The Trans Agenda: From NHS reversals to Supreme Court appeals as the papers target another Black athlete

News you need, the perspective you won't find anywhere else. The trans community's guide to UK news, media and politics and our place in it.

Dec 01, 2024

The Trans Agenda

[1 December 2024]

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UK NEWS

For Women Scotland’s ‘what is a woman’ appeal heard by Supreme court

There isn’t really much to report about what happened during the two day hearing that wasn’t expected, but it feels important to note that it happened this week. The first day was taken up by the FWS legal team covering every page in the Big GC Book of Trans Ick while the second day saw the apparent defence, which included the anti-trans EHRC. No trans people allowed, although I know of at least one who worked behind the scenes. It is not clear when a verdict will be delivered, although we could be waiting months. FWS are not expected to win, although they, and the media, will work very hard to make people believe they did, while simultaneously telling us why women everywhere are now in mortal danger.

Belfast Telegraph platform Reverend at heart of Trans Day of Remembrance storm

After my report in the Trans Agenda last week, the Belfast Telegraph followed the story up by asking Reverend Dr. Linda Ballard for a statement about the events at Trans Day of Remembrance at Belfast City Hall. I explained last week why I had not contacted Ballard for a comment, following her decision to use this solemn occasion to tell us all, from the podium where she was supposed to be honouring our dead, why she agreed with the Cass Report. The statement she gave to the Bel Tel, proved me right. I am not going to reproduce it here, although if you want to read what she said, you can do so in the alt text of the article clipped below.

What I will highlight is how the Telegraph reporter, Kurtis Reid, chose to misgender me as ‘they’, while also failing to reach out to me - or anyone else who attended the event - for comment. I have made a complaint to Eoin Brannigan, the editor of the Belfast Telegraph. His email is available online.

Almost a week on, there has been no correction of the online article and no apology has been printed nor received.

Transgender charity chief is criticised for expressing support for Cass Review WALKOUTS AT CITY HALL EVENT AFTER CLERIC HAILS STUDY'S 'STRATEGIC BENEFIT' KURTIS REID The chief executive of a transgender charity has said she is “deeply upset” at how her comments have been interpreted at an event to mark Transgender Day of Remembrance at Belfast City Hall. Rev Dr Linda Ballard, the head of Focus: The Identity Trust, a charitable group aimed at supporting transgender people and their families, was criticised after she said she supported parts of a report which makes recommendations on how gender services for children and young people should operate. The chaplain's remarks reportedly led to some people walking out of the event, which was held on Wednesday and was described by Belfast City Council as “an annual observance on November 20 that honours the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.” During a speech at the event, Dr Ballard referred to the Cass Review, which culminated in a landmark report led by Dr Hillary Cass which claimed the “toxicity” of the debate around gender meant professionals were “afraid” to openly discuss their views. The report found there was “no good evidence” on the effectiveness of puberty blockers and their safety for use by children. The review was praised by several groups including the Equality and Human Rights Commission, but others such as TransActual criticised it as “bad science”. Writing on The Trans Agenda website, Lee Hurley, who attended the event, said “the entire room gasped” when the former minister of First Dunmurry Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church expressed support for the Cass Report. They added that some people walked out “and it was impossible to blame them as Ballard denied a grieving community a rare moment of collective dignity and healing”. In a lengthy statement to the Belfast Telegraph, Dr Ballard, who is from Bangor and is the mother of a transgender child, said she was “deeply upset” at how her comments were interpreted and said she supported the Cass Review for “strategic reasons”. “I was invited to Wednesday's event as a parent of a transgender child to reflect on my own experiences,” she said. “I began by briefly outlining some of these experiences and went on to say why I fully and unequivocally support the provision of puberty blockers in all cases where this is the appropriate treatment for young people. I went on to say that I support the Cass Report for strategic reasons.” She added that her opinion on the Cass Review is not “entirely dissimilar to that being taken forward by LGBT groups Stonewall and Mermaids”. “I stated that I wondered if, instead of rejecting the Cass Report, it might be more effective, cautiously and with reservations, to welcome it, if this might this give us stronger grounds for rejecting some of the ways in which it is being used? “Might it give us a better framework for demanding accountability and moving things forward? Might it even provide us with a platform from which to develop a sensitive and well thought out programme of public education that might help to depolarise a debate that I am not alone in believing to be increasingly toxic.” She also said she was aware of comments by Dr Hillary Cass in an interview with the BBC acknowledging that it was not clear which puberty blockers helped young people seeking transgender healthcare “in a constructive capacity … but my question is 'why not'? Why don't we know which ones?” “I added that we can welcome this acknowledgement of the constructive capacity of hormone treatments and encourage positive outcomes from this authoritative statement of fact, but my question is why not? Why don't we know which ones? “It's a generation since my child experienced growing up as a transgender individual, more than a decade since, in my understanding, medical authorities in the Netherlands could endorse the effectiveness of this treatment, more than a century since Magnus Hirshfeld's work was conducted in Berlin. “Transgender identity may be a minority concern, but I urged our medical professionals and our policy developers at all levels to ensure that this minority is respected. “This includes listening to, respecting and acting on the experiences of all gender diverse individuals, including young transgender individuals, and making space to hear and act on the words of their parents.”

Campaigners in Scotland succeed in getting NHS Lothian to drop their discriminatory surgery ban for trans people aged under 25 [Lothian Sexual Health]

NHS Lothian has resumed all referrals and assessments for gender-affirming surgery following a thorough review of clinical governance and patient safety processes. The pause, started in May 2024, was lifted incrementally, with services for patients aged 25 and over resuming in October, and those for 18-24-year-olds restarting after a November 19 meeting.

It was claimed that the review aimed to enhance support and guidance, particularly for patients with complex needs, and ensure smooth transitions between departments, hospitals, and health boards in Scotland and England, but it is believed there was an internal struggle between those trying to implement the discredited Cass Report and those trying to stop them. Regardless, trans people weren’t even informed the pause was in place for months, because trans people don’t actually seem to matter in any of this.

Leader of SNP doesn’t believe men can’t become pregnant

The SNP continues it’s regression to a socially conservative party after Nicola Sturgeon’s departure, with current leader, John Swinney, saying “no, I don’t,” when asked if he believed that men can become pregnant. Speaking in regards to the Supreme Court case referenced at the start of this edition, Swinney added, "I think there’s many complex arguments that have been put forward in the Supreme Court judgment. I don’t think they come down to the simplicity of the question you’ve put to me." He should have just said that bit.

Duffield gets spot on Women and Equalities Committee [source]

Rosie Duffield, who definitely isn’t a Tory, will take up one of the Tory seats on the Women’s and Equalities Select Committee. Sitting as an Independent, after resigning the Labour whip immediately after being elected as a Labour MP, Duffield will have little power but will get the chance to look as if she’s trying to do something. Given that she has been described by many as incredibly lazy, soundbites are all she is after.

The Committee will be chaired by Labour’s Sarah Owen, a choice that angered JK Rowling because Owen knows trans women are women and Rowling refuses to accept that fact. There is also an actual man on the Committee. That doesn’t seem to bother her.

AROUND THE WORLD

Black trans ballroom performer Quanesha “Cocoa” Shantel murdered by her ex-boyfriend [LGBTQ Nation]

Quanesha “Cocoa” Shantel, a Black trans woman and well-known ballroom performer, was shot dead by her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy Reynolds, in Greensboro, North Carolina, on 15 November. Police have arrested Reynolds, 31, charging him with first-degree murder after Shantel was found dead in her car outside his apartment.

Friends and family remembered Shantel as a vibrant figure in the drag community who had recently started nursing school. Her mother recalled her coming out at age 11, and her drag father described her as “a loving and caring person.” Shantel is at least the 30th trans or gender-expansive person to die by violence in the US this year.

Trump to remove all trans military personnel

President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to remove all transgender service members from the US military through an executive order, potentially on his first day in office. The move, reversing Joe Biden's lift of Trump's previous ban, could lead to the dismissal of thousands of personnel, including those in senior positions, during a recruitment crisis. Critics, including the Modern Military Association of America, warn the policy would harm military readiness and exacerbate recruitment and retention challenges. Around 15,000 transgender personnel currently serve, filling vital roles, with many warning that their removal would significantly impact leadership and operational capability.

Missouri judge says a law banning surgery, medications for transgender minors is constitutional [AP]

A Missouri judge has ruled in favour of a state law banning gender-affirming surgeries, hormones, and puberty blockers for transgender minors who had not begun treatment by August 2023. The law, which lasts until 2027, allows most adults to access such care but excludes Medicaid coverage.

