In response to Shona Robinson’s statement on the Scottish Government draft GRA Bill, Equalities Convener of the ALBA Party, Eva COmrie, said;
“The ALBA Party asks for a pause to the Gender Recognition Act reforms until the views of women’s groups and the EHRC are fully taken into account.
ALBA’s main issue with the Bill is the removal of a medical gatekeeping which will allow any male to identify as a female on his own say-so. This will open up women’s services and spaces to a whole new category of men.
ALBA believe that the Government’s GRA reforms are ill thought out, will not improve the life chances of Trans people and comprise a risk to the rights and safety of women, which single sex exemptions were designed to protect.
For the above reasons and without significant changes to the bill, ALBA will continue to wholeheartedly oppose these reforms.
ALBA requests that the Scottish Government pause GRA reform legislation until the views of women’s groups and the EHRC are fully taken into account, and the legality of the reforms, given the recent For Women Scotland court ruling on the separating of sex and gender reassignment, be assessed.”
Explanation
The Government describes this process as a simple administrative change, whilst also making bold disputed claims that it is life saving, urgent and absolutely essential.
The Scottish Government claims that the Bill has wide support; when questioned on the principle of improving the experiences of trans people the majority of the population agrees. No decent citizen could challenge the overhaul of a process described as degrading and intrusive.
Reform to alleviate negative experiences of a minority group is a laudable aim, but the stance adopted by legislators in this case, risks the sacrifice of the same or single sex protected rights of women.
The specific reforms invite controversy, for they comprise the removal of the need for medical certification of a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and two years of living in the assumed gender, to be replaced with a simple affirmation by way of self identification and a three month period of reflection. In other words the change of gender, or as the legislation describes this, the change of sex marker on a birth certificate, becomes a simple process open to all, devoid of gatekeeping and for now with limitless unknown unmeasured impact.
Once the true impact and intent of this Bill are made clear, it alarms and is opposed by an overwhelming majority of the population, including women with lived experience of trauma, life long feminists, faith groups, parents, voluntary organisations and professionals who fear its manipulation by bad faith actors. The First Minister of Scotland has stated on record that these views are not valid.
The espoused concept that being a woman is a feeling or performance to be opted in and out of is comical to some and downright offensive to others. Multiple well founded concerns have already been raised about the impact of self ID on the rights of women and the potential for abusive men to exploit such an ill-considered and easily manipulated process. Numerous incidents of trans identifying males housed with female prisoners in Scottish prisons, with no consultation with women’s groups, and the resultant injury and distress to prisoners so affected, bear testament to the ad hoc, careless disregard the Scottish Government has for women’s rights which they seem content to surrender to male feelings.
Enabling any man to identify as a woman risks removing and ridiculing the purpose of dignity, privacy and safety of women’s changing rooms, hospital wards, and refuges. Enabling men to identify as women will impact on attempts to address historical structural inequality including the gender pay gap, the lack of female representation on boards, and in many sectors of employment such as STEM.
Human rights are inalienable but responsible legislators reinforce those in precious laws which state our values – as the Equality Act 2010 provides – but where those rights compete or conflict, those same lawmakers are enjoined in a democratic and respectful society to navigate these complexities openly and honestly. In this regard, by every possible measurement the Scottish Government has failed miserably. They have failed to consult openly, refused to publish two sets of consultation responses openly or comprehensively, negotiated with the proponents of the reforms, but only with great reluctance did they agree to listen to those who voiced concerns or opposition. This is not the means by which feminists protect the rights of women, and in the secrecy and apparent stealth of their attempted reforms there are signs that the Government may have materially worsened the experience of Trans people in Scottish society.
When Scotland was amongst world leading nations in introducing same sex marriage, despite the warnings of political consequences, the Government of the day listened to all points of view, treating everyone’s opinion on the matter as valid, and most importantly, by ensuring respect at the heart of the process. This approach enabled the nation to embrace legislation that had at times been opposed by many and attracted controversy.
Sadly, the Scottish Government has now succumbed to bullying politics of shouting slogans and shutting down debate while smearing those with a different world view or the temerity to question the prevailing ideology; that closed mindset does our country’s reputation no favour, stifles democratic debate and risks, rather than advances, equality.
It will now be for members of the Scottish Parliament to scrutinise this legislation.”
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Where do the ‘safeguarders’ of the young stand on this? The teachers who have been told not to tell parents? The doctors who are the super salesmen/women of big pharma?
Who are the beneficiaries of this biological contempt?
SNP/ Green vote loser – seats will implode.
I find the obsession of Sturgeon disturbing ,and to get it out the way it’s not the only thing she does.Wrong.
She puts in danger children over her love of money (Big Pharma) as you rightly said.
Mumnet are vocal about it , most women’s groups likewise
Children are innocent and as such their protection should be a priority No ifs or buts.
Now consider the MSPs,MPs and Councillors of the SNP , who support Sturgeon, Just what kind of human being are they?
