Tag: law

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law

I believe it would damage me professionally to speak up

I am a senior woman barrister in a city where another prominent senior woman lawyer has openly promoted the TERF response to attempts to explore trans issues.  I believe it would damage me professionally to speak up because people’s “understanding” of the issues is so dominated by the apparent fairness and justice of openly supporting trans rights, and by the vigour with which this is promoted by others.   If I was directly questioned I would stand up for gender critical feminism, and make the obvious points to be made.  But fear of professional and social abuse is stopping me starting the conversations.

I have discussed the issues widely with my sister who is able to enter the debate in her own name.

Ros , Senior barrister, New Zealand

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law survivor

A biological man will always be a man to me

This matters to me because I can’t bear the thought of women’s rights being taken by men who believe they are women. I don’t care what surgery they have, what hormone pills they take, what they think or how they dress, but a biological man will always be a man to me. I couldn’t bear sharing a change  room with them. I suffered domestic abuse (physical and mental abuse) and I have trust issues because of it. I have had glass smashed down my face leaving me scarred. I been punched several times and dragged from my bed by the hair while sleeping. I moved to the UK just to get away from him. He dragged me through the family court for 7 years until the court finally blocked all contact between him and my 2 sons (now adults). I’ve read the stories about trans-activists and the thought I could be attacked in a change room leaves me worried for myself and our future generation of young women.

I have expressed my views online but as a lawyer, I’d be struck off if I went public with my views. I have lost friends over the subject. I share your posts and other stories when I can.

I have lost friends and even family members have removed my from Facebook. I have quite a lot of gay and lesbian family members. They don’t all support the trans movement but those that do won’t speak to me.

TA

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Others

Disagreeing with someone does not equal hate

I’m a Christian, and a supporter of free speech. I am dismayed at the increasing intolerance for any unpopular or minority view in the name of “tolerance”. Disagreeing with someone does not equal hate. I believe every person should be treated with full dignity and respect, all of us being created in the image of God – but I don’t believe a man can become a woman, or vice versa. I am also deeply concerned about young autistic teenagers, in particular, being harmed by transgender philosophy and making decisions at a young age which they will regret.

I’ve attended a consultation on Hate Crime (in part because I fear speaking up on this issue will become a hate crime in criminal law as well as in public opinion), and I’ve written to MSPs in relation to hate crime.

I haven’t had any negative consequences – but I am not on Twitter or other social media.

E

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law

I feel completely disempowered

I can’t believe that our most fundamental rights like the right to dignity in a same sex refuge are being removed.

I speak to people I trust but can’t really speak out. I wrote to my MP. The response simply confirmed that she supports trans rights and is also a feminist. No real answers to my concerns.

I’m afraid to discuss the issue with anyone outside my home because of potential consequences at work.

I’ve been called a TERF by previous colleagues. I no longer speak about it outside my home. It just feels that the world has gone mad and it’s now somehow taboo to talk about being female a d about female experience. I feel completely disempowered.

Natalie lawyer, Civil Servant , I can’t speak publicly on this

Categories
Healthcare law

How can we fight for rights for a group that cannot be defined?

The trans issue acts to hide the nature of women’s oppression. I am a Marxist and a materialist and I believe that women’s sexed bodies (in relation to childbearing) is the source of our oppression as women.   To deny the reality of this, is to make it seem as if there is no material basis to why we are raped, violated, beaten, subjected to FGM, bought and sold, burdened with caring, excluded, marginalized, underpaid etc etc etc.

Also, I am a lawyer. Legal rights stem from activism. Abortion rights, rape laws, marital protections, childcare, equal pay etc were won on the back of the “women’s movement”. How can we fight for rights for a group that cannot be defined. Are we really going to be able to fight for rights for “vagina holders”. Trans issues are a legal nonsense based on individual feelings, rather than collective needs based on material reality.

There are other issues. I have done immigration cases for 20 years. I do “gender based violence” claims for women and girls.  It took decades of campaigning to have “gender based violence” accepted as a “particular social group” (a refugee category). I have won cases for girls from Somalia based on the fact that 98% of girls will have their genitals mutilated and enjoyment of their sex lives permanently destroyed if they are returned there. Not a single one of those millions of mutilated bodies are “girls with penises” (I am so angry now as I am writing this).

How can people continue to use statistical evidence to highlight violence against women and girls if we are no longer able to define the bodies of women and girls.

TRA logic would say these are also “boys’ bodies” (trans boys) TRA logic would say “many girls are not mutilated” (ones with penises) Its such utter nonsense that I can’t even believe that I’m having to respond to such nonsense in order to continue to protect the lives of children.

I find it hard to articulate the amount of anger I feel at telling children their bodies are wrong!

I am getting more vocal every day!

I post regularly on social media. I comment regularly to friends.

I have been called a terf on numerous occasions.

I have been bombarded with anime threats of violence.

The most hurtful is that I have been a progressive activist and campaigner my whole life. Many of those I campaigned with now consider me to be a nasty bigot.

Barbara M, Socialist, activist lawyer

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law

I appreciate as a lawyer that sometimes the rights of different groups can come into conflict with each other

I care as a woman, as a lawyer, and as someone who studied physics and believes in the value of science – of independently verifiable facts. I care about the meaning of words, particularly the definition of terms used in which have a direct impact on people’s legal rights and self determination. I care about consultation in a democracy. I care about women and girls’ voices being heard and respected, as so often in the past this has not been the case. In particular I want women and lesbians to be consulted – and heard –  if there is to be a change in the accepted definition of ‘woman’ and ‘lesbian’. I have genuine compassion for those experiencing gender dysphoria. I appreciate as a lawyer that sometimes the rights of different groups can come into conflict with each other. This is not uncommon. In such situations I believe in open, rational, respectful debate as a means to find a fair and reasonable compromise. I strongly oppose bullying, shaming and ‘cancelling’ people for simply having a different view on such issues.

