The Trans Agenda: Has Labour abandoned self-ID pledge?
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.
The Trans Agenda
[16 February 2025]
Follow me on Bluesky - @HLeeHurley.substack.com
UK & IRELAND NEWS
Papers claim Labour drop plans to make self-ID easier to pacify Reform supporters [Times][Mail][Guardian]
Labour has not officially dropped its promised reforms to the Gender Recognition Act, but all indications suggest they have been abandoned. While a Labour spokesperson claims the commitment still stands, the reforms were not included in the King’s Speech, meaning they are no longer a legislative priority.
Right-wing papers like the Times and Daily Mail are celebrating this as a deliberate retreat in response to Reform UK’s rise, while Labour’s vague language suggests a calculated attempt to let the issue die quietly without formally admitting defeat.
The reforms would have streamlined the humiliating legal gender recognition process, replacing the current panel of doctors and lawyers with a standard registrar system requiring sign-off from one doctor. Instead, Labour’s inaction means trans people remain trapped in a dehumanising process.
This is not about public demand, polls show most Britons support trans rights, but rather a media and politically-driven attack that many in Labour are only too happy to accommodate.
Northern Ireland Prides begin banning Executive politicians after puberty blocker ban
Foyle Pride, Causeway Pride, and Mid & East Antrim Pride have all banned members of Executive parties from marching at their Pride events this year under any sort of party banner. The move comes after the Executive unanimously agreed to ban puberty blockers in the north (see Naomi Long interview link below for more).
Belfast Pride, the largest event in Ireland, was believed to have held a meeting during the week to discuss a similar ban, but no decision has been communicated yet.
Exclusive: Naomi Long tries to explain why Alliance backed puberty blocker ban
After a month of anticipation, I left my meeting with Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister Naomi Long feeling deeply frustrated and ultimately deflated. The conversation laid bare the reality that even well-intentioned allies can make catastrophic mistakes, and, worse, fail to recognise them when confronted with the harm they have caused.
UNISON women’s conference backs trans rights [UNISON]
UNISON’s women’s conference opened in Edinburgh with a clear, unapologetic commitment to trans rights, healthcare, and childcare. Delegates overwhelmingly backed a motion unopposed affirming that trans rights do not threaten cis women’s rights and called for a fact-based resource to combat anti-trans misinformation.
With trans rights under attack, UNISON’s stance is clear: the fight for gender equality must include trans women.
Did the Cass Review shred the truth? [What the Trans?!]
The Cass Review, already mired in controversy over its biased conclusions and unreliable sources, is now facing legal scrutiny over its refusal to comply with Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. Despite being subject to the FOI Act, the review repeatedly denied access to internal records, raising serious concerns about transparency. NHS England, now responsible for Cass Review records, initially claimed it did not have access to them. This statement was later retracted, but no revised response has been provided, leaving open the question of whether key documents have been destroyed or hidden.
Adding to the scandal, the Cass Review quietly altered its final report in December 2024 to explicitly support gatekeeping, conversion therapy, and the rejection of informed consent, suggesting further political interference.
Employment tribunal over anti-trans nurse’s suspension adjourned until July [BBC]
The employment tribunal concerning Dr Beth Upton and NHS Fife has been adjourned until July after delays in questioning witnesses extended proceedings beyond the expected timeframe. The tribunal, originally expected to conclude this month, will now resume on July 16 and is set to last an additional 11 days
The case centres around Trump-supporter Sandie Peggie, an emergency department nurse, who was suspended after refusing to share a female changing room with Dr Upton and allegedly leaving the resuscitation area when Dr Upton entered, an action that raised serious patient safety concerns.
The tribunal has also drawn extensive criticism after the judge ruled that Peggie’s legal team would be permitted to misgender Dr Upton as standard practice throughout the proceedings. The decision allows Peggie’s lawyer, Naomi Cunningham, to disregard Dr Upton’s gender in court and abuse her further.
Despite efforts by Cunningham, to frame the case as an ideological battle over trans rights, the core issue remains workplace professionalism and patient safety. NHS Fife’s policy affirms that trans women are entitled to use gender-appropriate facilities, a basic workplace right.
For more on this, please see this piece on Trans Writes about the judge.
Protesters walk out of Helen Joyce’s author’s talk at Oxford [Times]
More than 600 people condemned Oxford University for hosting Helen Joyce during LGBTQ+ History Month. As Joyce, an anti-trans journalist who reads Harry Potter ‘erotica’ featuring schoolkids, began speaking at Balliol College, a group of protesters staged a walkout, rejecting her anti-trans rhetoric.
Joyce, who has called transitioning a “rights-destroying belief”, doubled down on her past comments advocating for “reducing the number of people who transition.” When challenged by host John Maier on her remarks that trans people are “damaged” and gender identity is a “huge problem in the sane world”, Joyce responded, “That’s going to be my epitaph, I’m very proud of myself.
"If you believe you can tell children lies about what sex is and you can put children on the path to sterilisation before they are old enough to have an orgasm, you are ... what I said was it was a ‘huge problem in a sane world’.”
MP makes passionate plea in House of Commons in defence of trans people [Nadia Whittome]
AROUND THE WORLD
USA: Five arrested after torture and murder of trans man Sam Nordquist [TransVitae]
The brutal murder of 24-year-old trans man Sam Nordquist has sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ community after police revealed he had been subjected to over a month of torture before his body was discovered in a field in New York’s Finger Lakes region.
Five people, Precious Arzuaga, Patrick Goodwin, Kyle Sage, Jennifer Quijano, and Emily Motyka, have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.
