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Jun 19, 2023 17 tweets 13 min read Read on X
In case you missed last week's #WestminsterHall debate on the #DefinitionOfSex here are the highlights

#SexMatters
#MakeTheEqualityActClear
@ranil (North East Hampshire, Conservative) talks about making sure that the Equality Act aligns with reality. He states the law cannot do impossible things and cannot make a man into a woman. This amendment does not take any rights away from anyone else.
@ToniaAntoniazzi(Gower, Labour) spoke about the two petitions and the question of whether a GRC changes your sex for the purposes of the Equality Act. The petitions are not about gender, self-ID or intersex. She also said we are responsible for legislating and they have to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@joannaccherry (Edinburgh South West, Scottish National Party) talks about the protected characteristic of sexual orientation being contingent on the definition of sex meaning biological sex. She said it was time that lesbians and the protected characteristic of sexual… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@miriam_cates (Penistone and Stocksbridge, Conservative) said that we need to clarify the Equality Act to make clear that sex means biological sex and to ensure that the providers of single-sex facilities understand and protect the single-sex natures of this provision.
@AJRichardsonMP (Guildford, Conservative) spoke about service providers and their need to be able to explain signs, on their website, on the phone and to staff. This means being clear about where there are sex based rules and where service is provided for both sexes together. She… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@jessphillips (Birmingham Yardley, Labour) said the Equality Act is a carefully balanced piece of legislation rich recognises that women need protection from sex discrimination, and as part of that, women need to be eligible to have separate services, associations, charities and… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@PBottomleyMP (Worthing West, Conservative) said that when sex and gender clash, sex should be the dominant one.
@RosieDuffield1 (Canterbury, Labour) talks about the confusion in and around the Equality Act that has led to the toxic debate where people have become terrified to even talk about women’s rights.
@NickFletcherMP (Don Valley, Conservative) talks of near misses, accidents that could happen, but didn’t. Near misses reported to stop tragedy happening. He talks about the need to clarify the Equality Act to make sure that no biological males can enter female change rooms.
@ALewerMBE (Northampton South, Conservative) said our laws have to be clear and in situations where sex matters, sex matters. People can identify however they like as long as claims about their identity don’t injure other people. Because this is what is happening now, our laws… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@timloughton (East Worthing and Shoreham, Conservative), talked about sport drawing on @fairplaywomen and @sharrond62
Jonathan Gullis (Stoke-on-Trent North, Conservative) said he wants his daughter to grow up and look at heroines @RosieDuffield1 @joannaccherry and @jk_rowling who have been brave enough and bold enough and stand up for what they believe is important, because their rights should… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@JNHanvey (Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, Alba) spoke about being same-sex attracted male, that his sex and the sex of his partner is a defining characteristic of his identity and protection in law. If sex were to mean anything other than the biological category of natal male, it… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@Caroline_Ansell (Eastbourne, Conservative) talked about the woman driven out of Oxfam; @Docstockk hounded from her post at Sussex University simply for saying that male people and female people are two different groups; and @SarahSurviving who is suing Brighton’s rape crisis… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@Anna_Firth (Southend West, Conservative) focused on single-sex spaces and services. She wanted the Equality Act to be clear that having a gender recognition certificate does not give male people the right to compete in women’s sports, undress or shower with women and girls, or… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@mariacaulfield The Minister for Women, noted Parliament's responsibility to constantly review legislation. She said that reference to sex had generally been considered to refer to whether a person is a man or woman in law, rather than to their biological sex or sex at birth.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

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More from @SexMattersOrg

Nov 26
The case being heard today (and tomorrow) by @UKSupremeCourt will test the legal uncertainty about how GRCs interact with the Equality Act.

There is no ambiguity, however, about the lawfulness of women’s sport 🧵
Whatever the outcome of the FWS case it is clear that female-only competition is lawful.

🔹The #EqualityAct, section 195, says that it is permissible to discriminate by sex in a sport in which the physical strength, stamina or physique of average persons of one sex would put them at a disadvantage compared to average persons of the other sex.

🔹It also makes specific provision to allow gender-reassignment discrimination wherever it is necessary to secure fair competition or the safety of competitors.

Any sport that runs separate competitive categories for men and women, or boys and girls, is relying on s.195 ⬇️Image
The Sports Councils Equality Group (SCEG) provides a legal briefing to national governing bodies that makes the position clear. We obtained it through a lengthy freedom of information process.

Download and share➡️ sex-matters.org/posts/other-re…Image
Read 11 tweets
Oct 26
Update from everyone!

The Sex Matters team spent last weekend at the Battle of Ideas in London. Helen Joyce at the Battle of Ideas
The festival of public debate included around 100 lively discussions on big issues in politics, science, economics, culture, the law and more. Panels that touched on sex-based rights took place alongside sessions on riots, China, AI, cities, prisons, art, energy and education.
Fiona spoke on “Gender Wars: no end in sight?” about how women's rights that have been won in our lifetime are being lost. Fiona McAnena with Venice Allan
Read 18 tweets
Oct 6
Update from Helen!

Last weekend I attended the Bigger Picture conference held by @genspect in Lisbon. Helen Joyce speaking at the Genspect conference
It was Genspect’s third conference in under 18 months – a remarkable achievement for a small, newish organisation and another step towards fighting back against the “gender affirming” model of healthcare for trans-identifying people…

genspect.org/the-bigger-pic…
…according to which everyone, including children, has an innate gender identity and it’s the job of doctors and therapists to provide puberty-blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries to bring their bodies into line.
Read 24 tweets
Sep 4
NEW BLOG POST: on our schools model policy

Why "watch and wait" doesn't work for schools.

sex-matters.org/posts/updates/…
The draft DfE guidance says “Allow for watchful waiting: Wait for a period of time before considering a request, to ensure it is a sustained and properly thought through decision. This period of ‘watchful waiting’ may help to ensure unnecessary action is not undertaken.”
But as the @ASCL_UK says “Our members are not clinical experts, and should not be expected to possess or exercise clinical expertise.”
Read 7 tweets
Sep 1
Update from Fiona!

Over the past few weeks (even while Sex Matters was closed for a much-needed summer break!) we have been busy with the fallout from the scandal of male boxers in the women’s Olympic boxing. Update from Fiona - picture of Fiona McAnena in a rowing boat wearing a medal
With Emma Hilton, and the rest of the team, I have been doing interviews, media briefings…

…and podcasts to explain what was going on and why. 

spiked-online.com/podcast-episod…
Read 17 tweets
Aug 10
Update from Maya!

Last year, while I was on a summer holiday, I was emailed by the Metropolitan Police and told I was under investigation for the crime of “Malicious Communications”. Now I’ve been told that the case has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service… Maya Forstater crossing her index fingers to symbolise XX chromosomes.
My crime was to tweet about a male doctor who was presented to patients as a woman and allowed to examine them without their informed consent.

?unherd.com/newsroom/why-i…
This week the awful spectacle at the Olympics goes on. The IOC has allowed two athletes, found to have XY chromosomes (most likely with a disorder of sexual development which led to their being recorded female at birth by mistake) to compete against women in boxing.
Read 9 tweets

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