Transgender students flood crisis hotlines [The Journal Record]

Following Donald Trump’s re-election, crisis hotlines in the US have seen a surge in calls from transgender and nonbinary youth, with anti-trans messaging central to his campaign. LGBTQ+ advocates report increased despair, bullying, and suicidal thoughts among teens, exacerbated by ads portraying trans people as societal threats.

SPORT

Appeals court agrees with Denver judge, rejects request to sideline San Jose State volleyball player on grounds she’s transgender [AP]

A US federal appeals court upheld a ruling allowing a transgender San Jose State volleyball player to compete in the Mountain West Conference tournament, rejecting a late injunction request. The court cited compliance with NCAA and USA Volleyball policies and noted the challenge was filed too close to the tournament. San Jose State and the conference affirmed support for existing inclusion policies.

Emma Hayes hits out at Banda criticism

Women’s football legend Emma Hayes, head coach of the USA women's national team, has defended Barbra Banda after the Zambia striker faced a targeted ‘backlash’ after being named BBC Women's Footballer of the Year. Banda's award prompted criticism from figures including JK Rowling, Sharron Davies, and a variety of Sex Matters stoodges. Banda, 24, was excluded from the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) due to high testosterone levels but has since played in both the World Cup and Paris Olympics.

Speaking ahead of the USA's match against England at Wembley (0-0), Hayes called the criticism of Banda "ridiculous." "Barbra Banda is an amazing football player. It is ridiculous that she has to endure questions like this. She has our support," Hayes said.

Hayes also emphasised Banda’s success throughout 2024, highlighting her achievements such as scoring four goals at the Olympics and netting the winning goal in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Championship game for Orlando Pride against Washington Spirit. "What a brilliant season she’s had and we should be talking about that, the impact she’s had on the NWSL. I saw it first-hand in the Olympics, wow, the way she stretches the line," Hayes said.

Hayes further praised Banda as a positive influence in women's football, particularly as a standout player from Africa. "I speak so highly of her because, in the women’s game, we talk about all top players that come from more traditional nations. It’s great that we see such quality coming out of Africa," Hayes said.

She also highlighted Banda’s character, stating: "My assistant coached her at Zambia and talked about what an amazing person she is. She has our full support and quite frankly I’m disappointed when I hear a lot of these things."

In response to the confected controversy, the BBC defended Banda’s eligibility for the award, saying, "As well as playing in the past two Olympic Games and the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, Barbra Banda plays for the Zambian national women’s team and in the USA for Orlando Pride, making her fully eligible for the award, which celebrates talent in women’s football."

I expect the cult to spend the next week explaining to us why Hayes actually hates women, because that’s what they do.

Thousands sign statement of support for ongoing inclusion of trans women in women’s football [Sports Media LGBT+]

A statement supporting the ongoing inclusion of trans women in women’s football has attracted thousands of signatures, including endorsements from over 125 clubs and groups representing more than 9,000 people, as well as 1,500 individuals. The statement, co-ordinated by Football v Homophobia (FvH), urges the English FA to maintain its current trans inclusion policy, which has been in place since 2014. FvH created the statement in response to a petition calling for the exclusion of trans women from affiliated football. The campaign aims to ensure no women are left behind in the sport.

GCs have grown increasingly louder in their push for the FA to ban trans women from football. So far, the FA have stood firm and now appear to be ignoring GC groups, judging by their own complaints.

MEDIA

GCs and media erase dead Palestinians in the ‘defence of women’

Continuing their attack on Gary Lineker, the Telegraph, in co-ordination with Sex Matters’ Emma Hilton and Mara Yamuchi, along with rent-a-gob Swim Glinner, Sharron Davies, pounced on the presenter’s support for an article calling for Israel sports teams to be banned from competition. Why are they targeting Lineker? Because he refuses to call for a ban on trans women in football. The article, headlined, “Lineker shows ‘shameful contempt for women’” and written by Connor Stringer, is dog-whistle central, referring to trans women as ‘biological males’ while quoting some of the vilest voices from the GC movement, none of whom have cared for one second about the women and girls in Palestine. Once again, they have erased women they do not care about in order to hijack a cause for their own ends.

European Federation of Journalists has announced they will 'stop publishing content on Elon Musk's platform X [European Federation of journalists]

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will stop posting on X (formerly Twitter) from 20 January 2025, citing ethical concerns over Elon Musk's management of the platform, particularly following Donald J. Trump's election as US president. EFJ leaders argue that Musk's transformation of X into a tool for disinformation and propaganda, his support for Trump, and his recent comments against legacy media are fundamentally incompatible with press freedom, humanist values, and their commitment to combat hatred and discrimination. The EFJ urges affiliates to leave X and seek alternative platforms.

What the Trans awards

I am delighted to say that I have been nominated in the category of non-What The Trans Journalist of the Year among some truly esteemed company. You can vote for the awards here.

WHAT’S ON IN PARLIAMENT

Select business. Full House business can be viewed here.

Monday, 2 December

House of Lords, 2.30pm+, Oral Questions, Equality impact assessment following the judgment in R (Harrison & Ors) v Secretary of State for Justice [2020] concerning humanist marriages. More here.

Tuesday, 3 December

House of Commons, 11.30am+, Adjournment, International Day of Persons with Disabilities. More here.

Wednesday, 4 December

House of Commons, 12pm, Prime Minister’s Questions.
House of Commons, Opposition Day Debate, Debate on a Motion in the Name of the Official Opposition. Subject To Be Announced. More here.
Westminster Hall debate, 2.30pm - 4pm, Sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians. More here.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Belfast’s Lord Mayor targeted with anti-LGBTQ+ leaflets at home and work [Belfast Telegraph]

Belfast's first openly gay Lord Mayor, Micky Murray, described receiving anti-LGBT leaflets at his office and home as "quite unnerving." He posted images of the leaflets on Twitter, calling the homophobic messages "pathetic." Murray noted some were hand-delivered.

Despite the incidents, Murray said, "I’ve got quite a thick skin for this sort of thing now," but added, "It is quite unnerving in a way when someone goes out of their way to send that sort of stuff to you." He stressed he wouldn't let this affect what has otherwise been a positive year, saying, "I’ve had a wonderful year so far, people have been really accepting and inclusive."

Allison Bailey to appeal her ‘win’ v Stonewall [source]

Allison Bailey is taking to the courts once again to appeal the ruling she claimed she was some sort of moral victory over Stonewall, despite her very clearly losing. Is this her second appeal? It feels like it, but I’d mostly forgot that her and her briefcase full of spaghetti existed. It was a nice time. Who can keep up with all their legal cases, anyway?

Taking to the fascists’ favourite platform, she tweeted, “Good News: Permission has just been granted by the Court of Appeal in Bailey v Stonewall Equality Limited. The reasons for granting permission are encouraging:

'The grounds have a real prospect of success but, in any event, raise issues of some general importance.'

”Ben Cooper KC for Sex Matters was on fine form in the Supreme Court this afternoon in the @ForWomenScot appeal. He got the court's attention and never lost it. I am feeling slightly more optimistic than I was a few hours ago.”
Another crowdfunder is, of course, incoming.

Nigel Farage teams up with the ADF amidst Elon Musk backing [Byline Times]

It was only a matter of time before these links became public and, with the election of Donald Trump in the US emboldening all the worst sorts, that time is now.

Farage has teamed up with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a US-based Christian anti-abortion group, who have also been behind anti-trans campaigns. He is calling for a debate on restricting the UK's current 24-week abortion limit. The ADF, labelled a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Centre, is known for its efforts to restrict reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights globally. The group has been increasing its influence in the UK, backing anti-abortion campaigners and anti-trans propagandists.

This comes amidst reports that Elon Musk, who has tweeted out support for Farage’s party, Reform UK, is set to fund him to the tune of $100m to ‘shake up British politics.’ Given Farage’s connection to Trump, and Musk’s tantrum at the UK because he wasn’t invited to a conference, it was only a matter of time before the pair teamed up. It is believed that Reform will throw a lot of money at the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2026 before targeting the UK general election in 2029 in a bid to have Farage elected Prime Minister.

Women’s Place UK ceases to exist [source]

Astroterf organisation, Women’s Place UK, has ceased to be with the group closing amidst reports of infighting over how their views aligned so sweetly with fascists, and other issues.

Historians thought this trans woman was murdered by the Nazis, but she escaped and lived to be 74 [QueerAF]

Dora Richter, long believed to have been killed in the Nazi raid on the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft in Berlin in 1933, was recently found to have survived, according to newly uncovered documents. Trans historian Clara Hartmann discovered baptismal records in a Czech archive showing that Richter, one of the first trans women to medically transition, lived until 1966. Despite facing intense persecution, Richter continued her life in Germany, remembered by locals as a cheerful woman.