Major Kevin Sucher, overseeing the investigation, described the case as “beyond depraved”, while Captain Kelly Swift called it one of the most horrific crimes she had encountered in her career.
USA: 3,500 Scientists condemn Trump’s executive order on gender, calling it “scientifically false” [Evolution Society]
A coalition of leading scientists and scientific societies has condemned President Trump’s executive order on sex and gender, stating that it misrepresents established science and ignores decades of research on biological diversity.
In a letter addressed to Trump and Congress, the Society for the Study of Evolution, the American Society of Naturalists, and the Society of Systematic Biologists, representing over 3,500 scientists, rejected Trump’s claim that sex is “determined at conception” and “not changeable”, citing extensive scientific evidence proving that sex exists on a spectrum rather than a strict binary.
The scientists explained that sex is defined by multiple biological factors, including chromosomes, hormones, gonads, genital morphology, and secondary sex characteristics, all of which vary naturally. They emphasised that Trump’s executive order, which seeks to erase legal recognition of trans identities, ignores both biological complexity and the lived reality of trans people.
USA: Protests erupt at Stonewall National Monument after trans people erased from history [Advocate]
Hundreds gathered outside The Stonewall Inn on February 14 to protest the Trump administration’s removal of “transgender” from the Stonewall National Monument website, an act of historical erasure that has outraged the LGBTQ+ community.
The National Park Service (NPS) revised the site’s introduction, stripping all mentions of transgender people and reducing the LGBTQ+ movement to “LGB”.
The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative condemned the move as a “blatant act of erasure”, dishonouring the trans women of colour, including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who were central to the 1969 Stonewall Riots.
USA: Hegseth memo halts gender-affirming care for trans service members as legal battle intensifies [abc]
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered an immediate pause on all gender-affirming medical care for transgender service members and has barred new enlistments of people with a history of gender dysphoria, escalating the Trump administration’s attack on trans military personnel.
The directive, issued in a February 7 memo, follows Trump’s January 28 executive order reversing Biden-era policies that allowed trans service members to serve openly. The order falsely claims that receiving gender-affirming care is "incompatible with active duty", despite decades of research showing trans troops serve as effectively as their cisgender counterparts.
The Human Rights Campaign and Lambda Legal have filed federal lawsuits, arguing the policy violates the Fifth Amendment’s equal protection clause and First Amendment free speech protections. Lead counsel Shannon Minter called Hegseth’s memo "a clear indication that the administration is rushing to implement the ban before the courts can intervene."
USA: Judge blocks Trump’s gender affirming care ban [them]
A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Trump's executive order aimed at banning gender-affirming medical care for trans youth under 19. Judge Brendan Abell Hurson of the District Court of Maryland issued the temporary restraining order on February 14, 2025, citing concerns that the order posed an "extreme risk" by disrupting essential medical care for transgender minors.
USA: Library books seized in US crackdown on DEI and gender topics [Guardian]
Tens of thousands of children in Pentagon-run schools have had their library access suspended while officials conduct a “compliance review” in line with Donald Trump’s executive orders on DEI and gender ideology. The Department of Defense confirmed that books deemed to be in possible violation of these policies have been removed and restricted to professional staff for evaluation.
The review affects all 160 Pentagon schools, spanning seven US states and 11 countries, impacting up to 67,000 children. Titles under review include No Truth Without Ruth, a picture book about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Julianne Moore’s Freckleface Strawberry. Other banned materials include chapters on sexuality and gender from psychology courses and the novel Becoming Nicole, about a trans child.
The Department of Defense Education Activity stated that the review, which involved removing books on women’s rights, brings Pentagon schools into line with Trump’s Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling orders.
India: Trans woman clears path to become assistant professor, calls it ‘a message for society’ [The Hindu]
Sumana Pramanik, a trans woman from West Bengal, has triumphed over poverty, discrimination, and rejection to pass the State Eligibility Test (SET), qualifying her to become an assistant professor, a milestone she hopes will challenge societal perceptions of trans people.
Pramanik, who has faced lifelong neglect and stigma, was sent to an orphanage at six but pursued her education relentlessly, earning degrees from Srikrishna College, Kalyani University, and Berhampore Union Christian College. After five years of failed attempts, she finally passed the SET, fulfilling her dream of becoming a mathematics teacher.
SPORT
Barcelona’s Mapi León accused of inappropriate conduct [Telegraph]
Mapi León has been accused of inappropriately touching Daniela Caracas during Barcelona’s match against Espanyol, with the incident prompting a strong response from Espanyol. As she put her hand between her opponents legs, she allegedly asked “do you have a dick?”. The club condemned the alleged act, offering Caracas legal support should she choose to pursue action against León.
World Athletics expands discriminatory ban, targeting Caster Semenya and intersex athletes [Santa Fe New Mexican]
World Athletics is moving to further restrict who can compete in the women’s category, applying strict transgender eligibility rules to intersex athletes like Caster Semenya, even if they were assigned female at birth and have never transitioned.
The President of World Athletics is the anti-trans Seb Coe who is running to become President of the IOC.
Trump administration pushes NCAA, schools to erase transgender athletes from record books [Santa Fe New Mexican]
The Department of Education, under the Trump administration, has demanded the NCAA and high school sports federations retroactively strip transgender athletes of their titles, awards, and records, an extreme escalation in the administration’s ongoing assault on trans inclusion in sports.
The Department of Education is pressuring governing bodies to erase past achievements, effectively rewriting history to conform to the administration’s rigid definition of gender.
While the NCAA could alter its record books, high school sports federations would need to enforce these changes at a state level, creating legal and logistical chaos. The most notable (only?) target appears to be Lia Thomas, the trans swimmer who won the NCAA women’s 500-yard freestyle title in 2022.
