Same Sex Attraction
UK – Government drops gender self-ID plans
Originally, the UK government planned in 2018 to remove the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria enabling people to ‘change sex’ by self-identification. The Government has officially dropped its plans to make it much easier for people in England and Wales to change legal sex. Equalities Minister Liz Truss also confirmed the rights for service providers to protect single-sex spaces would remain in place. In April Liz announced that under 18s would be protected from making “irreversible decisions” while “still developing their decision-making capabilities”. At this point it is unclear what is meant by the restrictions and if it means to limit surgery and whether it includes puberty blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones. Read more, Article 1, Article 2
UK – New survey shows people are concerned about teaching LGBT curriculum to kids
Kantar, the world’s leading data, insights and consulting company, shows almost four in ten people agree that it is inappropriate for schools to teach six-year-old boys that “being gay is acceptable”. The survey comes as a law will require all schools in England to teach two new compulsory subjects: Relationships Education in primary schools and Sex and Relationships Education in secondary schools. The survey also shows that 56% of those who practice a religious faith disagreed and 30% of people described as ‘not religious’ also disagreed. Not only does opposition cut across all sections of the public but the percentages are significant and show that the government is out of step with the public. Read more
UK – Organizations face Legal action for misrepresenting the law to give males access to female spaces
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the Government Equalities Office (GEO) are facing legal action for issuing unlawful guidance which contradicts the Equality Act 2010. Women’s rights organisation the Authentic Equity Alliance (AEA) says that the organisations incorrectly stated that “trans people” or anyone with a gender recognition certificate have an automatic right to enter and use women-only spaces. AEA founder Ann Sinnott, a former Cambridge City Councillor says the “misguidance” has led to disputes as men who say they are women believe they have an absolute right to access female-only spaces. AEA has now told the EHRC and GEO to “provide guidance that is compliant with the law” or face the possibility of a judicial review.
Elsewhere, a judicial review has been launched against the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over its partnership with Stonewall. Earlier this year the CPS withdrew controversial guidance on LGBT hate crimes in schools following legal action by a 14-year old girl who accused it of “misrepresenting the law”. The CPS said it would review the guidance, but the girl told the prosecuting body that its association with Stonewall breaches the law, because while it remains partnered to the LGBT group it cannot be impartial on transgenderism. Her lawyers instructed the CPS to withdraw from Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme in May, but as it has failed to do so, they have now pressed ahead with applying for a judicial review. Read more
UK – Gender clinic trial date set and transgender activists are denied participation
A judicial review date has been set regarding a lawsuit against a London-based gender clinic’s medicalized gender-transitioning of children and teenagers. Susan Evans, a psychiatric nurse and former member of Tavistock, that has filed the lawsuit in part, has voiced repeated concerns that the safety of children being treated at the facility was disregarded in favour of experimental transitioning, and that minors are not cognitively capable of giving informed consent. Keira Bell, a young woman now regrets transitioning as a teen, joined the suit as a claimant in January. Bell says she wasn’t adequately informed of the dangers when she was hormonally transitioned which included both hormones and a mastectomy, and is among the growing number of men and women known as “detransitioners” who say they were physically, mentally and emotionally harmed.
On the other hand, transgender activist groups Mermaids and Stonewall UK have been denied permission to get involved and will not present evidence in the case. The Tavistock clinic has come under increased scrutiny in recent years following a 4,000-fold increase of girls being referred to the gender clinic in the past decade. A BBC Newsnight investigative report in June revealed leaked documents that showed Tavistock staff saying that concerns about patient welfare were shut down. Clinicians there also reportedly expressed concerns that some youth were being fast-tracked into gender-transitioning. Read more
Scotland – Policy wants to allow male nurses in female nurse showers
According to new transgender guidelines published by NHS Lanarkshire in Scotland, women’s toilets, showers and changing rooms can now be used by a male employee living as a woman, even if female members of staff object. Sarah Phillimore, a London barrister who specialises in public law and child protection, described this section of the policy as “Unlawful and coercive.” Campaign group For Women Scotland has written to Scotland’s Health Minister demanding the policy be immediately withdrawn and an investigated. They pointed out how the policy misrepresents the Equality Act, and the Gender Recognition Act, and even frames the mere act of thinking of a male as male as “discriminatory practice”. NHS Lanarkshire has removed the policy from its website. Read more, Letter to Health Minister of Scotland.