The Trans Agenda: Trans teen blamed for her own stabbing as the papers join in
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
[19 January 2025]
Follow me on Bluesky - @HLeeHurley.substack.com
UK & IRELAND NEWS
English trans teen stabbed nine times blamed for own assault [QueerAF]
A trans teenager in the UK was stabbed nine times in a brutal hate crime, but transphobic narratives have emerged blaming her for the attack (see PAPER REVIEW for more). The 18-year-old victim, who thought she was attending a social event, was ambushed by a group of teens who shouted transmisogynistic slurs and then shared footage of the attack online. The attackers, convicted this week of grievous bodily harm, received sentences of up to eight years.
The violence stemmed from the victim’s prior consensual intimacy with one of the attackers, who later learned she was trans and accused her of deception. The incident has drawn attention to updated Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance on “deception as to sex,” which suggests that failure to disclose one’s transgender identity could override consent.
Despite being a victim of sexual violence—she was secretly filmed and the video uploaded—the GC cult, aided by the media as usual, have portrayed her as the aggressor.
Northern Ireland Executive refuse to release medical advice behind puberty blocker ban, claiming not in public interest [Belfast Live]
The Northern Ireland Executive has refused to release evidence used to justify an indefinite ban on puberty blockers for trans youth, claiming it is "not in the public interest." Despite citing "openness, transparency, and accountability" as important principles, officials argue that sharing the advice would hinder "frank and honest" deliberations within the Executive. This is, of course, a total nonsense.
This refusal also comes despite overwhelming opposition to the ban in a UK Government consultation, where 59% of respondents disagreed with the decision. Critics, including LGBTQIA+ advocates like Alexa Moore from The Rainbow Project, have condemned the lack of transparency, calling it "unacceptable" and pointing out that such secrecy would not be tolerated in other areas of healthcare.
The Executive’s reliance on alleged medical advice that contradicts international consensus and exclusively harms trans youth is being hidden from the public because they know they cannot scientifically justify their decision, raising yet more serious concerns about accountability in decisions impacting vulnerable communities.
Human Rights Watch World report damming on UK LGBTQ+ attacks [Human Rights Watch]
On sexual orientation and gender identity, the report says, “In May, after his visit to the UK, the UN independent expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity warned that abusive rhetoric by politicians and in the media was creating a climate of hostility against LGBT people in the UK and contributing to a surge in anti-LGBT violence. He also acknowledged the UK’s valuable collection of disaggregated data on LGBT people but expressed concern at the government’s undermining of protections for the rights of trans women and overrepresentation of LGBT people among the unhoused population.”
Ideology will not influence approach to transgender prisoners, says Northern Ireland Justice Minister [Belfast Telegraph]
Justice Minister Naomi Long has affirmed that decisions regarding transgender prisoners in Northern Ireland will be based on safety and individual risk assessments, not ideology. Responding to anti-trans DUP MLA Joanne Bunting’s call to bar “biological male inmates” from women’s prisons, Long criticised the framing of the issue as part of a “ludicrous culture war.”
The minister highlighted that each case would be assessed on its own merits, ensuring safety and dignity for all prisoners, including transgender people, who she noted are among the most vulnerable in the prison population. Long dismissed claims of a “predators’ charter” as “scurrilous” and reaffirmed her commitment to justice, fairness, and equality.
AROUND THE WORLD
USA: Gender-affirming hormone therapy significantly improves emotional health in trans youth [Science Direct]
A new study published in The Journal of Adolescent Health confirms that gender-affirming hormone (GAH) therapy significantly improves the emotional health of transgender and non-binary (TNB) youth over a 24-month period. The study, which followed 315 participants aged 12–20, found that improvements in appearance congruence (alignment between gender identity and physical appearance) were strongly associated with enhanced psychological well-being, social satisfaction, and self-efficacy.
Conducted across four US clinical sites, the study revealed significant reductions in negative affect and social perception issues over time. These findings reinforce the life-changing benefits of GAH therapy, particularly for improving emotional functioning and quality of life among TNB youth.