Out of 510,000 NCAA athletes, currently fewer than 10 are trans.
Imane Khelif vows to fight on despite IBA legal action [Telegraph]
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has vowed to continue competing in women's boxing despite the International Boxing Association (IBA) filing legal action over her participation in the Paris 2024 Olympics. Khelif, 25, won gold in the welterweight division despite a smear campaign claiming sex testing revealed male chromosomes. The results of these so-called tests have never been made public. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed her to compete.
The Russian-backed IBA is challenging the IOC’s decision, filing a complaint with Switzerland’s attorney-general and arguing, again without evidence, that allowing Khelif and Lin Yu-ting to compete posed a safety risk to female athletes.
Khelif is considering a move to professional boxing despite the relentless attacks of the anti-trans cult.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Nancy Mace accuses ex-fiancé of abuse and rape cover-up in House speech [Telegraph]
Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace used a speech in the House of Representatives to accuse her former fiancé, Patrick Bryant, of raping her, filming her without consent, and conspiring with three other men to drug, assault, and exploit multiple women, including underage girls. She claimed to have discovered videos and images in November 2023 showing unconscious women being sexually abused and alleged that Bryant and his associates shared these materials among themselves. She also alleged that South Carolina’s attorney general, Alan Wilson, failed to act despite being presented with evidence.
WHAT’S ON IN PARLIAMENT
Select business. Full business can be viewed here.
Parliament is now in recess, again, until 24 February.
THIS WEEK
Monday, 17 February
Sadiq Khan’s final draft budget for 2025/26
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair at event on US-UK relationship
Ursula von der Leyen hosts US Russia/Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg in Brussels
Tuesday, 18 February
Hearing in challenge to Trump administration’s trans military ban
Court hearing for ‘Soldier F’ charged over Bloody Sunday killings
Register of political donations
Report: UK employment and wage statistics
MOBO Awards
Wednesday, 19 February
Report: Private rent and house prices
Report: DWP figures on Cold Weather Payments for 2024-25
Trump EO on birth right citizenship due to come into effect; currently stayed
Thursday, February 20
UK inflation
Report: RSF on Russian abuses against journalists during the war in Ukraine
CPAC 2025 begins
South Africa hosts two-day G20 foreign ministers’ meeting boycotted by Marco Rubio
Friday, 21 February
Luigi Mangione in court
Conservative councillors’ local government conference
Scottish Labour Party annual conference begins
60 years ago today: assassination of Malcolm X
Saturday, 22 February
March for Ukraine demonstration in London
CPAC ends
Lara Trump show debuts on Fox
Sunday, 23 February
Parliamentary elections in Germany
SHORTS
The British Sociological Association have replaced "gender" with "sex" in their member equality survey [Ruth Pearce]
THE PAPERS
This week was slightly quieter than last week (30 vs 32) but, in general, the pace continues.
The Telegraph, as it tends to, leads the way with 11 but the Mail gave them a good run this week, publishing nine themselves. The Times had seven while the Guardian had three as they continue their weird obsession with the Emilia Pérez film and the fallout from the trans star posting some truly awful stuff before she was up for all the awards.
Sonia Sodha did not write her one column this week.
Quoted, mentioned or featured this week: Seb Coe, CAN-SG, Peggie Sandie, Kristie Higgs, Keira Bell, Helen Joyce, James Esses, Linzi Smith, Maya Forstater.
Whose bylines were on all these articles? Hayley Dixon (3), Geraldine Scott, Kumail Jaffer, Mike Keegan, Daniel Sanderson (2), Francine Wolfisz, Eleni Courea, Sean Ingle, Sarah Ward (2), David Leask (2), Matt Lawton, Louise Irvine, Stella Kingett, Sarah Vine, David Churchill, Dan Barker, Suzanne Moore, Eleanor Harding, Aidan Radnedge, Jonathan Ames, Michael Searles, Jan Moir, Georgia Lambert, Tom McArdle, Mark Macaskill, Catherine Shoard, Patrick Sawyer, Tim Sigworth, Katie Hind.
What was this week’s standout: The Scottish Daily Express, not a paper I monitor, making the choice to consciously misgender trans people in all their reports going forward. The right-wing papers I do monitor have been moving towards this position, as well. The Editor’s Code of Conduct, it seems, is worth even less than it used to be.
Spotted or know something you think I should include in the Trans Agenda?