SHORTS

The Times reported on Saturday that the anti-woke crowd are calling for a boycott of Lurpak after the company started trialling a new animal feed that reduces methane emissions from cows.
Boris Johnson’s column in the Daily Mail on Saturday was headlined, “Starmer picked a fraudster for his Cabinet because he is fraudster-in-chief. And he knows, in his heart, that the whole government is a fraud”.
Insiders believe that Morgan McSweeny targeted Louise Haigh for months, after agreeing a pay deal with train drivers, before she resigned last week as Transport Secretary.
The Times claims their call brought her down.
A founder of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign has been charged under terrorism laws with supporting Hamas. The case against Tony Greenstein, 70, relates to a message posted on social media.

THIS WEEK

Monday, 2 December

Liz Truss speech to US Heritage Foundation
Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year

Tuesday, 3 December

UN General Assembly meets on Gaza

Wednesday, 4 December

🚨US Supreme Court hears arguments in landmark case over gender-affirming care
Guardian and Observer journalists begin 48-hour strike

Friday, 6 December

WHO SAGE report on vaccination
Report: Annual stats on police use of force
Report: ONS release on experience of NHS healthcare services in England

Saturday, 7 December

Ghana general election
Germany's AfD expected to nominate Alice Weidel as candidate for Chancellor

Sunday, 8 December

Runoff in Romania’s presidential election

THE PAPERS

November round up

November has been and gone, 30 days that took us closer to Project 2025, and featured 89 articles about trans people in the papers I monitor. That’s an average of around three a day. Not all were negative, but nearly all were.

The Telegraph, as you would expect, was the clear leader, printing 37 of those articles (42%). Each one was an attack piece.

Next, we have the Mail and the Times, both with 25. Not quite one a day, but not far off it. The tone in the Times has softened somewhat, but they continue to give space to the likes of Kathleen Stock (see below). The Mail also seems less vicious, but the insidious nature of relentless negativity continues to do damage.

The Guardian/Observer printed just two pieces during November and neither of them were from Sonia Sodha, who hasn’t reproduced her favourite column since August. Nor could you describe either article in the Guardian as negative. In the 150 days since the election, they have published 33 in total (so, less than a month’s worth of Telegraph output). I only have 80 days of stats from before the election (23) but if we do some math*, we see that represents around a 25% drop-off since the new government came in.

That drop-off is something you can see across all the papers I track. The Times have had 101 since the election, but 82 before. If they had kept up that original pace, we should have expected to see around 154 articles. Similarly, the Mail had 99 vs an expected 156 and the Telegraph 170 instead of 218.

There were two days in November with zero articles about trans people. Both were a Friday and they had a combined 13 articles published in the two days before.

*Number of articles published before election from 80 days, divided by 80 and multiplied by 150. Crude, but shows there has been a drop in pace.

This week, there were 25 articles in total, with the Times just shading things from the Telegraph with 10 v 9. The Mail had six while the Guardian is on a nine-day streak of no articles.

Quoted this week:

Cathy Larkman from the Women’s Rights Network
Mara Yamauchi (Sex Matters), Sharron Davies, Emma Hilton (Sex Matters) attacking Gary Lineker again
Non-expert Helen Joyce (Sex Matters)
Kathleen Stock noticing something [Tuesday, Times]
Sharron Davies and Tracey Edwards on a Black female footballer (more than once)
Joanna Cherry on trans men becoming pregnant

How many times was JK Rowling featured or mentioned? 6

How many GCs had a byline? 3 (Julie Bindel (FWS court case), Helen Joyce (trans women breastfeeding), Kathleen Stock x 2 (blasphemy, FWS court case)

It’s worth noting that Stock’s piece, entitled “The trans sophists regret their day in court” [see Paper Review Sunday] refers to a court case which was brought by a group of cis people who don’t like trans people, was defended by a group of cis group, some of whom don’t like trans people, and in which trans people were allowed to play no role. It’s also worth noting that the word ‘sophist’ means “a person who reasons with clever but false arguments.”

How many trans people were quoted or got a byline? 0

Spotted or know something you think I should include in the Trans Agenda?

THE PAPERS Monday 25th November - Sunday 1st December

Monday Total: 5

The Guardian [0]

The Times [2]

Trump to axe transgender troops from US forces on day one Alistair Dawber - Washington Donald Trump is about to declare that transgender personnel are unfit to serve in the US armed forces and is preparing an executive order to ensure their removal, sources have told The Times. It could come on his first day back in White House, January 20. There are believed to be about 15,000 transgender active service personnel. They would be medically discharged. The president-elect signed a similar order during his first term, banning trans people from joining the military but allowed those already serving to remain. President Biden rescinded the changes when he came to office in 2021. The new order would go further, dismissing those in uniform and declaring them unsuitable for military roles. Defence sources said that the move would prove challenging for the almost 1.3 million-strong military. There are many trans people in senior positions and only the Marine Corps is able to hit its annual recruitment targets. “There are 15,000 people who are facing summarily being removed,” one defence official said. “It is bad enough for some of the people who have given years of service, but the military will find it difficult to replace them.” Trump targeted the military during his presidential campaign, arguing that some senior officers were more concerned with “woke” initiatives than challenging America’s enemies. His nomination of Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host, as his defence secretary is a signal that the incoming president intends to follow through with his plans. Hegseth, who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, has attacked what he described as “weak” and “effeminate” leadership in US forces. A spokesman for Trump did not respond to requests for comment.

Trans troops ‘unfit to serve in US forces’ United States Alistair Dawber - Washington Donald Trump fears officers are more interested in diversity than in defence. Donald Trump is planning an executive order that would lead to the removal of all transgender members of the US military, defence sources say. The order could come on his first day back in the White House, January 20. There are believed to be about 15,000 active service personnel who are transgender. They would be medically discharged, which would determine that they were unfit to serve. It would also lead to a ban on trans people joining the military and would come at a time when almost all branches of the American armed forces are failing to meet recruitment targets. Trump, 78, has railed against “woke” practices in the military, saying that some high-ranking officers are often more interested in diversity, equity and inclusion than planning to fight. The ban is expected to be wider ranging than a similar order made during his first term in office, when Trump prevented transgender people joining the armed forces, but allowed those already serving to keep their jobs. President Biden rescinded the order, but this time even those with decades of service will be removed from their posts, according to several sources. “These people will be forced out at a time when the military can’t recruit enough people,” a source familiar with Trump’s plans said. “Only the Marine Corps is hitting its numbers for recruitment and some people who will be affected are in very senior positions.” According to the Pentagon, privacy policies make it difficult to measure the number of active duty trans people, but about 2,200 service members had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2021, when Trump’s first ban was lifted. There are about 1.3 million active duty personnel in the military. There are believed to be thousands of other personnel who identify as transgender. Military charities that fought the trans ban during Trump’s first term are aware of his plans for a similar move by the incoming administration. “Should a trans ban be implemented from day one of the Trump administration it would undermine the readiness of the military and create an even greater recruitment and retention crisis, not to mention signalling vulnerability to America’s adversaries,” said Rachel Branaman, executive director of Modern Military Association of America, which campaigns on behalf of LGBTQ+ military personnel and veterans. “Abruptly discharging 15,000-plus service members, especially given that the military’s recruiting targets fell short by 41,000 recruits last year, adds administrative burdens to war fighting units, harms unit cohesion, and aggravates critical skill gaps,” she said. “There would be a significant financial cost, as well as a loss of experience and leadership that will take possibly 20 years and billions of dollars to replace.” Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth, 44, as his defence secretary. The Fox News host and former major in the US National Guard has publicly railed against “weak” and “effeminate” leadership in the military and argued in a recent book that “the next commander in chief will need to clean house”. He has also said that medical care for transgender personnel is an extravagance the Pentagon cannot afford, adding that focusing on the issues that affect only a small number of people in the military is an example of “trans lunacy”. Trans people already serving in the military say that as well as causing them significant personal hardship, a new ban would be disastrous for the armed forces. “There are very few members of my career field with this experience, and in the event of a large-scale contingency, it would be difficult to replace the level of experience that I bring to the table,” said a serving US Air Force non-commissioned officer, who preferred not to give their name. Paulo Batista, a transgender analyst in the US navy, said that a ban would not only put a premature end to his career, it would also cause upheaval across the forces. “I have four years left on my contract,” he said. “But you take 15,000 of us out — there’s more but that’s the number that is always mentioned — that’s 15,000 leadership positions, every one of us play a vital role. “There are junior enlisted personnel to high-end officers. You pull one of us out, that means others have to cover. These jobs could take months or even years to fill.” Batista dismissed another argument made by those opposed to trans people serving in the military: that the Pentagon had to cover spiralling costs of gender dysphoria treatment. “There is no money being spent, it’s just continued care,” he said. “People enlisting are just slightly hormone deficient, but the bigger picture is how many other people are going to be affected. Kicking out the 15,000 would affect the whole fleet, the whole battalion. It’s everyone.” Trump’s spokesmen were contacted, but declined to comment.

