A little story.
In 2014, the UK charity, Stonewall, had a new CEO: Ruth Hunt.
Ruth wanted to make Stonewall trans inclusive. Up until that point it hadn’t been. Part of that effort was to recruit an advisory group from the UK trans community.
I was on that group. I ended up as its vice chair.
We spent the next year and a bit creating a document called “A Vision For Change”, which detailed what we thought the areas that trans equality campaigning should focus on in Britain.
Then the Brexit referendum happened and Cameron ragequit. Theresa May came in and it was apparent there was very little government apetite for the stuff we wanted.
But May, who was there when the same Sex marriage bill went through under the earlier coalition government had had something of a damascene conversion to LGBT rights issues. Stranger things have happened (but not many!)
So she wanted something from our list that was quick, easy, and uncontroversial. Obviously we were disappointed, but she was presented with bringing Britain’s antiquated Gender Recognition Act up to date, and in line with other European countries, as something simple. We honestly thought it was. It’s an administrative change of very little significant consequence, and actually no significance at all outside the trans community.
And it would have been simple, had an eclectic collection of unpleasant, obsessive arseholes with privileged access to the UK press not decided to start a culture war over trans people at that exact moment.
A culture war which, at least in England, they basically won. In part, this war was why I emigrated to Portugal.
Here we are, seven years later, and the result of Scotland finally wanting to implement a watered down version of the “easy win” we presented to Theresa May is apparently that the current prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is willing to end the Union between England and Scotland over it.
So that’s my story. I am part of a small, elite cabal of LGBT people who wrote a document that is poised to destroy the last vestiges of the British Empire.
Go me! If there are any other governments you want destabilising, my bank details are available on request. I provide reasonable rates.
In 2014, the UK charity, Stonewall, had a new CEO: Ruth Hunt.
Ruth wanted to make Stonewall trans inclusive. Up until that point it hadn’t been. Part of that effort was to recruit an advisory group from the UK trans community.
I was on that group. I ended up as its vice chair.
We spent the next year and a bit creating a document called “A Vision For Change”, which detailed what we thought the areas that trans equality campaigning should focus on in Britain.
Then the Brexit referendum happened and Cameron ragequit. Theresa May came in and it was apparent there was very little government apetite for the stuff we wanted.
But May, who was there when the same Sex marriage bill went through under the earlier coalition government had had something of a damascene conversion to LGBT rights issues. Stranger things have happened (but not many!)
So she wanted something from our list that was quick, easy, and uncontroversial. Obviously we were disappointed, but she was presented with bringing Britain’s antiquated Gender Recognition Act up to date, and in line with other European countries, as something simple. We honestly thought it was. It’s an administrative change of very little significant consequence, and actually no significance at all outside the trans community.
And it would have been simple, had an eclectic collection of unpleasant, obsessive arseholes with privileged access to the UK press not decided to start a culture war over trans people at that exact moment.
A culture war which, at least in England, they basically won. In part, this war was why I emigrated to Portugal.
Here we are, seven years later, and the result of Scotland finally wanting to implement a watered down version of the “easy win” we presented to Theresa May is apparently that the current prime minister, Rishi Sunak, is willing to end the Union between England and Scotland over it.
So that’s my story. I am part of a small, elite cabal of LGBT people who wrote a document that is poised to destroy the last vestiges of the British Empire.
Go me! If there are any other governments you want destabilising, my bank details are available on request. I provide reasonable rates.
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Veronica 🏳️⚧️ :inanna:
•NWBison🇺🇸🇺🇦🌻🐈⬛🐈⬛🐕
•Mrs. Bison and I have seriously considered moving to Portugal in the past — but if you can work your magic on the Republican Party, we will happily remain in the U.S. except to buy you a frango and a Sagres.
Sarah Brown likes this.
Sarah Brown
3 people like this
NWBison🇺🇸🇺🇦🌻🐈⬛🐈⬛🐕, David Gerard and David Farnell like this.
MacropodCarer: Verified🌈🦘🦣
•Content warning: British political bullshit
Start with the Sax Coburg Gotha family and move down.
Earls, baronets and their female equivalents. Lords and ladies next followed by the entire Tory party.
Lazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈
•Content warning: British political bullshit
Someday we'll see the word "British" like we see the word "Soviet"
Renée
•Content warning: British political bullshit
Eye
•Content warning: British political bullshit
👍👍👍👏👏👏
Leon Green
•coldclimate
•Sarah Brown likes this.
Tom Jowitt
•Sarah Brown likes this.
Maurice Milligan
•Kevin Moriarty
•andreasdotorg
•Sarah Brown likes this.
Evelyn
•Or in most of the rest of the Commonwealth formerly known as British.
Sarah Brown likes this.
Alistair Davidson
•Sarah Brown
5 people like this
Alistair Davidson, Evelyn, David Gerard, Eye and Alexandra Lanes like this.
Alistair Davidson
•Parami
•Ellenor et al Bjornsdottir
Ellenor et al Bjornsdottir
•PointlessSpike
•a Claes unto himself 🇸🇪🇭🇰💙💛 likes this.
For Pete's Sake
•But quite frankly it should have been sign, sealed and delivered years ago and not used as a political pawn.
Scotland has taken a step in the right direction but not gone far enough.
