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Louis Staples
Oct 19, 2018
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The deadline is approaching to fill out the government’s consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act.
The consultation aims to gauge public opinion on laws relating to trans and non-binary people, with the possibility of making it easier for trans people to legally change gender.
At the moment, there is no legal option for non-binary people, who consider themselves neither male nor female, to legally define as anything other than "male" or "female".
The law also dictates that married trans people also have to receive consent from their spouse to change their gender. It also states that a trans person must receive a diagnosis of gender dysphoria - a medical illness - to transition, despite the fact that being trans is not considered an illness or a disability.
The most crucial part of the consultation relates to “self-declaration”, which refers to trans people declaring their own gender. LGBT+ charity Stonewall say that greater emphasis on self-declaration within the law would make life much easier for trans people looking to legally change gender and live as their authentic selves.
Though some campaigners, who describe themselves as feminists, are opposed to self-declaration. Despite countries like Ireland and Malta introducing self-declaration measures without any significant problems, these campaigners suggest that allowing trans people to self-declare their gender could put women at risk. This has led to bitter divisions within the feminist movement, which is widely trans-inclusive.
Responding to these claims, pro-trans feminists have taken to Twitter to voice their support for the trans community and distance themselves from a minority strain of feminism that seeks to exclude trans people or undermine trans rights.
This thread is particularly powerful.
Reasons I, a cis woman, am more hurt by your transphobia than I ever have been by any trans person ever:— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539806475
FIRST OF ALL, how dare you. Literally how do you dare. Who died and made you the president of who people really ar… https://t.co/vNXtVZwqOw— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539806476
2. Feminists have spent countless years enduring unimaginable difficulty and pain so that women can be seen as more… https://t.co/aDF4MHlNOg— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539806476
3. As someone who has never tried to get pregnant, I have absolutely no idea whether that's something that's possib… https://t.co/XgWeg69eze— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539806639
4. My womanhood is infinitely complex, made up of every experience I've ever had. It's totally unique to me and no… https://t.co/yp0W7Z2Qny— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539806959
5. How do you propose to police your trans exclusive rules? Check down everyone's pants? Or, despite your nonsense… https://t.co/nlnlWJ0EzV— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539807415
6. My trans and nonbinary friends have been nothing but endlessly supportive in my pursuit of women's rights. They… https://t.co/3Uh8m2Pt5K— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539807683
7. It is my firm belief that what is in my pants is absolutely none of your business unless I want it to be. If t… https://t.co/OBfEkxY5t1— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539807991
8. LITERALLY WHAT'S IT TO YOU? Leave people alone. Let them live their life. Mind your business. The existence of… https://t.co/MQKDdYX05f— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539808343
9. The idea that we can't allow trans women into women's spaces because then violent men will pretend to be trans t… https://t.co/1KuwoZLzS9— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539808494
10. EVEN IF there was evidence that cis men were pretending to be trans to get access to women, what are we saying… https://t.co/rKuh7g9Nfj— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539808717
ANYWAY. I know who I am. I believe trans people know who they are. I believe everyone should live their truest, fu… https://t.co/BaYc03W5FQ— Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂 (@Fiona Longmuir isn't here until February🍂) 1539808957
Others feminists expressed their solidarity, throwing their support behind LGBT+ charity Stonewall and its first female chief executive Ruth Hunt.
Feminist Emma Watson posted a photo of herself triumphantly wearing a t-shirt with the slogan "Trans rights are human rights".
💖✊🏻 @stonewalluk @Mermaids_Gender @AllAboutTrans @Genderintell https://t.co/r1wjHu6QRG— Emma Watson (@Emma Watson) 1539853186
Whereas so many others urged their followers to throw their support behind the trans community, who experience horrific levels of harassment, hate crime and attempt suicide at an alarmingly high rate compared to the general population.
Less than 12 hours now to help trans people in the uk reform the gender recognition act. Advice on what the #gra… https://t.co/W4ehL5PXLJ— Kate (@Kate) 1539901575
There’s a lot of knee-jerk reactionary bollocks going on around the #GRA. If you’re a feminist, there’s no excuse t… https://t.co/6U5T7Q9rAF— Polly Wiseman (@Polly Wiseman) 1539953904
There are so many calm and eloquent pieces of writing appearing just now in response to the #GRA fear frenzy. I hop… https://t.co/Jr3zJwgpSl— Mags Hall (@Mags Hall) 1539943276
Read LGBT+ charity Stonewall's information relating to the Gender Recognition Act here.
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