GRA consultation
Guest blog: How you do politics
Back in January 2018, Venice Allan organised the first public meeting in Scotland about proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. Naturally, the meeting – held in Glasgow – was subjected to the usual disruptions by trans activist bullies, as was the meeting organised by WPUK in Edinburgh the following month. Reports since then (many linked to from my politics page) have mostly left me feeling less than optimistic about the situation north of the border, in spite of some fantastic work by courageous politicians and other campaigners.
But that changed somewhat this week, with the news that the Scottish government wasn’t, as expected, charging ahead with its draft Bill on gender ‘reform’ but would be re-opening the consultation. At last some good news and a testament to the hard work and commitment of feminists and allies.
Then I was alerted to a great wee Twitter thread by an SNP supporter which, frankly, filled me with joy and I am very grateful to Gavin Barrie, aka @jammach for permission to reproduce it here.
And why I’m glad I did
This post is a follow-up to my last blog: Why I resigned from Humanists UK.
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I have said repeatedly that the society we should be striving for is one where the whole thinking around “gender” changes. Let’s discard stereotypes, roles and expectations based on biological sex and let people be free to express themselves however they like as long as they don’t pretend to be what they are not. The truth matters and truths are discovered through the scientific method, evidence, and reason – at least that’s what Humanists UK say on their website.
My opinion on the subject of personal identity has been much the same for more than four decades and nothing I have heard or read in the year and a half since I’ve been immersed in transgender issues has changed my mind. On the contrary, having both seen and experienced some of the hurt and harm caused by those promoting transgender ideology, my opinions have, if anything, become more entrenched. Continue reading