THE PAPERS Monday 10 February- Sunday 16 February
Monday Total: 4
The Guardian [0]
The Times [1]
Daily Mail [2]
Telegraph [1]
Tuesday Total: 6
The Guardian [2]
The Times [2]
![Trans doctor’s tribunal clash over changing room choice Sarah Ward, David Leask Dr Beth Upton was taken to tribunal by a nurse A transgender doctor told NHS managers of her intent to use a female changing room and denied that using the space amounted to “bullying and harassment” despite the discomfort of a female colleague, an employment tribunal has heard. Sandie Peggie, a female nurse, took NHS Fife health board and Dr Beth Upton to the tribunal after being suspended following an incident in the women’s changing rooms at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, on Christmas Eve 2023. Peggie, who had worked at the hospital for 30 years, lodged a complaint related to a protected belief under section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 regarding three incidents that occurred when she had shared a changing room with Upton. Peggie’s claim under regulations covering indirect harassment, victimisation and whistleblowing was made after her suspension over an allegation of bullying and harassment. Upton gave evidence yesterday at the tribunal in Dundee. Both Upton and the health board are represented by Jane Russell KC. The tribunal heard that Upton had told her line manager, Dr Kate Searle, about her intention to use female changing rooms. Upton used a “disappointed emoji” in a note-to-self after an encounter with Peggie on August 26, 2023, when she “looked taken aback”. Giving evidence, the doctor repeatedly told the tribunal: “I’m not male”, and insisted that a gender recognition certificate should not be “required for a trans person’s gender identity to be validated or respected”. Upton said in a statement: “I had reached out to say as a trans woman I had used women’s changing rooms in previous jobs and intended to. My understanding was that was what I would do, use female changing rooms.” Naomi Cunningham, for Peggie, said: “Do you agree that you made it clear to Kate Searle that you intended to use the women’s changing room and she and the board acquiesced?” Upton said: “This was my understanding ... She agreed that was the best way to proceed.” Cunningham said: “You were well aware that some of your female colleagues might not be happy.” Upton said: “I would disagree. I am aware that some people are uncomfortable with trans people but I don’t think that automatically overrides a trans person’s right to access a changing room which aligns with their gender identity.” Cunningham said: “The starting point is that an employer is not entitled to give an employee permission to harass; whether or not [Upton] had permission to enter the women’s changing room isn’t relevant. What matters is what he did and what its purpose or effect was. He says he was entitled to be there as he’s a woman. The claimant says he’s not entitled to be there as he’s a man.” The tribunal continues.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff3b2f1af-043a-4ce1-b300-2d265d8b3836_421x841.png "Trans doctor’s tribunal clash over changing room choice Sarah Ward, David Leask Dr Beth Upton was taken to tribunal by a nurse A transgender doctor told NHS managers of her intent to use a female changing room and denied that using the space amounted to “bullying and harassment” despite the discomfort of a female colleague, an employment tribunal has heard. Sandie Peggie, a female nurse, took NHS Fife health board and Dr Beth Upton to the tribunal after being suspended following an incident in the women’s changing rooms at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, on Christmas Eve 2023. Peggie, who had worked at the hospital for 30 years, lodged a complaint related to a protected belief under section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 regarding three incidents that occurred when she had shared a changing room with Upton. Peggie’s claim under regulations covering indirect harassment, victimisation and whistleblowing was made after her suspension over an allegation of bullying and harassment. Upton gave evidence yesterday at the tribunal in Dundee. Both Upton and the health board are represented by Jane Russell KC. The tribunal heard that Upton had told her line manager, Dr Kate Searle, about her intention to use female changing rooms. Upton used a “disappointed emoji” in a note-to-self after an encounter with Peggie on August 26, 2023, when she “looked taken aback”. Giving evidence, the doctor repeatedly told the tribunal: “I’m not male”, and insisted that a gender recognition certificate should not be “required for a trans person’s gender identity to be validated or respected”. Upton said in a statement: “I had reached out to say as a trans woman I had used women’s changing rooms in previous jobs and intended to. My understanding was that was what I would do, use female changing rooms.” Naomi Cunningham, for Peggie, said: “Do you agree that you made it clear to Kate Searle that you intended to use the women’s changing room and she and the board acquiesced?” Upton said: “This was my understanding ... She agreed that was the best way to proceed.” Cunningham said: “You were well aware that some of your female colleagues might not be happy.” Upton said: “I would disagree. I am aware that some people are uncomfortable with trans people but I don’t think that automatically overrides a trans person’s right to access a changing room which aligns with their gender identity.” Cunningham said: “The starting point is that an employer is not entitled to give an employee permission to harass; whether or not [Upton] had permission to enter the women’s changing room isn’t relevant. What matters is what he did and what its purpose or effect was. He says he was entitled to be there as he’s a woman. The claimant says he’s not entitled to be there as he’s a man.” The tribunal continues.")
Daily Mail [1]
Telegraph [1]
![I am biologically female, trans doctor claims Male-born medic defends right to share changing room for women as nurse claims it was harassment The Daily Telegraph11 Feb 2025By Daniel Sanderson SCOTTISH CORRESPONDENT Dr Beth Upton, centre, arrives at the tribunal hearing in Dundee, Scotland, surrounded by supporters A TRANSGENDER NHS doctor who got changed in front of women colleagues has claimed to be a biological female. Dr Beth Upton, who was born male and identifies as a woman, stated in evidence to an employment tribunal that “I’m biologically female” and said sex had “no defined or agreed meaning in science”. The doctor is at the centre of a landmark case after Sandie Peggie, a female nurse, claimed she faced harassment as the result of being forced to share female changing rooms with the A&E doctor. In exchanges at the tribunal with Naomi Cunningham, Ms Peggie’s lawyer, the doctor repeated the claim of being female and suggested colleagues uncomfortable with a trans woman using female-only spaces held “misinformed, biased, unpleasant or bigoted” views. Ms Cunningham said: “You say you’re a trans woman. It follows that you’re not someone who has a biologically female body?” Dr Upton replied: “The term biologically female or biologically male is completely nebulous. It has no defined or agreed meaning in science, as far as I’m aware. I’m not a robot, so I am biological and my identity is female. Without wanting to appeal to the dictionary too much, I’m biologically female.” Dr Upton had been given permission to use the women’s changing rooms at Victoria Hospital in Fife by a manager, the tribunal heard, and continued to use them after noticing in August 2023 that Ms Peggie appeared uncomfortable with sharing. The third time the