Why is the UK "Terf Island"?

submitted by Rage-Xion from self.GenderCritical

I have a question. Why is the gender-critical movement stronger in the UK than in other countries?

Is it because they have the most famous gender-critical feminists and allies like Maya Frostater, JK Rowling or Marion Millar?

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[–]MarkTwainiac 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

1) Mumsnet

2) The UK has a law called the Gender Recognition Act of 2004. Circa 2016, Teresa May when she was PM promised to reform it to institute gender/sex self-ID. The government instituted a public consultation - so interested women began to educate themselves and decided self ID had lots of problems and was at odds with women's rights.

3) The UK has another law called the Equality Act of 2010, which gives protections to persons who've gone through or propose to go through "gender transition." But the law also made sex a protected category, and allows for female-only spaces, services and sports.

4)UK health care is provided by the government through the NHS.

5) The UK has a system whereby ordinary citizens can challenge the actions of government agencies and bodies through "judicial reviews."

6) The UK has robust employment laws protecting employees, which allowed Maya Forstater to contest the termination of her contract.

7) The UK has some odd restrictions on speech and communications, which have been used by TRAs, the police and prosecutors to go after people like Marion Millar, Kate Scottow, Harry Miller, Miranda Yardley, Caroline Farrow and others for "gender critical" tweets and other social media posts. Scottow, who was breastfeeding when the police showed up at her house, was thrown in a jail cell and kept there for 7 hours, and denied the san pro she begged for.

8) The UK's major gay and lesbian rights organization, Stonewall, decided in 2015 to become a trans activist organization. Stonewall has had huge influence in the UK, signing up more than 750 major corporations and government bodies for a dodgy protection scheme: accept and abide by gender ideology or else! Stonewall's "training" sessions and bad legal advice have caused many in the UK to conclude that Stonewall's days are done.

9) The UK has a sophisticated system and philosophy of safeguarding

10) Karen White. Aimee Challenor. Jess Phillips. Rubber Man at the NSPC.

There are many other reasons too. Will try to post them later.

[–]oatcake 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I'm not sure this is the right answer, but I will suggest something.

In Scotland, it is heavily linked to the main political question, which is the drive for Scottish independence. The Scottish National Party, which used to be the political arm of the movement and has formed the devolved Scottish government since 2007, has been captured by people with opposing interests. This happened shortly after the referendum in 2014. They heavily promote gender theory, and it has caused a huge backlash, and a split in the movement.

I am not so familiar with how things are in England, and would love to know more; but I had a similar feeling in the most recent General Election in 2019, that both the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats had gotten fully onboard with the gender bullshit, leaving the Tories to sweep up the 'common sense' voters.

I don't see a comparable GC movement in other Euro countries and I think it may be related to their political arrangement.

[–]censorshipment 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

https://www.reddit.com/r/transgenderUK/comments/n1eqid/how_the_uk_became_terf_island/

[–]DorothyGale 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

That is a dreadful thread full of nonsense which appears to have been written by someone who doesn't understand Britain at all.

[–]Rage-Xion[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Thank you for your answers.

[–]bluetinfoilhat 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The UK is more advanced is passing wide reaching laws. The US and to a lesser extent Canada is more decentralized so pro trans laws are not applied nearly as much.