Saphié Ashtiany is an Iranian-British lawyer and anti-transgender activist. Ashtiany is an advisor to anti-trans group Sex Matters.
Background
Saphié Ashtiany was born in August 1949 in Iran and sent to England as a child.
Ashtiany worked for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and the UN High Commission for Refugees before qualifying and practicing as a solicitor focusing on discrimination law. Ashtiany is principal of legal consultancy Ashtiany Associates.
Anti-trans activism
On the Sex Matters advisor profile, Ashtiany stated:
“Until relatively recently it was both clear and non-controversial that there are two sexes. And, where relevant, legislation and public policy and practice was universally predicated on that premise. However, it is increasingly apparent, and a matter of concern, that an activist agenda has been promulgated over several years that seeks to dismantle sex based provisions and protections partly by attacking factual reality and insisting on a different framing narrative whereby to a greater or lesser extent people can identify into (and out of) their “gender”. The negative consequences are only slowly being revealed in a whole raft of areas. And they are asymmetrical in that their negative impact is predominantly on women and girls. I think it’s really important for these issues to be properly illuminated and where possible addressed.”
Resources
Sex Matters (sex-matters.org)
- Saphié Ashtiany
- sex-matters.org/about-us/advisory-group/saphie-ashtiany
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford (hmc.ox.ac.uk)
- Dr Saphié Ashtiany
- hmc.ox.ac.uk/people/dr-saphie-ashtiany
English Touring Theatre (ett.org.uk)
- Dr Saphié Ashtiany
- ett.org.uk/people/dr-saphie-ashtiany