Latest news with #ForWomenScotland
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Let trans women into women's shelters, say SNP ministers
But the suggestion drew strong criticism from campaigners, who said the Scottish Government was misrepresenting the law. 'Services are either single-sex or open to everyone, and there are no circumstances where it is legally possible to provide a service for 'biological women and trans women',' Trina Budge of For Women Scotland told The Herald. READ MORE Three months ago, the UK's highest court ruled that 'women' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 referred to biological sex rather than gender identity. The court case was brought by FWS after they challenged the Scottish Government's guidance on the definition of 'woman' in the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018. Following the Supreme Court ruling, the commission issued draft guidance on a range of topics, including how single-sex services can be lawfully provided, when trans people can be excluded, and when organisations might request a birth certificate or Gender Recognition Certificate. The draft said any service offered to 'women and trans women' is not a single-sex service under the Equality Act and could amount to unlawful discrimination against those of the opposite sex. The EHRC later opened a consultation on the draft to help formulate an updated Code of Practice. The commission said it received more than 50,000 responses. Final guidance had been expected before Parliament broke for summer earlier this week, but the EHRC said last week it would be published later in the year. For Women Scotland won the Supreme Court in April (Image: PA) The Scottish Government quietly published its response to the consultation on Friday afternoon. Ministers raised concerns that the commission's draft code placed too much emphasis on when trans people can be excluded from services, and not enough on how services can remain inclusive within the law. 'We consider that it would be helpful to provide illustrative examples within the Code of Practice to provide guidance on how a service provider may lawfully implement an inclusive approach,' the Government said. 'This would be particularly helpful in situations where a service provider has identified a need that exists for both biological women and trans women, for example in relation to those who have experienced domestic abuse, homelessness or trafficking. 'Without this clarity, providers may simply stop offering any services to trans people due to concerns about legal risk.' They also warned that, following the judgment, some trans people had chosen to 'remove themselves from public life' out of fear of being turned away from services. In its submission, the Scottish Government also said it was also concerned about what it described as 'social policing' of someone's sex. 'We note that the impact of the guidance may lead to situations where some members of the public will take it upon themselves to judge appearances and assume someone's sex based on their perception of that person's sex or gender identity. 'This sense of distrust in others and social policing of bodies is detrimental not only for trans and non-binary people, but for those who are born male or female who may not fit into society's current expectations of what a man or woman looks like, which change over time, and in different contexts and places.' The response also called for advice on how to apply the updated definition of legal sex to workplace facilities, and for consideration of the impact of the code on intersex people. Ms Budge said: 'The Scottish Government still woefully misunderstands the Supreme Court judgment on how the Equality Act works. "Services are either single-sex or open to everyone, and there are no circumstances where it is legally possible to provide a service for 'biological women and trans women'. 'We note that in pushing for this option, the Government has dropped its previous legal argument that a man needs a GRC to access a women's service and reverted to, once again, looking for ways to include men in women's services on a self-ID basis. 'Women who have suffered domestic abuse or trafficking do not wish to be put in sleeping accommodation with males for very good reasons of privacy and safety, and it is beyond our understanding why the Government keeps trying to insist otherwise." Lucy Hunter Blackburn from the MBM policy collective said: 'The response suggests that the Scottish Government has learnt little from the past few years. "It remains fundamentally unsympathetic to the rights and needs of women as a sex, and strongly wedded to defining 'women' as a group that must include some men. 'As a result, it appears to misunderstand both the judgment and the role of the EHRC. It still seems to believe, wrongly, that managing single-sex services and spaces must involve 'balancing' the rights of women against those of a sub-set of men. 'It is resisting clarity in favour of complication, and in doing so providing poor leadership to all Scottish public bodies who now just need to make the law work on the ground.'