Despite ongoing contrived political debates, the evidence continues to show that providing access to gender-affirming care is critical to the well-being of trans youth, underscoring the importance of inclusive healthcare policies.
USA: Montana House endorses ban on trans bathroom use [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
Montana’s Republican-led House has endorsed a bill prohibiting transgender people from using bathrooms in public buildings that do not match their sex assigned at birth. The legislation, which would impact daily life for transgender lawmakers like Rep. Zooey Zephyr and nonbinary Rep. SJ Howell, follows a failed attempt to restrict Zephyr’s restroom use in the state Capitol. Both lawmakers urged their colleagues to reject the bill, criticising the baseless framing of transgender people as a threat to women. As usual, no suggestions have been made on how this will be policed.
USA: Georgians agree there’s transgender discrimination, yet favour restrictions [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
A new poll by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reveals that while 65% of Georgia voters acknowledge significant discrimination against transgender people, the majority are happy with that and support restrictive measures. Over 70% favour requiring transgender girls and women to play sports according to their birth certificate gender. Additionally, 54% support limiting bathroom access based on birth certificate gender. As trans people keep saying, they know the damage they are causing, they just don’t care.
India: Transgender high priest leads community in holy dip at Ganga [Hindustan Times]
In a landmark event for the transgender community Tina Ma, Maha Mandaleshwar of Kinnar Akhada and a member of the Uttar Pradesh Kinnar Welfare Board, led a large group of transgender disciples and community members in a holy dip at the Ganga in Prayagraj on the occasion of Paush Purnima. The ritual, performed near the Sangam at Ram Ghat, marked a significant step toward greater acceptance of the transgender community in religious spaces.
Pakistan: Shunned and shamed, Pakistan’s trans community finally gets life-saving TB support [The Guardian]
Trans people in Pakistan face one of the country’s highest TB rates but often avoid treatment due to stigma and abuse in clinics. Programs like the Dopasi Foundation and Dareecha Male Health Society are providing vital TB screenings and safe spaces, funded by the Stop TB Partnership. Despite progress, trans people still encounter extreme prejudice in accessing healthcare. Advocates stress the need for systemic reforms to ensure equitable treatment and dignity for Pakistan’s marginalised trans community.
SPORT
Claim to 'save women’s sports' revealed as rooted in sexism and homophobia, not fairness [PsyPost]
A new study challenges the "save women’s sports" movement, revealing opposition to transgender athletes' rights stems from sexism, adherence to traditional gender norms, and homophobia. Researchers found those opposing trans inclusion in sports were also more likely to undervalue female athletes, reject equal media coverage for women’s sports, and support restrictive sex testing.
The study shows these views are not motivated by genuine concern for women’s sports but by a desire to uphold outdated gender norms. It concludes that the rhetoric of “saving women’s sports” is more of a political and ideological project than a legitimate effort to promote equity in women’s athletics.
One perfect example of all this played out in the papers this week. Arsenal women appointed Renee Slegers to be their permanent manager and both the Mail and Telegraph ignored this massive story. Arsenal are one of the biggest clubs in the world, regularly playing in front of tens of thousands of fans. When minnows, Sutton United, who play in front of crowds that don’t even reach 100, appointed a trans woman as their manager, both papers were outraged, especially the Telegraph’s Oliver Brown.
US House passes bill to ban transgender students from women's sports
The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives has passed legislation barring transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports at federally funded schools and universities.
The bill defines sex based on reproductive biology at birth. However, it is reportedly unlikely to pass the Senate.
MEDIA
Why Hear Me Roar is a must-watch for trans equality [Out.com]
Review summary from Out.com: The upcoming film Hear Me Roar brings to life the groundbreaking legal battle of Elizabeth Bellinger, a British trans woman whose fight for marriage recognition paved the way for the 2004 Gender Recognition Act. Starring Rebecca Root, Christopher Eccleston, and Emma Thompson, the film recounts Bellinger’s courageous journey from living stealth to challenging British law after her marriage was deemed invalid.
