The Good News Supplement: Monday 11th March - Sunday 17th March

IMAGE CREDIT: Musician’s First Choice

Another bumper edition jam-packed with good news from the gender beat. Enjoy!

Leaving Them Kids Alone

The biggest news of the week was a long-awaited announcement from NHS England; puberty blockers will no longer be prescribed to gender-distressed children.

“NHS England has carefully considered the evidence review conducted by NICE and further published evidence available to date. We have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty suppressing hormones to make the treatment routinely available at this time.”

Last year, following a public consultation, NHS England (NHSE) introduced an interim policy that puberty blockers should only be prescribed to minors in ‘exceptional circumstances’ or as part of a research trial.

The new policy announced this week has confirmed that puberty blockers will only be available to dysphoric children as part of a strictly controlled research trial. NHSE stated also that this decision is “Not contingent upon the establishment of a clinical study” so puberty blockers will remain unavailable even if that study does not go ahead.

Furthermore, there will be no ‘exceptional circumstances’ under which puberty blockers can be prescribed. Instead, a clinician would have to apply under NHSE's ‘Individual Funding Request’ process, demonstrating why they believe a particular child’s case is ‘exceptional’ and “Why a treatment that is not routinely commissioned by the NHS is an appropriate treatment option”.

Puberty blockers will remain available on NHS prescription alongside cross-sex hormones for trans-identified males aged 16 and over who wish to ‘transition’ as “Oestrogen alone is insufficient to suppress testosterone levels”. As previously, they will also be prescribed to treat precocious puberty in young children, the only circumstance under which these drugs will be licensed for administration to minors.

The government welcomed NHS England’s ‘landmark decision’, saying that it is “In the best interests of children”.

Writing in Unherd, Victoria Smith said of the NHSE announcement, “Lives will be saved, and it will be due to the work of campaigners who kept naming the madness even when told they had no right to speak.”

Indeed. This is not only excellent news, it is a vindication of all those amazing and steel-spined activists who have fought for years against the medicalisation of vulnerable children; journalists like Helen Joyce and Jo Bart, MPs like Rosie Duffield, Kemi Badenoch and Miriam Cates, tireless campaigners like Stephanie Davies-Arai of Transgender Trend, everyone at LGB Alliance, WPUK, Sex Matters, LWS and Genspect, a host of brave detransitioners and countless other courageous warriors, including, of course, Our Graham.

You may remember that back in February 2020 Graham appeared on BBC2’s Newsnight and was treated like a mouth-foaming conspiracy theorist for suggesting that the medicalisation of vulnerable gender-nonconforming kids is a bad idea.

So now might be a good time to drop the programme a line and point out that, yet again, Graham’s concern about the harm caused to children by ‘gender medicine’ has been entirely corroborated. He is owed, at the very least, a public apology and a right to reply on the programme. Here are the contact details.

You could also drop a line to Hat Trick Productions to ask why we’re still not allowed to see the Father Ted musical when Graham has, yet again, been totally vindicated in his courageous stand against the harms of gender ideology.

Sadly, this NHSE announcement does not prevent the child catchers at private gender clinics from peddling their toxic wares to children. But Liz Truss’ private members bill is trying to close this loophole. If you’re in the UK, please contact your MP and ask them to support this proposed legislation. (Sex Matters have supplied all the information you will need!)

Sportswomen Won’t Wheesht

A group of female athletes are suing the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) for forcing them to compete against trans-identified males.

This week, feminist campaign group, The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS), announced that, with their financial support, 16 former and current female collegiate athletes are suing the NCAA for allowing trans-identified male athletes to participate in their competitions in college sports. One of those involved is the courageous women’s rights campaigner, Riley Gaines.

The NCAA, University System of Georgia, Georgia Tech University, University of Georgia, University of North Georgia and members of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia are all named as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that they have violated Title IX, the federal statute which guarantees equal opportunity for men and women in college sports.

The ‘landmark’ lawsuit is the first federal action of its kind and it aims to change the regulations and prevent biological males from competing in female sports. In addition to seeking financial damages for those affected, it also demands that the NCAA revoke all the awards stolen by trans-identified males in women’s events and give them to the rightful female winners.  

ICONS issued a press release quoting co-founder, Marshi Smith: “This lawsuit against the NCAA isn’t just about competition; it’s a fight for the very essence of women’s sports. We’re standing up for justice and the rights of female athletes to compete on a level playing field. It’s about preserving the legacy of Title IX and ensuring that the future of women’s sports is as bright as its past.” 

We wish these brave women, their legal team and all at ICONS the very best of luck.

Fore!

Sticking with sports, US women's professional golf tour, NXXT Golf, has announced a change to its regulations meaning that only genuinely female players can compete.

The NXXT had previously employed a policy of allowing trans-identified males to participate in the women’s competition but it experienced severe criticism after trans player, Hailey Davidson, won the NXXT Women's Classic in January.

The tour has now announced a sudden u-turn in its eligibility criteria and, effective immediately, competitors must be ‘a biological female at birth’ to participate.

In a statement, the tour said that the decision had been made in an effort to underscore the organisation’s “Commitment to maintaining the integrity of women's professional golf and ensuring fair competition”.

Gender Will Eat Itself

A story that is just too funny not to share! Spain’s leading trans lobby group has just realised the terrible consequences of the self-ID legislation it campaigned so hard for.

Last week we reported on a group of men in Spain - mostly strapping bearded soldiers and policemen - who are exploiting the country’s self-ID ‘trans law’. These men are changing their legal ‘gender’ in order to pursue the benefits and opportunities usually reserved for women and have formed a group called TNN.

The Spanish equivalent of Stonewall - Federación Estatal de Lesbianas, Gays, Trans, Bisexuales, Intersexuales y más (FELGTBI+) - has announced that it is taking legal action against these bearded ‘ladies’ and is accusing them of fraud.

FELGTBI+ has petitioned the Prosecutor’s Office to act ‘with forcefulness and rigour’ against the ‘Non-Normative Trans Association (TNN)’, alleging that its members, who have changed their registered sex but not their ‘aesthetic appearance’, are ‘passing as trans in a grotesque way’.

But the hilarity doesn’t end there. TNN is planning to counter this legal action with a suit of its own and is accusing FELGTBI+ of ‘transphobia’.

You really couldn’t make it up.

Glinner Of Hope

Our Graham is, of course, slaying ‘em down under after a host of sell-out appearances in New Zealand.

Don’t miss him in conversation with Duncan Garner on the Editor-in-Chief Podcast.

And talking to Damien Grant on the Different Matters podcast.

And talking to Sean Plunket at The Platform.

And talking to citizen journalist, Simon Anderson.

And don’t forget that Graham’s memoir, Tough Crowd, is still available from Amazon, The Express shop, Lightning Eye, Waterstones, Blackwells and all other discerning outlets. (There are also audio versions available on Audible and Spotify too.)

And Finally…