Dear Editor, This week the Welsh government took steps to push for the devolution of Equalities to Wales in the wake of Westminster’s decision not to rush the inclusion of gender identity in the proposed ban on gay conversion therapy. Welsh government deputy Minister Hannah Blythyn has written to the government to express her “strongest condemnation” of the decision.
(https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/welsh-government-boris-johnson-prime-minister-wales-government-b2049365.html)
The Welsh government has been explicit in its plans to introduce self ID in Wales
and holds the opinion that a woman can be born with a penis and a man can get pregnant, as reflected in the statement issued by MS Jeremy Miles that “trans women are women, transmen are men and non binary identities are valid”. It hopes to force this into law, even though such a position is in conflict with broadly accepted scientific evidence, the majority population’s understanding of the reality of biological sex, and existing equality laws. If Equalities is devolved to Wales, the Welsh Government aims to ensure “gender identity” supersedes existing rights and recognition based on biological sex.
Many of those who opposed the Conversion Therapy Ban simply asked the government to “press pause” after recognising the proposals were flawed; conflating sexuality and gender identity in such a way it would have criminalised unbiased professional explorative therapy for those questioning their gender. As former director of Legislative Affairs at Number 10, Nikki deCosta asserted, had the bill passed without amendment, it would have “profound consequences for children struggling with gender dysphoria. It would create a situation where doctors, therapists, even parents would be deterred from exploring with a child any feelings of what else may be going on for fear of being told they’re trying to change a child’s identity. And that is deeply concerning.”
Gay rights organisations including LGB Alliance, and safeguarding groups like Transgender Trend, raised concerns about gender identity “affirmation” being used as a form of gay conversion therapy, pointing out the contradiction in protecting what has come to be known as “transing away the gay” in a bill that claimed to ban gay conversion therapy.
Women’s rights groups like Sex Matters, also raised concerns that if the Conversion Therapy ban was rushed through before the full findings of the Cass Review, which is currently investigating Gender Identity Services in the U.K., then children, young people and vulnerable adults could be put at heightened risk of coercion into irreversible sex change treatments without proper psychological assessment, and risk permanent sterility, genitourinary dysfunction and lifelong medicalisation. Furthermore, it was pointed out how the inclusion of gender identity in the proposals would have introduced self-ID by the back door, undermining women’s existing rights to legal recognition and protection against discrimination on the basis of biological sex.
Sex Matters Executive Director Maya Forstater said, ‘Gender-distressed children have been ill-served by the ideological approach that has become common in recent years. Waiting for the final Cass Review is obviously the right thing to do. There is now an opportunity to hear a wider variety of voices and look at the evidence before rushing into legislation that would have harmed the very people it was supposed to help.’
To outside observers it appears the Welsh Government refuses to recognise the complex concerns behind Westminster’s decision and is instead pushing the narrative that trans people are being discriminated against and demonised. However, a review of the evidence reveals the ban would have wielded the heavy hand of the law to undermine safeguarding for trans people, criminalised unbiased explorative therapies, ostracised parents concerned about the social and medical sex change procedures proposed for their children, and pushed gender questioning youth towards outcomes with a pre determined purpose, as required by the “affirmation model”.
Perhaps Westminster was right to press pause and wait for the outcome of the Cass Review to ensure gender questioning youth and adults can be properly safeguarded, rather than rushing though harmful legislation that could undermine equalities law. And perhaps the Welsh government has revealed it isn’t yet competent to shoulder the complex responsibilities of Equalities legislation. ”
Yours Sincerely
Terfel hughes
Name and Address supplied
Photo by Malcolm Garret from Pexels
More Stories
Serious shortcomings in council’s proposal
Deep Sagar on ‘inflationary’ single use plastics bans
State of Caring Survey