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
For Women Scotland 'Irresponsible for EIF to promote choking show'
They told The Herald: "The last thing we need is a respected international festival endorsing it." However the International Festival said the work "does not explore violence against women" but rather a "deeply personal reflection on the artist's own experiences of consent and sexuality". The Dan Daw Show is due to be performed across three nights at The Lyceum theatre next month as part of the Edinburgh International Festival and is billed as a fuse of "sexy choreography and touching theatricality" to "take a stand against ableism". The festival's programme says it sees the Australian dancer "turn the spotlight inward, to find his own truth through a subject that holds the power to both challenge and liberate: kink". Content guidance for the show adds: "During some of the physical interaction between Dan and [collaborator] KrisX, KrisX puts a hand around Dan's neck as if choking him. Dan is placed into a latex vacuum cube, that is tight around his neck." Read more Posting online For Women Scotland, the campaign group which successfully took the Scottish Government to court over the legal definition of a woman, said: "It is absolutely disgusting that [EIF] is promoting a 'performance' which features the dangerous practice of 'choking'. "It should NEVER be entertainment! We really think this show should be pulled as a matter of urgency." Speaking to The Herald, the group added: "It is recklessly irresponsible for the Edinburgh Festival to promote dangerous and abusive acts in the name of art. "Organisations tackling violence against women have been warning about choking in particular, and the outcomes which can include brain damage and fatalities. "Sadly, this practice is widespread among younger generations and the last thing we need is a respected international festival endorsing it." Last year Beira's Place, the Edinburgh-based women's protection charity funded by J.K. Rowling, warned sexual choking was "becoming very normalised" among teenagers who increasingly saw it as a routine sexual act. It said a growing number of young women were turning to its counselling services after experiencing unwanted choking during sex. Rape Crisis Scotland similarly warned strangulation was often raised by pupils in consent and pornography workshops in schools. A spokesperson for the International Festival said: "We take the safety of artists and audiences very seriously. The detailed content descriptions for this performance are provided as guidance for those audience members who seek more information in order to make informed decisions, to feel safe and prepared. "This work does not explore violence against women. Instead, it is a deeply personal reflection on the artist's own experiences of consent and sexuality. "We encourage audiences to contact us directly if they would like to discuss the performance further." Dan Daw was approached for a response.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
'Get it up ye Sturgeon!' The new front in the trans war
The event, a sort of mini-conference with speakers, has been organised by a group called Human Gay Male, which was established in 2024 for gay men sceptical about the concept of gender identity. The group held its first conference in London last year and the event today is a Glasgow off-shoot. Throughout the day, I sit down with some of the guys who've come along and talk to them about their experiences and opinions and concerns and what emerges is worrying and disturbing. But hopeful too, definitely hopeful. The first guest speaker is Marion Calder, who co-founded For Women Scotland, one of the original campaign groups to raise concerns about the effects of gender identity on women's rights; it's also the group that went all the way to the Supreme Court earlier this year to establish the meaning of 'woman' and won. Ms Calder describes the joy she felt as she emerged from the court and punches the air as she relives the moment. 'Get it up ye Sturgeon!' she says, and her Glasgow audience applauds and cheers. They also think Sturgeon bears a lot of the blame for how we got here. The second speaker, Neale Hanvey, the former SNP and Alba MP, spells it out in more detail. He describes how he first started expressing concern about trans issues and self-ID while still in the [[SNP]] and a senior party figure told him 'this is what Nicola wants so you'll just have to be quiet' (he didn't keep quiet and says the party 'came for him'). He also describes meeting Sandie Peggie, the nurse at the centre of the NHS Fife tribunal, and how distressed she was, and how it demonstrates, in his view, the way in which organisations can be captured by trans ideology and the negative implications of it. Some of the men who've come to the conference have experienced it first-hand. I speak to a couple of academics who've been the subject of disciplinary procedures for their gender critical views, and a man who says he was reported to HR for expressing doubt about pronouns. Another describes the pile-on he faced on social media for the same thing; he was not the 'right type of gay', he says. Quite a few say they can't tell people at work what they think so operate to a kind of self-censorship; they would certainly never write their opinions down. And one man after another tells me they've lost friends because of their views. Read more A question for my fellow voters: what the hell is wrong with you? Signs of trouble ahead for Glasgow's precious historic buildings There's a price to pay for gentrification in Glasgow. I've met the people paying it But despite all of that – because of all of that – every man here is determined to carry on and they explain to me why. They say ignoring the reality of sex and giving greater credence to gender or 'queer' identity removes meaning from the definition of homosexuality. It results, they say, in heterosexual women calling themselves men and telling gay men who reject them that they're bigots. One man tells me he was called a Nazi for complaining to the gay male app Grindr about it. Another tells me about a straight couple at his work who calls themselves queer, and why that's a problem. Neale Hanvey puts it this way: you can't protect what you can't meaningfully define. The men who've come to the conference are also particularly worried about the consequences for young people. They worry about little boys who don't conform to the usual male stereotypes, and will probably grow up gay, being told they're really little girls. They also worry about girls and young women who don't conform to female stereotypes, and will probably grow up lesbian, coming to believe they're really men. It's disturbing, they say, that so much of gender identity is based on old, sexist stereotypes but it's also disturbing that it can have serious consequences including medical operations that are lifelong and irreversible. But it goes much wider too. Although this is a conference for gay men, it's significant that Marion Calder is one of the speakers because everyone here knows, and is worried, about the consequences for women, their rights and security. The Peggie case comes up quite a lot, as does Isla Bryson, the male who started transitioning after being charged with rape and was remanded to a women's jail. Ms Calder says she thought the Bryson case – and the Supreme Court ruling for that matter – might be the moment when the tide turned for good, but she points out that there are still men in women's prisons. It's not over yet. Nicola Sturgeon (Image: Newsquest) Which brings us to another of the central questions discussed at the conference: where do we go from here? Everyone agrees there does seem to have been a shift in views, but Neale Hanvey says the resistance of the political classes and public organisations has been strong, with many still adhering to concepts such as self-ID. They will have to be challenged, he says, case by case, court by court, and the penalties will need to be severe. Ms Calder says her organisation, For Women Scotland, is currently in a back-and-forth with the Scottish civil service and there's probably going to be another judicial review. As I say: not over yet. James Roberts, the managing director of Human Gay Male and the organiser of today's conference, tells me he believes events like his can be part of the solution, they can plant the seeds. Many of the attendees have faced problems after expressing gender-critical views, but they're also an impressively determined and well-informed bunch and they're starting conversations with friends, gay and straight, and colleagues, and people they encounter in daily life, in taxis, shops, cafes, expressing their concerns and asking questions; planting the seeds. So it all ends on a hopeful note, even though we've talked about a lot of disturbing and contentious stuff. Ms Calder believes the public has started waking up to what's going on; the Overton Window is shifting, she says. Some of the men at the conference also tell me expressing their concerns has given permission for others to express their own concerns. So maybe this is how changes happens. Away from the multicoloured flags and banners down on the street. In a room in Glasgow, and in other rooms, where people talk, and go out and talk to others. One mind changed, then another, then another.
Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Times
Gender-critical activists branded ‘swivel-eyed' by Labour MP
Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of failing to deal with his party's 'ongoing women problem' after it emerged a Labour MP called gender-critical activists 'swivel-eyed'. Tim Roca described the For Women Scotland Supreme Court judgment on the definition of sex in law as 'very depressing' and said those who support the sex-based rights of women were 'not very well people'. The comments were made during a talk Roca, the first Labour MP for Macclesfield, gave this month at an event called Queering Academia hosted by the University of Westminster. In response, Susan Smith, a director of For Women Scotland, said it was an 'appalling' comment for an MP to make. 'I'm assuming by 'swivel-eyed transphobes' he is referring to women's rights activists,' Smith said.
The Age
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
New cast members and first looks revealed as Harry Potter TV series begins production
Lox Pratt and Johnny Flynn will make up the Malfoy family, the former as Harry's school nemesis Draco and the latter as Lucius. Other Hogwarts students include Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown. Variety also reported that Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby will play Petunia and Vernon Dursley, Harry's neglectful muggle aunt and uncle. On Tuesday, a new round of actors was announced. Rory Wilmot will play Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson will be Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey will embody Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Anton Lesser will take on Garrick Ollivander. What will it be about? According to HBO, the new series will be 'a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter books', and 'will feature an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years'. The TV show is therefore expected to resemble the original eight films relatively closely, meaning it will follow Harry's discovery that he is a wizard, his departure from his muggle family, his entry to Hogwarts, his adventures alongside Hermione and Ron, and his near-death encounters with He Who Shall Not Be Named (aka the big bad, Lord Voldemort). However, since TV series usually end up being significantly longer than feature films, the series is expected to explore more of the books' plotlines in greater detail. Each of the seven Harry Potter novels will make up an entire season. How do people feel about it so far? Anticipation for the newest adaptation has been steadily building since its announcement in 2023. However, some fans of the films have expressed disappointment over how starkly similar the production shots are to that of the original screen adaptation. 'There is … a thesis to be written on the autocannibalism of pop culture,' one X user wrote. 'The evolution of pop culture from 'new things based on old things' (Star Wars) to 'new takes on old things' (Tim Burton's Batman) to 'new versions of old things that look just like the old things'.' This is compounded by the controversy around J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter novels. She has been accused of transphobia for her views on gender identity and for suggesting that trans issues affect women's rights. Over the years, Rowling has contributed money to anti-trans crowdfunding campaigns and also vocally opposed Scotland's gender recognition bill in 2022. She donated £70,000 ($143,700) to For Women Scotland, which launched a legal challenge that resulted in the UK Supreme Court ruling in April that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. Her views have led some fans to boycott the Harry Potter franchise, including its books, the movies, the video game Hogwarts Legacy, and presumably also the upcoming TV adaptation. Meanwhile, others are questioning whether the TV remake is necessary given the major success of both the books and the eight films. Loading 'Irrespective of J.K. Rowling, this remake is so redundant,' one X user wrote, to which another commented: 'Is it a remake, or an expansion of the story that wasn't told in the books/movies? If it is just a made-for-TV remake, then no. Completely unnecessary. Go watch the movies.' Is J.K. Rowling involved? The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, which some fans believe suggests she will be more involved in the upcoming series compared to the films. 'I read the first two episodes of the forthcoming HBO Harry Potter series and they are SO, SO, SO GOOD!' Rowling wrote on X in June. Replying to a comment asking whether she wrote any of the series' scripts, she said, 'no, but I've worked closely with the extremely talented writers.' Beyond Rowling, the show will be led by Francesca Gardiner and directed by Mark Mylod, both of whom worked on Succession. When can we watch season one? The first season is expected to debut on HBO Max in 2027. According to Variety, shooting on season one is expected to last until the autumn of 2026, with season two then going into production after a short break.
