Meet the Sex Matters help desk

Abusive strip-searching rules: our legal challenge

In this week’s podcast we talk to Cathy Larkman, retired superintendent and policing lead at Women’s Rights Network, about our judicial review against the National Police Chiefs’ Council over its abusive strip-searching policy. Under PACE – the main law governing police conduct – strip-searches must be carried out by an officer of the same sex. But the NPCC says that doesn’t apply to trans detainees. We say that PACE is the only lawful basis for police searching, and that clear rules protect both officers and detainees. Cathy speaks from experience about how female police officers will come under pressure to search male detainees, including rapists, cross-dressing fetishists and men who simply enjoy threatening and humiliating women. Read about our case [https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/police-strip-searching-sex-matters-judicial-review/] and support our crowdfund [https://sex-matters.org/take-action/help-us-to-stop-abusive-police-searching-policies/]. Read [https://www.womensrights.network/wrn-police-report] State sanctioned sexual assault [https://www.womensrights.network/wrn-police-report], Cathy’s report for the Women’s Rights Network. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sex-matters-news.org [https://www.sex-matters-news.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Child gender medicine: CAN-SG conference

In this week’s episode, Fiona McAnena talks to Dr Louise Irvine, co-chair of the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender (CAN-SG), about Rethinking Youth Gender Medicine, on Sunday 5th and Monday 6th July in London. The conference will feature world experts discussing the social and clinical care of gender-distressed children and young people. Whether you’re a clinician, educator, parent, researcher, or simply concerned about child safeguarding and ideology distorting medical practice, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. CAN-SG has offered Sex Matters’ supporters an exclusive discount: use the code SM25 for 25 percent off all ticket prices [https://can-sg.org/conference-rethinking-youth-gender-medicine/]. Further discounts are available for people on low incomes, and students can attend the full two days for just £20. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sex-matters-news.org [https://www.sex-matters-news.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Getting back on track

In this week’s episode, Maya Forstater and Fiona McAnena talk about our new report, Getting back on track: Using the Equality Act to enable and protect sport for women and girls [https://sex-matters.org/posts/publications/getting-back-on-track/] – why we’ve produced it, and what’s in it. We show how UK law provides for separate sport for women and girls in several different ways, for fairness, safety and opportunity, from grassroots participation to elite competition, and why not having a female category may result in legal challenges for indirect discrimination and harassment. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sex-matters-news.org [https://www.sex-matters-news.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Small claims explained

In this week’s episode, Helen and Maya talk through what is colloquially known as a “small claim” for belief discrimination against a service provider. Examples of such discrimination include being refused service in a pub, barred from a gym or forced to leave an event because you are known or suspected to hold gender-critical beliefs (or to be associated with someone who does). Sex Matters has published a guide on this process, which you can read on our website [https://sex-matters.org/practical-help/take-a-small-claim-for-belief-discrimination/]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sex-matters-news.org [https://www.sex-matters-news.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

EHRC guidance finally here!

This week, Maya, Helen and Fiona give their initial take on the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s long-awaited update to the Code of practice for services, public functions and associations, which has been published by the Minister for Women and Equalities and laid before Parliament. Read the code of practice. [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a0de69fe0994f7c13d7b411/EHRC_Code_of_Practice_for_services__public_functions_and_associations__2_.pdf] Read our first analysis of the code [https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/what-is-in-the-new-guidance/]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sex-matters-news.org [https://www.sex-matters-news.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]