Daily Mail [0]

Telegraph [3]

Trans officers allowed to strip-search women British Transport Police guidance gives male staff identifying as female right to carry out procedure The Daily Telegraph25 Nov 2024By Connor Stringer Senior reporter TRANSGENDER police officers can strip-search women under new guidance issued by the British Transport Police (BTP). The guidance, seen by The Telegraph, allows male staff identifying as female to intimately search women so long as they have a gender recognition certificate (GRC). It comes after backlash earlier this year saw similar national policing guidance temporarily withdrawn after thethen government raised concerns about women’s safety. The guidance says officers can search people of the same sex as “either their birth certificate or GRC” in BTP jurisdiction. Authorised in September by the assistant chief constable for network policing, it reads: “British Transport Police recognises the status of transgender and non-binary detainees/staff from the moment they permanently identify in that gender with or without a GRC. “This means that even when a person has not legally changed their sex, we should continue to use the correct pronouns and recognise the person’s gender. BTP officers/staff will only search persons of the same sex as either their birth certificate or GRC.” After an outcry in January, the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) withdrew similar guidance permitting biological males identifying as female to intimately search women. The NPCC said it was conducting a “thorough” review of its guidance on searches conducted by transgender officers. “In the meantime, forces have been advised to revert to their own policies on strip-searches,” the body said. The policy had been implemented by the majority of police forces across the country, according to a report by the Women’s Rights Network. The review came after Chris Philp, the then-policing minister, said transgender officers should be stopped from conducting strip-searches on suspects of the opposite sex unless they had changed their legal gender. Cathy Larkman, retired police superintendent and national policing lead for the Women’s Rights Network, labelled the new guidance “state-sanctioned sexual assault”. She said: “British Transport Police think that the possession of a GRC conveys some sort of right for a male officer to strip-search a woman, or for a female ‘This is state-sanctioned sexual assault and police chiefs have lost their mind bringing this in’ officer to be pressurised into searching a male detainee. “Their eagerness to bring this in despite the clear warnings made indicates that they have forgotten about women’s rights, or at best that these can be dispensed with. But women have human rights too. “It is appalling that police chiefs are so intent on disregarding the law and shocking that it is left to women to hold them to account and to remind them that not so long ago, they promised to rebuild women’s trust. Those were hollow words. This is state-sanctioned sexual assault and police chiefs have lost their mind bringing this in. They have failed women, it is absolutely unforgivable. It cannot go on.” In a separate policy seen by The Telegraph, BTP employees can also wear “uniform in whichever gender they choose”. Article Name:Trans officers allowed to strip-search women Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Connor Stringer Senior reporter Start Page:8 End Page:8

Lineker shows ‘shameful contempt for women’ The Daily Telegraph25 Nov 2024By Connor Stringer Senior reporter GARY LINEKER has been accused of “shameful contempt for women” after expressing support for an article attacking Israel in The Guardian newspaper. Lineker posted “This” on X alongside an article by the sports writer Jonathan Liew headlined “Sport may be a blunt tool of social change, but it’s time to take a stand against Israel”. Women’s sport campaigners have reacted with outrage at the political post, which comes after he ignored their calls to speak up against football’s failure to stop biological males playing in the women’s game. The BBC’S bestpaid presenter, who steps down from Match of the Day this summer, failed to respond to hundreds of requests to address the issue – including from ninetime Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova and Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies – after inviting potential questions for his podcast a fortnight ago. However, on Friday, Lineker waded into another political debate as he endorsed the thoughts Liew, who had written “even if sport is a blunt and pointless tool of social change, it must nonetheless be deployed” against Israel. “Because there remains – even in this warped, f----- fairground mirror of a world – a thing called right and a thing called wrong,” reads the article. In response to The Guardian link posted on Lineker’s X account, Mara Yamauchi, who holds the fifth-fastest marathon time for a British woman in history, wrote: “I can’t believe you are promoting Liew who thinks every female Olympic gold won by a man would be fine. Thousands asked you to cover males in the F category in your podcast. You didn’t. I used to respect you. Now I see you are yet another man who has contempt for females. Shameful!” Emma Hilton, a developmental biologist and Sex Matters trustee, added: “When is it time to stand up for women, Gary? Liew said that if every podium place in an Olympic competition was taken by a transwoman, that would be inspiring. You OK with that? You had about a thousand people asking you to talk about males in women’s football and you’ve said, by my count, precisely nothing.” This summer on his The Rest Is Football, Lineker spoke of his admiration for Liew’s journalism. The former England striker also previously declared “cut out the divisive nonsense” as he expressed agreement in 2022 with Grant Shapps, the former defence secretary, who suggested that transgender people should “be able to get on and live their lives”. When he came under attack from campaigners at the time, Lineker wrote on social media that his comment referred to “the war on woke and not any specific subject”. However, he has yet to address the issue this year amid mounting concern at an alleged absence of Football Association safeguards. Article Name:Lineker shows ‘shameful contempt for women’ Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Connor Stringer Senior reporter Start Page:12 End Page:12

Trump ‘wants to remove all trans members of US military’ The Daily Telegraph25 Nov 2024By Our Foreign Staff DONALD TRUMP will remove all transgender members of the US military from their posts, according to reports. The president-elect will use an executive order to make the move and it could come as soon as his first day in office, The Times reported. It will lead to the dismissal from post of thousands of service personnel at a time when the US armed forces are struggling to meet recruitment targets. In his first term, Mr Trump banned transgender people from joining but those already in post could stay. The ban was reversed by Joe Biden. “These people will be forced out at a time when the military can’t recruit enough people,” a source familiar with Mr Trump’s plans told the newspaper. “Some people who will be affected are in very senior positions.” Last night, Rachel Branaman, the executive director of Modern Military Association of America, which campaigns on behalf of LGBTQ+ personnel, said: “Should a trans ban be implemented it would undermine the readiness of the military and create an even greater recruitment and retention crisis.” About 2,200 service personnel had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria when the previous ban was lifted, according to the Pentagon. Paulo Batista, a transgender analyst in the US navy, said: “You take 15,000 of us out, that’s 15,000 leadership positions. Every one plays a vital role.” Mr Trump’s spokesmen did not comment when contacted by Article Name:Trump ‘wants to remove all trans members of US military’ Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Our Foreign Staff Start Page:14 End Page:14

Tuesday Total: 6

The Guardian [0]

The Times [2]