pair met in the changing rooms, on Christmas Eve that year, there was a confrontation provoked by Ms Peggie. That led to Dr Upton making a formal complaint and the nurse being suspended from work and investigated for bullying. Dr Upton said some colleagues might have felt uncomfortable with women’s facilities being used by a transgender person but that “doesn’t automatically override a trans person’s right to access the changing room that aligns with their gender identity”. The doctor added: “As a trans person, I’m aware people hold misinformed, biased, unpleasant, bigoted or transphobic views about trans people. It’s possible I work with some people who hold those views. “Those people may be opposed to the inclusion of trans people. Why they might be uncomfortable with me is up to them. I would disagree that I am male. I would disagree that my presence is an invasion of their privacy or their space.” Ms Cunningham questioned Dr Upton about how a female would be defined, asking about a hypothetical large-bearded character called “Pete” who appeared to be male in all respects but asserted that they were a “gender non-conforming woman”. The lawyer asked if Dr Upton believed “Pete” would have the right to use a women’s changing room. Dr Upton did not give a direct answer, saying the example was “frankly unbelievable”, and adding: “As someone who lives in a transphobic society, I accept there are prejudices, a lack of willingness to explore variety and the spectrum that is gender and gender expression. “Society is not yet at the stage where it understands gender in a more general, more messy way. What all trans people want is to be treated with respect, dignity, and [to] be safe. “If Pete is a gender non-conforming woman, she may wish to use the women’s changing room. She may feel unable to, she may feel open to discussions with her workplace about whether or not that’s appropriate.” Ms Cunningham went on to compare Dr Upton to the torturer in George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-four, who forces the protagonist, Winston Smith, to state he can see five fingers when he is holding up four. “The ultimate submission and humiliation demanded of Winston is that he affirmed something that both he and his torturer know to be false,” the lawyer, who referred to Dr Upton using male pronouns, said. “I suggest your demand of Sandie was of the same sort. You were demanding that she should submit to you by pretending you’re a woman, even though you both know that’s false.” Jane Russell, representing Dr Upton and NHS Fife, objected before Dr Upton could answer. “Is my opponent really comparing Dr Upton to the torturer in Nineteen Eighty-four?” she asked. “That’s worse than what the claimant did, which is comparing her to a convicted rapist. I object.” In her evidence, Ms Peggie has admitted raising the case with Dr Upton of Isla Bryson, the transgender rapist who was initially placed in a woman’s jail. However, she claimed she had been trying to make a general point about males in women’s spaces, rather than implying that Dr Upton was a rapist. The doctor went on to claim that the term biological sex “doesn’t really mean anything” as it was impossible to “accurately or usefully define” what it meant. “We would have to explore all the different things that make up one’s sex,” Dr Upton added, saying this could encompass “endocrine sex”, “primary and secondary sexual characteristics”, “reproductive sex”, “societal, cultural and assumed sex” and other factors. Dr Upton added: “Not all those things are what you might call concordant with the other. There are very few people who don’t think understanding of some aspect of somebody’s biology is important in some situations. But there is no agreed definition of biological sex.” ‘Is my opponent comparing Dr Upton to an Orwell torturer? That’s worse than what the claimant did’ The tribunal heard that Dr Upton, 28, is 6ft tall, while Ms Peggie, 50, is 5ft 4in. Ms Cunningham said it led to doubts over claims, raised in proceedings, that Ms Peggie had “cornered” Dr Upton on Christmas Eve. Dr Upton said: “I don’t think a feeling of being cornered is purely based upon physical attributes.” The doctor denied attempting to “assert dominance” over Ms Peggie and claimed to have been trying to “de-escalate” the situation, while being faced with transphobic harassment. The tribunal has previously heard evidence from Ms Peggie about an incident when she was 17, when she was sexually assaulted by a doctor who made an excuse to examine her breasts unnecessarily. Ms Peggie has said trauma from that incident contributed to her desire to have access to single-sex spaces at work. The tribunal continues. Article Name:I am biologically female, trans doctor claims Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Daniel Sanderson SCOTTISH CORRESPONDENT Start Page:9 End Page:9](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6ef73fa-4eef-4d85-b024-295eca4e2a18_758x722.png "I am biologically female, trans doctor claims Male-born medic defends right to share changing room for women as nurse claims it was harassment The Daily Telegraph11 Feb 2025By Daniel Sanderson SCOTTISH CORRESPONDENT Dr Beth Upton, centre, arrives at the tribunal hearing in Dundee, Scotland, surrounded by supporters A TRANSGENDER NHS doctor who got changed in front of women colleagues has claimed to be a biological female. Dr Beth Upton, who was born male and identifies as a woman, stated in evidence to an employment tribunal that “I’m biologically female” and said sex had “no defined or agreed meaning in science”. The doctor is at the centre of a landmark case after Sandie Peggie, a female nurse, claimed she faced harassment as the result of being forced to share female changing rooms with the A&E doctor. In exchanges at the tribunal with Naomi Cunningham, Ms Peggie’s lawyer, the doctor repeated the claim of being female and suggested colleagues uncomfortable with a trans woman using female-only spaces held “misinformed, biased, unpleasant or bigoted” views. Ms Cunningham said: “You say you’re a trans woman. It follows that you’re not someone who has a biologically female body?” Dr Upton replied: “The term biologically female or biologically male is completely nebulous. It has no defined or agreed meaning in science, as far as I’m aware. I’m not a robot, so I am biological and my identity is female. Without wanting to appeal to the dictionary too much, I’m biologically female.” Dr Upton had been given permission to use the women’s changing rooms at Victoria Hospital in Fife by a manager, the tribunal heard, and continued to use them after noticing in August 2023 that Ms Peggie appeared uncomfortable with sharing. The third time the pair met in the changing rooms, on Christmas Eve that year, there was a confrontation provoked by Ms Peggie. That led to Dr Upton making a formal complaint and the nurse being suspended from work and investigated for bullying. Dr Upton said some colleagues might have felt uncomfortable with women’s facilities being used by a transgender person but that “doesn’t automatically override a trans person’s right to access the changing room that aligns with their gender identity”. The doctor added: “As a trans person, I’m aware people hold misinformed, biased, unpleasant, bigoted or transphobic views about trans people. It’s possible I work with some people who hold those views. “Those people may be opposed to the inclusion of trans people. Why they might be uncomfortable with me is up to them. I would disagree that I am male. I would disagree that my presence is an invasion of their privacy or their space.” Ms Cunningham questioned Dr Upton about how a female would be defined, asking about a hypothetical