One of the most striking developments was Mordaunt criticising the use of the word ‘woman’ in the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Bill.
And this power struggle carries with it serious threats to free speech and democratic accountability.
Many concerns have been raised about the practices of the Gender Identity Development Service. But too often these have been shouted down.
The Women and Equalities Committee has been been captured by the self-ID campaign. So others should make their voices heard.
It has shown itself incapable of advocating for the one group specifically named in its title – women – and is too emblematic of identity politics.
The insidious idea that one’s sex is a solely matter of personal demand is seeping into policy and practice, almost unnoticed.
For a six-foot-three 20-stone former-men’s-team loose-half prop to turn up for trials at the local women’s rugby club is problematic.
Equivalent reform is being pursued in Scotland; in combination with its hate speech bill, this would be dangerously authoritarian.
To be sacked simply for saying that biological men cannot become biological women is outrageous.
From healthcare, to sex-specific concerns around bodily privacy and security, words matter.
Making GRCs making GRCs available on demand would destabilise all manner of legal structures, from equal pay to sex discrimination law to criminal law.
As a Party, we should hold out a helping hand to all those who still face the difficulties of daily life – who still cannot be their authentic selves.
As regular readers of this column might expect, they’re not cheerful page-turners. But they may well change your life.
The legislation is aimed at stopping prejudice, but it can easily be used to silence debates on gender identity.
Some of the simplest words in the English language have become points of contention when describing identity.