Though the courts initially ruled against her, Bellinger’s case set a precedent that transformed legal rights for trans Britons. In an era of growing pushback on trans equality, Hear Me Roar serves as a timely reminder of how individual voices can spark monumental change.
A release date has not yet been announced.
Karla Sofía Gascón makes Bafta history
Karla Sofía Gascón, 52, has become the first transgender woman nominated for the Best Leading Actress category at the Baftas. The Spanish actress earned recognition for her role in Emilia Pérez, a Mexican musical comedy about a cartel boss transitioning to escape retribution.
Gascón’s nomination follows similar accolades at the Cannes Film Festival and Golden Globes, highlighting her impact on global cinema.
This nomination has sparked yet another tantrum from gender-critical groups, with organisations like Sex Matters criticising the inclusion of trans performers in female categories. If successful, Gascón would be the first transgender winner in this category, and is competing against Cynthia Erivo, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Mikey Madison, Saoirse Ronan, and Demi Moore.
The Baftas will take place on 16 February.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
UK: Scotland advances LGBT-inclusive education with new national guidance [tie]
The Scottish Government has published comprehensive guidance on LGBT-inclusive education, setting clear expectations for all local authority-run schools to integrate LGBT themes across curricula. The guidance fulfils a 2018 recommendation from a multi-stakeholder working group and emphasises meaningful, age-appropriate learning that reflects diversity throughout the academic year, rather than as standalone events.
Key measures include mandatory professional learning for teachers, a prohibition on withdrawing students from LGBT-inclusive content, and integrating these lessons into broader school values and anti-bullying strategies. Schools are also urged to adopt preventive measures against prejudice-based bullying while empowering students and families to report incidents.
UK: MP believed to be behind Commons spiking [Mail on Sunday]
An MP is under investigation after a woman alleged her drink was spiked with a date-rape drug at the Strangers' Bar in the House of Commons. The incident, reported on January 7, led to the bar’s closure while safety measures are reviewed. The Parliamentary researcher who made the claim recognised the alleged perpetrator’s MP lanyard but did not identify their name or party. The Metropolitan Police and Parliament are investigating, with no arrests yet made.
UK: Record numbers forced into mixed-sex hospital wards [The Daily Telegraph]
Nearly 50,000 NHS patients were placed in mixed-sex hospital wards in the year to November 2024, marking a record high since the practice was largely banned in 2010. NHS England data revealed 49,100 breaches, over double the 19,700 recorded annually before the pandemic. November 2024 alone saw 3,983 instances, the highest for any November since records began in 2011.
Charities and patient groups, including the Patients Association, have expressed alarm, calling on the government and NHS leaders to address the decline in privacy and dignity. NHS England acknowledged the challenge, citing extreme service pressures.
The crisis coincides with severe NHS overcrowding, with only 4% of beds unoccupied last week, leaving some trusts without available beds. Reports from the Royal College of Nursing highlight collapsing care standards, including patients dying in overcrowded corridors, further exacerbating concerns.
Amidst all this, Wes Streeting wants to find private rooms for trans patients to ‘protect’ cis ones.
Nigeria: FG bans homosexuality, cross-dressing in military under revised terms [THISDAY]
The Nigerian federal government has prohibited military personnel from engaging in homosexuality, cross-dressing, and other behaviours under the revised Harmonised Armed Forces Terms and Conditions of Service (HAFCTCS) 2024. It was signed by President Bola Tinubu on 16 December 2024.
The document explicitly bars participation in LGBTQIA2S+ activities, relationships with subordinates or their spouses, body piercings, tattoos, and drunkenness. Personnel are also forbidden from joining secret societies, political parties, or engaging in private businesses. Additionally, misuse of government property and failure to meet financial obligations, such as licensing and insurance, will now be considered serious offences.
Drag artists warn of rising bigotry as they honour The Vivienne [The Guardian Australia]
Drag artists have highlighted a growing tide of bigotry against their community during RuPaul’s DragCon UK, held in London following the death of The Vivienne, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019. The Vivienne passed away earlier this month aged 32.
