman have equal rights under the Equality Act 2010 and the proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act have no effect on those rights. It is spurious fear mongering.
There is no evidence in other countries who have already adopted self ID that men are going to go to the trouble to self ID, swearing affidavits so they can dress as a woman to endanger women in their safe spaces. During the consultation the Police in Scotland said there had been zero cases of rape by transwomen. There are rare cases of men, not trans women, dressing and violating women. This is done now without self ID. In general if men are intent in being violent towards women they will be so without the need to dress or by gaining a Gender Recognition Certificate.
The UN expert also says that this is a global concern, “part of a worldwide debate”, that may be so. Part of that world wide debate was also posted by Robin White. In Tasmania on 28th November 2022 the Tasmanian Civi and Administrative Tribunal upheld equal rights for transgender people following an application by the LGB Alliance for an exemption from the Anti-Discrimination Act allowing transgender women to be excluded from women’s only events.
Interestingly the Tribunal also called out misinformation about transgender women saying “many of the assertions, particularly those regarding paraphilias, patterns of criminality and nefarious motivations for attending female only events were unsupported by empirical evidence. The wider public interest in protecting the rights of all members of the community from discrimination and prohibited conduct would not be advanced if the Tribunal yielded to such arguments”. For me this is really refreshing to hear, a robust response to these spurious allegations with no empirical supporting evidence.
It's never too late.... 