The Good News Supplement: Monday 9th December - Sunday 15th December
A handful of the good news stories from the gender beat this week. Enjoy!
Leaving Them Kids Alone
Without doubt, the best news of the week, and probably of the year; there is to be an indefinite ban on the sale and supply of puberty blockers.
In May, the government introduced a temporary ban on the sale and supply of puberty blockers to dysphoric children under 18. This week, Health Secretary, Wes Streeting announced that the ban will be permanent.
“It is a scandal that medicine was given to vulnerable children without the proof that it was safe or effective”, he said.
Furthermore, the ban on puberty blockers in Northern Ireland is also to be made permanent with all five of the Executive parties in Stormont voting to do so.
Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, commented that it was “The right approach, informed by medical and scientific advice”.
F**k Around, Find Out Down Under
Wonderful news from Australia! Moira Deeming MP has won her defamation case against John Pesutto, the leader of the party from which she was expelled.
In March 2023 Moira Deeming MP attended the Let Women Speak rally in Melbourne. Through no fault of the organisers or Ms Deeming herself, the event was gate-crashed by a group of neo Nazi protesters. Ms Deeming was subsequently expelled from the Liberal Party by its leader, John Pesutto.
Ms Deeming believed that, when ousting her from the party, Pesutto implied that she is a Nazi or Nazi sympathiser and she, quite rightly, brought a defamation suit against him for making such disgusting suggestions.
This week, Federal Court Justice David O'Callaghan found in Ms Deeming’s favour, deciding that Pesutto had defamed her in a media release, two radio interviews, a press conference and in a party expulsion motion. The ruling was met with cheering from the court.
Ms Deeming won her defamation case and $300,000 in damages against John Pesutto. We extend our heartiest congratulations to her and her legal team.
This Sporting Life
The WIAA is considering a policy which will protect female sports and form a separate division for trans-identified athletes.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) is Washington state’s governing body for high school athletics. This week, it announced that it is considering the creation of a separate division for trans-identified athletes.
At the moment, WIAA allows high school pupils to compete in sports based on their self-declared ‘gender identity’. However, a proposed policy amendment would require athletic programs to be offered separately for a boys’ division, a girls’ division and an open division. Athletes wishing to compete based on their gender identity or those ‘in the procession of transition’ would be required to participate in the open division.
A separate proposed amendment would also require participation in girls’ sports to be limited to female students.
The proposal states, “Focus is on fair competition and protecting the integrity of female sports”.
Glinner Of Hope
As you may have already heard, Our Graham is heading to the US to do what he does best; writing comedy.
In the new year, he’s moving to Arizona to pursue exciting new opportunities involving a new production company and a sit-com already in development! What a treat we have in store!
And you can hear Graham, together with Andrew Doyle, talking to Dr Jordan Peterson about his plans for the future, among other things.
If you’re still looking for Christmas present ideas, 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.)
Due to the pressures of the season - cheese, mulled wine and mince pies - there won’t be a GNS next week (but look out for a bumper edition in time for new year!) so I will take this opportunity to wish you all festive joy, peace and a wonderful Christmas.
Great news that Graham is getting back to writing comedy. Look forward to seeing his work.
Hopefully the ban of puberty blockers in the UK will awaken our politicians here in Australia to their duty to protect children and duly follow suit.