Breastfeeding wars: I quit the mothers’ charity I founded over trans ideology Marian Tompson founded La Leche League 68 years ago. Now she’s left amid rows over biological males and ‘chestfeeding’ lessons, she tells Helen Joyce Marian Tompson Next image › ‘Doctors thought the solution every breastfeeding problem was to give my baby a bottle of formula,” Marian Tompson says. It was 1956 and the Chicago housewife had done her best to breastfeed her first three children but when she ran into difficulties, there was no one to help. Now, with her fourth child, she had found support from a different doctor, one who promoted natural childbirth and whose wife had breastfed. When she brought her year-old nursing daughter to a church picnic, other women sidled up asking how she had done it, she says. “I found to my surprise that a lot of women had tried to nurse and gone on to formula feed because they didn’t get the help they needed.” So Tompson asked around for other women who had successfully breastfed and the group started arranging meetings in their homes. They called themselves La Leche League after a Spanish Madonna, Nuestra Señora de la Leche y Buen Parto (Our Lady of plentiful milk and happy delivery). It didn’t matter that the name was a bit obscure: it was more important to avoid the word “breast” in an era when most people were embarrassed to say it. The approach suited an emerging style of feminism that celebrated women’s unique capabilities and saw them as experts in their own lives. The women who attended those early meetings wanted help to work with nature rather than against it, Tompson says, not just when nursing but during pregnancy, childbirth and weaning, and in practices like co-sleeping. Every meeting was led by a woman who had breastfed so she could offer the wisdom of experience. At first the group had no ambitions to go beyond Chicago but interest surpassed all their expectations. In 1958 they wrote a 31-page booklet entitled The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, which they mailed out for $2; five years later an expanded version was printed, which sold a million copies. Tompson found herself in demand as a speaker around the world. Her beloved husband Tom, who died in 1981, would hold the fort while she travelled, showing the children (they had seven in total) where she was on a world map pinned on the wall. I’m old enough not to take the bullying personally La Leche League, or LLL for short, now has groups in more than 80 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. Doctors recommend exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months and not fully weaning until at least a year, in line with LLL principles. If you’re a mother, whether or not you choose to breastfeed, you will have been influenced by Tompson’s approach. As I prepared to interview her I asked my mother about her babyfeeding choices for me and my siblings, born during the period when LLL was expanding worldwide. I’m the eldest of nine, born in Dublin in 1968 — before the breastfeeding revolution reached Ireland. She put me on the bottle straight away. “I hadn’t a clue about babies,” she says, “and I didn’t need an unpopular and unsupported struggle to feed this wonderful creature.” (Aw, thanks Mum!) She bottle-fed my brother, born 18 months later, as well but her milk took ages to dry up. So when number three came along, in 1972, she gave breastfeeding a try. “My own mother thought I was certifiable!” she says. “Her generation regarded bottle feeding as a relief from the tyranny of the baby.” Hospital staff were discouraging but by the time my youngest siblings were born in 1983 — twin girls, exclusively breastfed — they were sending other mothers-tobe her way for advice. Tompson is delighted by this story and sends my mother her best wishes. But then we get to the real reason for our conversation — a question that, to her astonishment and sorrow, threatens the very existence of the movement she helped to build. It is, you may be unsurprised to learn, “What is a woman?” — the chief virtue signal of the left and surely the most baffling question of our times. LLL International now says it supports everyone who wants to breastfeed, “chestfeed” or “human milk feed”, regardless of sex or “gender identity.” It explains how males can breastfeed by taking milkstimulating drugs sometimes used by adoptive mothers although it says it takes no stand on the inducing of male lactation. It has all brought Tompson to the end of her tether. On November 6 she resigned from the board of LLL International, saying it had become a “travesty” of her original intent. “When women decide to breastfeed it’s because they want to do the best for their baby and know that’s breastfeeding,” she says. “Instead of simply providing support to mothers — which has always been free, by the way — leaders are now expected to indulge the fantasies of adult males. This is not natural or normal. Nor are our leaders, who are all nursing mothers themselves, prepared to handle it.” There’s no scientific evidence to suggest that male lactation is good for babies. Mother’s milk has remarkable properties, including the ability to adapt to a baby’s changing nutritional needs and state of health, and to pass on antibodies that protect against infection. When Milli Hill, a breastfeeding expert and author of The Positive Birth Book, looked into the handful of studies cited by supporters of male lactation, she found that almost all actually related to women — female people — who had not given birth and had taken drugs to stimulate milk production. Just one related to a male person, and that was a poor-quality case report of a single individual. Believers in gender ideology reject the claim that we’re all born one sex or the other, and that our sex can’t change no matter how we identify. They don’t just insist that trans women — men who identify as women — are actually women; they object to neutral, factual phrases such as “born male” or “biologically male”. How has an ideology that denies the differences between male and female affected an organisation founded to promote something only females can do, I ask Tompson. By stealth, she replies. There was never any survey of leaders to find out what they wanted, she alleges, just a radical change of policy disguised by gradual shifts in language. LLL International has indicated that its policy on respecting how people self-identify dates back to 2004. Now LLLGB, the UK charity under the LLL umbrella, is in the thick of the battle. Until recently a majority of its trustees had been fighting to remain true to the organisation’s founding mission. They came under fire from a minority of local leaders who support male lactation, and from LLL International, which accused them of challenging LLL policy publicly in a disparaging manner. In May it suspended them as leaders, which meant they could no longer hold meetings. They allege this left the women they had been working with unsupported and put their positions on the charity’s board in doubt. Leaders are now expected to indulge the fantasies of men At the beginning of this month one of their number, Miriam Main, resigned. In her resignation note she spoke of “bullying, lies and cruelty of recent times”. And on November 16 the other trustees allied with her were removed by a vote of UK-based leaders. What makes this not just a tragedy but a scandal is that UK law is clear that no male person is a “mother”. Even a gender recognition certificate, the paperwork that changes a person’s recorded sex for certain administrative purposes, doesn’t change a person’s legal status from being a father to a mother, or vice versa. Since LLLGB was set up to support “mothers”, its trustees were simply doing their job when they refused to support male lactation. The women I spoke to for this article expressed grief and betrayal at seeing the organisation they love buy into an ideology that denies biological reality and harms mothers and babies. But they also see hope among the wreckage. Breastfeeding rarely makes the headlines, and though this row has been surreal and painful, it gives an opportunity to tell the world about its importance and unites them in their determination to recreate what was destroyed. Among them is, of course, Tompson, who is impressively chipper given all she has been through. “I’m old enough not to take the bullying personally,” she says (her 95th birthday is in a fortnight). She and her fellow breastfeeding campaigners have always known that all a woman needed to successfully breastfeed was to hear a simple message from other women who had been there before her: “Nursing your baby more often will make more milk for your baby, and that milk is better than anything else.” LLL International has disputed the allegations against it but declined to comment. — She’s 94

Daily Mail [2]

Telegraph [2]

Wednesday Total: 5

The Guardian [0]

The Times [2]

Supreme Court justices would be capitulating to an “insidious and omnipresent” patriarchy if they allowed gender recognition certificates to trump biological sex, a barrister for the campaign group For Women Scotland said as a case on the definition of a woman, which is likely to have implications for single-sex spaces, reached Britain’s highest court.

Gender row over BBC award for women’s football Martyn Ziegler - Chief Sports Reporter Barbra Banda has previously exceeded testosterone limits The BBC is under attack for naming as its women’s footballer of the year a player who was banned from a tournament in 2022 because of her elevated testosterone levels. The Zambia striker Barbra Banda scored four goals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including a hat-trick against Australia, and has also been a leading player for Orlando Pride. Banda, 24, was withdrawn from the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations after exceeding testosterone limits. She has been able to compete in the World Cup and Olympics because Fifa and the International Olympic Committee both allow more leeway. BBC Sport Africa reported Banda’s exclusion in 2022, saying that she did not meet the gender verification criteria — thought to be due to high levels of testosterone — set down by the Confederation of African Football (Caf). Three other Zambia players also did not meet the criteria. “All the players had to undergo gender verification, a Caf requirement, and unfortunately she did not meet the criteria set,” Andrew Kamanga, the president of Zambia’s FA, told BBC Sport Africa at the time. “It’s unfortunate that we find ourselves going into the tournament without our best players.” The BBC’s award provoked criticism from JK Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter book series and is an outspoken critic on gender issues. She wrote on X: “Presumably the BBC decided this was more time efficient than going door to door to spit directly in women’s faces.” The campaigner and former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, who represented Great Britain at the 1980 Moscow Games, said on X that the award was “just bloody ridiculous”. A panel of present and former professional players, coaches and journalists shortlisted five players, with the winner decided by a global online vote. The BBC announcement quoted Banda, a former professional boxer, saying: “I am shocked and surprised to have this award by my side. Being the second African to win it [after Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala in 2015], it’s a very big achievement for me.” Jon Zilkha, the controller of BBC World Service English, said that Banda’s award reflected her “hard work, dedication, and exceptional performance on the pitch”. The BBC defended its award to Banda. It said: “As well as playing in the past two Olympic Games and the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, Barbra Banda plays for the Zambian national women’s team and in the USA for Orlando Pride making her fully eligible for the award, which celebrates talent in women’s football.”

