Not a great week so far for trans people in the UK

On Monday, shadow minister for women and equalities Anneliese Dodds MP used an opinion column in the Guardian to announce Labour’s new stance on gender recognition reform, hugely weakened from the kind of reform they supported in Scotland last year: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/24/labour-will-lead-on-reform-of-transgender-rights-and-we-wont-take-lectures-from-the-divisive-tories

Indeed, Dodds had the gall to say that the Scottish Government’s reform bill – which was supported by most Labour MSPs and would have become law had Westminster not blocked it – was ‘cavalier’ and ‘more about picking a fight with Westminster than bringing about meaningful change’! Seriously?!

On Tuesday, ‘gender-critical’ ‘feminist’ Rosie Duffield MP unsurprisingly lent support to the new proposals, which she says are ‘going in the right direction’ for ‘biological women’: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2023/jul/25/michael-gove-petrol-cars-mps-rishi-sunak-climate-policy-uk-politics-live-latest-updates?page=with:block-64bf95328f081d44d14a89f7#block-64bf95328f081d44d14a89f7

And today (Wednesday), leader of the opposition Keir Starmer MP said:

‘Firstly, a woman is an adult female, so let’s clear that one up …

[You mean, adult female *human being*, or are female butterflies also women?]

‘We don’t think that self-identification is the right way forward. We’ve reflected on what happened in Scotland …

[Rather, what happened *to* Scotland, when the UK government blocked competent legislation without warning]

‘We’ve set out that we want to modernise the process, get rid of some of the indignities in the process, keep it a medical process.

[*Some* of the indignities. Nice /s]

‘We’ve always said, I’ve continued to say, and Sunday, when we completed our policy forum, allowed us to be clear that there should be safe places, safe spaces, for women, particularly in relation to violence against women and girls.’

[So what?]

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2023/jul/26/labour-no-10-nigel-farage-natwest-controversy-keir-starmer-rishi-sunak-uk-politics-live-latest-updates?page=with:block-64c0e76f8f0857661ecd4bb0#block-64c0e76f8f0857661ecd4bb0

Starmer lacks the positive values and qualities of his predecessor

On trans rights as on so many other issues, he’d rather tread lightly for fear of actually being seen to *oppose* the Tory government’s horrific agenda

#GenderRecognitionReform #TransRightsAreHumanRights #transphobia #UKLabourParty #AnnelieseDodds #RosieDuffield #KeirStarmer

This is pretty sickening 😔

https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/06/18/rishi-sunak-mocks-trans-women-leaked-video/

#transphobia #TransWomen #EqualityAct #Section35 #GenderRecognitionReform

#SNP #minister claims 'no option' but to launch #legalchallenge against #UK #Government's #Section35 order over #Scotland's #GenderRecognitionReform Bill.

The Scottish and UK Governments face another day in court in a row over blocked plans to make it easier for people to switch their legally recognised genders.

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQIA #UK #Scotland #allies #Tories #Hate #Bigotry #Discrimination #Transphobia

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/snp-minister-claims-no-option-29754400

#GenderRecognitionReform is about #rights and #democracy

The #Scottish #Government’s #decision to #challenge #Westminster’s blocking of gender recognition reform law under #Section35 is vital to protecting our #democracy and the #rights of #trans people in #scotland

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQIA #UK #Scotland #Tories #Hate #Bigotry #Transphobia

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/opinion/letters/gender-reform-is-about-rights-and-democracy-lorna-slater-4106642

Here’s the Scottish Daily Express’s take today on Humza Yousaf’s announcement that he will challenge the UK government’s use of ‘Section 35’ to block gender recognition reform (my emphases):

‘The SNP's gender reforms are *"not controversial"* and Humza Yousaf is right to challenge the UK Government for blocking them, the party's deputy leader at Westminster [Mhairi Black] has said.

‘The *hugely controversial* Gender Recognition Reform Bill was stopped by Scottish Secretary Alister Jack using a Section 35 order. Polls show it is unpopular with voters and Mr Yousaf's leadership rivals, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan, both campaigned to dump it.’

😔

#transphobia #GenderRecognitionReform #HumzaYousaf

Yesterday, the UK Government’s Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, refused to answer to the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee regarding his decision to block reform of the Gender Recognition Act in Scotland

Please join me in adding your name to this letter by the @ScottishGreens, urging him to reconsider:

https://greens.scot/NoSection35

#GenderRecognitionReform
#NoSection35
#TransRightsAreHumanRights