Declaration for Biological Reality

Declaration for Biological Reality

We are a group of concerned citizens from a wide range of backgrounds and professions. We have very serious and growing concerns about the impact that gender identity ideology is having on our society.

Over recent years, there has been a demonstrable attack on biological reality in the United Kingdom. This has skewed public policy and discourse in favour of an ideology that has no scientific basis and which poses safeguarding risks to some of the most vulnerable groups.

1. Child Protection

Gender dysphoria is a recognised mental health condition and should be assessed and treated through exploratory therapy. There are often co-morbidities to gender dysphoria, including autism, body dysmorphia, trauma-induced illness, and internalised homophobia.

Studies show that most children experiencing gender dysphoria settle into their bodies after puberty. By contrast, the prescription of so-called puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones can cause irreversible developmental issues, physiological damage (such as infertility and sexual dysfunction) and significant social and relational harms. Contrary to arguments presented by proponents of gender identity ideology, this has a significant, direct and lifelong impact on child development, the true extent of which is not yet known.

There are also growing numbers of 'detransitioners' who have been left physically and emotionally scarred following decisions made in childhood or at a vulnerable time, raising serious questions about the assessment of their capacity, competency and ability to provide informed consent. Such safeguarding failures and resultant harm are demonstrated by practices at the now-disgraced Tavistock Clinic.

Furthermore, children are being taught gender identity ideology at school, as if it were fact, often to the exclusion or derision of biological reality. This includes teaching children that it is possible to be born in the wrong body, thereby encouraging vulnerable children to seek powerful medical treatment on ideological, rather than scientific, grounds. This is at an age where their ability to comprehend their future adult self is extremely limited or absent. Many schools shirk their duty of care by enabling pupils to socially transition in secret from their parents. This has a corrosive effect on children and their families and denies them involvement in their child's care. It is also of concern that teachers are making such decisions without any professional training or expertise in the assessment of a complex mental health condition.

2. Women's Rights

As a direct consequence of gender identity ideology, we have witnessed an erosion of the reality of what it means to be a woman.

Many political leaders have said they believe that it is possible for a woman to have a penis and have struggled to answer the simple question: 'What is a Woman?'.

Gender identity ideology seeks to reduce what it means to be a woman to a performative or vulgar stereotype within the nebulous concept of identity, rather than biological reality. Without any legislative underpinning, the word woman has been removed from core policies and guidance, and terms like 'cervix haver', 'menstruator', and 'child bearer' are used instead. In a twist of irony, some men who identify as female readily use the terms woman and mother; terms they themselves deny to adult human females.

This distortion of language risks endangering women, for example, those who may not be properly notified of or do not come forward for certain health screenings. Political campaigns have emerged (most notably in Scotland) which seek to enable men to self- identify as women, allowing them unfettered access to women's single-sex spaces. This has had a chilling effect on victims of domestic abuse and enabled male predators to invade single-sex spaces for nefarious purposes.

Finally, women's competitive sport is being impacted. Men, with their inherent physiological advantages, are often able to compete against and significantly outperform women. This undermines the dreams, ambitions and achievements of many women and risks destroying women's competitive sport entirely.

3. Freedom of Speech and Public Sector Neutrality

As a consequence of gender identity ideology seeping into public policy via organisations such as Stonewall, a significant number of people who maintain the belief that biological reality is fact have been dismissed from their employment, expelled from their studies, or had their characters smeared.

Conversely, public bodies and public servants, with a duty to remain politically and ideologically neutral, have improperly supported the tenets of gender identity ideology.

4. LGB Without The 'T'

The conflation of sexual orientation and gender identity creates confusion and can have serious consequences.

There have been a significant number of cases in which children have been encouraged to believe they are 'trapped in the wrong body', only for it to subsequently materialise that they were experiencing same-sex attraction. Despite the need for explorative therapy, this was not provided, and many now assert they were pushed down an irreversible medical pathway.

Many LGB people have been accused of 'transphobia' or 'bigotry' for being same sex attracted, rather than attracted to another's 'self-identity'.

There has been 'forced teaming' taking place, with LGB people persistently being told that 'There is no LGB without the T'.