large-bearded character called “Pete” who appeared to be male in all respects but asserted that they were a “gender non-conforming woman”. The lawyer asked if Dr Upton believed “Pete” would have the right to use a women’s changing room. Dr Upton did not give a direct answer, saying the example was “frankly unbelievable”, and adding: “As someone who lives in a transphobic society, I accept there are prejudices, a lack of willingness to explore variety and the spectrum that is gender and gender expression. “Society is not yet at the stage where it understands gender in a more general, more messy way. What all trans people want is to be treated with respect, dignity, and [to] be safe. “If Pete is a gender non-conforming woman, she may wish to use the women’s changing room. She may feel unable to, she may feel open to discussions with her workplace about whether or not that’s appropriate.” Ms Cunningham went on to compare Dr Upton to the torturer in George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-four, who forces the protagonist, Winston Smith, to state he can see five fingers when he is holding up four. “The ultimate submission and humiliation demanded of Winston is that he affirmed something that both he and his torturer know to be false,” the lawyer, who referred to Dr Upton using male pronouns, said. “I suggest your demand of Sandie was of the same sort. You were demanding that she should submit to you by pretending you’re a woman, even though you both know that’s false.” Jane Russell, representing Dr Upton and NHS Fife, objected before Dr Upton could answer. “Is my opponent really comparing Dr Upton to the torturer in Nineteen Eighty-four?” she asked. “That’s worse than what the claimant did, which is comparing her to a convicted rapist. I object.” In her evidence, Ms Peggie has admitted raising the case with Dr Upton of Isla Bryson, the transgender rapist who was initially placed in a woman’s jail. However, she claimed she had been trying to make a general point about males in women’s spaces, rather than implying that Dr Upton was a rapist. The doctor went on to claim that the term biological sex “doesn’t really mean anything” as it was impossible to “accurately or usefully define” what it meant. “We would have to explore all the different things that make up one’s sex,” Dr Upton added, saying this could encompass “endocrine sex”, “primary and secondary sexual characteristics”, “reproductive sex”, “societal, cultural and assumed sex” and other factors. Dr Upton added: “Not all those things are what you might call concordant with the other. There are very few people who don’t think understanding of some aspect of somebody’s biology is important in some situations. But there is no agreed definition of biological sex.” ‘Is my opponent comparing Dr Upton to an Orwell torturer? That’s worse than what the claimant did’ The tribunal heard that Dr Upton, 28, is 6ft tall, while Ms Peggie, 50, is 5ft 4in. Ms Cunningham said it led to doubts over claims, raised in proceedings, that Ms Peggie had “cornered” Dr Upton on Christmas Eve. Dr Upton said: “I don’t think a feeling of being cornered is purely based upon physical attributes.” The doctor denied attempting to “assert dominance” over Ms Peggie and claimed to have been trying to “de-escalate” the situation, while being faced with transphobic harassment. The tribunal has previously heard evidence from Ms Peggie about an incident when she was 17, when she was sexually assaulted by a doctor who made an excuse to examine her breasts unnecessarily. Ms Peggie has said trauma from that incident contributed to her desire to have access to single-sex spaces at work. The tribunal continues. Article Name:I am biologically female, trans doctor claims Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Daniel Sanderson SCOTTISH CORRESPONDENT Start Page:9 End Page:9")
Wednesday Total: 6
The Guardian [0]
The Times [1]
![Trans doctor accused of changing room ‘role play’ David Leask, Sarah Ward A transgender doctor has been accused at an employment tribunal of “role playing” as a woman by using a female changing room. Dr Beth Upton and the Fife NHS health board were taken to the tribunal by Sandie Peggie, a nurse at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy for 30 years who was suspended after an incident in the women’s changing rooms at work on Christmas Eve 2023. Peggie lodged a complaint of sexual harassment or harassment related to a protected belief under the Equality Act 2010 regarding three incidents that took place when she shared a changing room with Upton. Peggie was suspended in January last year over an allegation of bullying and harassment lodged by Upton. Naomi Cunningham, representing Peggie at the tribunal in Dundee, accused Upton of “immersive role play”. Cunningham said: “What Sandie Peggie has done by withdrawing from [the] changing room when you were there is opted out of immersive role play. That’s why you were angry with her ... I want to suggest that the reason it’s not acceptable to you for one colleague to opt out, is the danger that one voice telling the truth will break its spell. It’s like the child in the emperor’s new clothes. That one voice saying you’re a man will break the spell.” Upton replied: “There is no immersive role play. I’m not concerned about an emperor’s new clothes moment. I’m asking all colleagues to treat me with respect as I treat them. I’m not a man.” The tribunal had also heard that on Christmas Day 2023 Upton had raised safety fears with a line manager about using the female changing room when Peggie was there, but had used it again three days later in her presence. Explaining why, Upton told the tribunal: “I thought I would put my big girl pants on and be brave.” The tribunal continues.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda094410-a1ca-49fb-92ea-442384a57ba4_1413x380.png "Trans doctor accused of changing room ‘role play’ David Leask, Sarah Ward A transgender doctor has been accused at an employment tribunal of “role playing” as a woman by using a female changing room. Dr Beth Upton and the Fife NHS health board were taken to the tribunal by Sandie Peggie, a nurse at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy for 30 years who was suspended after an incident in the women’s changing rooms at work on Christmas Eve 2023. Peggie lodged a complaint of sexual harassment or harassment related to a protected belief under the Equality Act 2010 regarding three incidents that took place when she shared a changing room with Upton. Peggie was suspended in January last year over an allegation of bullying and harassment lodged by Upton. Naomi Cunningham, representing Peggie at the tribunal in Dundee, accused Upton of “immersive role play”. Cunningham said: “What Sandie Peggie has done by withdrawing from [the] changing room when you were there is opted out of immersive role play. That’s why you were angry with her ... I want to suggest that the reason it’s not acceptable to you for one colleague to opt out, is the danger that one voice telling the truth will break its spell. It’s like the child in the emperor’s new clothes. That one voice saying you’re a man will break the spell.” Upton replied: “There is no immersive role play. I’m not concerned about an emperor’s new clothes moment. I’m asking all colleagues to treat me with respect as I treat them. I’m not a man.” The tribunal had also heard that on Christmas Day 2023 Upton had raised safety fears with a line manager about using the female changing room when Peggie was there, but had used it again three days later in her presence. Explaining why, Upton told the tribunal: “I thought I would put my big girl pants on and be brave.” The tribunal continues.")
