A Week in the War on Women: Monday 6th June - Sunday 12th June GOOD NEWS SUPPLEMENT

PHOTO CREDIT: @LouiseWluddite

Another busy week on the gender beat and here, for your entertainment and delight, are just a few of the good news stories. Enjoy!

Y Viva España

Some excellent news from Spain; on Tuesday the Spanish government voted for a proposal to draw up legislation to abolish prostitution. The proposed legislation would protect rather than criminalise ‘sex workers’ and introduce more stringent penalties for pimps and johns.

nia @nia_endingVAWG

Hooray for Spain! The Spanish parliament have voted in favour of a proposal to draw up legislation to abolish prostitution, crack down on pimping and tougher penalties for men paying for sex. Massive well done to those involved in campaigning for this.

reuters.comSpain to draw up laws to abolish prostitutionSpain voted on Tuesday in favour of a proposal to draw up legislation to abolish prostitution, cracking down further on pimping and introducing tougher penalties for men buying sex in a controversial initiative that has split the women’s rights movement.

A Bridges Too Far

Emily Bridges was interviewed on ITV News this week, claiming to be female and waving away suggestions that his inclusion in women’s sport is unfair. His appearance has caused mass-peaking with people queuing up to protest his ridiculous claims.

As ever, Olympic swimming legend, Sharron Davies, was one of the first to the plate.

Sharron Davies MBE @sharrond62

@SoniaPoulton @framboiserouge @itvnews @stevescott_itv @BorisJohnson Emily Bridges is NOT a female! And never will be. Emily Bridges is a trans women which by definition means male hence the word trans

She made the papers.

Daily Mail U.K. @DailyMailUK

Olympian Sharron Davies slams trans cyclist as 'NOT female'

trib.alSharron Davies slams trans cyclist Emily Bridges as ‘NOT female’British Olympic legend Sharron Davies claimed that she would be banned from competing in international swimming if she had ‘as much testosterone in my system as Emily Bridges’.

She was on the telly.

TalkTV @TalkTV

Julia is outraged after trans woman cyclist Emily Bridges wants to be able to compete against women. Olympian Sharron Davies: "This is special treatment. It's asking female athletes to compete against males." Watch TalkTV 🔹 youtu.be/8VC8gFexeZc @JuliaHB1 | @sharrond62

And she was quoted by Jackie Doyle-Price MP.

Jackie Doyle-Price @JackieDP

I think @sharrond62 is simply stating a fact. Emily Bridges is a transwoman. She is not a female

Claire @Claire67339956

Sharron Davies slams trans cyclist Emily Bridges as 'NOT female' https://t.co/UGRuwnTTMd via @MailOnline

Lucy Allan MP also spoke out in defence of women’s sport.

Lucy Allan MP @lucyallan

Biological males should not compete against biological females in competitive sport. Why would how you choose to identify, be relevant in determining which sex you compete against in a sporting competition?

As did Sajid David, the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care.

ITV News Politics @ITVNewsPolitics

'Biological sex matters,' @sajidjavid says on trans cyclist Emily Bridges itv.com/news/2022-06-0…

“When it comes to sporting competitions, I would think rightly that the vast, vast majority of people would agree that when you have competitions that are based on sex, male & female, we mustn't confuse that with gender. And it's biological sex that matters.”

Yes, Minister

Speaking of Sajid Javid, when appearing on Sky News this week he slammed the use of ‘gender neutral’ language in NHS information about sex-specific cancers.

Kay Burley @KayBurley

Your sex matters The NHS website no longer says that ovarian cancer specifically affects 'women' But this interview with Health Secretary, @sajidjavid, might be about to change that 👇 #KayBurley SR

“I don’t think it’s right. You won’t be surprised to know that, as the Health Secretary, I think that your sex matters, your biological sex is incredibly important to make sure you get the right treatment… It’s important that when messaging is given to people, it’s important that words like ‘women’ and ‘men’ are used.”

Elsewhere in Westminster, Minister for Women & Equalities, Liz Truss, made a robust speech in defence of women’s single sex services and spaces.

Conservatives for Women @CforWomenUK

Very strong statement on single-sex spaces and service providers in the Commons today from @trussliz Minister for Women and Equalities: "The law is clear, it's on their side, and we will defend it" #SexMatters #RespectMySex

“Service providers know that single sex spaces are crucial to recovery from abuse and violence of many women and children. The Equality Act recognises this and allows for the restriction of single sex spaces on the basis of biological sex. The law is clear, it’s on their side and we will defend it.”

Movie Night

Our friend, James Dreyfus, is in a rather marvellous short film directed by Hayden Hewitt. Lips is a mesmerising gasp-out-loud story with a cunning twist in the tale.

James Dreyfus @DreyfusJames

HATE asking for RT’s & publicity for things I’ve done, so I apologise. This little tale of the unexpected needs a bit of help. Ignore if so inclined!!

gearpress.co.ukbop | GearPressLIPS A quiet drink after work leads to a chance meeting with a barefooted stranger and a story so preposterous it can’t possibly be true….or can it? A dizzying chain of events will keep you guessing to the very last frame as Black Octopus Productions present, “Lips”, a paean to the halcyon days ...

If you’d like to watch it, you can do so here.

For The Reading List

Dr Jane Clare Jones’ book, Annals of the Terf Wars and Other Writing, is out now! And it can be ordered here.

Dr. Jane Clare Jones 🦕 @janeclarejones

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!!!!!! 💜🤍💚💜🤍💚💜🤍💚

LGB Alliance

Tremendous news from the LGB Alliance this week; thanks to a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF), they are planning a new helpline to support lesbian, gay and bisexual youth.

LGB Alliance @ALLIANCELGB

Thanks to a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, we are excited to be scoping and planning a new helpline dedicated to supporting young lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

We offer our heartiest congratulations and wish them every success with this wonderful initiative.

If you’d like to drop a line to NLCF to commend their funding of the LGB Alliance, you can contact them here: customer.services@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

Women Won’t Wheesht

The wonderful For Women Scotland played an absolute blinder this week, writing to all 32 Scottish councils and reminding them of their legal obligations re the provision of separate single-sex toilets in schools.

For Women Scotland @ForWomenScot

We have sent a legal opinion from Aidan O'Neill QC to all 32 councils in Scotland advising them there is an enforceable legal obligation on local authority & private schools to provide separate lavatories for boys and girls. #SaveOurSchools #SaveOurSpaces

thetimes.co.ukPull chain on unisex school loos, say activistsGender-neutral lavatories in Scottish schools breach equality law, according to a leading QC, amid claims that female pupils have been harassed and intimidat

Their brilliant campaign was reported in The Sunday Times.

“FWS wants councils to ensure that all schools, including proposed new-builds, have single-sex facilities and to make it clear to students that lavatories provided for a particular sex are not to be accessed by pupils of the opposite biological sex.”

And Finally…

Buitengebieden @buitengebieden

This is just a bear.. being a good citizen..