And there have been some very noticeable ones
The other parties if complicit they are in my opinion equal trash
I have said before the SNP activist who said to me at an election 2016ish, “It’s your Christian duty to vote SNP”
“Practicing Buddhist” I replied mumbling quietly “and failing”
Her name still appears on branch notes, I don’t get then as often as folk who forwarded them left
Sorry for the ramble, I find her behaviour offensive
(another failure)
They will not change because they cannot stand up to Sturgeon. What a state for a party to be in when they cannot voice an opinion that differs from their leader. She pokes her nose into everything. Even the Goodwillie saga where she has instructed the council around Clyde not to let him into the club. The vindictive nature carries on. Where does it end. What Goodwillie should do is turn into a female and they would soon back off. Scot Gov is now out of control. Refusing to answer to a normal question asking why the lady from the NIB resigned practically telling the tax payer of Scotland who fund this have no say. The head of the snake needs to be chopped now. Out of control.
She had and still has this idea of controlling everything, she does to an extent . In the local councils the SNP councillors can’t do anything before getting the OK from Edinburgh, there is plenty of details if one looks at the attempt to place Robin Sturgeon at a by-election, by trying to do that she gave away the majority and control.
NS = Narcissistic Sociopath
NPD is characterized as a grandiose sense of self-importance, attitude of entitlement or arrogance, and an excessive need for external validation. The symptoms of ASD include impulsivity, aggression, and a total disregard for rules, laws, and social norms
Try getting a diagnosis of disability, and they put you through so many hoops, you give up – which is what is intended anyway, so how about self-ID-ing as disabled, SNP/Greens? Way beyond the absurdity of men (and women) being able to change sex for legal reasons, the implications are so obvious and so glaringly detrimental to females, in particular, that you have to ask where this government keeps its brains. It is a sad and damning verdict when the only way that women can achieve any level of fairness is to take the government to the courts.
I watched a programme about the Black Cab Rapist the other night. A five-year-old child could have fitted the jigsaw pieces together and stopped this man in his tracks months and years before, but they refused to listen to the women. This is the prevailing narrative of all the ills that harm women: no one f****** listens. It is very hard not to come to the conclusion that women simply do not matter, that we are not considered fully half of the human race. I don’t know how we can square the ubiquitous harm that is done to women quite deliberately with any kind of appreciation of their humanity. I’m not saying that women are special or perfect or that we are not capable of wickedness, too, but, in the balance of things, no way do we deserve the cruelties that are heaped on us, from removing our pension rights to deliberately putting us, and our children, in harm’s way.
Take note of every single MSP who supports this Bill. The Suffragettes won us the vote. Show that we know how to use it and get rid of these enablers at the very first opportunity. There may be an upside to this, though: if we all self-ID as men, without removal of any parts of our bodies (the men don’t remove their danglies) we can close the pay gap immediately and have all our pension rights reinstated, or we could do a Bunce job and get the best of both worlds. On the other hand, we could make being a woman contingent upon having all male bits removed? Simple, straightforward. How about it, Nicola/Paddy?
Every fkn time they moan about the GRA process being degrading and obtrusive I shout at the screen –
“try applying for PIP”
That will show you the meaning of degrading and obtrusive. And unlike GRA you don’t just do it once. You have to repeat the process regularly. Some PIP awards are only for 2 years. It’s rare for a 10 year award. Over 40 pages to complete. Questions about toileting ffs.
“On the other hand, we could make being a woman contingent upon having all male bits removed?”
I’m past that Lorna. A man without the dangly bits is still a man. A man that has shown extreme commitment to “living as a woman” but a man nonetheless.
The way to bring her down or any government, is when ALL of the people who have been instructed to carry out said governments stupid laws, down tools & stand with the parents & grannies against this crazy woman. IF Sturgeon were to see schools close for weeks or even months if need be, by teachers refusing to be as sneaky as she is. She would pay a high price..But we need those who work in the areas where this change will effect the most to make a stand also..
The mention of teachers in this cesspit, brings me to saying , and possible future consequences ,
Firstly who are the teachers ?
Look at Forbes and S-A-S, they are those people both male and female versions, that is the core demographic.
25-38, they are Sturgeon’s people, they worship her, and are star-struck, if she was Neil Kinnock falling into the sea, it would be the unionists sea’s fault , these are the ones loyally fallowing orders
The other side
That’ll be the parents and grand-parents , the parents will be within the same age group as the teachers, The grand-parents will I think be the catalyst should something go pear-shaped
What’s that based on ?………….Just watching people
“… I’m past that Lorna. A man without the dangly bits is still a man. A man that has shown extreme commitment to “living as a woman” but a man nonetheless… ”
Oh, so am I, PP. I was being facetious. They would all drop out immediately. No point in having all your danglies removed if you want access to females and children. I find it really disconcerting that men are so profoundly fond of their bits – rightly so, of course – that they would not have them touched, but so many young women are so willing to have their breasts removed in obeisance to the charlatans of this false religion. The sheer hypocrisy and cruelty of this trans movement as far as females and children go, is too shocking for words, if scarcely surprising. They are the human shields for the autogynephilic/fetishistic troops.
Mention third spaces (not unisex, but genuine third spaces) and they start to squeal, giving away the reality that all they are interested in is getting access to females and children, not to live as women, accepting the pay gap, pension inequities, etc. Why should be obvious to even the dimmest light bulb, but even that doesn’t cover the extreme dullness of our Holyrood light bulbs. Genuine body dysphoric people of either sex, and who cannot live in their own, would be glad of third spaces.