I have read articles and blogs and essays to try to educate myself about the issues, then spoken to trusted family and friends.

I have ‘liked’ a few tweets and articles where I have agreed with the views being expressed, and ‘followed’ those posting them, several of whom are trans women, trans men or desisters. But I tread very carefully as I am fearful of the consequences.

There are some friends and family I will not raise these issues with as I am afraid they will think – quite wrongly – that I am  transphobic. I am not.

I have recently found myself blocked by the twitter accounts of people who I do not know. I suspect I may be on a block list somewhere for ‘liking’ certain tweets of which they do not approve. It makes me sad and fearful. I will never raise the subject at work. I am too scared of the consequences as they are very heavily and publicly influenced by Stonewall.

I have tentatively spoken to two good friends outside of work who each indicated at an early stage that they disagreed with my position that trans women remain biologically male. We are all politically on the left and they seemed shocked and disappointed in me. I now avoid the subject with them. Fortunately I have other friends on the left who share my view and understand it is rooted in science and not in any way hateful. I would never wish harm on anybody. I simply want to protect the existing rights of women and girls. 

Jenn, lawyer and former scientist.

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law

I am careful with content and tone even on my anonoymous twitter account

As a feminist all my life I feel we have sleep walked into a very worrying situation. As a teenager and young woman I was very active in feminism. Family and professional life then intervened and I took my eye off the ball. Things were good for me – a supportive stay at home husband who looks after the kids and good career progression and support at work – yes some stereotypes and bias but on the whole good. I naively  assumed things were getting better. But I suddenly woke up to find that women’s rights are eroding not getting better. My lived experience and the biases and prejudices I have battled all my life are not recognised.

The issues that arise from my biology – periods, pregnancy, birth, breast feeding, time off for babies – are ignored.

What makes me a woman is my biology not my feelings. I have battled sex based stereotypes all my life – and now find they define what it means to be a woman. Being a woman is not about make up and heels and clothes. My daughter could be expected to change in Top Shop next to a man or compete against a boy or use the same toilet as a man.

I am so not transphobic- I am a liberal leftie type who has always supported minorities and oppressed groups and now I am the transphobe because I believe in biology. Seriously?

I have discussed with colleagues, family and friends and have spoken out anonymously on twitter

I was initially open on Twitter but was cautious and exercised a lot of self censorship particularly after seeing Twitter pile ons and also observing some people being subject to letter campaigns to their employers. My job is safe – I am a partner in a law firm and virtually impossible to sack plus I am close to the end of my career anyway- but I am responsible for a team of people who rely on me to bring in client work and it would not be hard for a TRA to work out the names of the major corporations we act for and approach them to say that their lawyer is a transphobe. So I was cautious.

But then I was spoken to by the head of our LGBT+ group who said it had been brought to his attention that my tweets “supported the women’s perspective” and that it might have a “potential impact on transgender colleagues who are not yet open”. 

As a result I set up an anonymous Twitter account. I very occasionally like GC content from my open account but only occasionally. I am still careful with content and tone even with my GC account as it would be possible to work out that I am a lawyer and someone could still approach my regulator who would have the power to find out who I am should anyone complain. 

George , woman, mother, leftie feminist lawyer

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law

Training organisations and lobbying groups are providing incorrect guidance on law

I am a discrimination solicitor. i am concerned about firstly that training organisations and lobbying groups are providing incorrect guidance on the current law re equality and diversity with regard to how to address potential conflicts between rights of trans people and those of people who fall within different protected classes and the exceptions relating to sex based rights in the Equality Act. In addition with regard to proposed amendments to Gender Recognition act no proper discussion or analysis was done to consider any adverse effects of law change on who came within definition of women in s 11 Equality Act and consequently on any impact on ability to prove sex discrimination and equal pay claims

I am vocal on social media trying to put my interpretation of the law and related policy. I have spoken at the Womens Place Conference on how to properly undertake Equality Impact Assessment

I have been the subject of two formal complaints to my employers, Trustees of a respected local charity which I manage.

These resulted in correspondence and short considerations before being rejected by the Trustees. Another complaints were made to our largest funder, the National Lottery, who after considering my personal twitter feed took no action.  Finally a complaint was made to my charity’s national network group. This is despite me not making direct reference to my employer in my twitter profile. I also left a local feminist group when it was made clear that people who were gender critical were not welcome

Audrey Ludwig, Practising Solicitor

Categories
law Lesbians

I care about this issue because women’s oppression is a direct consequence of our biological sex

.  If sex is redefined to mean sex role stereotypes in language and law sex-based discrimination will not end but our linguistic and legal tools to address it will disappear. 

I have taken part in demonstrations, gone to meetings, spoken to friends, strangers and work colleagues, raised the issue at work, written letters, contributed to government consultations, written to all-party parliamentary groups etc.

I have been socially ostracised. I have lost friends, been banned from lesbian events, as well as, online and offline lesbian spaces and lost a job.

Jess Silverstone

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Parent

I have been teaching my daughter to respect her boundaries and to protect herself

I care because I have been teaching my daughter to respect her boundaries and to protect herself from predatory men. If laws are passed to where any man can enter women’s spaces just by him declaring so, women’s rights and their place in public life will be difficult to navigate.

I have posted my views online, at great cost and stress. I have donated money to different organizations who are on the frontlines.

I have been threatened that I will lose my job. I’ve been called slurs and horrible names. I’ve lost friends.

Marie, A mother, a daughter, a woman, Taiwan