The Good News Supplement: Monday 26th August - Sunday 1st September

Sep 03, 2024

The torch bearers at the 2024 Paralympic Opening Ceremony

A handful of the good news stories from the gender beat this week. Enjoy!

A Doctor in the House

Biden’s Assistant Secretary of Health for the Department of Health and Human Services, Rachel Levine, is to be investigated over claims he interfered with the age restrictions placed on paediatric gender surgeries.

In June we reported on new information which had just emerged, apparently showing that Rachel Levine was instrumental in WPATH removing all age requirements for the medical treatment of dysphoric children from its guidelines.

This alleged involvement is now the subject of an investigation by The Committee on Oversight and Accountability. This week it was announced that the chairwoman of the committee’s healthcare and financial services panel, Lisa McClain, is investigating allegations of political interference by Biden-Harris Administration officials in third-party medical organization recommendations.

The sunlight is flooding in.

Physician, Heal Thyself

BMA members are in revolt over their union’s opposition to The Cass Review and the ‘vocal minority’ currently calling the shots.

This week The Times reported that “Doctors are leaving the British Medical Association in revolt at its opposition to the Cass review… Some have resigned from the union after up to 50 years as members, and others said that the BMA’s ‘abysmal' leadership’ was ‘increasingly bonkers’ and ‘ideologically captured’”.

Furthermore, “More than 1,400 doctors, 900 of whom are BMA members, have signed an open letter calling for the BMA to drop its opposition to Cass. The letter criticises the union’s leaders for ‘going against the principles of evidence-based medicine and against ethical practice’”. The letter has been signed by high-profile figures, including nearly 70 professors and 23 former or current presidents of medical royal colleges.

Film Night

This week saw the release of Behind the Looking Glass, the first ever documentary which focuses on the wives and partners of trans-identified males.

Huge congratulations and thanks to the brilliant film-maker, Vaishnavi Sundar, who has created this ground-breaking production, giving a voice to ‘trans widows’ and allowing them to tell their stories.

Sisters In Law

Australian sheroe, Sall Grover, intends to appeal last week’s ludicrous decision in the Ticker v Giggle court case.

Speaking on Channel 9’s Current Affair, Sall explained, “It has always been my intention to appeal to the highest place that I can which in Australia is the High Court. Always, since Day One I said that I will go as far as I need to. I have a daughter. She's two. I cannot send her out into the world where she has no rights. There is a next generation of little girls that we have to protect”.

We are with you all the way, Sall. Strength, sisterhood and solidarity to you. Good luck.

In similar news from the UK, women’s rights legend, Allison Bailey, announced this week that she has sought permission to appeal against the judgement in her case against Stonewall.