So the Scottish Government presses on with its GRA nonsense. Despite roll backs by the Supreme Court and warnings from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, on they march. They apparently know best and they’re intent on using their majority in Parliament to deliver it. The same nonsense spouted by Shirley-Anne Somerville’s now being echoed by Shona Robison. I had thought the latter at least would know better.
Meanwhile everyone else is trying to work out just what’s what in this new dystopian world, where you can just self ID as whatever sex you want. Last week saw me meet with senior representatives from Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority on crime recording. There had after all been a twitter fest, including my being name checked by JK Rowling, which sent it into the stratosphere, when I’d been advised by Police Scotland in a letter that someone who perpetrated a rape but self ID’d as a women would be recorded as such.
I’m happy to say that despite what they wrote the reality’s different. Its clear that if its evidently the case that the person’s not the gender they purport to be and its relevant to the crime, their word wont be accepted. So that addresses the rape and serious sexual offence case fears that many understandably have.
But the situation as to other offences seems left outstanding. Human Rights, say the police mean that if someone says they’re a certain sex, other than in the aforementioned circumstances, they should accept it. Crime recording allowing for male, female and other, with that final category initially devised for corporations and obviously not applicable here. No big deal you might say though it does make a mockery of crime recording statistics, even if the numbers will be few. Even a few can distort.
I’ve sympathy for the police. It’s a hard enough job dealing with idiots without having to address legislative idiocies. They’re trying to do what’s right when the law’s unclear and being made worse with this Bill. This isn’t protecting trans rights but making the law look an ass.