A Week in the War on Women: Monday 15th February - Sunday 21st February
Monday 15th February - No Identity, No Comment
A Co-operative Party member was invited to join the Women’s Network, provided that she ‘identify as a woman’. She replied to say that she doesn’t ‘identify as a woman’, she simply is one by virtue of being female. This is the response she received from the party’s Equalities Officer.
In order to be eligible to serve on the party’s women’s committee, it is not enough for a member to simply be female; she must ascribe (or at least pretend to ascribe) to an ideology that forces women to collaborate in the systems of their own oppression.
Tuesday 16th February - The Emperor Is Truly Naked (In Scotland)
THE HERALD: The SNP Justice Secretary, Humza Yousaf, refused to acknowledge there are only two sexes.
The Scottish government’s controversial Hate Crime Bill could criminalise anyone who challenges gender identity ideology and make defending women’s sex-based rights and spaces virtually impossible.
Labour MSP Johann Lamont tabled a series of amendments intended to force ministers to say whether or not they believe there are only two sexes. Humza Yousaf managed to dodge the question and opposed Ms Lamont’s proposed changes.
These changes hinge on using the phrase ‘opposite sex’ (as per the Equality Act 2010) instead of ‘different sex’. Yousaf stated, “Organisations such as the Equality Network, such as Stonewall Scotland, support the use of the term different sex because they believe it to be, and I agree with them, to be more inclusive, particularly of non-binary persons”.
The fact that the government minister responsible for the Hate Crime Bill is scared to state an unequivocal scientific fact for fear of reprisals from a vociferous lobby group demonstrates exactly why we should all be deeply concerned about this legislation and its implementation.
Also Today - The Sex That Dare Not Speak Its Name
BBC NEWSNIGHT: Professor Selina Todd spoke about the ‘culture of fear’ in UK universities for those wishing to discuss issues around sex and gender.
This followed the government announcement on its plans to appoint a "free speech champion" to ensure freedom of expression and debate on university campuses.
Professor Todd explained that, like so many other feminist academics wishing to discuss gender identity ideology, she has been the subject of intimidation and complaints. She has been no-platformed and even required security guards after threats of violence from trans activists.
She also spoke of a the newly created website, GC Academia Network, which has been flooded with testimonials from academics and students. They have been frozen out of professional networks, warned that they will face repercussions if they air their views on sex and gender and fear raising the issues on campus.
“The idea that there’s no problem is a nonsense… Universities are simply not upholding freedom to debate.”
Of course the usual suspects (who have no experience of being a feminist in academia) were queuing up to mock the issue.
The man who raged about “The ability of workers to organise and defend their rights” wore a comedy gag on his podcast.
And the man who once asked “Who'll defend the workers who cannot organise / When the bosses send their lackeys out to cheat us?” had this to say:
Also Today - You Bleedin’ What?
There was more female-erasing nonsense from Diva Magazine this week.
They’re teaming up with an organisation called Menstrual UK to launch a campaign for “Genderless menstrual leave”. Because pretending that men have periods is certainly the best way to support and empower the women who do.
Diva’s editor-in-chief is Carrie Lyell, whose bio on the magazine’s website says she wants to write about ‘queer culture’ and ‘queer womxn’.
By the way, guess who’s cheering on this anti-science hogwash?
Wednesday 17th February - These Are Not Women’s Crimes
Several news outlets reported on a Dundee teenager who was found in possession of child pornographic material.
“Denen” (nee Stephen) Anderson researched and downloaded images of child abuse, including a video depicting the rape of a toddler, and recorded material on infanticide and child torture. He was due to be sentenced at Dundee sheriff court on Monday but his case has been continued in order for a psychological report to be obtained.
Whenever the media has reported on Anderson’s case, newspapers such as The Courier, The Daily Record and The Dundee Evening Telegraph, refer to him as a woman and use female pronouns. No mention is made of his sex - male.
THE IRISH TIMES: Another story in the news this week concerned a trans-identified male who assaulted three men in a pub brawl.