Fellow performers, including Danny Beard, Juno Birch, and Ginger Johnson, linked the rise in hostility to increasing transphobia, with Beard describing current anti-drag sentiments as “rightwing vile propaganda.” Birch noted that LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly trans people, now face unprecedented scrutiny, while Johnson lamented the recycled homophobia that continues to target drag.
UK: Women held the power in Celtic Britain, archaeologists find [Times, Telegraph, Mail, Guardian]
New research suggests women in Iron Age Britain held significant social and political power, with land often inherited through maternal lines. Analysis of over 50 ancient genomes from Dorset burial sites showed matrilocality, where husbands joined their wives’ communities upon marriage. These findings challenge assumptions about female leaders like Boudica being outliers, matching up with Roman accounts of astonishment at women in leadership roles. The study also found similar patterns across other regions of Britain and noted that women were more frequently buried with high-status goods than men.
SHORTS
New women’s health and well-being hubs will open in all 12 UK female prisons from 1 April.
JK Rowling is no longer the UK’s bestselling author after she was surpassed by Julia Donaldson. Donaldson wrote the children’s book The Gruffalo and is now Britain’s bestselling author since accurate records began. [Telegraph]
The Abu Dhabi fund controlling the troubled sale of The Telegraph has allegedly urged the newspaper group’s executives to make more than 100 people redundant and meet ambitious profit targets. [Times]
Caffè Nero subscribes to the British Newspaper Archive so it’s apparently all free on their wifi (not an ad just a useful tip).
WHAT’S ON IN PARLIAMENT
Select business. Full business can be viewed here.
Tuesday, 21 January
9.45am private, 10am public: Home Affairs Committee, oral evidence, Implementation of Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. More here.
Wednesday, 22 January
12pm, House of Commons, Prime Minister’s Questions
🚨 2pm private, 2.20pm public, Women and Equalities Committee, oral evidence, Evidence base on the safety and effectiveness of puberty blockers. More here.
THIS WEEK
Monday, 20 January
Convicted felon Donald Trump’s inauguration as US President
Tuesday, 21 January
High Court trial begins in Prince Harry phone hacking case against The S*n
Wednesday, 22 January
Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Thailand
Tommy Robinson in court on Terrorism Act charge
Sentencing for former Memphis police officers convicted over Tyre Nichols' death
Thursday, 23 January
Oscars nominations announced
Saturday, 25 January
Burns Night
Sunday, 26 January
Presidential election in Belarus
THE PAPERS
There were a total of 15 articles this week about trans people, a number that was inflated by the trial of the group of people who stabbed a trans teen for the ‘crime’ of being trans.
The Times and Telegraph share this week’s honour of ‘Biggest Danger’ with five each, although only the Times published yet another vile opinion piece.
The Guardian’s month-long run without anything about trans people came to an end as they covered the sentencing of the attackers mentioned above. With Sonia Sodha’s one column missing in action since August, perhaps they have finally caught themselves on.
The Mail were too obsessed with Hitler this week (seriously) to go after trans people in any meaningful fashion. With 14 pages on Saturday, plus a front page, and eight on Sunday fawning over various Nazis, they only had time for four articles about trans people.
Weirdly, the Mail did not cover the story about the German neo-Nazi who claims to be a woman after he was sent to a male prison. That story was in the Telegraph.
Quoted or mentioned this week:
Sex Matters, crying about a BAFTA nomination
How many GCs got a byline? None, unless you count Janice Turner
How many trans people were quoted or got a byline? LOL
Spotted or know something you think I should include in the Trans Agenda?
