A Week in the War on Women: Monday 1st November - Sunday 7th November
Monday 1st November - Pronoun Police - Recruiting Now!
A good friend in Australia sent me this job vacancy currently being advertised by The University of Melbourne.
The university is seeking to appoint a ‘Senior Advisor (Gender Affirmation)’ to support those ‘wishing to affirm their gender’ there.
The main responsibilities of the role are described below. They appear to involve complete pandering to and prioritisation of those who are ‘transgender and gender diverse’. The job also seems to require a certain degree of spying and snitching on unbelievers.
Earlier this year, a group of trans activists at Melbourne University organised a protest calling for the sacking of feminist academic, Dr Holly Lawford-Smith, over her gender critical views. Her supporters were verbally abused and intimidated; trans activists threw water and swore at the women assembled, insulted them, screamed “Fuck off terf!” and called them c*nts. One trans-identified male shouted continually into a woman’s face with a loud hailer.
It really doesn’t seem like it’s the ‘gender diverse’ who require a protection detail on this campus.
Tuesday 2nd November - It’s All About You
A London film festival screened a documentary called Girl Like You about the relationship between a trans-identified male and his partner.
Raindance, the UK's largest independent film festival, was held in London this week. One of the films featured was a documentary about a heterosexual couple, trans-identified male, Elle, and his female partner, Lauren.
According to the description on IMDB; “A couple battles to stay together as one of them transitions genders; confronting the effects of new body parts, changing gender roles as well as navigating their own evolving sexual identities.”
I haven’t seen the film so can’t comment on its content, but this review probably tells us everything we need to know:
“A bandmate from Elle’s group complains that she talks of nothing else and he cannot discuss the transition any more while the incredible toll it takes on the supportive Lauren over many years is sad to watch as she feels consumed by Elle’s needs…
The film explores the complex reflections the couple have on their sexuality; Lauren who initially identified as heterosexual finds herself in a relationship with a woman while soon Elle who retains an attraction to women identifies as gay and wants the freedom to explore dating as a woman.”
Well, he would, wouldn't he?
Wednesday 3rd November - Within These Walls
THE TIMES: Twelve males have been accommodated in women’s prisons in Scotland, according to information revealed under Freedom of Information laws.
In Scotland, twelve trans-identified males convicted of violent or sexually violent crimes have been placed in women’s prisons within the past 18 months. Only one of those prisoners has undergone a physical transition while the remaining 11 are intact males who ‘self-identify’ as women.
Rhona Hotchkiss, a former governor of Cornton Vale women’s prison in Stirling, told The Times, “My experience is that it is always an issue to have trans women in with female prisoners and you have to think beyond the obvious which is physical or sexual threat, which is sometimes an issue, to the very fact of the presence of male-bodied prisoners among vulnerable women causes them distress and consternation.”
The prison ‘transgender policy’ in Scotland was developed in 2014. The Scottish Prison Service did not consult with any women’s groups or female prisoners, only with trans lobbyists such as the Scottish Transgender Alliance.
Gordon Pike was a senior official of the Scottish Prison Service and one of the officials who drew up the transgender prison policy. Pike was convicted of the possession of sexual images of children when a police search of his home uncovered 45 discs containing 22,100 indecent images of minors.
Thursday 4th November - The Women-Hating Bankers
4W: A feminist foundation based in The Netherlands lost its bank account because it won’t include trans-identified males.
Voorzij (translation: For Her) is a Dutch feminist group which does not adhere to the ‘transwomen are women’ rhetoric and centres females in its work. Because of this, Voorzij had its bank account closed.
On 3rd November, one of Voorzij’s administrators tried to access the group’s bank account with mobile banking company, Bunq. She opened the app to find the account had been closed. A message in the ‘announcements’ section read “We are closing your bank account. Your activities do not match what we stand for as a company”.
When supporters protested this action on social media, Bunq responded to Voorzij in a three-tweet thread claiming that the foundation does not ‘stand behind’ the bank’s values of human rights and diversity. It accused Voorzij of discrimination because of its refusal to believe that transwomen are women. “We'll be happy to support feminist organizations, but do not tolerate discrimination against trans women… The bank believes that the foundation discriminates against transwomen by not standing up for their interests.”
In other words, if you won’t centre males in your feminism, you’re can’t bank with us. Clearly, Bunq’s ‘values’ of human rights and diversity don’t extend to women.
Also Today - EHRC & The Land Of Make Believe
THE TIMES: Freedom of Information legislation has revealed that the EHRC influenced the Scottish census ‘self-ID’ policy on the recording of sex.
A few months ago we reported that National Records Scotland (NRS) will allow those completing Scotland’s 2022 census to answer the question about their sex based on self-identification, not reality.
Participants will be able to complete the male/female question according to their self-declared gender identity, regardless of their biological sex or legal status. The guidance notes advise, “If you’re transgender the answer you give can be different from what is on your birth certificate. You do not need a gender recognition certificate”.
A report this week by policy analysts, Murray Blackburn Mackenzie (MBM) suggests that Scotland’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) had a ‘heavy handed’ influence on that guidance. According to MBM, there is a document trail showing that EHRC Scotland put ‘extreme external pressure’ on civil servants in Scotland during the consultation period.