Daily Mail [3]
Telegraph [2]
Thursday Total: 4
The Guardian [0]
The Times [2]
![Christian wins six-year legal battle after school sacking Jonathan Ames - Legal Editor Kristie Higgs was said to have brought her school into disrepute A school administrator has won a sixyear battle over the right to express Christian beliefs after senior judges said she was wrongly sacked over social media posts. Lawyers for Kristie Higgs predicted the ruling in the Court of Appeal would have “significant ramifications for Christian freedom in the workplace”. They added that the judgment would boost “the freedom of any employee to express biblical principles on marriage and family, some of which may express opposition to LGBTQI-plus ideology, in public or private, without the fear of losing their livelihoods”. Higgs, 49, claimed she was compared to a Nazi after the head teacher at Farmor’s School in Fairford, Gloucestershire, was passed a screenshot of one of her private Facebook posts. Higgs, a mother of two who had spent seven years as a pastoral worker and administrator, was dismissed for bringing the school into disrepute and sued at Bristol employment tribunal for discrimination in a claim that sought more than £55,000 in damages. In their ruling, three appeal judges said that Higgs’s sacking “was unquestionably a disproportionate response”, and that “even if the language of [the posts] passes the threshold of objectionability, it is not grossly offensive”. The judges, led by Lord Justice Underhill, vice-president of the Court of Appeal, said “there was no evidence that the reputation of the school had thus far been damaged” and “there was no possibility that, even if readers of the posts associated [Higgs] with the school, they would believe they represented its own views”. Speaking on the steps of the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Higgs said “expressing biblical Christian teaching on gender and sexuality may appear to be offensive to those who hold the opposite views, but as today’s judgment signals, Christians have a right to express their beliefs publicly”. In 2018, Higgs posted two comments under her maiden name on her private Facebook page, which did not refer to her employment. She had discovered that her child’s school (not Farmor’s) planned to introduce books from the group “No Outsiders” on the subject of gender identity. Her first post called on friends to sign a petition objecting to plans to introduce relationship and sex education for primary pupils. Her second linked to an article on the rise of transgender ideology in US children’s books and she wrote: “This is happening in our primary schools now.” The head teacher at Farmor’s received an anonymous complaint and launched an investigation. Lawyers for Higgs said she was “subjected to a sixhour interrogation during a disciplinary hearing” at which her beliefs “were described as akin to that of a pro-Nazi right-wing extremist”. Higgs’s original employment tribunal, which began in 2019, ruled in favour of the school, and said those reading the Facebook posts could have concluded that she was transphobic and homophobic. Her lawyers appealed, arguing the judge had erred in law and that “no reasonable and informed person ... could conclude anything other than the posts were a critique of a certain approach to education”. In 2022, the appeal was postponed after the judge was forced to recuse from the presiding panel a lay member who was a transgender activist said to have been linked to the campaign group Stonewall.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F539c4dd8-1261-47e8-a2c8-d305f4aa8578_366x815.png "Christian wins six-year legal battle after school sacking Jonathan Ames - Legal Editor Kristie Higgs was said to have brought her school into disrepute A school administrator has won a sixyear battle over the right to express Christian beliefs after senior judges said she was wrongly sacked over social media posts. Lawyers for Kristie Higgs predicted the ruling in the Court of Appeal would have “significant ramifications for Christian freedom in the workplace”. They added that the judgment would boost “the freedom of any employee to express biblical principles on marriage and family, some of which may express opposition to LGBTQI-plus ideology, in public or private, without the fear of losing their livelihoods”. Higgs, 49, claimed she was compared to a Nazi after the head teacher at Farmor’s School in Fairford, Gloucestershire, was passed a screenshot of one of her private Facebook posts. Higgs, a mother of two who had spent seven years as a pastoral worker and administrator, was dismissed for bringing the school into disrepute and sued at Bristol employment tribunal for discrimination in a claim that sought more than £55,000 in damages. In their ruling, three appeal judges said that Higgs’s sacking “was unquestionably a disproportionate response”, and that “even if the language of [the posts] passes the threshold of objectionability, it is not grossly offensive”. The judges, led by Lord Justice Underhill, vice-president of the Court of Appeal, said “there was no evidence that the reputation of the school had thus far been damaged” and “there was no possibility that, even if readers of the posts associated [Higgs] with the school, they would believe they represented its own views”. Speaking on the steps of the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Higgs said “expressing biblical Christian teaching on gender and sexuality may appear to be offensive to those who hold the opposite views, but as today’s judgment signals, Christians have a right to express their beliefs publicly”. In 2018, Higgs posted two comments under her maiden name on her private Facebook page, which did not refer to her employment. She