166. Adult Human Female: Maya Forstater on the Recent UK Supreme Court Ruling

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Maya Forstater, co-founder and CEO of Sex Matters, a human rights charity focused on clarifying the meaning of sex in UK law and policy. We delve into the significant implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling in the For Women Scotland case, which challenges the definition of "woman" in the Equality Act. Maya shares her personal journey, from being an ordinary mum to becoming a pivotal figure in the gender-critical debate after losing her job for expressing her beliefs about sex and gender.

We explore the complexities of the Gender Recognition Act and its impact on women's rights, particularly in contexts like public boards and single-sex spaces. Maya emphasizes the importance of basing policies on actual sex rather than "gender identity" in order to protect women's rights. We also discuss the chilling effect of current laws on free speech in the UK, where individuals can face serious repercussions for expressing gender-critical views.

Throughout our conversation, we aim to unpack the broader societal implications of these legal definitions and the ongoing struggle for clarity and fairness in the discourse surrounding gender and sex. Join us as we navigate these critical issues and consider what they mean for the future of women's rights and freedom of belief.

Maya Forstater is co-founder and CEO of Sex Matters, a human rights charity campaigning for clarity on sex in law and policy in the UK. They were interveners on the winning side in the recent For Women Scotland supreme court case on the meaning of woman in the Equality Act. 

Maya came into the gender debate as the claimant in an employment-tribunal test case on belief discrimination, when she lost her job at the Center for Global Development after tweeting and writing about sex and gender. Her case established that ordinary beliefs about the two sexes are covered by the protected characteristic of belief in the Equality Act 2010.

Before co-founding Sex Matters she had 20 years’ experience as a researcher, writer and advisor working on business and sustainable development including on international tax policy, climate change and green finance, and human rights in supply chains.

00:00 Start
[00:01:01] Gender and belief discrimination.
[00:06:00] Women's rights and legal battles.
[00:11:11] Definition of sex in law.
[00:12:25] Women's spaces and rights conflict.
[00:16:45] Women's rights and trans issues.
[00:23:24] Gender Recognition Certificate explained.
[00:26:27] Gender Recognition Act implications.
[00:28:38] Gender recognition and legal exceptions.
[00:36:09] Birth certificate changes legality.
[00:39:44] Arrests for social media comments.
[00:40:59] Abuse of speech laws.
[00:45:56] Employment rights and freedom of speech.
[00:51:58] Mental health industry's responsibility.
[00:55:25] Entitlement in psychological treatment.
[00:58:59] Safeguards in Gender Recognition Act.
[01:01:24] Bathroom rules and discrimination.
[01:07:43] Digital identity and data issues.
[01:09:51] Digital identity and privacy.
[01:13:32] Gender identity and legal documents.
[01:19:12] Birth records and gender identity.
[01:21:00] "Non-binary" gender recognition.
[01:26:10] Government endorsed identity layer.
[01:32:02] Schools and gender recognition issues.
[01:33:27] Guidance for schools on equality.

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SHOW NOTES & transcript with help from SwellAI.

MUSIC: Thanks to Joey Pecoraro for our song, “Half Awake,” used with gratitude & permission.

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