The UK supreme court and the definition of a woman
But its judgment – that the word 'woman' in equality law refers only to biological sex – has upended years of legal interpretation. And the news of the ruling led to celebrations, protest and an outpouring of emotion.
For some, such as the Guardian Weekly deputy editor, Isobel Montgomery, who is a trustee of the domestic violence charity Rise, the court's decision is reassuring. The Brighton charity offers women-only services based on biological sex, as well as separate LGBTQ services.
This, she says, is essential for women who have been subject to male violence and only feel safe if they are in a space with other cis women. 'You are dealing with a cohort of people who are in great distress and deserve to be met where their trauma is,' she says.
But for others, such as Ellie Gomersall, an activist for the Scottish Greens who campaigns for trans rights, the judgment is heartbreaking.
'I think this ruling means that, as trans people, it's now completely impossible for us to ever be able to just put our trans-ness behind us and go about our normal day-to-day lives. It's always going to be a question for us – are we going to be told: 'Actually, no, you can't come in here'?'
The Guardian's Scotland correspondent, Libby Brooks, explains how the ruling came about and what it could mean. She tells Helen Pidd that some legal experts have explained that this legal ruling means organisations can exclude trans women from women-only facilities – but they're not obliged to do so.
Read More Firm loses appeal over under-settlement amputation claim
Yet with the head of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission saying trans people must use toilets that fit their biological sex at birth, and that changing rooms and hospital wards should use the same criteria, it marks a serious change in public life.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Kate Forbes not banned from Summerhall building, venue says
An arts venue has said it has not banned Scotland's Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes from the building after a row over her speaking at an event. Ms Forbes was interviewed on stage at the Summerhall in Edinburgh as part of a Fringe show on August 7 organised by The Herald newspaper. The Deputy First Minister is a devout Christian and a member of the socially conservative Free Church of Scotland, and she was criticised during her SNP leadership battle for her stance on gay marriage, abortion and trans rights. In an email to artists on the day of the event, Summerhall said Herald Unspun was programmed before the line-up of interviewees was confirmed. It described the booking as an 'oversight' and said it 'should have considered the likelihood of her being booked to attend, and the understandable upset it would cause'. The venue said it will be writing 'robust, proactive inclusion and wellbeing policies that prevent this from happening again'. It said Herald Unspun was not curated by Summerhall and at this stage would not comment on future curated events and the possibility of Ms Forbes appearing. However in a statement on Friday it said Ms Forbes is not banned from the building. It said: 'The Fringe event passed without incident. 'Forbes is not banned from the Summerhall building which encompasses a cafe, pub, arts venues, galleries and independent traders' offices and studios.' It said speakers including First Minister John Swinney, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Ms Forbes 'all entered and exited the building the same way for the events over each day'. It added: 'The events, the Herald Unspun events, were a paid hire and programmed by The Herald newspaper.' Ms Forbes has said she 'fervently' believes in freedom of speech. She said: 'Any effort to cancel people, especially politicians, undermines democracy. 'Many people attended the Herald event and it is important that we could freely discuss and debate matters in a respectful manner. 'I respect and acknowledge the fact that, in a liberal democracy, there are people who will agree with me and others who will disagree with me. 'That is all the more reason to create events where the audience and journalists can question politicians openly, as the Herald did.' In an email sent to artists on August 7 and addressed to 'Dear companies', Summerhall said: 'At this point, our main concern is that cancelling the event could pose significant additional risk to the safety and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ artists, staff and audiences by attracting those who share Kate Forbes's views outside of these walls to Summerhall, and as such the interview will take place as scheduled, with all proceeds from the event donated to a local LGBTQ+ charity, the amount and the recipient will be published as soon as possible. 'While the event is happening, staff will be on hand to help anyone who may wish to make use of a designated relaxed space. 'We do not believe LGBTQ+ rights, nor their existence, is up for debate. We recognise that the LGBTQ+ community make up a significant proportion of our artists, audiences and staff, and we have work to do to repair the damage from this oversight. 'At this stage, we can guarantee that we will be writing robust, proactive inclusion and wellbeing policies that prevent this from happening again.'
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Nicholas Alahverdian wanted to be ‘relevant.' Now he's a convicted rapist.