This is particularly alarming given the EHRC is the body tasked with upholding equality legislation. As such, it should ensure adherence to the Equality Act 2010 -under which SEX is a protected characteristic but gender identity is not - rather than advise against it.
Last year EHRC officials wrote to Roger Halliday, the Scottish government’s chief statistician who produces guidance for public bodies. The letter said, “The promotion of gathering data relating to biological sex is not something that we can support and we would not be able to endorse it.”
At the time the letter was written, the EHRC was a member of Stonewall’s diversity scheme.
Speaking of which…
Friday 5th November - What A Racket
THE TIMES: It has been revealed how many government departments have ‘relationships’ with Stonewall and how much has been spent maintaining them.
In response to parliamentary questions posed by Tim Loughton, the Conservative MP for East Worthing & Shoreham, fourteen government departments have confirmed contractual relationships with Stonewall.
The Department for Education has paid out almost £600,000 to Stonewall over the past five years and The Ministry of Defence spent over £80,000, mainly on membership fees to the diversity champions programme. Over the past year, the Northern Ireland Office has spent £6,000 on its programme membership.
Tim Loughton commented, “Stonewall had a widely respected reputation for promoting equal rights but now it seems to have set itself up as a money-making operation where it acts as the judge and jury over what makes for good practice.”
Also Today - Listen To Detransitioners
THE ECONOMIST: Carol, a woman from California, describes her heart-breaking experiences of transition and detransition.
Carol began her transition when she was 34 years old and spent four years living as a ‘trans man’. After two years of taking testosterone, she began to suffer awful side effects; rising cholesterol levels, palpitations, anxiety, panic attacks and extremely painful vaginal and uterine atrophy. As a consequence she was prescribed antidepressants and then began to question her decision to transition.
Carol believes her gender dysphoria was the result of an abusive and fanatically religious upbringing. Rigid gender roles were enforced and her being a lesbian was considered an abomination.
“I just felt…wrong. I was disgusted with myself, and if a nice answer comes along and says, this is going to fix it, guess what you’re going to do?”
In her 30s Carol began seeing a therapist who did not explore her childhood trauma but encouraged her to take testosterone. Only months after starting cross-sex hormone treatment, Carol had a double mastectomy.
She now campaigns to make the voices of detransitioners heard. Because, at the moment, nobody wants to listen.
Saturday 6th November - Under His Aye
THE HERALD: The Scottish government tried to redefine the word ‘woman’ and appeal court judges are now demanding an explanation as to why.
We have reported previously on the Scottish government redefining the word woman in its 2018 Gender Representation on Public Boards Act. The original draft defined ‘woman’ as ‘a female of any age’ in accordance with the UK Equality Act 2010. But this was subsequently altered.
The definition now includes those who ‘have the characteristic of gender reassignment’ (a GRC is not required), those who have ‘taken the decision to undergo a process for the purpose of becoming female’ and those ‘living as a woman’ which, it clarifies, does not ‘require the person to dress, look or behave in any particular way’ but could simply involve a change of name and pronouns.
Ministers incorporated a ‘disapplication’ clause into the act in an attempt to circumvent the UK’s equality legislation.
Feminist campaign group, For Women Scotland, are fighting a legal battle against the Scottish government’s actions. Their case is currently before Scotland’s highest civil appeal court where judges are demanding to know why ministers chose to ‘disapply’ UK law.
Lord Pentland commented, “I think it's important that the court understands what the reasoning of the government was”.
Ruth Crawford QC, representing the Scottish government, said she would have to take instructions. When pressed for answers, Ms Crawford again said that she could not advance any further explanation.
Lord Malcolm insisted on an undertaking that the answers will be ‘looked for and provided’. Ms Crawford replied that they would but added the caveat, “If something's there”.
Place your bets…
Sunday 7th November - They Just Want To Pee
4W: Footage taken inside a Brazilian school appears to show a trans-identified male physically assaulting a female student.
A disturbing video shot inside a Brazilian school captured a violent altercation between a trans-identified male and a young female student after she apparently expressed discomfort at his being in the female bathroom.
The male, who appears to be wearing a bra, can be seen pulling the girl from the female bathroom by her hair and throwing her to the floor where he then proceeded to beat and kick her.
A male student intervened and pulled the trans-identified male away from the girl. She struggled to her feet and began shouting ‘você não é mulher’ - which means ‘you are not a woman’ - at her assailant. The trans-identified male then tried to lunge at the girl again and had to be restrained from assaulting her further.
But remember, if you feel someone is using the ‘wrong’ bathroom, please ‘respect their privacy’, ‘respect their identity’, ‘carry on with your day’…
…And ‘protect them from harm’.
See you next week.
The question for the Scottish govt really strikes at the heart of the matter. WHY? (did they want to disapply UK law / do the EHRC of all bodies want the census to collect meaningless data, potentially harmful to women's interests / did the police pursue Marion Millar so relentlessly ...) What is in it for the Scottish people? What's in it for the SNP?
That goddam toilet sign makes my blood boil. So women are not allowed to challenge anyone in their "safe" spaces any more? Do not make purposefully THEM feel Uncomfortable? What about the women using the loos? Protect them from harm? Chances are they are more physically strong and capable of protecting themselves than the legitimate users of the facilities. How about protecting them from harm Oxford Uni?!