For Women Scotland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For Women Scotland
The logo shows white letters "XX" on a blue background, within Linnaeus' female symbol
Logo of For Women Scotland
AbbreviationFWS
FormationJune 2018; 3 years ago (2018-06)
TypeCampaign group
Registration no.SC669393 (Scotland)
Legal statusNot-for-profit company
Region
Scotland
Director
Trina Budge
Marion Calder
Susan Smith
Websiteforwomen.scot

For Women Scotland (FWS) is a Scottish feminist group that opposes proposed reforms allowing individuals to change their recorded sex in legal documents by means of self-declaration.[1]

For Women Scotland is concerned that women's rights are eroded by reforms proposed by Nicola Sturgeon in 2016[2] and subsequently 2021[3] to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 to allow self-identification, and also by organisations adopting policies in breach of the Equality Act 2010, while it welcomes providing for transgender people without impinging on the rights of women.[1]

FWS has been described as anti-trans,[4][5] trans-exclusionary radical feminist,[6] as a "gender-critical feminist group"[7] and a group which campaigns against transgender rights.[5][8][9]

In November 2021, author J. K. Rowling hailed the group for its support after trans activists publicised her home address online. She said: "Thank you, my sisters xxx."[6]

Foundation[]

The group was established in 2018 "amid growing unease about how women's rights would be affected by the Scottish Government's plans to reform the Gender Recognition Act to allow for self-declaration of sex".[10] The directors of For Women Scotland are Trina Budge, Marion Calder, and Susan Smith.[11] Magdalen Berns was a co-founder.[11]

A theme in an interview study with members of a "Scottish women's cooperative constellation around the issue of GRA reform and its impact on women's sex-based rights", was that organisations like For Women Scotland and Woman and Girls in Scotland were founded because established women's organisations in Scotland, such as Engender, Rape Crisis Scotland, and Zero Tolerance, were "running scared of the debate around GRA reform or actively working against gender-critical women in their support of the Scottish government's plans".[12]

The group has been described as anti-trans[13][14][4][5] and as trans-exclusionary radical feminist.[6]

First public meeting in Edinburgh[]

In February 2019, the group held its first public meeting in Edinburgh. The event attracted an audience of around 150, protested by about 40, and was described by The Guardian as "most public expression in Scotland of increasingly vocal concerns around transgender issues".[1] Susan Smith said:

"We are concerned that the Scottish government is sleepwalking towards a significant erosion of women's rights, both in terms of proposals to reform the GRA to allow self-identification and the failure to prevent other organisations running ahead of the law and adopting policies which are in breach of the Equality Act. We’re not here to quibble about toilets and we’re not here to create trouble for those who have battled crippling gender dysphoria. We welcome extra provisions for other vulnerable groups that don't involve dismantling existing rights. If we cannot see sex, then we cannot see sexism, we cannot define sexuality, and it is the most vulnerable women who will suffer from this."[1]

Critics of the meeting included the Intersectional feminist group Sisters Uncut Edinburgh who said: "While For Women Scot do a sterling job of making transphobia look respectable, their actions and statements do real damage to Scotland's trans and non-binary community."[1]

Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021[]

During proceedings regarding the bill eventually passed as the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, For Women Scotland presented its concerns regarding free speech to the Justice Committee of the Scottish Parliament: the group feared it could be prosecuted over its position on women's rights and transgender people.[15]

Judicial Review regarding Women on Public Boards[]

In March 2021, the group lost their judicial review at the Court of Session to remove trans women from the definition of "woman" in the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018, a law intended to grow the number of women on public boards.[5] The Scottish Trans Alliance had intervened, describing the case as "hurtful and pointless".[16][17]

In November 2021, the Inner House of the Court of Session began hearing the group's appeal.[18]

Criminal Case against Marion Millar[]

Marion Millar, an accountant from Airdrie, is a feminist campaigner who has taken part in debates about reforms to the Gender Recognition Bill and Scotland's Hate Crime Bill.[7][19][20] She has promoted the #WomenWontWheesht hashtag on social media.[21] 'Wheesht' is a Scots word meaning 'shut up' or 'keep silent'.[22]

In June 2021, Marion Millar was charged in connection with tweets alleged to be homophobic and transphobic, and was interviewed at Coatbridge police station under the Communications Act 2003.[7] A spokesperson for FWS said: "Marion is naturally upset that the police have decided to press ahead with charges. [..] Sadly, in Scotland, it seems both free speech and women's rights are under attack."[7] Politician Joanna Cherry returned to the bar to defend Marion Millar, with advocate Paul Harvey as junior counsel.[23][24][20]

The initial bail hearing was scheduled for 20 July, postponed to 17 August, and again to 31 August.[20][21]

In July 2021, FWS organised a rally in support of Marion Millar on Glasgow Green,[10] addressed by amongst others Graham Linehan, a critic of "trans ideology".[25]

