The Issue

U.K. officials have invited a consultation to discuss proposed changes to its Gender Recognition Act. The consultation ends October 19, 2018. Current law requires a person to go through certain physical changes like hormonal and surgical “therapy” before obtaining a “Gender Recognition Certificate” (GRC). The proposed changes would allow any person to obtain a GRC on the basis of any self-declared “gender identity.” The government is turning itself into pretzels trying to allow anyone to obtain a GRC on the basis of self-identification while also allowing for the maintenance of sex-segregated spaces, which, of course, is not possible.

U.K. media is covering this issue extensively. See here and here and here and here. Why is the U.S. media not covering it? It’s not as though these types of legal changes aren’t being proposed in the U.S. too (see email script below for more information). The U.S. media’s failure to cover this topic – the legal obliteration of sex – is shameful. Email U.S. media and DEMAND that they provide balanced coverage on the legal obliteration of sex as a category.

What You Can Do

Email members of the U.S. media and demand that they provide balanced coverage of the legal obliteration of sex as a category (script and contact info below).

Email Script

Dear Members of U.S.-based media,

Sweeping fundamental changes to the legal definition of “sex” are taking place in the U.S. and U.K. (and in other parts of the world as well).

U.K. media is covering this issue extensively. But you, the U.S.-based media are not. Journalistic integrity requires that you do. For U.K. coverage, see here and here and here.

U.K. officials have invited a consultation to discuss proposed changes to its Gender Recognition Act. The consultation ends October 19, 2018. Current law requires a person to go through certain physical changes like hormonal and surgical “therapy” before obtaining a “Gender Recognition Certificate” (GRC). The proposed changes would allow any person to obtain a GRC on the basis of any self-declared “gender identity.” The government is turning itself into pretzels trying to allow for anyone to obtain a GRC while allowing for the maintenance of sex-segregated spaces, which, of course, is not possible.

Why is the U.S. media not covering these proposed legal changes and their impingement on various human rights? It’s not as though these types of developments aren’t happening in the U.S. too. For example:

New Jersey recently passed a law allowing anyone to change their birth and death certificates on the basis of self-identification. This law literally allows a dead person’s sex to be recorded as their “gender identity,” as determined by next-of-kin. This is the legal obliteration of sex as a meaningful category. Does no one in the U.S. media care?

A federal appellate judge recently refused to allow a lawyer to use the words “sex” and “opposite sex” during oral arguments, effectively silencing this girl, who has sued her school for failing to provide sex-segregated spaces. Why are you allowing this silencing of women and girls to go on, unreported?

The proposed federal U.S. Equality Act would completely redefine sex to mean something utterly unrecognizable or definable by objective criteria of any kind. How is this even remotely acceptable? Why are you silent about this?

Here is information on women being silenced in New Zealand as well. Ask yourselves why – why are women who speak out about “gender identity” being silenced all over the world? Why are you not reporting on it?

Cover the evolving story of the U.K.’s proposed changes to its Gender Recognition Act. The Society of Professional Journalists states that ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair, and thorough. Accordingly, journalists are obligated to: seek truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently; and be accountable and transparent. By refusing to provide balanced coverage of issues pertaining to the obliteration of sex as a category, including the U.K.’s proposed changes to its Gender Recognition Act, you are failing on all fronts; this is shameful and a disgrace to journalistic integrity.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Targets

USinfo@theguardian.com, mcgrory@globe.com, readers@washpost.com, acooper@sfchronicle.com, gandersen@SFexaminer.com, dbaquet@nytimes.com,cosmo.mail@hearst.co.uk, evening@cbsnews.com, NBCNewsMediaRelations@nbcuni.com, readers@washpost.com,Rachel@msnbc.com, betsy.reed@theintercept.com, submissions@truthdig.com, info@truthout.org, counterpunch@counterpunch.org, queries@cjr.org, letters@harpers.org, hrwpress@hrw.org, scoop@motherjones.com, mail@newleftreview.org, comments@newstatesman.co.uk, support@salon.com, slateoffice@slate.com, newsdesk@independent.co.uk,Stephanie.ebbert@globe.com, editorialsubmissions@nymag.com, comments@nymag.com, outreach@democracynow.org,stories@democracynow.org, nermeen@democracynow.org, mike@democracynow.org, producers@democracynow.org,amy@democracynow.org, metro@sfchronicle.com, Charlotte.greensit@theintercept.com, jeffrey_goldberg@theatlantic.com, swati@theatlantic.com