THE PAPERS Monday 13 January - Sunday 19 January
Monday Total: 3
The Guardian [0]
The Times [0]
Daily Mail [2]
Telegraph [1]
Tuesday Total: 0
Wednesday Total: 0
Thursday Total: 5
The Guardian [0]
The Times [2]
Daily Mail [1]
Telegraph [2]
Friday Total: 5
The Guardian [1]
The Times [1]
Daily Mail [1]
Telegraph [2]
Saturday Total: 1
The Guardian [0]
The Times [1]
Daily Mail [0]
Telegraph [0]
Sunday Total: 1
The Observer [0]
The Sunday Times [1]
![Civil servant fought Whitehall over trans ideology — and won Eleanor Frances, who sued her own bosses after being forced out of her job, tells Rosamund Urwin why she couldn’t stay silent Eleanor Frances says she was given the impression her views meant she needed to be “educated” Next image › A civil servant has described how a “huge weight has been lifted off” her shoulders after she won an 18-month legal battle with her former employers over her concerns about their promotion of transgender ideology. Eleanor Frances, now 39, felt forced to leave the job she loved in August 2023 after repeatedly raising concerns that her corner of Whitehall had been “captured” by transgender ideology, contrary to the civil service’s commitment to impartiality. Last week, she revealed two Whitehall departments had pledged to revise their guidelines so that civil servants would no longer be labelled “transphobic” for expressing gender-critical beliefs. They also agreed to pay Frances a settlement of £116,749 plus taxes. Speaking in the café of the Institution of Civil Engineers in Westminster, she still seems like the consummate Sir Humphrey. She arrives with notes to ensure no details are forgotten. Civil service speak — “directorates”, “stakeholders” — keeps slipping in. She is discreet, meticulous and private, clamming up on any questions outside the details of her case. Frances, who lives in Oxfordshire and has a PhD in engineering, joined the civil service in 2019. Her role at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) was in developing policy, and she was swiftly promoted to manage a team of six. But by 2021, she started to feel a deep disquiet that her department was accepting a view of identity in which gender overrode biological sex. Colleagues started putting their pronouns in their email signatures. One civil service staffer sent their team a pic- ture of a “gender-bread person” — a model intended to illustrate the complexities of identity. “There are two sides to the debate, but everywhere I looked, I could only see one,” she recalled. “It was everywhere. There were blogs, strategies, and we were encouraged to participate in equality, diversity and inclusion [EDI] discussions in which the material was politicised.” Frances alleged she witnessed colleagues’ political views shaping how they developed policy, which could potentially have implications in DCMS, including for women’s sport. “[Bosses] gave the impression that if you didn’t agree with it, you would need to be ‘educated’ — and that this was the only moral position to take,” she added. “You worry that you’re going to be ostracised by your colleagues if you disagree.” Initially she tried to keep her “head down and stay silent”, but then she tentatively raised the issue with her managers. She was advised not to attend EDI discussions if they made her uncomfortable. MY VIEW’S WORTHY OF RESPECT In August 2022, she considered applying for a promotion that would have made her a senior civil servant. Then she realised she would be assessed by a panel of three junior staff who were “self-selected as EDI champions” and had helped decide the division’s diversity strategy. The panel would assess her commitment to inclusion and tell the hiring manager. Frances thought if she were interviewed she would either make her true view known or feel forced to misrepresent her opinions. “It was an ideological litmus test for entry into the senior civil service,” she said. “I didn’t think I could even say that some people think it’s impossible to change sex, and that’s a view worthy of respect. I didn’t feel I could stay silent any more.” She withdrew her application. There was a litmus test for entry into the senior civil service In autumn 2022, she became aware that DCMS had adopted a gender identity policy, after an assessment by the lobby group Stonewall. “It wasn’t just blogs and discussions now, it was in formal policy,” she said. “It included that the definition of transphobia was the denial of someone’s gender identity. It placed the idea of inclusion above the protections that single-sex services offer to women.” She argued this was unfair on female staff — as the acceptance of “self-ID” meant biological males could now use women’s lavatories — and affected policy. “Single-sex facilities had become mixed, so the department was adopting a position that made it worse to be a woman,” she said. “Additionally, it proscribed gender critical beliefs through the definition of transphobia, which inhibited us from talking accurately about issues.” STAFF WERE FEARFUL In December 2022, Frances wrote to the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, who never replied. “I took this to the very top,” she said. “It asks a lot of you to formalise [a complaint]. It made it necessary to name individuals and name the HR department.” DCMS opened an internal investigation and Frances found a potential witness, but