I honestly don't understand (other than sheer bigotry) why England would choose to deny/block it.
stupidity, hatred, classism, racism and bigotry reign supreme in Westminster 🙁
a Claes unto himself 🇸🇪🇭🇰💙💛 likes this.
Freddy F
•MissScott01
•Alistair Davidson
•MissScott01
•Thank you!
escapadesrpg
•Federalism could and should have been underway decades ago.
technohippy
•escapadesrpg
•technohippy
•Matþew Bowles
•I've been opposed for ages because it would inevitably break the UK up but I think that's now a lost cause, getting one sooner rather than later would end Westminster, if Scotland leaves we're stuck with FPTP but if we get an EP quick we can ditch Westminster claptrap as well
Richard Gadsden
•a Claes unto himself 🇸🇪🇭🇰💙💛
•Paul Sutton
•They recognised that and took steps to try and resolve, any organisation that can't reflect and adapt is surely doomed.
Just look at the MET police, they have serious issues but refuse to face and tackle those issues robustly and head on, Even with change of leadership the rot was set in.
Sarah Brown
David Gerard likes this.
a Claes unto himself 🇸🇪🇭🇰💙💛
•Sarah Brown
Which was not well known in the UK at the time.
Which is why they named it that.
Psy Chuan :therian:
•Sarah Brown likes this.
a Claes unto himself 🇸🇪🇭🇰💙💛
•https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/statement-uk-government%E2%80%99s-decision-block-scotland%E2%80%99s-gender-recognition-reform-bill
Aimee :bi_flag:
•Sarah Brown likes this.
mxtthxw
•Sarah Brown likes this.
Crows call me Joan
Eivind
•Seth Kaplan
•Sarah Brown likes this.
Christine M.
•And thank you for your effort.
Sarah Brown likes this.
FlowChainSensei
Sarah Brown
They wanted to bring the requirements for getting as GRC more in line with the ones for getting a passport.
It's a really boring administrative change that has almost no effect on anybody, but a bunch of weirdoes LOST THEIR FUCKING MINDS over it.
8 people like this
Constantin A., David Gerard, vreemt, Inken Paper, DarkFox 🌻:ms_neurodiversity:, Kitty (she/her), April and antiprofa like this.
🌈 🌈Ted 🌈🌈
•Sarah Brown likes this.
Sarah
•Alexander Hay
•ChuS 🎙 :esperanto:
•Maddie, Winter Witch
•Sarah Brown likes this.
Sarah Brown
Maddie, Winter Witch likes this.
Joss The Transient
•Giselle
•Charlie Stross
•Sarah Brown likes this.
alexferrie
•HïMY SYeD🟩:mstdn:
•Teresa Barry
•Jeff Byrnes
•fordie
•Sarah Brown likes this.
GJ Groothedde 🇪🇺
•(mind that I think Scotland's better of in that other Union anyway)
ouinne
•Sarah Brown
It was introduced in 2004 to deal with the 1970s legal decision that annulled April Ashley’s marriage to a member of the British nobility and thus created a situation where trans people effectively couldn’t get married for 3 decades.
I honestly have no idea why you and a whole bunch of people go on about prisons. It’s not got shit to do with any of that.
Sarah
•The second is that I have reported your post to the admins of your server. That sort of dog whistle transphobia might be tolerate on Twitter, but here it will get you repeatedly thrown off servers. You might want to adjust your attitude.
Parami
•Marti
One thing that shocked me about Liz Truss was her choice of Therese Coffey as DP. Coffey is an absolute disaster politically. Truss felt politically a disaster because of awful choices like Coffey. And I'm saying that from an electoral strategy POV, not so much from my own leftist POV. Truss felt like someone over her head but full of Dunning-Kruger. When she resigned, it felt like something had changed. It obviously hasn't.
Marti
It's below zero here in Kent. People are wondering how they'll pay their bills.
I think most people see this for what it is. It's proof they have no constructive policy, just a "culture war" cover for their lack of competent governance.
Jamie J
•Kevin Karhan :verified:
•Maybe getting Germany to finally do overdue #SelfID legislation and force Poland and Hungary to undo reactionary and facist shit would be interesting...
So how's your rate?
Falling Knife jr.
•Steffi the Redhead
•Steffi the Redhead
•Stompy Robot
•Carey Lening :blobcatverified:
•lol
•Tofu Golem
•Can you repeat your magic in America?
It's been two years and zero coup leaders are in prison. At this point, the republic clearly doesn't deserve to survive.
Sarah Brown likes this.
Andrew Hickey
Sarah
The fundamental problem with that is that Scotland is a real country, whereas England is already a defacto federation of regions.
Kay :heart_bi:
•https://www.dia.govt.nz/bdmreview---history-of-the-BDMRR-Act
Kay :heart_bi:
•Don't worry, both Bills passed in NZ but it was an anxious time for LGBTIQ+ community
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/the-house/audio/2018807955/births-deaths-and-genders-a-quiet-bill-goes-loud
Births, deaths, and genders: a quiet bill goes loud
Phil Smith (RNZ)𝕂ℕ𝔽 𝕀𝕆𝕆 ☎️
•Sarah Brown
𝕂ℕ𝔽 𝕀𝕆𝕆 ☎️
•MomoInSpace
•Hope its better in Portugal!
Sarah Brown
Alexandra Lanes likes this.