I have bought extra copies of academic books to share

This matters to me because freedom of speech , freedom of thought, freedom of belief and assembly are essential in a healthy  democracy.

2018 – I was in a major National museum  and noticed a Trans person (mtf) using  a very busy female toilet full of young schools girls, mums with babies/toddlers etc.  Unisex toilets were available on another floor. Later I respectfully  asked the info desk if toilet was ‘female ‘ as signed or ‘unisex’. Young male responded it was ‘female’ but ” anyone who identified as female could use it and he wouldn’t have a problem”. I asked him to record my comment inc. my awareness of the  provisions in the EQ Act .

After educating myself by reading books/blogs/research papers and attending events (secret and public) for the last  year consistently (once a week) I have invited individual professional female friends to my house for lunch with the specific purpose of raising awareness about the erasure of womens hard won sex based rights. Thats a lot of tea!

I have bought extra copies of academic books to share also used other guidance from Transgender Trend and followed up my informal conversations with updates about events etc.; met with my eight MSPs ; alerted contacts  to the GRA consultation; personally delivered hundreds of leaflets through doors; have left a political women’s group and wrote a letter explaining  my reasons and personally handed  it to two female MPs so they would know what was going on; spent a year trying to get issue raise at local level of an children’s organisation I volunteered with for 15yrs finally with help of a discussion paper for schools ( thank you  Transgendered Trend) I was able to raise issue as affects vulnerable children; was granted meeting with someone responsible for training volunteers after our meeting  I gave them the Prof Michelle Moore et al book to read; have spoken with my local Catholic parish members and priest.

I have been aware of feeling anxious / tense and worried when raising this issue and the need to be sensitive to each person and their level of understanding of all the issues. Probably lost a few ‘friends’.

Cactus club,  thick skinned, survives in harshest conditions, not troubled by pricks