Shauna Kavanagh was known as Sean Kavanagh when he pleaded guilty to three counts of assault in December 2017. Since then he has ‘transitioned to a woman’ and has a gender recognition certificate. (Remember that Ireland has self-ID so all ‘transition’ requires is the completion of a few forms.)
Defence barrister, Cathleen Noctor SC, told the court that Kavanagh, one of whose victims suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain, is too ‘vulnerable’ to serve a prison sentence.
Also Today - The Bearded Lady
THE DAILY MAIL: Apple has revealed a new set of emojis which will be available for the iPhone later this month. The 217 new designs will include a ‘gender neutral’ couple and a range of ‘women with a beard’.
See how this stuff seeps into every aspect of our popular culture?
Thursday 18th February - Where Have All The Lesbians Gone?
To celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month, BBC 5 Live are chronicling the coming out stories of “Four people across the LGBTQ+ spectrum”.
Featured in the programme are Enoch and Asad, two gay men, Jacob, who is non-binary, and trans-identified male, Yvy.
Apparently the “LGBTQ+ spectrum” doesn’t include lesbians.
Friday 19th February - Labour (Still) Losing Women
LABOUR WOMEN’S DECLARATION: A trade union activist has been ‘un-invited’ to speak at a Labour Party ward because she campaigns for women’s sex-based rights.
Kiri Tunks is a teacher, socialist, former NEU president and co-founder of Woman’s Place UK. In January she was invited to speak at a Labour Party ward meeting on sexism in education to mark International Women’s Day. This week her invitation was rescinded because of her connection to WPUK. The chair claimed her speaking would ‘upset’ people and described WPUK as a ‘hate group’.
She has written an open letter to the ward in question.
“Many women (and men) who have previously been active in Labour are turning away from the party, so horrified are they by this authoritarian approach to debate and to women defending our rights… To assert women’s sex-based rights is not transphobic… What I would like is an honest and respectful dialogue within the party and the wider labour movement.”
Saturday 20th February - Legal Challenge Over Census Sex Muddle
THE TIMES: Campaign group, Fair Play For Women, has launched a legal challenge to the Office for National Statistics’ census sex question.
The forthcoming national census will, for the first time, include a voluntary question about gender identity. It will also record the subject’s legal sex ie either their biological sex or their legal sex as stated on a gender recognition certificate.
However, it has been revealed that people can answer this question based on documents such as passports and driving licences which do not record legal sex. It will allow people to answer the question according to their preferred ‘gender identity’.
An article in this week’s Daily Mail suggests that civil servants ‘caved in’ to pressure from trans activists and lobby groups regarding the census sex question.
When undertaking a consultation on this issue, the ONS invited responses from a disproportionate number of transgender people and trans ally organisations. But no gender critical women’s groups were invited to participate.
Fair Play for Women is seeking a judicial review to challenge the ONS policy as they believe it to be unlawful.
Dr Nicola Williams of Fair Play for Women told The Times, “If we don’t have good data on sex we can’t monitor inequalities due to sex… we can’t remedy it. Sex matters.”
If you would like to help FPFW in this legal action, you can donate to the CrowdFunder here.
Sunday 21st February - The Truth Is Not Phobic
THE SUNDAY TIMES: The SNP’s ruling body has adopted a new definition of ‘transphobia’.
SNP sources say that a decision has been taken by the party’s national executive over the use of an official definition of ‘transphobia’.
This definition will mean that members could face repercussions if they do not comply with the pronouns and titles someone demands due to their self-identified ‘gender identity’. There will also be censure for “dead-naming” (ie using someone’s pre-transition name) and even for acknowledging that transwomen are biologically male.
The popular political blog, Wings Over Scotland, has written in more detail about the SNP and its definition of transphobia. “Woolly, semi-literate gibberish.”
See you next week.
I really appreciate the work that goes into these weekly compilations. But wouldn't it be so lovely if just for once there weren't enough examples to fill the week? Just one day even....
Instead, some days have multiple examples [big sigh].
I'd have been inclined to send them the lady equivalent of a dick-pic. A flaps-snap.