If an example was needed about how much sex and gender have been conflated in law and public policy it’s the debate around @JohannLamont’s amendment to the Forensic Services Medical Bill. /1 thread

The shift to gender (gender pay gap/gender based violence etc) seems to have occurred because we as a society have felt more comfortable with the g word because sex is about sexual intercourse rather than a biological class of people. /2
However gender is not specified in law, unlike sex, and depending on who you talk to, there are umpteen genders as it’s about a performative identity rather than a biological certainty. How then if you are a rape victim can you ask for a medical examiner of a specific gender? /3
You can’t. You can, however, ask for a medical examiner of the same sex as you. Putting this clarity in the Bill for traumatised people seems a no brainer. And has the added advantage of shining a light on the lack of female examiners and thereby forcing a response to that. /4
Without that NHS trusts don’t have to address the issue. If gender is used and as self ID has become accepted - ahead of law - esp in the NHS, then hypothetically a woman who has been raped could be examined by a person who says their gender is “woman” but their sex is not. /5
Adding to the trauma. Or ensuring the victim does not take advantage of the new vital law this Bill introduces, or could even see them accused of transphobia. Of course there are possibly no trans forensic medical examiners rn, but who knows in the future? /6
There is also no need to use gender in this Bill rather than sex just because it has been used in another Bill (see similar discussions on this kind of thing re consolidating older law in new Hate Crime Bill) that is not a good enough reason. /7
We keep being told that lived experience is key in drafting public policy - women rape survivors have been clear having a female examiner is paramount. Legislate for sex and it forces the NHS (and unis) to ensure that the request of traumatised women can eventually be met.
This is my opinion as a woman who has managed to reach a grand old age without being sexually assaulted. My view is therefore not as important as the women who have. And they have been clear. MSPs faced with the debate on the Bill today should think of them. /ends

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1/“What would need to be true for you to….X”

Why is this the most powerful question you can ask when attempting to reach an agreement with another human being or organization?

A thread, co-written by @deanmbrody:


2/ First, “X” could be lots of things. Examples: What would need to be true for you to

- “Feel it's in our best interest for me to be CMO"
- “Feel that we’re in a good place as a company”
- “Feel that we’re on the same page”
- “Feel that we both got what we wanted from this deal

3/ Normally, we aren’t that direct. Example from startup/VC land:

Founders leave VC meetings thinking that every VC will invest, but they rarely do.

Worse over, the founders don’t know what they need to do in order to be fundable.

4/ So why should you ask the magic Q?

To get clarity.

You want to know where you stand, and what it takes to get what you want in a way that also gets them what they want.

It also holds them (mentally) accountable once the thing they need becomes true.

5/ Staying in the context of soliciting investors, the question is “what would need to be true for you to want to invest (or partner with us on this journey, etc)?”

Multiple responses to this question are likely to deliver a positive result.
Rig Ved 1.36.7

To do a Namaskaar or bow before someone means that you are humble or without pride and ego. This means that we politely bow before you since you are better than me. Pranipaat(प्राणीपात) also means the same that we respect you without any vanity.

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Surrendering False pride is Namaskaar. Even in devotion or bhakti we say the same thing. We want to convey to Ishwar that we have nothing to offer but we leave all our pride and offer you ourselves without any pride in our body. You destroy all our evil karma.

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We bow before you so that you assimilate us and make us that capable. Destruction of our evils and surrender is Namaskaar. Therefore we pray same thing before and after any big rituals.

3/9

तं घे॑मि॒त्था न॑म॒स्विन॒ उप॑ स्व॒राज॑मासते ।
होत्रा॑भिर॒ग्निं मनु॑षः॒ समिं॑धते तिति॒र्वांसो॒ अति॒ स्रिधः॑॥

Translation :

नमस्विनः - To bow.

स्वराजम् - Self illuminating.

तम् - His.

घ ईम् - Yours.

इत्था - This way.

उप - Upaasana.

आसते - To do.

स्त्रिधः - For enemies.

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अति तितिर्वांसः - To defeat fast.

मनुषः - Yajman.

होत्राभिः - In seven numbers.

अग्निम् - Agnidev.

समिन्धते - Illuminated on all sides.

Explanation : Yajmans bow(do Namaskaar) before self illuminating Agnidev by making the offerings of Havi.

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