In August 2021, Marion Millar and a group of activists were asked to leave the Doctors Pub in Edinburgh by a trans bar server who objected to their presence. Millar said she left when asked, but Police Scotland said they were called in after "a group of people refused to leave the premises". The pub owner, Greene King, was investigating, while For Women Scotland said some involved were considering legal action.[26][4][27]

American legal analyst Jonathan Turley described the case as part of a "free speech fight brewing in Scotland".[21]

On 31 August 2021, Millar made no plea in her appearance at Glasgow Sheriff Court and was granted bail until the case reconvenes on 4 October. Millar's Qc, Joanna Cherry requested the continuance on three grounds: that Millar had only been shown the basis on the complaints that day; that the complaints did not comply with guidelines; and that the case "raised serious questions about Miss Millar's European human rights". A crowd of 300 supporters chanted outside the court.[28][29][30] On 4 October 2021, the case was continued, to reconvene on 1 November. The complaint is that she directed threatening or abusive behaviour at three people, including a police officer, via social media.[31]

On 28 October 2021 the Crown Office discontinued all proceedings against Marion Millar pending a review of the case.[32]

The "Women's Rights Demo" at the Scottish Parliament[]

On 1 September 2021, the group organised a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, demanding that the SNP-Green government uphold sex-based rights. Demonstrators called on MSPs to respect women's rights, and single-sex spaces and services, and not to allow men identifying as women to use them. The Herald estimated there were 400 people in the main demo, and 100 at a counter-protest.[33]

Marion Calder of For Women Scotland, said: "They need to understand that women won't wheesht, that they need to consider women's rights within any piece of legislation, especially over the next year, whether it is self-ID, GRA reform, the census, or the impact of the Hate Crime Bill and the chilling effect on women's rights and being unable to speak out."[33]

Demonstrators booed the name of SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Her spokesman declared her as "a robust defender and champion of women's rights".[33]

When Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser referred to the Women's Rights Demo during a debate in parliament, he was heckled by Nicola Sturgeon, who shouted "Shame on you".[34] Fraser accused her of ignoring concerns over the proposed reforms, but Sturgeon described these as "not valid".[35] Sturgeon's position on validity has been challenged by Scotland's former Chief Scientific Adviser, Dame Anne Glover.[36]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e Brooks, Libby (1 February 2019). "Scottish feminist group says transgender laws risk women's rights". Guardian. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Nicola Sturgeon makes gender recognition pledge". BBC News. 1 April 2016. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  3. ^ Johnson, Simon (23 August 2021). "Nicola Sturgeon facing backlash over proposed gender legislation". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Powys Maurice, Emma (23 August 2021). "Pub manager targeted by sick trolls after calling police on anti-trans group". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Wakefield, Lily (23 March 2021). "Scottish anti-trans group's bid to block to trans inclusion". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021. The anti-trans pressure group For Women Scotland has lost a legal battle to have trans women removed from a government act designed to increase the number of women on public boards.
  6. ^ a b c Horne, Marc (24 November 2021). "JK Rowling hails For Women Scotland in trans row". The Times. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d Brooks, Libby (4 June 2021). "Gender-critical feminist charged over allegedly transphobic tweets". Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  8. ^ Brooks, Libby (2 September 2021). "Protesters against transgender rights changes boo Nicola Sturgeon". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  9. ^ Leask, David (10 July 2021). "Feminists' legal appeal against trans women being called women". The Times. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  10. ^ a b Paciaroni, Sara (20 July 2021). "Women Won't Wheesht: protesters in Glasgow Green are joined by comedy writer Graham Linehan". Herald. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  11. ^ a b Hyland, Jennifer (6 September 2020). "Women's rights campaigners 'living in fear of trans attack' after vile abuse directed at group". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 4 June 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021. A campaign group for women’s rights in Scotland claims it has been threatened by trans activists.
  12. ^ Pedersen, Sarah (2021). "They've got an absolute army of women behind them: the formation of a women's cooperative constellation in contemporary Scotland". Scottish Affairs. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021. A further clear theme that arose frequently in the interviews was criticism of the funded and established women’s organisations in Scotland and the UK, which were perceived as either running scared of the debate around GRA reform or actively working against gender-critical women in their support of the Scottish government’s plans. These are the organisations, such as Engender, Rape Crisis Scotland and Zero Tolerance, referred to above by the politician who tried to bring in voices from the other side of the debate to respond to Parliamentary inquiries. Rape Crisis Scotland, for example, supported the Government’s original refusal to replace ‘gender’ with ‘sex’ in the Forensic Services bill, and was heavily criticised on social media and by newspaper columnists for so doing. Interviewees stated that they felt let down by these organisations, who they perceived as not representing their views. Thus they had started their own organisations, such as For Women Scotland or Women and Girls in Scotland.
  13. ^ "Anti-trans protesters wearing suffragette colours boo Nicola Sturgeon without a hint of irony". Pink News. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Scottish court rejects campaign appeal to axe trans inclusion in gender legislation". Gay Times. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  15. ^ Hind, Sally (10 March 2021). "Hate crime law changes- a tool to persecute women or create respect for all?". Daily Record. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  16. ^ Rodger, Hanna (24 November 2020). "Equality campaigners challenge 'hurtful and pointless' legal case against Scottish Government". Herald. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021. Vic Valentine, manager of Scottish Trans, explained: 'If the court throws out this legislation it will set back the rights of all women – not just trans women – to take part in public life in Scotland. We believe all women should have their voices heard by public bodies, and trans women should not be singled out to be excluded. [..] To our knowledge, there are also currently no trans people serving on public boards anywhere in Scotland, which makes this attack particularly hurtful and pointless.'
  17. ^ Rodger, Hannah (11 December 2021). "Equality campaigners to give evidence in landmark gender court case". Herald. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  18. ^ Williams, Martin (3 November 2021). "Scots ministers accused of unlawfully changing the definition of 'women' in court challenge". The Herald (Glasgow). Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  19. ^ Wade, Mike (7 June 2021). "Campaigner Marion Millar raises £30,000 for defence over 'transphobic' tweets". Times. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021. Millar has campaigned with For Women Scotland, a group that brought a legal challenge against the Scottish government in January over its definition of “woman” in an act to improve gender representation on public boards. She has been involved in the debates about reforms in the proposed Gender Recognition Bill and in Scotland’s Hate Crime Bill.
  20. ^ a b c Gordon, Tom (13 August 2021). "New court delay for Scots feminist charged with 'hate crime'". Herald. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  21. ^ a b c Gordon, Tom (27 August 2021). "Court date finalised for Scots feminist charged with 'hate crime'". The Herald. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Scottish word of the week: Wheesht". www.scotsman.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  23. ^ Summan, Kapil (24 June 2021). "Exclusive: Joanna Cherry QC to defend Marion Millar in limited return to the bar". Scottish Legal News. Archived from the original on 3 July 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021. Ms Cherry has accepted instructions through Beltrami and Company to defend Ms Millar, who has been charged by police with offences under s.127 of the Communications Act 2003 over her social media activity in 2019. Ms Millar, an accountant, had retweeted an image of a bow of ribbons in the Suffragette colours of green, white and purple that was tied around a tree outside of the Glasgow studio in which a BBC soap opera was being filmed. The police received a complaint about the image on the basis the ribbons represented a noose. The nature of other complaints made against Ms Millar is unknown.
  24. ^ Andrews, Kieran (24 June 2021). "Joanna Cherry to represent feminist Marion Millar accused of hate crime over 'transphobic' tweets". Times. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021. Her first client is Marion Millar, 50, a former member of the SNP and a mother of six, who is a prominent campaigner against gender self-identification for transgender people and was charged under the Communications Act for tweets she has posted since 2019. They are understood to include a retweeted photograph of a bow of ribbons in the green, white and purple colours of the suffragettes, tied around a tree outside the Glasgow location where a BBC soap opera is filmed.
  25. ^ Blackall, Molly (27 June 2020). "Twitter closes Graham Linehan account after trans comment". Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  26. ^ McLaughlin, Mark (23 August 2021). "Pub ejects activist charged with transphobia". The Times. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  27. ^ Davidson, Gina (23 August 2021). "Inquiry launched into row over 'transphobia' in Edinburgh pub". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  28. ^ Gordon, Tom (31 August 2021). "Scots feminist 'hate crime' case continued to consider human rights issues". The Herald. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  29. ^ Gordon, Connor; Lawson, Emma (31 August 2021). "Marion Millar: Scots woman appears in court accused of sending homophobic and transphobic tweets". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  30. ^ Wade, Mike (1 September 2021). "Maidens back woman charged over tweets". The Times. Archived from the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  31. ^ Gordon, Tom (4 October 2021). "New court delay in case of Scots feminist charged with 'hate crime'". The Herald. Archived from the original on 10 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021. She is alleged to have behaved in a threatening or abusive manner between October 2020 and June 2021 within the Glasgow area and Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire. Prosecutors say she repeatedly posted content on social media that was of a “homophobic and transphobic nature”. The complaint alleges she directed threatening or abusive behaviour at three people, including a police officer, via social media between October and June, contrary to Section 38(1) of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010.
  32. ^ Gordon, Tom (28 October 2021). "Prosecutors discontinue 'hate crime' case against Scots feminist Marion Millar". The Herald. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  33. ^ a b c Gordon, Tom (2 September 2021). "Sturgeon booed by Holyrood demo for 'ignoring women's rights'". The Herald. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  34. ^ Gordon, Tom (9 September 2021). "Nicola Sturgeon branded 'disgrace' after heckling MSP over gender reforms". The Herald. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  35. ^ Gordon, Tom (10 September 2021). "Nicola Sturgeon dismisses concerns over gender reforms as 'not valid'". The Herald. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  36. ^ "Professor Dame Anne Glover: First Minister is wrong to ignore the science on gender identity". Holyrood Website. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 1 October 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
Retrieved from ""