the woman pulled out, fearing she would lose her job. When Frances returned to work in the new year, she was told her department was being restructured. “My role was substantially reduced,” she said. “My team was taken from me, and the people who designed that restructure were the people I’d named in my complaint.” In April 2023, Frances — who had now been transferred to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) — co-ordinated a letter from 42 civil servants raising similar concerns. “It told me how fearful other civil servants were,” she said. “People were even worried about having it on government IT systems — they were scared IT would search their emails.” About three months later, the civil service ended its investigation. Frances said its findings “largely ignored” her arguments. “One of the more bizarre arguments put forward was that if sharing pronouns was a breach of impartiality, then not sharing them was too,” she said. “And this is a complaint about HR and HR policies, but they put a member of HR as a co-ordinator for the investigation.” The response, Frances felt, not only failed to take on board her concerns but misrepresented them. “They described my concerns as that some people might not want to share facilities with a transgender person,” she said. “That’s not what I was saying: I was saying some women might not want to share facilities with a male. I’d be perfectly happy to share facilities with a female who identifies as transgender.” She resigned in August 2023. “I’d been to all of the leadership I could realistically go to,” she said. “I had reached the end of the road. I’d been excluded and ostracised.” She made a claim for victimisation, unfair constructive dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of philosophical belief. The case was due to be heard at an employment tribunal in the spring but the two parties settled in December without liability. The DCMS and DSIT permanent secretaries, Susannah Storey and Sarah Munby, said the new policy “will balance the rights of staff with different protected characteristics, including but not limited to gender reassignment, religion and belief, and sex”. Frances, who has a new job, said the experience had been draining but there were positives. The MP Rosie Duffield and the campaigner Maya Forstater supported her. “The support online has been astounding. I’ve been blown away by that. It has been humbling,” she said. The government said: “We are committed to fostering an inclusive working culture that allows civil servants to safely hold, voice, discuss or challenge any lawful perspective, without fear or favour.”](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b01ae72-9fed-4011-b3dc-0315418459d5_1157x840.png "Civil servant fought Whitehall over trans ideology — and won Eleanor Frances, who sued her own bosses after being forced out of her job, tells Rosamund Urwin why she couldn’t stay silent Eleanor Frances says she was given the impression her views meant she needed to be “educated” Next image › A civil servant has described how a “huge weight has been lifted off” her shoulders after she won an 18-month legal battle with her former employers over her concerns about their promotion of transgender ideology. Eleanor Frances, now 39, felt forced to leave the job she loved in August 2023 after repeatedly raising concerns that her corner of Whitehall had been “captured” by transgender ideology, contrary to the civil service’s commitment to impartiality. Last week, she revealed two Whitehall departments had pledged to revise their guidelines so that civil servants would no longer be labelled “transphobic” for expressing gender-critical beliefs. They also agreed to pay Frances a settlement of £116,749 plus taxes. Speaking in the café of the Institution of Civil Engineers in Westminster, she still seems like the consummate Sir Humphrey. She arrives with notes to ensure no details are forgotten. Civil service speak — “directorates”, “stakeholders” — keeps slipping in. She is discreet, meticulous and private, clamming up on any questions outside the details of her case. Frances, who lives in Oxfordshire and has a PhD in engineering, joined the civil service in 2019. Her role at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) was in developing policy, and she was swiftly promoted to manage a team of six. But by 2021, she started to feel a deep disquiet that her department was accepting a view of identity in which gender overrode biological sex. Colleagues started putting their pronouns in their email signatures. One civil service staffer sent their team a pic- ture of a “gender-bread person” — a model intended to illustrate the complexities of identity. “There are two sides to the debate, but everywhere I looked, I could only see one,” she recalled. “It was everywhere. There were blogs, strategies, and we were encouraged to participate in equality, diversity and inclusion [EDI] discussions in which the material was politicised.” Frances alleged she witnessed colleagues’ political views shaping how they developed policy, which could potentially have implications in DCMS, including for women’s sport. “[Bosses] gave the impression that if you didn’t agree with it, you would need to be ‘educated’ — and that this was the only moral position to take,” she added. “You worry that you’re going to be