A Week in the War on Women: Monday 28th March - Sunday 3rd April GOOD NEWS SUPPLEMENT
So much good news from the gender beat this week, I struggled to fit it all in! Enjoy!
Bridges of sighs
‘Emily’ Bridges is doing a sterling job of drawing attention to the lunacy of trans-identified males competing in women’s sport.
Not only has the story been all over the media, but MP Tonia Anoniazzi raised the issue in the House of Commons.
A number of high profile athletes spoke up in protest, including Sally Gunnell OBE, who held the European, Commonwealth, World and Olympic titles concurrently.
Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth medallist, Emily Diamond.
Three time Olympic long jumper, Chris Tomlinson.
European and Commonwealth champion and three time Olympian 200m hurdler, Andy Turner.
Two-time Olympian marathon runner, Mara Yamauchi.
Olympian and European and Commonwealth medal winner, Laura Weightman.
Olympic champion cyclist, Nicole Cooke.
And double Olympic decathlon champion, Daley Thompson.
Sharron Davies, of course, was her usual brilliant self, appearing on TV and radio to defend women’s sport.
No thank you
Bridges was to have raced at the National Omnium Championships at the weekend. According to The Guardian, a number of female cyclists were preparing to boycott the event, supported by members of British Cycling’s performance team.
Then, on Tuesday, cycling’s international governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), ruled that Bridges is not eligible to compete.
One For The Reading List
Dr Jane Clare Jones’ book, The Annals of The Terf Wars and Other Writings, will be published in June and can be pre-ordered right now! (Note from Graham: Anyone new to this debate should follow Jane immediately. She is the Wise Woman of The West)
Leaving Them Kids Alone
On Thursday ITN reported on a leaked document which suggested that the Government is to shelve its plan to ban LGBT ‘conversion therapy’.
The following day, the government confirmed that it will be going ahead with the ban on LGB conversion therapy, but that it will not apply to trans people.
This means that dysphoric people and those struggling with their gender identity can access counselling and therapy which explores non-invasive alternatives to the affirmation model, (otherwise known as ‘transing the gay away’.) This watchful waiting approach is now illegal in some countries, meaning clinicians are in breach of the law if they refuse to give distressed teenagers experimental drugs on demand.
Meanwhile, in Ireland, the Health Service Executive has stopped funding trans lobby group, TENI, a group of chancers who turned trans rights into their own personal gravy train after glomming onto the Repeal The Eighth Movement.
It was under the influence of groups like TENI and Stonewall that Colm O’Gorman’s Amnesty tweeted this disgraceful thing, and erased Irish women from the scene of their greatest victory.
“Pregnant people”. The project to erase women’s language was already underway, and just as Self ID slithered into Ireland by glomming onto a Marriage Equality Bill, so trans extremism slithered into Ireland by glomming onto abortion rights. As the iunfamous Denton’s document recommended “Tie your campaign to more popular reform.”
But this is a good news supplement. Therefore….
Wizard News
JK Rowling looked resplendent and owned the red carpet at the film premier of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Stonewall Stymied
Stonewall has failed in its attempt to deprive the EHRC of its ‘A Status’.
Stonewall and the Good Law Project questioned the EHRC’s independence and effectiveness and sought a special review of its international accreditation. However, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions rejected their complaint.
Respect My Sex
Three leading women's rights campaign groups - Women Uniting, Sex Matters and Women's Rights Network - have just launched an exciting new campaign.
This campaign, ‘Respect my Sex if you want my X’, encourages voters to question their political representatives, local and national, about their stance on women’s rights and the gender debate. Put quite simply, ask them if they believe a woman can have a penis.
Writing in The Daily Mail, Maya Forstater commented, “Our group represents women from all walks of life - some have never been politically active before, whereas others have been in politics for decades - and have different views on some issues. But the one thing we all agree on is this: men cannot be women. Women, Sir Keir, cannot have penises”.
Never thought I'd say this, but thank goodness for the Daily Mail.
Good news indeed after some really depressing news in your bad news update. I love that our female sports women are not so easily oppressed as those poor swimmers in the States. I like the fact that the government has listened to the warnings about conversion therapy and I am cock-a-hoop that the TRA bodies have thrown their toys out of the pram and caused the cancellation of their conference. I was planning to protest at this conference so that saves me a trip. If the government can't cancel the booking of the facilities, perhaps they can offer them up to women's groups. I am sure we could rustle up a great conference on women and children's rights.