Saturday, April 9, 2022
This day in Herstory: Mary Jackson (née Winston), born on April 9, 1921 (died February 11, 2005), was an American mathematician and aerospace engineer at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which in 1958 was succeeded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She worked at Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, for most of her career. She started as a computer at the segregated West Area Computing division in 1951. She took advanced engineering classes and, in 1958, became NASA's first black female engineer.
The 2016 film Hidden Figures recounts the NASA careers of Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan, specifically their work on Project Mercury during the Space Race. The film is based on the book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly. Jackson is portrayed in the film by Janelle Monáe. (more)
Biological Sex, Gender Criticism and Feminist Criminology
Jo Phoenix argues for the importance of biological realism when thinking about crime, victimisation and the administration of justice.
From The Philosophers’ Magazine (UK)
By Jo Phoenix
April 9, 2022
A Personal Introduction
Ten years ago, I would have thought it inconceivable that I would be writing about the salience of biology in criminology, given that I’ve spent most of my academic career arguing against it. My political turning point came in 2018. The English government proposed reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004. This Act – which at the time of its initial passing was lauded as truly progressive – provides the framework for individuals to change their legal sex marker from male to female and vice versa upon application to a medical board and after a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. It does not require an individual to undergo any surgical or hormonal treatment. The proposed changes were, inter alia, to introduce self-identification and thereby allow an individual to change their sex marker without having to go through the rigmarole of a diagnosis or application to medical board. Given that I’d spent 20 years researching male violence in the context of prostitution and child sexual exploitation, I could immediately foresee the problems of allowing male-bodied individuals who identify as women in to women’s prisons. At the same time, the LGBT rights lobbying organisation (Stonewall) was promoting the argument that anyone who opposed self-declaration was transphobic. To me, working in universities that were paid members of Stonewall’s “Diversity Champions Scheme”, this presented an ethical, political and intellectual dilemma. How could I think through the complications and unintended consequences of implementing self-identification in the context of criminal justice if questioning it ran contrary to our Stonewall accredited equality, diversity, and inclusion policies? … read full article
RNLA Panel on Parental Rights
From Chart Consulting LLC (USA)
by Natasha Chart
April 8, 2022
Imagine your loving, 14-year-old daughter becomes hateful and angry, and decides that she’s a pansexual male, after several traumatic events and a lot of time on the internet. You take her to mental health professionals, who diagnose her with depression and anxiety. Instead of treating her for these conditions, they work on getting you to accept that she’s your son.
At 16, she runs away and reports you to family services for not calling her by male pronouns. The investigation finds no abuse or neglect in the home, but sends you to counseling so you’ll accept her as male. Behind your back, a pediatric endocrinologist shows her how to shoot up testosterone.
At 17, she runs away again. In Oregon, a court lets her change her name and legal sex records. Oregon’s Medicaid program pays for a hysterectomy and a double mastectomy.
At 19, she’s living in and out of shelters. She has no mental health care. She’s obsessed with planning a phalloplasty on Medicaid
This is the real story of a mother here in the US, and I met her in 2019, at a rally I helped organize between feminists and conservative Christians at the Supreme Court during the Bostock hearing. … read full article
Trans Murderer Now Identifying as Infant Girl, Demanding Diapers to Wear in Prison
From REDUXX (USA)
By Genevieve Gluck
April 9, 2022
A trans-identified male convicted of murder has now begun identifying as an infant and demanding diapers to wear. Sophie Eastwood, born Daniel, was jailed for life in 2004 after strangling his cell mate to death, and was once dubbed “Hannibal Lecter Jr.” due to the abusive “mind games” he played with prison staff.
Eastwood has told prison officials at Polmont jail that he identifies as a baby and is entitled to diapers and meals that have been blended like baby food, according to the Daily Record. Eastwood is also requesting that prison guards hold his hand when escorting him from his cell.
Prison officials are taking his demands seriously and establishing protocols to comply with his fetish. Eastwood has already been provided with a pacifier.
A source told the Daily Record: “This prisoner has been difficult and manipulative over the years, which is why [he] is still behind bars after 17 years,” continuing that “Eastwood is a complex person and intelligent but [he] is pretty demanding on the resources of the prison and enjoys being the center of attention … It’s difficult to know if [he] really does feel a natural inclination to be treated like a baby or if it’s just some kind of attention seeking.” … read full article (and SUPPORT REDUXX!)
Gov. Murphy doesn't respond to questions about NJ gender identity lessons for 2nd graders
New Jersey's new sex education curriculum drawing criticism from parents
From Fox News
By Timothy H.J. Nerozzi
April 9, 2022
Gov. Phil Murphy has remained silent on New Jersey public school system lessons on gender ideology for children.
