Potentially unpopular opinion on trans UK organising: we should consider stop chasing the govt to make a public statement on GRA and recognise this as an opportunity to take the whole poisoned chalice to the back rooms. /1

1. Constant kicking it into the long grass is because the govt are scared of the backlash either way on what they do with it publicly, recognising it is symbolic of something bigger. Taking it out of public debate reduces it to what it actually is, instead of culture war /2

2. we will have more success letting lobbyists in the movement lobby for the successful implementation of this process than getting what we want thrashing it out in the public terrain of a culture war. Let Stonewall finish what they started&the rest of us hold them to account /3

3. The public debate around it is so toxic that the constant up and down of when it’s coming is frazzling trans ppls nervous systems and our collective power. We need to refocus on what matters. /4

4a. There’s a perceived risk that taking it away from public debate will remove accountability. Even if this is true, the outcome of GRA reform itself has never mattered as much as the doors transphobes have crowbarred open off the back of it in name of single sex protection /5

4b. They’ve used this process to regress prison policies, regress sport access, regress healthcare access and increase national hatred and fear of trans people. Meanwhile bolstering and upholding far and hard right. /6

5. Instead we should use this as opportunity to move the GRA out of focus and reframe the movement on our actual demands and rights which GRA is a distraction from: prisons, policing, healthcare, sex work, education. Living full and healthy lives. /7

6. Which tbc doesn’t mean turning our backs on GRA completely but letting lobbyists take it on (accountably)& disentangle it from our demands. Our liberation is not and never was in state recognition of our gender. It’s something that validates us on our journey to liberation. /8

And read this excellent thread for more on the ‘why’ we need to de centre the GRA from our demands https://twitter.com/chican3ry/status/1301812084322304003