Susanna Rustin in the Guardian:

I can clearly remember the moment I found out that Maya Forstater, the NGO researcher who lost her job in 2018 because of her gender-critical beliefs, had lost her employment tribunal. This was in December 2019, and it chilled me because I share Forstater’s view about the importance of biological sex. In a verdict that was later overturned, Judge James Tayler ruled that her opinions were “not worthy of respect in a democratic society”, and thus not protected under the Equality Act or the articles of the European convention on human rights concerned with freedom of thought and expression.

The “opinion” that men are not women is not worthy of respect. Old … Read the rest

Brendan O’Neill points out that the phrase “her penis” is not strictly accurate.

‘Her penis’ is back. Just when you thought the weirdos had put it away, here it is again, flopped all over the newspapers. A ‘trans woman’ allegedly ‘played with her penis’ in front of two young girls, reported the Daily Echo this week. ‘She’ allegedly ‘loved’ exposing ‘her penis’ to minors, says Portsmouth News. This ‘56-year-old charity shop worker’ is charged with ‘exposing her penis’ to horrified kids, says Talk TV. ‘Her penis’, they all say, over and over, like members of a lunatic cult, with no clue as to how unhinged they sound to those of us who know that the only possessive pronoun

There just aren’t any women, you see.

Australian surf brand Rip Curl has come under fire after featuring a transgender boarder in a campaign to promote women’s surfing. 

Male transgender boarder. It’s funny how they always leave that out. It’s implied, of course, but it damn well shouldn’t be implied, it should be spelled out. Every single time. Just combining “transgender” and “under fire” and “women’s surfing” is not good enough. Spell out the damn insult.

Sasha Lowerson, 44, featured on the Rip Curl Women Instagram page on Thursday as part of the company’s Meet The Local Heroes of Western Australia campaign.

It comes just months after Rip Curl dropped former brand ambassador Bethany Hamilton – one of the world’s

Nones are the majority.

When Americans are asked to check a box indicating their religious affiliation, 28% now check ‘none.’

A new study from Pew Research finds that the religiously unaffiliated – a group comprised of atheists, agnostic and those who say their religion is “nothing in particular” – is now the largest cohort in the U.S. They’re more prevalent among American adults than Catholics (23%) or evangelical Protestants (24%).

Back in 2007, Nones made up just 16% of Americans, but Pew’s new survey of more than 3,300 U.S. adults shows that number has now risen dramatically.

Better late than never, yeah?

Pew asked respondents what – if anything – they believe. 

Well that’s a silly way to put … Read the rest

Wow, powerful argument.

I don't have an identity, I'm normal pic.twitter.com/edKVVHW98X

— Katy's Shit Cartoons (@KatysCartoons) January 25, 2024

Being used to the body you’ve always been is not an idenniny, it’s just being used to what you’ve always been.

Idenniny is much more magical and profound and meaningfulish than mere being used to what you’re used to.

He’s not kidding about the shit cartoons part.… Read the rest

Mermaids is doing what now?

pic.twitter.com/27QpwvvkGW

— Women’s Rights Network- Greater Manchester (@WRN_Manchester) January 25, 2024

Dennis stepped in.

Mermaids are encouraging parents to bombard schools with a threatening legal letter which reads as though schools have a duty to facilitate social transition so I've done a template response any head teacher is free to use in reply. https://t.co/n5vS0qNy28

— Dennis Noel Kavanagh (@Jebadoo2) January 25, 2024

… Read the rest

Yet another one. I may find myself doing these for years to come – there’s so much of it.

NC: No, some people. Is that not enough. ERCC is saying to those ppl "you are a bigot, go away"
MS: No, we explain that we are transinclusive service and that is what we do

— Tribunal Tweets (@tribunaltweets) January 24, 2024

[High squeaky contemptuous voice]: You suggest everyone thinks like that.

No, not everyone, because we know there are fools like you, but certainly most people, you absolute monster of a smug censorious heartless last person who should be working for a rape crisis center goon. Everyone did “think like that” until about ten years ago, and now … Read the rest

More.

MS: We recognise trans people have ownership of their own identity, does not take away from staff or users

— Tribunal Tweets (@tribunaltweets) January 24, 2024

What is “ownership of their own identity”? This fool seems to take it to mean “people are what they say they are” – which is an abjectly ridiculous claim. No people don’t “own” their idenniny in the sense that if they say they’re a mouse then they’re a mouse.

We own very little, in fact. We’re thrown into the world, as the existentialists put it. We can change, we can acquire talents, we can curl our hair, but the range is pretty narrow. That’s just reality.

NC: 'No men' – for anyone who

The BBC in July 2018:

More than 300 transgender children a year are now starting on a course of puberty-blocking drugs, figures seen by the Victoria Derbyshire programme show.

One of the transgender children we have been following for four years has now begun her treatment, which gives youngsters time to decide if they want to live as a man or a woman. “I’m happy I’ve been given [the drugs] because now I know that I won’t grow facial hair. I just don’t want a beard – I’m a girl,” says 11-year-old Jessica.

So the BBC is admitting it started “following” this deluded child when he was seven years old.

The UK’s main centre specialising in gender issues

Isn’t it shocking how the BBC doesn’t devote any time to trans people especially trans women.

The studios teaching trans women how to be more feminine

Trans woman Nicole Thornbur goes to specialist studios to learn how to become more feminine.

Privately-run Born Studio in Manchester offers services including make-up lessons and voice coaching to people in the trans community.

BBC reporter William Lee Adams went with Nicole to the studio to find out more.

