The Times covered the Christian Henson story and I added this comment.
Here’s the Guardian story that forgets to include a photo of its subject, who can be seen at the very top of this post. This paragraph is breathtaking in its casual dishonesty: “An Italian tech worker who moved to Ireland two years ago, Valentino is a newcomer to Gaelic sports and by her own account not especially skilled, yet she may leave a lasting mark if the GAA and LGFA allow trans players to compete – she has been consulted by the policy review. “I will never be remembered for my sporting results but I’d like to be remembered for leaving a legacy of inclusion for other trans players.”
Investigate these people. They’re trying to pull a fast one.
A first step would be to persuade IPSO to change it’s guidelines.
A copy is available here: https://www.ipso.co.uk/media/1275/guidance_transgender-reporting.pdf
A quick glance at them suggests that organisations such as Stonewall and Mermaids had input in their preparation (both organisations are listed in the resources section).
It’s ridiculous that guidelines have been prepared by an organisation based upon input from only one side of the argument (it’s worth someone looking at the other organisations listed in the resources section, but my guess is that they’re in agreement with Stonewall).
Given Stonewall’s recent decline, there may be an opportunity to press for revised guidance.
The cognitive dissonance is staggering. Imagine that editorial meeting: someone pitches the 'triumph-over-adversity' narrative of Stunning & Brave Valentino who only wants to play Gaelic football with her sisters but is cruelly denied by the forces of oppression and bigotry - then they see the photo... I'll bet any amount of money that not one person on the Guardian staff said out loud: "We can't publish the photo because it obviously shows a man," while that's exactly what they're all thinking.
If they sincerely and genuinely believe that photo shows a woman, then they have no reason not to print the photo. But they won't because they know the same thing that we know and that every rational person knows; a man can not be a woman. If they're willing to let imprisoned women live in fear of dangerous men, they're certainly willing to let female footballers get battered and bruised by a man before they'll admit what we all know to be true.