This is a tragic understatement, but it turns out Alahverdian – who has also gone by Nicholas Rossi and then Arthur Knight when he was on the lam in Scotland – had a much more sinister history than any of the reporters he called incessantly over the years ever realized. Advertisement It has to be a relief for at least one of his victims that Alahverdian is going to serve a substantial prison sentence – potentially for the rest of his life. But it's difficult to avoid looking in the mirror and wondering about the role of Rhode Island's media in amplifying his claims and looking the other way when seemingly obvious red flags emerged. Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up If you don't know Alahverdian's story, it's every bit worthy of a movie script. That's why there have been multiple The short version: He was an advocate for reforming the child welfare system in Rhode Island, and led a secret life as a criminal who conned multiple people out of money. And, it turns out, he was a rapist. He was finally caught when he landed in a Scottish hospital with COVID-19 while living under an alias, and was extradited to Utah, where he was wanted for rape. Advertisement Alahverdian popped on my radar in 2010 when I was a young reporter; in fact, I was still bartending to make ends meet at the time, and we met when he brought a date to Gregg's in Providence, where I was working. No one disputes that Alahverdian had a rough upbringing – a dysfunctional family life that led to even more dysfunctional stints in foster care, which ultimately led him to sue the state of Rhode Island. Along the way, he became obsessed with local politics, became a State House intern, and became a fierce advocate for reforming the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. I found him to be polished, intense, and strangely needy for someone in his early 20s. But he had the vibe of a poser in a middle school cafeteria – the type who laughed a little too loudly at jokes, sucked up to the cool kids, and just wanted to be accepted as 'relevant' – that was a word he enjoyed using. Sometime in 2011, I remember having a drink at Local 121, a popular politico bar in Providence that no longer exists. The room was filled with current and former elected officials, operatives, and journalists, and Alahverdian was there working the room. He wasn't exactly part of the group, but he wasn't exactly unwelcome, either. No one was eager to be his friend, but no one minded that he was there. It was like he was trying to will himself into the picture, even if he didn't quite fit the frame. Advertisement He latched onto reporters like me because he thought we could make him more relevant – and many of us took the bait. I've always taken some pride in not writing about him or his terrifying stories of abuse while in state care, but I can't really attribute those decisions to impeccable instincts. I liked exclusive stories, and he was a fixture on the 6 p.m. news. I did, however, pick up the phone when he called, and he called a lot… for years. I can't speak for every reporter who covered him, but I don't think they simply fell for his ruse. He had a story to tell: It mostly checked out, and busy journalists found him to be highly quotable and always available. Still, there were warning signs. A quick background check on Alahverdian showed he had legal problems in the past, although the details were vague. He had spent some time in both Ohio and Utah, but didn't talk much about those experiences. It turns out he was a registered sex offender, based on an incident at a community college in Ohio. He also had a stint as a student at Harvard's extension school, but he spoke about attending Harvard as though he was an undergraduate. I remember asking another journalist in town about Alahverdian's criminal record, and they were more sympathetic. Anyone who experienced what he did as a child could fall off track as an adult, the reporter reasoned. Besides, it didn't make his story any less true. What we didn't know at the time was that a rape kit from 2008 was sitting on a shelf in Utah waiting to be tested. By the time it was, Alahverdian was mostly out of sight and out of mind in Rhode Island. Advertisement It's unclear exactly when he landed in Scotland, but law enforcement now believes that was an effort to evade rape charges in Utah, and a federal fraud investigation out of Ohio. It had been at least a year since I had heard from Alahverdian when I received a press release on Jan. 10, 2020, claiming that he was diagnosed with late-stage non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I remember feeling bad for him, but also thinking, very cynically, that at least I wouldn't have to answer his phone calls anymore. Of course, I was wrong about that, because I ended up having to talk with a woman named She was irate that the Globe wouldn't run Alahverdian's obituary. We actually initially published an Associated Press story on his death, but I asked for it to be taken down because something didn't seem right. I had no reason to believe he was a criminal in hiding, but I wouldn't put it past him to fake his own death and seek attention from local journalists – and all the details were coming from an unknown person. Law enforcement officials now believe Alahverdian was seeking to use all the attention he got for his death to throw them off his scent. In the end, Alahverdian's story fell apart. He has since admitted that he faked his own death, although he claimed he was hiding out because of threats made against him in Rhode Island – none of which appear to be true. Advertisement For years, Alahverdian fought to control his own narrative – to make himself matter, to keep himself in the headlines, to make sure he was the one telling the story. But in that Utah courtroom this week, none of the spin, aliases, or theatrics mattered. The jury didn't see an advocate or a victim. They saw a rapist. He once told me he just wanted to be 'relevant.' Now he is, for all the worst reasons – and in a way he'll never be able to rewrite. Dan McGowan can be reached at
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sturgeon: I do not agree with Forbes being banned by Fringe venue
Nicola Sturgeon has said she does not agree with Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes being banned from a major venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The former SNP leader told reporters in Edinburgh that she disagreed with cancel culture. It comes amid a row over the Summerhall venue's decision not to have Ms Forbes back at any future events following a fringe show organised by The Herald newspaper. The venue has reportedly suggested that John Swinney's deputy posed a safety and wellbeing risk to its staff over her views on trans rights. Ms Forbes is a devout Christian and a member of the socially conservative Free Church of Scotland. She was criticised during her SNP leadership battle for her stance on gay marriage, abortion and trans rights. Ms Sturgeon, who appointed Ms Forbes as finance secretary while she was first minister, was asked whether she agreed with Summerhall's decision. 'I don't agree with cancel culture and I don't agree with that,' she said. She added that she took no responsibility for the venue's decision. Summerhall, which has received more £600,000 in government funding, previously held Herald Unspun live events with Mr Swinney and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, the latter of whom has U-turned over his stance on gender self-ID. Ms Forbes expressed disappointment at the venue and said she 'fervently' believes in freedom of speech. 'Any effort to cancel people, especially politicians, undermines democracy,' she said. 'Many people attended the Herald event and it is important that we could freely discuss and debate matters in a respectful manner. 'I respect and acknowledge the fact that, in a liberal democracy, there are people who will agree with me and others who will disagree with me. 'That is all the more reason to create events where the audience and journalists can question politicians openly, as the Herald did.' In a statement, the Summerhall venue said: 'This event was booked as a series of long-form interviews prior to the guest list being confirmed. 'Summerhall Arts primary concern is the safety and wellbeing of the artists and performers we work with, and going forward we will be developing robust, proactive inclusion and wellbeing policies that would prevent this oversight in our bookings process happening again.' Shona Robison, who succeeded Ms Forbes as Finance Secretary, also defended her colleague, calling Summerhall's decision 'unwise and unnecessary'.
