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Maya Forstater vs. transgender people

Maya Forstater is a British anti-transgender activist and sex segregationist. Forstater brought the case Forstater v Centre for Global Development Europe, which established that gender critical views are protected as a belief under the UK’s Equality Act 2010.

Background

Maya Forstater was born on July 3, 1973 in London. Forstater’s parent is film producer Mark Forstater. Forstater earned a degree from Newcastle University. Forstater has published work for the United Nations on corporate social responsibility and economic development.

Anti-transgender activism

Forstater made a number of anti-transgender statements on social media that resulted in a UN contract not being renewed in 2019.

In 2020, Forstater created a list of “people who can help you make sense of all of this”

Forstater filed a lawsuit claiming these gender critical views are protected under the Equality Act 2010. Forstater lost her initial case, which was then appealed to a tribunal. Forstater won the appeal in 2021, and the tribunal found in 2022 Forstater had suffered direct discrimination for holding anti-transgender views.

In 2020, Forstater co-founded anti-trans group Sex Matters and serves as Executive Director.

Litigation

Forstater v CGD Europe & Ors [2021] UKEAT 0105_20_1006 IRLR 706, [2022] ICR 1 https://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKEAT/2021/0105_20_1006.html

Maya Forstater v CGD Europe and others: Appeal No. UKEAT/0105/20/JOJ (PDF). GOV.UK. [archive] (PDF)

Forstater v CGD Europe & Anor (Religion or Belief Discrimination, Sex Discrimination l) [2019] UKET 2200909/2019 (18 December 2019) https://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKET/2019/2200909_2019.html

The Maya Forstater case and so-called ‘gender critical’ feminism: what was actually decided and what does it reveal about UK discrimination law?. OHRH.

References

Moss, Lauren (July 6, 2022). Maya Forstater: Woman discriminated against over trans tweets, tribunal rules. BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-62061929

Faulkner, Doug (June 10, 2021). Maya Forstater: Woman wins tribunal appeal over transgender tweets. BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57426579

Pedersen, Sarah (2020). The Politicization of Mumsnet. Bingley: Emerald Publishing. ISBN 978-1-83909-471-2.

Anti-trans coverage

Gordon, Tom (June 10, 2021). Maya Forstater wins landmark employment case on gender critical beliefs. The Herald (Glasgow) https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19362788.maya-forstater-wins-landmark-employment-case-gender-critical-beliefs/

Siddique, Haroon (June 10, 2021). Gender-critical views are a protected belief, appeal tribunal rules. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/law/2021/jun/10/gender-critical-views-protected-belief-appeal-tribunal-rules-maya-forstater

Wright, Oliver (May 15, 2021). Women must be heard on transgender identity, says new equalities chief. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/women-must-be-heard-on-transgender-identity-says-new-equalities-chief-kqttljxmd

Hancock, Sam (April 27, 2021). Maya Forstater: Who is woman in employment tribunal over transgender comments?. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/maya-forstater-transgender-twitter-jk-rowling-b1838151.html

Smith, Helen-Ann (April 24, 2021). Maya Forstater: Woman who lost job over transgender views warns of ‘scary’ precedent if her tribunal appeal fails. Sky News https://news.sky.com/story/maya-forstater-woman-who-lost-job-over-transgender-views-warns-of-scary-precedent-if-her-tribunal-appeal-fails-12285218

Gordon, Jane (April 23, 2021). ‘I am fighting for the right to say men can never be women.’ The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/amfightingfor-therightto-saymen-cannever-bewomen//

Suissa, Judith; Sullivan, Alice (2021). The Gender Wars, Academic Freedom and Education. Journal of Philosophy of Education. 55 (1): 55–82. https://doi.org/10.1111%2F1467-9752.12549

Selected writing by Forstater

Forstater, Maya; Joyce, Helen (April 20, 2022). Why gender identity should be left out of the ‘conversion therapy’ ban. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/20/why-gender-identity-should-be-left-out-of-the-conversion-therapy-ban

Forstater, Maya (May 5, 2019). I lost my job for talking about women’s rights. Crowd Justice https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/lost-job-speaking-out/

Forstater, Maya (March 27, 2019). Has Penny Mordaunt got away with the worst Mumsnet performance ever? The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/penny-mourdant-mumsnet-gender-recognition-act-a8835621.html

Forstater, Maya (October 27, 2020). There used to be a word for us… Medium https://mforstater.medium.com/there-used-to-be-a-word-for-us-927740ce615b

Forstater, Maya (August 14, 2020). Careless words. Medium https://mforstater.medium.com/careless-words-3c018c06d0d9

Forstater, Maya (August 12 ). Dear Rebecca Hilsenrath… Medium https://mforstater.medium.com/dear-rebecca-hilsenrath-8bee857068f5

Forstater, Maya (July 29, 2020). How Action Aid UK erased sex. Medium https://mforstater.medium.com/how-action-aid-uk-erased-sex-ad626a7bcd64

Forstater, Maya (July 15, 2020). Action Aid’s Policy Goes Right to The Top. Medium https://mforstater.medium.com/action-aids-policy-goes-right-to-the-top-323e1b4ab38

Forstater, Maya (July 9, 2020). What reforms of the gender recognition regime could work? Medium https://mforstater.medium.com/what-reforms-of-the-gender-recognition-act-would-work-a6f30dc6aa6c

Forstater, Maya (July 7, 2020). Five myths and truths about my case. Medium https://mforstater.medium.com/five-myths-and-truths-about-my-case-8466d69f9489

Forstater, Maya (June 18, 2020). Standing with JK Rowling: what can you do? Medium https://mforstater.medium.com/standing-with-jk-rowling-what-can-you-do-b341b324a4b9

Resources

Maya Forstater (forstater.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Medium (medium.com)