Self-ID
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Helen Joyce on sex, gender identity and human rights
Helen Joyce is Director of Advocacy at Sex Matters.
These are edited versions of Helen’s talks at the conferences held in 2023 in Killarney and 2024 in Lisbon by Genspect, an international organisation advocating for non-medical approaches to gender distress. -
Sex and the law in December 2023 – a briefing
Briefing from Sex Matters for a meeting of the Women and Equalities Committee on 13th December 2023
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Response to ONS consultation on the future of population and migration statistics in England and Wales
We call on the Office for National Statistics to make sure that data on sex is collected clearly and accurately for national statistics.
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Response to Victor Madrigal-Borloz’s report on the UK
The UN Independent Expert Victor Madrigal-Borloz has issued an extraordinary report at the end of his ten-day mission to the UK. The thrust of it is the familiar claim that speaking clearly about the material reality of the two sexes amounts to “hate”, alongside the equally familiar dismissal of...
12th May 2023
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Sex Matters
Not-for-profit organisation set up in 2021 with a single mission: to re-establish that sex matters in rules, laws, policies, language and culture. Executive director is Maya Forstater, who in 2019 took a case in the employment tribunal after losing her job for talking about sex-based rights. This led to...
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Rights and wrongs: how gender self-identification policy places women at risk in prison
Jo Phoenix, Professor of Criminology at the University of Reading, describes how the decision to include anatomical males who identify as women in a population of female prisoners creates a new layer of vulnerability for an already vulnerable group.
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Charlie Falconer’s testimony
The Women and Equalities Committee held an evidence session on 31st January on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill and the Equality Act. It featured Robin White, Barrister at Old Square Chambers; Naomi Cunningham, Barrister at Outer Temple Chambers (and Sex Matters’ Chair); Dr Michael Foran Senior Fellow, Policy Exchange...
2nd February 2023
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Trans law is a ‘magic key’ for predators
Mark McLaughlin for The Times
Sex Matters Chair Naomi Cunningham is the legal expert quoted.
A legal expert has warned Scotland’s controversial gender laws will provide men “who cross-dress for erotic purposes” with a “magic certificate” to access women’s spaces. -
FiLiA
Volunteer-led feminist charity that works towards women’s liberation. Holds an annual feminist conference, and runs projects in various parts of the UK. Established in 2012, so one of the few organisations already in existence before the attempt in 2017 to introduce sex self-ID in England and Wales that spoke...
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UN expert calls for an “act of compliance”
On Friday 16th December Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, sent an extraordinary letter to the Scottish Government claiming that “legal recognition of gender identity” via self-identification is an “international human rights imperative”. He has now...
18th December 2022
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Sex Matters writes to MSPs
Tomorrow 27th October is the Stage 1 debate on the Gender Recognition Reform Bill by the Scottish Parliament. Sex Matters has written to MSPs and sent them a copy of our “Sex and the Law” booklet. Equality law remains an area which is reserved for UK wide legislation, yet...
26th October 2022
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For Women Scotland
Grassroots group formed in 2018, working to ensure that women’s rights to safety, privacy and dignity are not thrown out in the rush for sex self-ID, which the Scottish government is determined to implement despite similar plans having been thrown out in Westminster. Landmark court ruling in 2021 that...
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Murray Blackburn Mackenzie
Collective formed in 2018 of three women with backgrounds in policy-making, research and communications: Dr Kath Murray, Dr Lucy Hunter Blackburn and Lisa Mackenzie. Produces blogs, briefings and submissions to government consultations on issues pertaining to sex-based rights. Seeks to improve policy-making and lawmaking, at both the Scottish level...
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Liberal Voice for Women
Grassroots group within the Liberal Democrats advocating for the rights and interests of women and girls. Seeks a reversal of the Lib Dems’ anti-women policies which prioritise self-identified gender over the material fact of sex, as well as culture change within the party towards freedom of belief and open...
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Groups defending sex-based rights
Overview of groups opposing sex self-ID in the UK, set up by individuals and collectives concerned by the failure of established third-sector organisations to defend women’s sex-based rights, child safeguarding and evidence-based policymaking. Also listed on our website.
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Sex self-ID in Scotland and transgender unemployment
The Gender Recognition Act 2004 was an extraordinary piece of legislation intended for an extraordinary group of people. It was passed to allow people who had transitioned under medical supervision to change the legal sex recorded on their birth certificate “for all purposes”. Now the Scottish Government is...
14th June 2022
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We’ve told the Scottish Parliament our views – have you?
We asked you to respond to the consultation on Scotland’s draft bill to reform the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and introduce self-ID, whether you’re in Scotland or not (because if legal sex change just by self-declaration is allowed in Scotland, it will make it easier for it to be come...
16th May 2022
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Self-ID: tell the Scottish Parliament your views!
When the Gender Recognition Act came into force in 2004, it was a single regime for the UK. The Scottish Executive at the time considered whether Scotland should have separate legislation, but rejected this approach due to “cross-border anomalies”. In 2019 the UK government stepped back from its plan...
3rd May 2022
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Regina WA (Palestinian Territories) v Secretary of State for the Home Department
2021 Court of Appeal (Civil Division) on appeal from the Upper Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber
This case was precedent setting13th January 2021