A Week in the War on Women: Monday 4th April - Sunday 10th April GOOD NEWS SUPPLEMENT

PHOTO CREDIT: @quetiapina1

Plenty of good news from the gender beat this week. Enjoy!

EHRC-ing Fair Play

The EHRC has published revised guidelines for providers of single sex services.

Akua Reindorf @akuareindorf

New from @EHRC – our revised Equality Act guidance on the provision of separate and single-sex services, to help any organisation that provides services like toilets, changing rooms, refuges or hospital wards to understand the law and balance everybody’s rights. #EHRCSSSG

EHRC @EHRC

We have published a new practical guide to the law for providers of single-sex spaces 📄 This will help service providers to make lawful decisions about any services they offer to women and men separately. Read more: https://t.co/F1Wf1DmtrR

“The guidance helps service providers to make lawful decisions about any services they offer to women and men separately, by explaining the permitted sex and gender reassignment exceptions in the Equality Act 2010.

It advises organisations such as hospitals, retailers, hospitality and sports clubs to put in place policies that are both legal and balance the needs of different groups.

The guidance confirms that service providers wishing to limit services to a single sex are legally able to do so, provided the reasons are justified and proportionate.”

Yes, Minister

Following the publication of the EHRC guidance, Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, has instructed NHS authorities to uphold single-sex spaces.

The Telegraph @Telegraph

Health Secretary intervenes to call on hospital bosses to protect single-sex wards in the wake of new guidance from the equalities watchdog

telegraph.co.ukSajid Javid: NHS should follow ruling that allows trans bans in female-only spacesHealth Secretary intervenes to call on hospital bosses to protect single-sex wards in the wake of new guidance from the equalities watchdog

According to The Daily Mail, “Mr Javid’s intervention will serve as a rebuke to those in the NHS who rubbished the EHRC ruling – and will put pressure on health service chiefs to ensure women-only wards are protected”.

In other news from Westminster, Damian Green MP appeared on Radio 4’s PM programme and scandalised presenter, Evan Davis, by stating that biology is real, that women are adult human females and that gender identity isn’t the same as sex.

John McManus 📺🎙📡 @JohnMcM1

Fascinating interview with @DamianGreen on @BBCPM : “You’ve said I’ve asserted that biology is real, as though that’s something controversial … that doesn’t help transwomen or transmen”.

“You’ve said I’ve asserted that biology is real, as though that’s something controversial. Once we start saying that scientific facts are not real, then we really are in a difficult phase.”

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, also stepped into the gender debate this week, stating that he is opposed to biological males competing in women’s sports and that he supports female-only spaces.

Sky News @SkyNews

PM says 'biological males' should not compete in female sport and venues should have women only spaces

news.sky.comPM says ‘biological males’ should not compete in female sport and venues should have women only spacesIt comes after transgender cyclist Emily Bridges was last week barred from competing in a women’s event after the sport’s governing body ruled she was not eligible.

“Women should have spaces… whether it's hospitals, prisons or changing-rooms… which are dedicated to women.”

He also explained why children struggling with their gender must be exempt from the ban on conversion therapy.

Sam Coates Sky @SamCoatesSky

Boris Johnson explains why he is exempting trans children from the ban on conversion therapy He also ranges more widely on the issue of competing rights for the first time Full exchange:

“I don’t think that it’s reasonable for kids to be deemed so-called Gillick-competent to take decisions about their gender or irreversible treatments that they may have.”

Sex Matters

The Home Office has confirmed that it will require police forces in England and Wales to record the sex of suspected sex offenders based on their birth certificate or gender recognition certificate.

FairPlayForWomen @fairplaywomen

BREAKING NEWS: Home Office will now require Police forces to collect data on SEX of offenders (sex registered on birth certificate or GRC) /1

Terry Stock @TerryStock8

FOIA response confirms that, in respect to sex and gender, @ukhomeoffice will now ask police forces to record the sex (of both victims and suspects) based on what was recorded on an individual’s birth certificate or their gender recognition certificate. @NoXYinXXprisons https://t.co/XESBgISwkr

Gender identity will be collected if it is different, meaning that information will now be available regarding the number of male offenders who are recorded in female crime statistics.

A Bridges Too Far

A group of former elite female cyclists protested the inclusion of trans-identified males from competing in the women’s sport.

David Coverdale @dpcoverdale

The head of Great Britain’s Olympic cycling programme, Sara Symington, has signed a letter calling for a rule change that would prevent transgender rider Emma Bridges racing in women’s events.

dailymail.co.ukGB cycling chief calls to STOP transgender riders in women’s eventsSara Symington, one of British Cycling’s most senior figures, is part of an alliance of 76 women who have written to world governing body, the UCI, criticising their current transgender policy.

The alliance of 76 women, which includes Sara Symington, the head of Team GB’s Olympic cycling programme, wrote to cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, to criticise its ‘trans policy’.

And it paid off.

BBC News (UK) @BBCNews

Transgender women no longer able to compete at elite female events run by British Cycling

bbc.inBritish Cycling suspends transgender policyTransgender women are no longer able to compete at elite female events run by British Cycling after the organisation suspended its current policy.

British Cycling announced that its trans and non-binary participation policy has been suspended indefinitely pending a full review. Consequently, trans-identified males will no longer be allowed to compete in elite women’s competitions.  

The Wheels Are Coming Off The Gravy Train

The Telegraph reported on the cost to the taxpayer of Stonewall pulling out of the Safe to be Me conference, causing it to be cancelled, and the angry reaction to this.

The Telegraph @Telegraph

🔴Stonewall has been accused of "holding the Government to ransom" after £650,000 of taxpayers’ money was wasted on an LGBT summit which was scrapped when the controversial diversity charity triggered a mass boycott telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/04/0…

telegraph.co.ukStonewall accused of ‘holding No 10 to ransom’ after £650,000 wasted on cancelled LGBT summitCharity triggered a boycott of the ‘Safe To Be Me’ conference over Boris Johnson’s move to exempt trans people from a conversion therapy ban

Sir John Hayes, a senior Conservative MP and former Cabinet Office minister, commented, “If money has gone to groups including Stonewall, perhaps we can ask to send them a bill… Stonewall really needs to have no further involvement in Whitehall”.

The Sunday Times reported that the Department of Education has not renewed its Stonewall membership. It’s understood that Education Secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, led this decision.

Sian Griffiths @SianGriffiths6

NEW Teachers launch evidence based guide to help schools on sex and gender plus new government guidance to be published over uniform and sports team advice on transgender issues W/ @HarryYorke1 @thesundaytimes @Womans_Place_UK @SafeSchools_UK

thetimes.co.ukSchools to get uniform and sports advice over transgender pupilsHead teachers are to be told what uniform transgender pupils should wear and whether they can join single-sex school sports teams. New government guidance, which is in the early stages of development, is also expected to provide clarity on the use of facilities and changing rooms, as well as wider s

Furthermore, the government is currently developing new guidance for schools which, sources told the paper, will ‘focus on the importance of biology and sex, rather than gender identity’.

“Sources said the new advice, which is for all schools, will help clarify what teachers are required to do under equality laws. They cited school uniform, lavatories & sports teams as areas that are intended to be covered.”

And Finally…

Buitengebieden @buitengebieden_

“Everything will gonna be ok” Sound on