Gender Recognition Bill [HL]Although conspicuously it was not mentioned in the Queen's Speech itself, the Government has made clear it intends to introduce in the coming Parliamentary session a Gender Recognition Bill permitting transsexual people legally to become the gender they select. The Evangelical Alliance understands that gender confused people need certain protection in law and that their human rights should be defended. However, the Alliance believes that this Bill, fuelled as it is by a manifestly flawed decision in the European Court of Human Rights, is particularly dangerous in the way it studiously ignores fact, science and truth in favour of a political correctness taken to absurd extremes. It should be clear that what is being proposed by the Government is nothing less than a complete overhaul of the concept of Christian marriage, and without any rationale or authority whatsoever, turning upside down common-sense understanding of what it means to be male and female. It directly undermines the Government's stated commitment not to legislate for same-sex 'marriage'. There is no verifiable evidence whatsoever to suggest that a person can change sex, so that any so-called 'sex-change' is at best purely cosmetic. But nevertheless third parties will be forced by law to collude with a person's self-diagnosis, as ratified by a gender recognition committee, that they are, for example, a woman rather than a man. And amongst its many provisions the Bill will give entitlement to change of birth certificates and the marriage which in a majority of cases will be same-sex 'marriage'. The Evangelical Alliance along with others has been concerned for a number of years about the Government's intentions, especially given the absence of any research into the impact of far-reaching invasive surgery to treat what has until recently been regarded as essentially psychiatric conditions. However, its submissions to Government, including the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights pointing out the dangers of pushing ahead without careful investigation of the causes and treatment of the condition together with the many potential breaches of rights of third parties have been largely ignored. A minimal concession for Church of England priests has been granted in the form of a same-sex 'marriage' conscience clause. This, however, does not extend to registrars and religious organisations in general, and will be of limited value when true original birth certificates cannot be accessed. Countless conflictual situations are in prospect between common-sense and conscience on the one hand and imposed legal fiction on the other should this ill-conceived Bill pass in its present form – not least, and most obviously, in the area of sport. The Evangelical Alliance calls on the Government to ensure it listens to majority common-sense opinion on this issue and does not criminalise large numbers of right-thinking people for refusing to comply with what amounts to a legal fiction. The Gender Recognition Bill can be found
on the following web site: Explanatory notes for the bill can be found
at: See also: Comment – On the draft Gender Recognition Bill. Appendix 1 – A brief summary of key issues raised by the Gender Recognition Bill. Appendix 2 – Anticipated Parliamentary Timetable. FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions about Transvestism, or Transsexuality/Transsexualism. |