An Aberdeen councillor has requested a title change at the Town House – prompted by her fear women are “losing their identity” in the gender reform debate.
Fellow councillors are being asked to refer to Jennifer Stewart as Councillor Mrs Stewart, as the Hazlehead, Queen’s Cross and Countesswells independent moves to “protect her gender”.
“We are at fear of losing our democracy, our individuality if we are unable to speak out,” she told The Press and Journal.
But a north-east activist has laughed off the suggestion that Councillor Mrs Stewart has been silenced, as a nationwide row over the Gender Recognition Reform Bill rolls on.
Heather Herbert said Councillor Mrs Stewart was “conflating” the bill with other issues.
Councillor Mrs Stewart phoned up The P&J to inform us of her name change, which was communicated to other members in the days before.
“One of the reasons is I want to protect my gender,” Councillor Mrs Stewart said.
“There is a lot going on just now and I am concerned that women’s identities are becoming lost in the face of louder, vocal minorities.
I think it is important that women stand up for themselves and our womanhood is respected.
It needs more grassroots women to come out and say this, rather than this super political correctness, not being able to say anything.”
Councillor Mrs Stewart enters the gender recognition debate
‘Councillor Mrs’ is a title The Press and Journal looks to have last used in its pages in 1993.
Even then, former editor Harry Roulston had already decreed it old-fashioned.
“Say Councillor Fred So-and-so first mention, Mr So-and-so subsequently,” our February 1991 style guidebook says.
But Councillor Mrs Jennifer Stewart has brought the title into a very 21st-Century debate.
At the end of last year, MSPs voted through a new law which would simplify the process for trans people to be legally recognised as their chosen gender.
Currently, they face a two-year wait and must secure a medical diagnosis – but this would allow them to self-identify without a doctor’s line within three weeks.
Despite being voted through by a majority in the Scottish Parliament, UK ministers took the unprecedented step of issuing a Section 35 order to block the legislation.
He/him and gender recognition: ‘What the hell is it all about?’
Councillor Mrs Stewart tells The P&J, more than once: “I do not want a man going into the ladies’ toilets.”
She recounts an occasion she felt “uncomfortable” when a trans woman retail worker used the same bathroom as her – commenting on the woman’s hygiene alongside her own discomfort.
The Gender Recognition Reform Bill offers no new access to single-sex spaces.
It was the Equality Act 2010 which ensured those with reassigned genders cannot be discriminated against over access to toilets, for example.
Councillor Mrs Stewart said her request for colleagues to recognise her newly-requested title was about “respect”.
In the same phone call, she hit out: “I do not even know all of the different titles and nomenclatures that there are now.
“I go into a shop and staff have ‘he/him’ on their name badges. What the hell is it all about?”
‘Within three months I could say I am Santa Claus and no one could stop me,’ claims Councillor Mrs Stewart
But whatever her personal views, she claims she shows “respect” to others and so, others should respect her own self-identification.
“I did signing duty for someone who was changing their name because they were becoming gender neutral.
“I did that in my role as a councillor and equally I, therefore, need to be dignified with respect, for coming out on my need to be known as Councillor Mrs Stewart.
“The point I am making is this is about respect and women being able to say ‘this is my identity’.”
Her point on the signing duty she carried out looks to undermine some of her claims about the Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
Writing off the Holyrood-approved law, she tells us: “The route the Scottish Government is going nationally, within three months I could say I am Santa Claus and no one could stop me.”
Since the 18th Century, citizens have been able to change their names.
Nowadays, as she highlights herself, one of her Town House colleagues would be able to sign off her transition to Councillor Mrs Santa Claus at her convenience.
Activist: Gender recognition reform offers no new access to single-sex spaces
However, Aberdeen bodily autonomy activist Heather Herbert fears Councillor Mrs Stewart has “misunderstood” the Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
Ms Herbert, who transitioned seven years ago, said the new law would allow her to change her birth certificate to her gender.
“It does not grant anyone any extra rights. It does not allow any access to any area particularly,” she tells us.
“All it does is allow trans people to change their birth certificate to be whatever gender they are.
“Currently, I don’t have a gender recognition certificate so if I was to die, my death would be registered as the death of a man.
“I agree with her that people’s identities should be respected. I hope Councillor Mrs Stewart respects the identity of everyone she interacts with, as everyone who interacts with her should respect Councillor Mrs Stewart’s identity.
“But it seems to me that she isn’t respecting the shop worker she encountered in the toilet.”
‘In what way is respecting somebody else’s identity undermining democracy?’
Ms Herbert, who has previously stood in north-east elections for Labour and, most recently, the Scottish Greens, also cast doubt on claims Councillor Mrs Stewart is not being afforded a voice.
“The P&J is writing an article about this. I am commenting on her words.
“That to me says she is having her voice heard.
“Councillor Mrs Stewart is a democratically elected councillor – how is she losing her democracy?
“In what way is respecting somebody else’s pronouns and identity undermining democracy?
“I have heard some strange things trans people have been accused of but never overthrowing democracy.”
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