Daily Mail [1]

BBC Women’s Footballer of the year? African player at the centre of gender row Daily Mail27 Nov 2024By Aidan Radnedge A PLAYER who missed a major tournament amid a gender eligibility row over high testosterone levels was named BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year yesterday. Zambia and Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda received the most votes from BBC Sport website readers after being included on a five-player shortlist. Banda’s nomination for the annual prize was criticised by women’s rights groups because in 2022 she was left out of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations by team bosses over allegedly high testosterone levels. Her victory was announced in a BBC Sport website report which did not mention the controversy over her inclusion. There has been an angry response on X, formerly Twitter, to news of the award – with former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies calling it ‘just bloody ridiculous’. Round-theworld sailor Tracy Edwards branded the decision ‘the destruction of women’s sports’ and the Women’s Rights Network said there were ‘no words’. Others have congratulated Banda, however. She said she was ‘shocked and surprised’. The five nominees were picked by football experts from across the globe including coaches, players and non-BBC journalists. The corporation said: ‘The panel did not include any BBC personnel, and the winner was voted for by the public.’ Banda, registered female at birth, was left out of Zambia’s squad two years ago amid claims she had failed a gender test. It later emerged she had been omitted pre-emptively when team bosses became aware her testosterone levels exceeded permitted levels. A probe last year by the Telegraph said there was no suggestion her testosterone levels were ‘anything but naturally occurring’. Article Name:BBC Women’s Footballer of the year? African player at the centre of gender row Publication:Daily Mail Author:By Aidan Radnedge Start Page:11 End Page:11

Telegraph [2]

Women’s player of year failed to meet rules on sex JK Rowling criticises BBC for honouring striker who withdrew from cup over high testosterone levels The Daily Telegraph27 Nov 2024By Oliver Brown CHIEF SPORTS WRITER Barbra Banda, a striker for Orlando Pride, is the second-highest scorer in the US’S National Women’s Soccer League THE BBC has been accused by JK Rowling of “spitting in women’s faces” after naming a Zambian player withdrawn from a 2022 tournament for failing to meet sex eligibility rules as Women’s Footballer of the Year. Barbra Banda, who scored a hat-trick at the Paris Olympics and has become the second-highest scorer in the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League this season, won the award from a five-player shortlist including Spain’s Aitana Bonmati, winner of the female Ballon d’or. Rowling, responding to Telegraph Sport’s story on Banda’s honour, wrote on X: “Presumably the BBC decided this was more time-efficient than going door to door to spit directly in women’s faces.” Banda, a striker, received the most votes from BBC readers after being shortlisted by a panel of what the BBC said were “experts involved in football” including coaches, players and non-bbc journalists. It is understood that the panel included more than 40 women’s football experts from across four continents. They nominated their best five female footballers, based on sporting excellence, regional or national impact and global significance. The panel voted independently and confidentially, with the BBC collating the results into a shortlist that went to a global vote. But two years ago, Banda was withdrawn from the Zambian squad for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) in Morocco before the striker could undergo sex testing. The controversy was reported by the BBC at the time, with Andrew Kamanga, the president of the Zambian federation, telling the corporation’s Africa service: “All players had to undergo gender verification, a CAF [Confederation of African Football] requirement, and unfortunately she did not meet the criteria set by CAF.” Telegraph Sport established last year that Banda had never undergone a test and was de-selected for the competition as a pre-emptive measure. Zambia said after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where Banda scored six goals, that they were aware the player’s testosterone levels exceeded CAF’S maximum levels and that a course of hormone suppression had been offered. But Banda, along with two other members of the starting XI – Racheal Kundananji and Racheal Nacula, both of whom played at the Paris Games – were said by the country’s FA to have declined medication amid fears over potential side-effects. The BBC report on Banda’s award does not mention any of this background, including only the 24-yearold’s immediate reaction that “my aim is always to score because I love scoring – it has not been easy but I think hard work and consistency have really helped”. Banda’s testosterone was high enough to be ruled out of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, but the more lenient rules of Fifa and the International Olympic Committee – where responsibility for sex testing is deferred to national federations – allowed Banda to be in Paris and at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Banda previously competed as a professional boxer, winning all five bouts. A move to Real Madrid had been mooted in 2022 but collapsed in the wake of the Wafcon controversy. Instead Banda joined Orlando Pride in March, contributing to the club’s maiden NSWL title last month. Tracy Edwards, Britain’s former round-the-world sailor, condemned the honour as the “destruction of women’s sports”. Tish Reid, who rowed for Britain in 1992, said it was “another example where obligatory sex screening would negate any rumours and controversy around individuals competing in the female sporting arena”. Olympian Sharron Davies, an advocate ‘It’s so sad the BBC are actively encouraging the loss of opportunities for female athletes in sport’ for women’s safety in sport, wrote on X: “It’s so sad the BBC are actively encouraging the destruction & loss of opportunities for female athletes in sport.” Reem Alsalem, the UN’S special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, said in a report last month to the General Assembly in New York: “There are circumstances in which sex screenings are legitimate and proportional in order to ensure fairness and safety in sports. Current technology enables a reliable sex screening procedure through a simple cheek swab with non-invasiveness, confidentiality and dignity.” The BBC said in a statement: “As well as playing in the past two Olympic Games and the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, Barbra Banda plays for the Zambian national women’s team and in the USA for Orlando Pride making her fully eligible for the award which celebrates talent in women’s football. They added that the shortlist “was decided by an expert panel made up of current and former professionals, coaches and journalists based on performances in the last twelve months”. Oliver Brown: Sport, page 12 Article Name:Women’s player of year failed to meet rules on sex Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Oliver Brown CHIEF SPORTS WRITER Start Page:7 End Page:7

Thursday Total: 5

The Guardian [0]

The Times [2]

Define a woman? Now French dictionary falls foul France Charles Bremner - Paris The sages of the Académie Française have done nothing in a hurry since the august institution was created in the 17th century to police the French language. This week, however, they have been called on to “urgently rectify” entries in their new official dictionary because they are said to be sexist, homophobic and racist. The Human Rights League (HRL), founded in 1898 to defend Captain Alfred Dreyfus, the Jewish army officer falsely accused of spying, has taken exception to definitions including “woman”, “race” and “heterosexual”. According to the left-leaning organisation, they convey out-of-date attitudes that conflict with modern views on inclusion and tolerance. Its protest followed criticism of the lexicon of 53,000 words released last week by the 24-member academy, after the completion of a four-volume update of the previous eighth edition, which was published in 1935. The HRL said it had discovered with “stupefaction and consternation” that the dictionary says a woman is “a human being defined by her sexual characteristics, which enable her to conceive and give birth to children.” It asked: “Should one conclude that a sterile or menopausal woman is not a woman?” It also professed shock at the definition of heterosexuality as a “natural” relationship between the sexes. This “implies that homosexuality is not natural”, it said. The HRL also took issue with the inclusion in the dictionary of a term for a small black child that is regarded as a racial slur, especially since there was no indication that it was pejorative. “The French language deserves better, as does democracy,” it said, advising the publishers to “urgently rectify” the situation by inserting erratum slips in volumes on sale and quickly issuing a corrected edition. “The treatment of racism, a loaded topic in the modern world, is astonishing,” it added. Academics and commentators have mocked the new dictionary and its decades-long compilation. It has been criticised for, among other things, omitting common modern terms such as “le smartphone” and “le mail” (email). A group called the Community of Appalled Linguists blasted it as obsolete and unscientific. “It’s grotesque for a dictionary coming out in 2024,” said Médéric Gasquet-Cyrus, a linguist from Aix-Marseilles University. Although the Académie Française has not immediately responded to the HRL’s concerns, it has promised speedier updates in its online edition. Florence Monier, the head of its dictionary department, said its mission was to track long-term linguistic shifts, and it omitted terms that “convey ephemeral fashions [and will be] used for a year or two before disappearing.”

Banda will ‘cast shadow’ over Spoty Matt Lawton - Chief Sports Correspondent The BBC pundit Sharron Davies has joined forces with a leading human rights charity to accuse the broadcaster of casting a shadow over next month’s Sports Personality of the Year (Spoty) event by naming Barbra Banda as their women’s footballer of the year. The BBC was widely criticised on Tuesday after announcing that a player banned from the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for elevated testosterone levels had received its award. Now Davies, the former Olympic swimmer who worked as the poolside reporter for the BBC at this year’s Paris Olympic Games, has joined the charity Sex Matters, as well as former British distance runner Mara Yamauchi, British sailor Tracy Edwards and the campaign group Fair Play For Women in sending a letter to Alex Kay-Jelski, the BBC head of sport, and Stephen Mawhinney, head of sports journalism. In the letter, the signatories detail their concerns about the impact on the female sports stars who should be celebrated for their achievements during the Spoty show on December 17. In particular they cite their fears for athletes such as Keely Hodgkinson, the winner of the Olympic 800m title and a favourite for the main award. “Female athletes deserve better than for the national broadcaster to promote this player as if there were no questions to be answered,” the letter says. “It is almost inevitable that young women like Keely Hodgkinson, whose own event was overshadowed by [Differences of Sexual Development] male athletes, will be asked about this when the focus should be on their own achievements.” Yesterday the BBC said: “As well as playing in the past two Olympic Games and the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, Barbra Banda plays for the Zambian national team and for Orlando Pride, making her fully eligible for the award which celebrates talent in women’s football. The five-player shortlist was decided by an expert panel, with the winner voted for by the public.”

