The LGBT Lobby Groups tactics for changing legislation, policies, guidance and practice has pretty much been consistent in recent years when you look back over everything that they’ve been successful in changing.

There’s only two and they really are very simple.

#1 We are already doing it

#2 It won’t make a difference to anyone else, because the number of trans people / non-binary are so low. – besides some other country already do it and they don’t have a problem with it (or some similar variation of this, but you get my point!)

Try it, look back at everything they’ve campaigned for or are still campaigning for, they use the same strategies every time. But before any changes are made to current practices it is incumbent on those in authority, who are responsible for providing services to the public, to ask them to provide the evidence to back up their claims.

What exactly are campaigners who say “We already do it” campaigning for if that statement were true? If “We already do it” then what would the change actually be? And most importantly, who would be most negatively affected by it? (Answer: invariably women and girls)

If we dig a little deeper and carry out the proper checks we inevitably discover that we DON’T already do it, or if we do it’s only because it’s been sneaked in under the radar, with no women at the table nor any Equality Impact Assessments being performed.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what’s been happening more often than not, and once that ‘hook’ has been established it will get brought out time and time again.

(We witnessed that tactic being played out just last week at the Culture Committee Meeting for the Census Bill amendments where reference was made to the Scottish Parliament who earlier this year legislated that self identifying transwomen are women without the need for legal gender recognition.)

Is this how we want our country to be? One bad law that will set the precedent for every bad law thereafter?

As for the second point, how do we know the numbers? Are we just going to guess about this now? How can anyone say it wouldn’t have any impact? If campaigners want change it’s up to them to prove their case and they need to come up with evidence.

And, preferably evidence that’s relevant to THIS country, as Scotland’s equality laws are intrinsically linked to the biological definition of sex, other countries may vary, with some having a clear distinction between sex and gender. So it isn’t accurate to whimsically compare our laws with other countries when asking for change without then highlighting that these other legal differences exist.

Everyone – politicians, policy makers etc – should bare in mind these two tactics when they are being approached about making changes to legislation or policy.

#1 We are already doing it

#2 It won’t make a difference to anyone else, because the number of trans people / non-binary are so low. – besides some other country already do it and they don’t have a problem with it.