The Good News Supplement: Monday 29th January - Sunday 4th February
It is my pleasure to present for you a busting-at-the-seams bumper edition of the GNS this week! Our cup runneth over with good news stories from the gender beat. Enjoy!
Rip Curl Wipes Out
Giant surfing brand, Rip Curl, are having their own ‘Bud Light moment’ and learning the hard way that going woke can also mean going broke.
Last week we reported that Rip Curl had dropped its long-time brand ambassador, female sporting legend, Bethany Hamilton, before featuring trans-identified male cheat, Sasha Jane Lowerson, on its social media accounts.
This week Australians have been calling for a Rip Curl boycott and hundreds of people bombarded the company with protestations on social media. The hashtag #BoycottRipCurl was trending. Rip Curl, meanwhile, was very busy expunging any mention of Lowerson from its online marketing.
SEEN And Not Herd
This week saw the launch of a new initiative for the boys and girls in blue who know the difference between the two. Police SEEN UK is a network for all serving officers and staff who are sex realists / gender critical.
“We seek to ensure that our Forces return focus to the Peelian Principles and uphold the law as it is written, free from ideological bias and the influence of politically motivated activist employees and lobby groups… We believe that sex matters, especially where policing, misogyny and safeguarding intersect.”
For more information and to apply for membership, drop them an email at: PoliceSEENUK@outlook.com.
Right On Cue
A group of female pool players have launched a ‘landmark’ law suit against the World Eightball Pool Federation (WEPF), pool’s governing body, over its policy of allowing trans-identified males to play in women’s categories.
A few weeks ago The Daily Mail reported that thirty professional female pool players, including the legendary Lynne Pinches, are suing the WEPF. They are represented by Peter Daly of Doyle Clayton Solicitors. (Yes, that Peter Daly, who represented Maya Forstater in her landmark victory against CDG and represented Allison Bailey in her successful action against Garden Court Chambers.)
This week Telegraph Sport has disclosed that the claimants’ legal team has submitted a ‘letter before claim’ to the World Eightball Pool Federation and Ultimate Pool Group, accusing the governing bodies of subjecting those born female to ‘direct sex discrimination and harassment on the grounds of sex’.
We wish them the very best of luck in this action. For more information and to support the case, see the CrowdJustice page here.
Lynne Pinches was interviewed by BBC Sport this week. (It’s about time!) She told them, “This isn't a trans issue, it's a fairness issue”. Absolutely.
California Dreaming
A court ruling has forced the California State school board to reinstate two teachers who were suspended for refusing to conceal pupils’ ‘gender identity’ from parents.
Lori Ann West and Elizabeth Mirabelli refused to abide by state regulations which prevent teachers from informing parents should a child start identifying as trans. They were placed on ‘administrative leave’ and subsequently took legal action.
This week Federal Judge Robert Benitez ruled in their favour, stating that the regulations regarding the concealment of a child’s ‘gender identity’ violate the parent’s Fourteenth Amendment rights. His judgement also stated, “It harms plaintiffs who are compelled to violate the parent’s rights by forcing plaintiffs to conceal information they feel is critical for the welfare of their students.”
Not only is this very encouraging news, but West and Mirabelli will now have to be restored to their teaching positions by the school board.
Alberta Leads The Way
In huge news from Canada, the province of Alberta is to ‘make sweeping changes’ to its transgender policies.
In a video shared on social media this week, Premier Danielle Smith announced changes to Alberta’s legislation. The new rules will prohibit the prescribing of hormone treatment and puberty blockers to children 15 years and younger and ban so-called ‘gender affirming’ surgeries for anyone under 17. Teens aged 16 and 17 can start hormone therapy but must be deemed mature enough to make that decision and have permission from their parents, a physician and a psychologist.
Parents will need to give permission before any pupil aged 15 and under can ‘socially transition’ at school. Students aged 16 and 17 do not need parental approval but parents must be notified. Furthermore, lessons concerning sexuality and gender identity will require parental notification and there will be an an opt-in policy. All third party teaching materials in the K-12 school system which relate to sexuality and gender identity will need to be pre-approved by the Ministry of Education.
Danielle Smith also promised fairness in women’s sport and the Albertan government will be working with sporting organisations to ensure female-only divisions.
Girls Make A Splash
A high school girls’ swimming team refused to compete against a squad which includes a trans-identified male swimmer.
The unnamed team withdrew from the competition commenting simply, “It’s not fair”.
“For the girls on the team, their stand is about more than just a single race or competition. It’s about the principles they believe competitive sports should uphold. By choosing not to compete, they are making a statement about their own perception of fairness in sports.”
All power to you, girls.
No Pillar Of The Community
After attacking so-called ‘TERFs’ who aren’t ‘worth his energy’ on social media, one of the men responsible for Network Rail’s new ‘inclusivity’ installation has had a serious dose of ‘fuck around, find out’ this week.
Last week we reported on the new ‘Pride Pillar’ at London Bridge Station and the incredibly misogynistic social media posts of one of its architects, Network Rail employee, Shane Andrews MBE.
His online behaviour has now come back to bite him on the arse. Not only has he deleted his X (formerly Twitter) account, but Archway, Network Rail’s LGBTQ+ staff network of which Andrews is the Chair, has deleted its account, too.
According to The Daily Mail, a Network Rail spokesperson commented, “We have become aware of Shane's posts on X and are looking into the issue with him”. Furthermore, Andrews has, quite rightly, been removed from judging panel of this year’s Women in Rail awards.
Sisters Doing It For Themselves
And while we’re still on the subject of Network Rail’s ‘pride pillar’, look what those wonderful warriors of Standing For Women were up to this week.
A group of SFW sheroes staged at a demonstration at London Bridge Station on Friday morning. They sang, gave speeches, hoisted placards and flags and very much made their voices heard. They also displayed a large poster containing screenshots of Shane Andrew’s offensive social media posts.
And, of course, there was a dinosaur.
At the weekend, a group of fabulous Scottish feminists staged a protest of their own at the Glasgow “Women’s” Library over its current lesbophobic zine exhibit.
On Saturday, our sisters in Ireland staged a demonstration calling for a ‘No’ vote in the upcoming referendum on care in the home. Around 100 people marched through Dublin from the Garden of Remembrance to Merrion Square.
The event was organised by The Countess and involved speeches from a number of people, including Laoise De Brún, the group’s founder, and Senator Sharon Keogan.
Brava, sisters! Much respect and solidarity to all. Let’s keep making our voices heard.
Thank you, JL. This is indeed uplifting, after I was so negative with the previous bad news. Those high school girls are setting the bar, and showing that not all the young people are captured. Well done to them. Just say no.
What a week! Thanks!
Momentous stuff, amazingly from Canada, but respect to all those individual ladies demonstrating in the UK (too far away in Bulgaria to join unfortunately).
Fair play to the Daily Mail for covering that bastard. Their picture of him alongside lily-livered Starmer is a nice touch.
The Times covered the Glasgow library business as, happily, JKR has been making a fuss.
But I also really enjoyed the OwlKitty clip. Must check their other stuff.