had discovered that her child’s school (not Farmor’s) planned to introduce books from the group “No Outsiders” on the subject of gender identity. Her first post called on friends to sign a petition objecting to plans to introduce relationship and sex education for primary pupils. Her second linked to an article on the rise of transgender ideology in US children’s books and she wrote: “This is happening in our primary schools now.” The head teacher at Farmor’s received an anonymous complaint and launched an investigation. Lawyers for Higgs said she was “subjected to a sixhour interrogation during a disciplinary hearing” at which her beliefs “were described as akin to that of a pro-Nazi right-wing extremist”. Higgs’s original employment tribunal, which began in 2019, ruled in favour of the school, and said those reading the Facebook posts could have concluded that she was transphobic and homophobic. Her lawyers appealed, arguing the judge had erred in law and that “no reasonable and informed person ... could conclude anything other than the posts were a critique of a certain approach to education”. In 2022, the appeal was postponed after the judge was forced to recuse from the presiding panel a lay member who was a transgender activist said to have been linked to the campaign group Stonewall.")
Daily Mail [1]
Telegraph [1]
Friday Total: 4
The Guardian [0]
The Times [1]
Daily Mail [1]
Telegraph [2]
Saturday Total: 3
The Guardian [1]
![‘A bummer’ Netflix on Emilia Pérez controversy The Guardian15 Feb 2025Catherine Shoard Film editor A senior executive at Netflix has responded for the first time to the controversy that has hobbled the chances of its key Oscars contender, Emilia Pérez. Speaking to Matthew Belloni on The Town podcast, Netflix’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, addressed the furore over the film’s star Karla Sofía Gascón’s resurfaced offensive social media posts, which is casting a pall over the record-breaking 13 Oscar nominations clocked up by Jacques Audiard’s musical. “It’s really a bummer for the 100 incredibly talented people who made an amazing movie,” Bajaria said. Netflix and Gascón’s representatives have been criticised for not spotting the tweets earlier. Bajaria said the episode would probably mean a change in internal policy, adding: “I do think it is raising questions for a lot of people about re-evaluating that process.” Yet she also expressed concern about the logistics of such a process. “You also have to [ask]: are we going to actually look at the personal social media of tens of thousands of people, every single day around the world, [given the] amount of original film and TV and co-prods that we make and license? It raises a lot of questions about what that should look like.” Gascón has repeatedly apologised for posts on her X account, which she has deactivated. After an emotional hour-long interview on Spanish TV last weekend, the star has said she will withdraw from the media and film to speak for itself. She will not attend tomorrow's Bafta film awards in London. Article Name:‘A bummer’ Publication:The Guardian Author:Catherine Shoard Film editor Start Page:17 End Page:17](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4047502-a9e2-40d7-8e0e-cf3976af4eb8_1653x281.png "‘A bummer’ Netflix on Emilia Pérez controversy The Guardian15 Feb 2025Catherine Shoard Film editor A senior executive at Netflix has responded for the first time to the controversy that has hobbled the chances of its key Oscars contender, Emilia Pérez. Speaking to Matthew Belloni on The Town podcast, Netflix’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, addressed the furore over the film’s star Karla Sofía Gascón’s resurfaced offensive social media posts, which is casting a pall over the record-breaking 13 Oscar nominations clocked up by Jacques Audiard’s musical. “It’s really a bummer for the 100 incredibly talented people who made an amazing movie,” Bajaria said. Netflix and Gascón’s representatives have been criticised for not spotting the tweets earlier. Bajaria said the episode would probably mean a change in internal policy, adding: “I do think it is raising questions for a lot of people about re-evaluating that process.” Yet she also expressed concern about the logistics of such a process. “You also have to [ask]: are we going to actually look at the personal social media of tens of thousands of people, every single day around the world, [given the] amount of original film and TV and co-prods that we make and license? It raises a lot of questions about what that should look like.” Gascón has repeatedly apologised for posts on her X account, which she has deactivated. After an emotional hour-long interview on Spanish TV last weekend, the star has said she will withdraw from the media and film to speak for itself. She will not attend tomorrow's Bafta film awards in London. Article Name:‘A bummer’ Publication:The Guardian Author:Catherine Shoard Film editor Start Page:17 End Page:17")
The Times [0]
Daily Mail [0]
Telegraph [2]
Sunday Total: 3
The Observer [0]
The Sunday Times [0]
Mail on Sunday [1]
Sunday Telegraph [2]
TRANSWRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Judge Tinnion should be ashamed of allowing tribunal to become a circus of harassment, by Gemma Stone
Calls for boycott as Oxford Literary Festival continually promotes bigotry, by Gemma Stone
My doctor emailed me back, by Abigail Thorn
The Rainbow Laces campaign isn't enough, by Arthur Webber
How Erika Hilton - a Black travesti trans woman - is changing Brasil, by Lis Welch
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
NHS & puberty blockers: Former GIDS patients reflect on long wait times, invasive assessments, by Sasha Baker.
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