Nicole is built like a brick shithouse but whatever.… Read the rest

Remember Zoe Williams (Guardian columnist) yesterday saying this?

Genuinely think that if Woman’s Hour is going to give this much uncritical airtime to GCs, then for balance the BBC should have a Trans Ally hour where we get to complain about them _the entire time_.

Yes? Well, about that…

More wisdom from KT age 23:

NC: Miren said this am that she could not think of any expression of GC / sex realist beliefs that is not transphobic. Do you agree with that? Any expression is necessarily transphobic?
KT: I’ve not heard every sex-realist view expressed, so, can’t say all transphobic. Too simplifying to say that.
NC: Can you think of an expression of it you would not regard as transphobic?
KT: Not sure what you are looking for. 

NC: Do you understand what I mean by SR beliefs? Know what they are? Sex is binary, 2 sexes; everyone is M or F; you can’t change between them; sometimes sex matters. Is that transphobic?
KT: Yes the way

From the tribunal:

[NC is Naomi Cunningham, KT is Katie Horsburgh, 23-year-old board member of ERCC]

NC: Discussion here of having NB ppl in women-only organisation.
KT: There are no men at ERCC. Open to all genders
NC: Am talking about staff
KT: I think website says we create women-only place.
NC: Says no men
KT: Correct 

Still playing stupid games. “There are no men at ERCC; ERCC is open to all genders.”

NC: You are aware some ppl think being man or woman is matter of biology. Can’t change. Some ppl think yes
KT: Yes they do
NC: So you are being unclear when you say “no men”.
KT: Disagree. T-I policy is on website. And we have

Scotland embraces its own:

An arts company based in Edinburgh is launching a new show about JK Rowling and her part in the transgender debate called TERF CUNT.

Civil Disobedience, which has its roots in the Edinburgh Fringe and was launched by Barry and Josef Church-Woods in May 2016, described it as a “vital think-piece on Joanne, exploring just what could motivate a person with such privilege to take such a divisive stance on issues that affect her fans”.

Ah yes, two men do civil disobedience by calling a woman a cunt as publicly and showily as they can. And while they’re at it they patronizingly call her “Joanne” as if she were four years old and they were … Read the rest

What could go wrong?

Ram Mandir Day: With the upcoming Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya scheduled for January 22, 2024, preparations are not only in full swing in India but are also making waves globally. In a notable gesture, the towns of Oakville and Brampton in Ontario, Canada, have officially declared January 22, 2024, as “Ayodhya Ram Mandir Day.”

The mayors of Oakville, Rob Burton, and Brampton, Patrick Brown, acknowledged the long-standing aspiration of the Hindu community and emphasised the cultural, religious, and historical significance of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration on this date. Describing it as a testament to values of peace, unity, and harmony, the local governments have chosen to commemorate January 22, 2024,

Here’s an interesting bit from the tribunal. (It’s tricky reading the live tweets, because of course they have to be done at speed so a lot is left out and some is scrambled, but it’s worth the effort.)

KM is Katy McTernan, a member of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre’s senior management.

NC And related to her Protected beliefs?
KM I don't know about that (pause)
NC Are u aware that, my final section of Qs is about the environment in which this has taken place the atmosphere. Are u aware Prof Jo Phoenix won her case against Open Uni yesterday?
KM No

— Tribunal Tweets (@tribunaltweets) January 23, 2024

NC You don't know she qas hounded outout bc of GC

The Telegraph on the Jo Phoenix win:

The Open University “feared” being seen to support gender-critical beliefs when it failed to protect a professor from harassment, a judge ruled.

But the Open University apparently didn’t fear being seen to throw feminist women to the wolves.

Why is that?

Why is opprobrium from team luxury gender so much more terrifying than opprobrium from feminist women? Why do the small number of men who pretend to be women matter so vastly much more than half the population?

A ruling found that the Open University’s failure to protect her from harassment from colleagues and trans activists was motivated by “fear of being seen to support gender-critical beliefs” and “fear of the pro

Trump tells us how very very very intelligent he is.

Trump: I think I’m a lot sharper than Haley. I'd take an aptitude test and it would be my result against her result. When I heard the word cognitive, you know, I’ve taken two of them now. One with Doc Ronny who is now a fantastic, you know, White House doctor. pic.twitter.com/BiYeL0bqOz

— Acyn (@Acyn) January 22, 2024

… Read the rest

Guardian columnist Zoe Williams says what now?

Genuinely think that if Woman's Hour is going to give this much uncritical airtime to GCs, then for balance the BBC should have a Trans Ally hour where we get to complain about them _the entire time_.

— @zoesqwilliams@mindly.social (@zoesqwilliams) January 23, 2024

THIS MUCH uncritical air time to gender critical feminists? THIS MUCH? WHAT “this much”? They’ve given a lot of uncritical air time to men who pretend to be women and very god damn little to women who say men can’t be women.

Also note that because Woman’s Hour talked about a gender critical feminist on one episode Williams thinks trans enthusiasts should get a Trans Hour for “balance.” One episode … Read the rest

There’s also the tribunal. “SU” is service user.

Updating to add: Background and initials at Adams vs Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre.

KM – AB is non binary and I'm not going to answer questions about the staff's biological sex.
NC – ERCC employs two NB staff members
KM – I'm not going to comment on staff members biological sex
NC – if a NB person turned up who's passport says M, would be able to hire them

— Tribunal Tweets (@tribunaltweets) January 22, 2024

Why in HELL would a rape crisis center employ “nonbinary” people? Other than because a man who pretends to be a woman is the boss and he told them to?

talk about it. It's against