Daily Mail [1]

I felt I had to quit the council job I loved — after daring to object when they forced ‘gender-neutral’ toilets on female staff Daily Mail28 Nov 2024By Frances Hardy THE sexual assault – sudden and menacing – had happened abroad in a unisex toilet at a restaurant more than three decades earlier. It was buried, almost subliminally, in Sarah Holman’s memory, but the awful potential of it returned in a flashback last year. Sarah, 56, married mum to a grown-up son and daughter, was then a middle manager with Bracknell Forest Council, Berkshire. She had gone to the previously female toilets on the ground floor of the council offices – a bank of cubicles off a narrow corridor with communal basins along it – only to discover a sign announcing they were now gender neutral. ‘I was startled by the sign on the door that they were no longer for females only, but were now mixed toilets,’ she says. ‘Memories of being assaulted in one came flooding back.’ That ‘sudden, opportunistic’ incident occurred when she was 20, and on holiday with a friend. ‘I’d walked into the cubicle and a man followed me and stood in the doorway blocking me and gesturing with his hands that he wanted to have sex with me. I was cornered. ‘He lunged at me, putting his hands on me. I was too startled to fight back. He only stopped because another man walked past. I hadn’t given it much thought for 36 years, but knowing men would be sharing the toilets at work triggered an anxiety attack. I had palpitations. I could feel my thudding heart. ‘Back home, I woke in the middle of the night, my head whirring. I could not stop thinking about it. I couldn’t switch off. It was the first time I’d felt unsafe at work.’ This was just the start. Five months ago Sarah, who loved her job regenerating land for housing, felt compelled to resign from the council she had served diligently for 12 years, when her employer, under its ‘Trans and Non-Binary Policy’, effectively removed all single-sex toilets from its offices. Sarah, who believes that biological sex cannot be changed, felt harassed for her gender critical views. Now she is taking the council to an employment tribunal – crowd-funding and dipping into her savings to pay legal fees which could rise to £50,000 – on grounds of discrimination against her and other staff who share her belief that women’s ‘dignity, privacy and safety’ are compromised if they are forced to share lavatories with biological males who have either transitioned, are thinking about doing so or are in the process of transitioning. ‘I feel exasperated, tired, undervalued, angry,’ she says, speaking with quiet conviction from the immaculate sitting room of her Berkshire home. ‘I’m not a radical feminist, just an ordinary woman with strong opinions and values. I stand up for what I believe and I would never do something unprincipled because it is easier.’ Her husband of 25 years and children support her; messages of solidarity have, she says, been overwhelming. She has raised thousands for her campaign and speaks for many when she says that women-only spaces like toilets should be inviolable. ‘Effectively all a male has to say is, “I’m going through gender reassignment” and they can have access to the women’s toilets. ‘This is really insulting to women. The council says it supports equality, diversity and inclusion, but actually its policy is misogynistic. By respecting trans rights it isn’t considering women’s rights at all.’ She has endured deeply upsetting experiences that give special validity to her views. ASIDE from the sexual assault, in 2000 Sarah suffered a miscarriage at nine or ten weeks in a toilet cubicle at work. There can be few experiences more harrowing and personal. Some 24 years and two successful pregnancies later her mind does not often turn to the ordeal until she begins to think about how much worse it would have been had it happened in a toilet shared by men. ‘I don’t think I’m special in any way. One in eight pregnancies ends in miscarriage, so I’m sure it has happened to other women at work,’ she stresses. She was working for another company at the time. ‘I remember how my stomach started to cramp. I rushed to the toilet and sat there for an hour, crying and in a lot of pain. Then I cleaned myself up and rushed straight out of the building to my doctor, and then to hospital. ‘It was very personal and distressing and I can imagine what it would be like for a woman walking out of a toilet cubicle after such an experience, having to wash herself in a row of sinks shared by men. ‘Because of our biological sex, women might take longer in the toilet than men. We have periods and they are intimate and personal. You don’t want to announce the fact to men. Only women understand. ‘Sometimes women use toilets as an escape from work. If you’ve had a bad day, you go there to gather yourself, have a cry if you need to. They are used as safe, female-only spaces. If you are forced to share them with men, your dignity and privacy is sacrificed.’ She raised her concerns with the head of human resources in January 2023, but was told a decision had already been taken: it was a fait accompli. ‘It was not about me,’ Sarah says. ‘I knew many other women were also concerned about safeguarding, privacy and dignity.’ For six months, she was able to use the single-sex staff toilets on other floors of the building. Then in July 2023, with minimal discussion, the council rubber-stamped a policy allowing trans and non-binary employees to use whatever toilets they felt comfortable with throughout the offices. Sarah was distraught: ‘There was no consultation, no EIA (an assessment of its wider impact); no legal advice was taken. A lot of women didn’t even know it had happened.’ HER objections were given short shrift by the council: ‘They said sharing toilets with males was no different from being in a lift or meeting with them. They were equating the intimacy of being in a toilet with getting in a lift. And I was told if people raised objections they would be directed to counselling. I was outraged, tearful. ‘I cried during a video meeting with a member of the HR team. I said, “I literally can’t share a toilet with a man” and she said she was really sorry I was upset. But again the answer was: did I need counselling? ‘This was not about being antitrans. It was the lack of thought about women’s rights that made me so angry. I also pointed out that some religions do not permit men and women to share a toilet. The attitude seemed to be, “tough”. ‘The council said the risk of harm was low and staff would be held accountable for unacceptable behaviour. So if you challenged a male who had come into a female toilet, you would be liable to disciplinary action.’ A flurry of emails went back and forth, but Sarah was told the policy was set in stone. Meanwhile, she was also concerned that the Progress Pride flag was being used ‘disproportionately’ by the council. ‘It was being used as a screensaver, as background for online Teams meetings and flown outside the council offices long after national Pride month. To me they should have been treating everyone with respect and fairness rather than celebrating one group. ‘It was just virtue signalling. I was concerned about the message of the flag and the fact that it made anyone who was gender critical uncomfortable. ‘I said, “What about other flags?” I was being slightly facetious, but I said, “What about a Menopause flag? A Suffragette flag? A Disability Awareness flag?” I fully support equality, diversity and inclusion, but I felt the Progress Pride flag was highly misogynistic because it values trans rights above women’s rights, and it was being overused. ‘And I questioned whether they had planning permission to fly it outside the council offices.’ The flag was taken down soon afterwards. Meanwhile, her anxiety was heightened because her elderly father, who had a heart condition, was diagnosed as terminally ill and she had become his main carer. ‘I sent an email to my boss and to the head of HR saying I believed the council was guilty of sex discrimination. I said I would be mainly working from home and would use the disabled toilet when I came into the office. I got no response.’ In June this year, by now ‘simmering with anger’ she finally handed in her notice after a letter was sent by council chiefs to all staff. ‘It said they were disappointed to have to take the Progress Pride flag down after a member of staff raised a complaint about it, but were determined to seek planning permission to fly it. ‘This was a clear message to women, especially gender critical women: “Don’t complain, don’t raise issues.” For me it was harassment and sex discrimination. At no point did I say anything that discriminated against another group. I was just raising concerns about how the council was acting. ‘It is really important that councils do not get away with gas-lighting women and brushing aside our concerns. This is happening at councils throughout the country.’ She regrets that everything could have been solved so easily: by providing toilet cubicles with wash basins within them; by giving due weight to all protected groups. But instead the council was ‘captured by ideology’. ‘I was sad to resign. I really enjoyed my job. I liked my colleagues. There was no question of my capability. I think I was very good at my job but I was prepared to sacrifice it for a principle I believed in.’ She has, she says, been deluged by supportive messages from staff who agree with her stance. The human rights charity Sex Matters has buoyed her with its backing. Solicitor Liz McGlone of Didlaw, acting for Sarah, says her case demonstrates ‘the need for employers to show balance in terms of its approach to inclusion and ensure that on endeavouring to include one minority group, it does not exclude any other, or employees who may hold different, but equally protected, views’. Defending its use of the Progress Pride flag, Bracknell Forest Council’s chief executive Susan Halliwell states: ‘The flag includes stripes to represent the experiences of people of colour, as well as stripes to represent people who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming and/or undefined. ‘One of our values is Inclusive and, as such, it is appropriate for us to use the most inclusive pride flag so that everyone is represented, valued and heard. ‘The council is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and supportive work environment for all staff and visitors. ‘We take the safeguarding and wellbeing of our employees extremely seriously and have robust policies in place to promote equality and diversity. We continuously review and improve our practices to ensure every employee feels valued and supported and we maintain an environment of dignity, courtesy and respect.’ ON ITS staff toilets, Ms Halliwell confirms: ‘We have single-sex toilets and an accessible toilet available on floors one to four, which are only available to staff. Additionally, the toilets on the ground floor are unisex.’ However, the council’s trans and non-binary policy states: ‘Staff who have notified their line manager that they are due to undergo, are undergoing or have undergone a process to reassign their gender can use the facilities (like toilets) they feel most comfortable using. We regularly review the provision of facilities to ensure they meet the needs of all staff groups.’ Sarah takes scant comfort from this. She believes in its efforts to include minorities, the one staff group the council has overlooked is women. ‘Councils all over the country are failing to take women’s concerns seriously,’ she says. ‘They feel equality, diversity and inclusion is all about allowing trans people into its single-sex spaces. But in their efforts to be inclusive, they are actually excluding women.’ n TO CONTRIBUTE to Sarah’s crowd justice campaign, go to: crowdjustice.com/case/ sex-discrimination-bylocal-authority Article Name:I felt I had to quit the council job I loved — after daring to object when they forced ‘gender-neutral’ toilets on female staff Publication:Daily Mail Author:By Frances Hardy Start Page:20 End Page:20

