THREAD: Huge congratulations to Katie Alcock @wontsomeonethi2 for holding @Girlguiding to account. They were wrong to expel her for raising concerns about a policy that allows male children to sleep, wash and undress with females, and keeping parents in the dark /1
@wontsomeonethi2@Girlguiding Speaking up in public about the girlguiding trans policy was one of the first Fair Play For Women campaigns back in 2018. Here's our director Nicola Williams @AskNic talking on daytime TV at the BBC studios /2
@wontsomeonethi2@Girlguiding@AskNic Back in 2018 it was hard to get air time and we were in the midst of the #nodebate era. Girlguiding, Stonewall and the NSPCC all refusing to defend the policy /3
Back then sex denialism was strong. We spelt out the clear implications of the policy; male teenagers sleeping, washing and undressing with girls, and parents not told. The response:
"but they don't identify as male. They identify as female" /4
Raising safeguarding issues was met with incredulity and suspicion. Common sense was thrown out the window. /5
We are proud to have stood up for girls when few dared to speak the truth.
"when she looks around she can see that no adults even dare to say that child is male" /6
"they are male children. There is no difference in their body or between any other child"
"There is a difference in the way that they feel and the way that they identify" /8
Stonewall was misrepresenting the law. We were one of the first organisations to call them out /9
Katie Alcock's case has guaranteed that the safeguarding issues surrounding Girlguiding's trans policy can and must be discussed openly, without fear of sanction. The era of #Nodebate is over. /10
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Gender identity will be collected if it differs from sex registered at birth. This means for the first time we will know how many male offenders appear in the female crime stats. /2
In 2019 we asked every police force how they recorded sex / gender of offenders. NONE replied saying they recorded sex (natal or legal sex) /3 fairplayforwomen.com/police_record_…
In December 2020 a man was watching his favourite women's football team. He saw that the opposing team had fielded a male goal keeper. He shouted "this isn't fair" and "that's not a woman" and "it shouldn't be allowed" /1
The club was reported to the FA. A hearing found the club guilty because these supporter comments were discriminatory. The club was fined £175. Here is the FA judgment /2
The male footballer identifies as a woman called Blair Hamilton. How many other supporters will have thought "This isn't fair" and "it shouldn't be allowed?" /3
BREAKING NEWS: Statement from British Cycling. Bridges will not be competing this weekend.
"We have now been informed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) that under their current guidelines Emily is not eligible to participate in this event" /1
"We understand that in elite sports the concept of fairness is essential. For this reason, British Cycling is today calling for a coalition to share, learn and understand more about how we can achieve fairness in a way that maintains the dignity and respect of all athletes" /2
In the 11th hour British Cycling pulls back from its unfair trans policy. Mounting public opposition and women bravely speaking out, publicly and privately, will have undoubtedly influenced this decision. /3
Scottish Minister Shona Robison has now introduced the Gender Recognition (Scotland) bill for scrutiny by the Scottish parliament /1
She claims the bill gives "no new rights for trans people". This is untrue.
It introduces the right for people who identity as transgender but WITHOUT gender dysphoria to change the sex on their birth certificate. /2
Reforms will increase the number & change the type of people able to change their sex, in law. The minister says international evidence suggests applications will increase ten fold.
Based on the estimated number of trans people in the UK it could be in the region of 100-fold /3
BREAKING NEWS:
Fair Play For Women has been granted permission for an urgent appeal of the first instance judgment on the @scotgov guidance accompanying the sex question in the Scottish Census.
The appeal will be heard at the Scottish court of Session on WEDNESDAY 23 FEBRUARY /1
@scotgov The initial verdict was disappointing but we remain optimistic we can win on appeal.
@ForwomenScot's win on appeal shows how important it can be to hold your nerve and see a case through to the end /2