ostracised by your colleagues if you disagree.” Initially she tried to keep her “head down and stay silent”, but then she tentatively raised the issue with her managers. She was advised not to attend EDI discussions if they made her uncomfortable. MY VIEW’S WORTHY OF RESPECT In August 2022, she considered applying for a promotion that would have made her a senior civil servant. Then she realised she would be assessed by a panel of three junior staff who were “self-selected as EDI champions” and had helped decide the division’s diversity strategy. The panel would assess her commitment to inclusion and tell the hiring manager. Frances thought if she were interviewed she would either make her true view known or feel forced to misrepresent her opinions. “It was an ideological litmus test for entry into the senior civil service,” she said. “I didn’t think I could even say that some people think it’s impossible to change sex, and that’s a view worthy of respect. I didn’t feel I could stay silent any more.” She withdrew her application. There was a litmus test for entry into the senior civil service In autumn 2022, she became aware that DCMS had adopted a gender identity policy, after an assessment by the lobby group Stonewall. “It wasn’t just blogs and discussions now, it was in formal policy,” she said. “It included that the definition of transphobia was the denial of someone’s gender identity. It placed the idea of inclusion above the protections that single-sex services offer to women.” She argued this was unfair on female staff — as the acceptance of “self-ID” meant biological males could now use women’s lavatories — and affected policy. “Single-sex facilities had become mixed, so the department was adopting a position that made it worse to be a woman,” she said. “Additionally, it proscribed gender critical beliefs through the definition of transphobia, which inhibited us from talking accurately about issues.” STAFF WERE FEARFUL In December 2022, Frances wrote to the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, who never replied. “I took this to the very top,” she said. “It asks a lot of you to formalise [a complaint]. It made it necessary to name individuals and name the HR department.” DCMS opened an internal investigation and Frances found a potential witness, but the woman pulled out, fearing she would lose her job. When Frances returned to work in the new year, she was told her department was being restructured. “My role was substantially reduced,” she said. “My team was taken from me, and the people who designed that restructure were the people I’d named in my complaint.” In April 2023, Frances — who had now been transferred to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) — co-ordinated a letter from 42 civil servants raising similar concerns. “It told me how fearful other civil servants were,” she said. “People were even worried about having it on government IT systems — they were scared IT would search their emails.” About three months later, the civil service ended its investigation. Frances said its findings “largely ignored” her arguments. “One of the more bizarre arguments put forward was that if sharing pronouns was a breach of impartiality, then not sharing them was too,” she said. “And this is a complaint about HR and HR policies, but they put a member of HR as a co-ordinator for the investigation.” The response, Frances felt, not only failed to take on board her concerns but misrepresented them. “They described my concerns as that some people might not want to share facilities with a transgender person,” she said. “That’s not what I was saying: I was saying some women might not want to share facilities with a male. I’d be perfectly happy to share facilities with a female who identifies as transgender.” She resigned in August 2023. “I’d been to all of the leadership I could realistically go to,” she said. “I had reached the end of the road. I’d been excluded and ostracised.” She made a claim for victimisation, unfair constructive dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of philosophical belief. The case was due to be heard at an employment tribunal in the spring but the two parties settled in December without liability. The DCMS and DSIT permanent secretaries, Susannah Storey and Sarah Munby, said the new policy “will balance the rights of staff with different protected characteristics, including but not limited to gender reassignment, religion and belief, and sex”. Frances, who has a new job, said the experience had been draining but there were positives. The MP Rosie Duffield and the campaigner Maya Forstater supported her. “The support online has been astounding. I’ve been blown away by that. It has been humbling,” she said. The government said: “We are committed to fostering an inclusive working culture that allows civil servants to safely hold, voice, discuss or challenge any lawful perspective, without fear or favour.”")
Mail on Sunday [0]
Sunday Telegraph [0]
TRANSWRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
Calls for boycott as Oxford Literary Festival continually promotes bigotry, by Gemma Stone
My doctor emailed me back, by Abigail Thorn
Hilary Cass accuses critics of “shroud-waving” over trans youth harm, by Lee Hurley
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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