The Good News Supplement: Monday 7th October - Sunday 13th October
A jam-packed edition of good news stories from the gender beat this week. Enjoy!
The Dominoes Topple
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is severing its ties with Stonewall.
This week, in an update seen by The Telegraph, The Royal College of Psychiatrists has informed its members that it is cutting ties with Stonewall.
Sonia Walter, the college chief executive, and Dr Lade Smith, the college president, wrote to members, stating, “Stonewall helped us to become a more inclusive organisation, however, we are acutely aware that there is a risk in being affiliated with an organisation that may speak on matters relating to the professional practice of our members, but over which the college has no direct control. The college has evaluated its membership of Stonewall and decided not to renew when it expires in December”.
Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at Sex Matters, told the paper “The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ recognition that the ideological position of Stonewall may conflict with the professional practice of its members is a significant statement”. She added that its decision “Sends a clear message that it is putting evidence and the wellbeing of patients ahead of the demands of transactivist lobbyists”.
Reem at the UN
Reem Alsalem presented her report on violence against women and girls to the United Nations General Assembly this week.
As always, she was absolutely clear and unequivocal in her defence of women’s sex based rights, spaces and sports.
After speaking about the violence, sexual violence and exploitation women and girls suffer, she commented, “Equally concerning is the continued push in some countries to erase women as a specific group in society, to erase women and women-specific words and terminology from language and to erase the way in which being female impacts their lives and shapes their experiences, including their experience of discrimination and violence. Policies and legislation cannot continue to ignore and sideline the centrality of sex as a key factor in which women and girls are discriminated against, and deny women single-sex spaces”.
On the subject of women’s sport, she told the General Assembly, “The increased intrusion of male individuals in female-only sports further erodes the integrity and safety of women and girls’ sports”.
Not Before Time
BBS Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour finally interviewed Dr Hilary Cass.
See You In Court
A host of excellent organisations - The Lesbian Project, Scottish Lesbians, The LGB Alliance and Sex Matters - have been given permission to intervene in For Women Scotland’s ongoing legal battle to protect the definition of the word ‘woman’.
The Supreme Court will be hearing FWS’s appeal on 26th and 27th November. A number of organisations applied to intervene. (Interveners can put a case forward without being among the main parties to the litigation.) The Supreme Court has issued the following decisions on applications for leave to intervene:
You will notice there is one refusal; Victoria McCloud, a trans-identified male and former High Court judge. McCloud was instrumental in creating the Equal Treatment Bench Book, guidance for the legal profession which requires the use of ‘preferred pronouns’ in court and the indulging of a defendant’s self-declared ‘gender identity’. He has also suggested that the LGB Alliance and Sex Matters engage in criminal harassment and sent unsolicited private messages to prominent gender critical campaigners, Maya Forstater and Sarah Phillimore, accusing the latter of being ‘angry’ and claiming that she ‘harboured views’ against trans people.
Supported by the Good Law Project, McCloud made an application to intervene in For Women Scotland’s Supreme Court appeal. It was refused.
There’s No Bugging The LGB Alliance
Despite the attempts of some annoying little buggers (see what I did there?) to derange the event with a plague of crickets, the LGB Alliance annual conference was another resounding success this year.
In addition to a host of wonderful speakers and panel members, there was an address from Queen JK.
The brilliant James Dreyfus made a truly barn-storming keynote speech. “We didn't start this bonfire but we are determined to see it burn itself out.”
There was musical entertainment from lesbian duo, Hungry Hearts.
The childish attempts by a bunch of brats to derail the event only meant a change of venue from hall to foyer and the conference continued unbowed.
After the business of the day, came the partying and the traditional Big Gay Disco!
And the band played on…
If you would like to contribute to the work of the LGB Alliance, you can donate here.
I’ve been a bit out of the loop since leaving Twitter/X so am delighted to see all this good news.
Are we winning?
Thank you 😊
The Good Law Project - of course.