Telegraph [2]

Friday Total: 0

Saturday Total: 1

The Guardian [0]

The Times [1]

USA coach takes aim at Banda critics Kit Shepard Emma Hayes has branded criticism of Barbra Banda as “ridiculous” after the Zambia striker, who was excluded from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations because of elevated testosterone levels, was named the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year. The announcement on Tuesday that Banda, 24, had won the award drew a negative response from JK Rowling, Sharron Davies and a human rights charity. Banda was withdrawn from the 2022 Women’s Afcon, and BBC Sport Africa reported that she did not meet the gender verification criteria — thought to be due to high levels of testosterone — set down by the Confederation of African Football. She has since played at the World Cup and Paris Olympics, with Fifa and the IOC having less stringent regulations. Banda also plays for the American team Orlando Pride and Hayes, the USA head coach, came to her defence. “Barbra Banda is an amazing football player,” Hayes, whose team face England at Wembley today, said. “It is ridiculous that she has to endure questions like this. She has our support.” The Englishwoman wanted to focus on Banda’s achievements in 2024, which included scoring four times at the Olympics and the only goal of last Saturday’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Championship game as Orlando defeated Washington Spirit. “What a brilliant season she’s had and we should be talking about that, the impact she’s had on the NWSL,” Hayes said. “I saw it first-hand in the Olympics, wow, the way she stretches the line. “I speak so highly of her because, in the women’s game, we talk about all top players that come from more traditional nations. It’s great that we see such quality coming out of Africa. “My assistant coached her at Zambia and talked about what an amazing person she is. She has our full support and quite frankly I’m disappointed when I hear a lot of these things.” The BBC defended Banda’s selection, saying: “As well as playing in the past two Olympic Games and the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup, Barbra Banda plays for the Zambian national women’s team and in the USA for Orlando Pride, making her fully eligible for the award, which celebrates talent in women’s football.”

Daily Mail [0]

Telegraph [0]

Sunday Total: 3

The Observer [0]

Sunday Times [1]

The trans sophists regret their day in court For those who have done their time in the salt mines defending women’s rights against the demands of trans activists, a hearing at the Supreme Court last week about the meaning of “sex” in the Equality Act was a surreal experience. The Scottish government was there, arguing that for purposes of equality law “woman” should include males with gender recognition certificates. Five years ago, when I and others were in the wilderness arguing that redefining womanhood caused problems, we were perpetually confronted by such clever gotchas as “men can get pregnant too, you know” and “trans women attracted to lesbians are lesbians”. On Wednesday the poor Scottish government lawyer attempted to make similar points in front of the country’s finest legal minds. It was glorious to hear the ghosts of arguments first dreamt up by teenagers on Tumblr hitting daylight. “If I may, I’ll come back to that after lunch,” was a frequent response of the increasingly demoralised-looking lawyer, probed by judges in the morning session. At one point, questioned on how the presence of males who looked like males but were categorised as “women” might affect discrimination claims by fellow women in the workplace, she spoke for a bamboozled nation and declared she would have to consult a flow chart.

Mail on Sunday [2]

Hospital U-turn over trans women breast milk claim The Mail on Sunday1 Dec 2024By Sanchez Manning AN NHS Trust that spread ‘misinformation’ by claiming transgender women could breastfeed as effectively as new mothers has performed a U-turn after outrage from campaigners. A leaked letter this year from the medical director of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust had suggested that milk produced by trans women – who are born male – with the help of powerful drugs was ‘comparable to that produced [by women] following the birth of a baby’. The letter was a response to complaints about guidelines drawn up by the Trust, which advised that trans women ‘may be able to induce lactation’. But amid mounting pressure to review the controversial policies, the Trust now insists its guidance was never intended to encourage trans women to ‘chestfeed’. Officials at the Trust say the guidelines were aimed at helping a ‘small number’ of lesbian women who may want to breastfeed to support their female partners who give birth. It said: ‘The Trust is not aware of any instances where trans women/biological men have expressed a wish to be helped to feed their partner’s child.’ But last night Helen Joyce, of the campaign group Sex Matters, said it was ‘disturbing’ that it had taken the Trust so long ‘to reveal that staff at UH Sussex do, in fact, know that men can’t breastfeed’. Milli Hill, a campaigner for women’s rights, said: ‘The false information puts babies at risk.’ The row began last year after guidance created by the Trust, and since deleted, said some parents ‘may wish to participate in feeding their infants using their own bodies’ even if they did not give birth. It said that ‘trans women…may also be able to induce lactation to some extent’. But critics say there is very little robust evidence about the quality or safety of such milk. The Trust also referenced a study which found milk produced from ‘induced lactation’ had ‘no observable side effects’ in babies. But now, it appears, it no longer stands by the claims. Emma Thomas, founder of Children of Transitioners, which supports people whose parents change gender and which initially complained about the guidance, said: ‘We have no idea how many CoT babies worldwide have been harmed as a result [of this].’ Article Name:Hospital U-turn over trans women breast milk claim Publication:The Mail on Sunday Author:By Sanchez Manning Start Page:38 End Page:38

Sunday Telegraph [0]

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TRANSWRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

JK Rowling’s latest anti-trans rant is 292 words long but you can debunk it with 2, by Gemma Stone
Mridul Wadhwa quits Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre after sustained anti-trans campaign against her, by Gemma Stone
“Transitions The Unheard Stories” review; A useful resource hampered by an inconcise introduction, by Laura Kate Dale
Enraged industry professionals slam The Bookseller for promoting anti-trans social media accounts, by Gemma Stone
When was the T added to LGBT? A quick history, by Sarah Clarke
Trans people are the greatest assault on women in JK Rowling’s life time, apparently, by Gemma Stone
The 32 things The Cass Review recommends and why they are concerning, by Gemma Stone.
NHS & puberty blockers: Former GIDS patients reflect on long wait times, invasive assessments, by Sasha Baker.
The Cass Review: A government-sanctioned attack on trans lives, by Lee Hurley.

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The Trans Agenda: From NHS reversals to Supreme Court appeals as the papers target another Black athlete

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From the start of 2025, the Trans Agenda will be going live early for subscribers, so make sure you sign up. It’s free but every paid subscription helps me pay for access to the papers.

UK NEWS

AROUND THE WORLD

SPORT

MEDIA

WHAT’S ON IN PARLIAMENT

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

SHORTS

THIS WEEK

THE PAPERS

THE PAPERS Monday 25th November - Sunday 1st December

Monday Total: 5

The Guardian [0]

The Times [2]

Daily Mail [0]

Telegraph [3]

Tuesday Total: 6

The Guardian [0]

The Times [2]

Daily Mail [2]

Telegraph [2]

Wednesday Total: 5

The Guardian [0]

The Times [2]

Daily Mail [1]

Telegraph [2]

Thursday Total: 5

The Guardian [0]

The Times [2]

Daily Mail [1]

Telegraph [2]

Friday Total: 0

Saturday Total: 1

The Guardian [0]

The Times [1]

Daily Mail [0]

Telegraph [0]

Sunday Total: 3

The Observer [0]

Sunday Times [1]

Mail on Sunday [2]

Sunday Telegraph [0]

From the start of 2025, the Trans Agenda will be going live early for subscribers, so make sure you sign up. It’s free but every paid subscription helps me pay for access to the papers.

TRANSWRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

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