Twitter is banning women who “speak out against the dangerous dogma of trans ideology”, a feminist group has said.
In a letter to Twitter director Martha Lane Fox, Fair Play for Women says the company is allowing “a concerted attack on women’s free speech”.
Fair Play for Women describes itself as a group of “ordinary women” who argue that “in the rush to reform transgender laws” women’s voices will not be listened to.
It says Twitter users have been banned for stating “basic, incontrovertible biological facts” such as saying men are not women.
Transsexual writer Miranda Yardley said she was banned from Twitter for stating that Green Party LGBT spokesperson Aimee Challenor, a trans woman, is a man.
Writing on her blog she said: “According to the rules of Twitter it is now hateful conduct to call someone who is a man, a man.
“The implication of this is that the concept of proscribed speech, things we are now not allowed to say, now extends to the truth. This is fundamentally illiberal.”
Currently, if someone wishes to have their gender identity legally recognised they have to apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate – a process LGBT campaigning group Stonewall describes as “long, demeaning and bureaucratic”.
Stonewall is calling for a system of gender recognition based on self-identification, and wants to remove the requirement for a medical diagnosis before a transgender person can change their legally recognised gender.
In July 2017 then Equalities Minister Justine Greening said the Gender Recognition Act needed to be updated and that a consultation would begin in the autumn.
The Scottish government is currently consulting on gender recognition.
The campaigning group Man Friday argues allowing people to self-identify as a particular gender “removes any gatekeeping to women’s identity and protected spaces”.
To protest against any change to the law, the group choose Fridays to identify as men and take part in activities such as using male changing rooms.
On Friday a group of women attempted to access the men’s only bathing pond in Hampstead Heath as part of a protest against self-identification.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-44288431
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