Education standards listed "performance expectations" for second graders that include discussing "the range of ways people express their gender and how gender role stereotypes may limit behavior." One school district in the state distributed sample lesson plans indicating first graders could be taught they can have "boy parts" but "feel like" a girl.
Fox News Digital sent requests for comment to multiple press contacts in Murphy's office and received no response Saturday. … read full article
Equality chief: Trans activists will not sway rules on women-only spaces in their favour
Writing in The Telegraph, Baroness Falkner says that the Equality and Human Rights Commission has a duty to uphold the law
From The Telegraph (UK)
By Hayley Dixon
April 8, 2022
Transgender activists will not sway rules on single spaces in their favour, the head of the equalities watchdog has said.
In her first comments to a newspaper since publishing guidance stating that trans women can lawfully be excluded from female-only spaces, Baroness Falkner of Margravine said that her organisation had a duty to uphold the law independent of “campaign groups or vested interests”.
The chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said that it had published a clarification of the law this week as there needs to be a “balance” between “competing” rights.
“The law is clear that organisations can sometimes limit access to their services to one sex,” Lady Falkner said.
The EHRC has been threatened with legal action since its advice was published on Tuesday, and bosses within the NHS and other organisations have vowed to ignore the guidance. … read full article (web page archive)
Venus Rising with Dr. Kathleen Stock
From The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (YouTube channel)
April 5, 2022
Barbara Kay: When gender rights only protect those who do not fit stereotypes
Grade 1 students at an Ontario school were told 'there’s no such thing as boys and girls'
From National Post (Canada)
By Barbara Kay
April 9, 2022
In March I (remotely) attended an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal hearing. This was the culmination of a story I have followed since a complaint of sex-based discrimination against the Ottawa-Carleton School Board was filed in March, 2019 by applicants Pamela and Jason Buffone on behalf of their daughter, “NB.”
The Buffones’ lawyer, Lisa Bildy, remarked in her closing statement that NB’s is “unquestionably a novel case.” True. The facts are largely undisputed. Interpretation is everything. All Ontario parents of young children have a stake in this case’s outcome.
In Jan. 2018, some children in NB’s Grade 1 class began teasing a female classmate, X, because X favoured a non-stereotypically short haircut, dressed boyishly and enjoyed stereotypically boyish activities. X was apparently what we used to call a “tomboy.” Not at all gender confused, X would correct people who misgendered her. Apprised of the teasing, X’s mother expressly requested that any group discussion focus on generic messages of kindness and respect rather than gender. … read full article
Bill To Require Doctors Training for Transgender Patients Passes Sen. Health Committee
“There really doesn’t need to be a state law about this”
From California Globe (USA)
By Evan Symon
April 9, 2022
A bill to require doctors to receive training for providing inclusive care for transgender and intersexed Californians passed 8-2 in the Senate Health Committee earlier this week.
Senate Bill 923, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), would specifically require a Medi-Cal managed care plan, a PACE organization, a health care service plan, or a health insurer to require all staff and contracted providers to complete evidence based trans-inclusive healthcare training for those identified as transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex (TGI). Should a complaint be filed and found to be valid, a refresher course we be imposed on the person who had the complaint filed against them.
SB 923 would also set up procedures to ensure that TGI healthcare training is set up, as well as put in sanctions to ensure compliance. Companies and providers would also have to include a list in-network providers who offer and have provided gender-affirming services. … read full article
New Group: Parents for Education
From The War On Women
By Hannah
April 9, 2022
Please see information below, from a representative of Parents for Education.
We are excited to announce that we will shortly be launching a new group with two main aims:
1. To provide peer support to parents and carers who are concerned with the prevalence of gender identity ideology in education;
2. To support education providers and policy makers in ensuring children's experience in school meets relevant legislation and government guidance.
Our work:
We object to unfounded beliefs about ‘gender identity’ influencing school procedures, undermining safeguarding, equalities legislation, fairness, science and reason. Inaccurate, inappropriate curriculum content and inadequate school policies negatively affect children’s healthy development, their safety, and their education.
We recognise dangers to children of promoting ideas about gender identity as fact, from nursery upward, across the curriculum and school culture. Children should be protected from unscientific ideology and from the embedding of stereotypes that may lead them to think their personality or their body is in need of changing. … read full article (and SUBSCRIBE to The War On Women!)
The Times view on the collapse of the Safe to Be Me conference: Undone by Intolerance
The disintegration of a proposed LGBT summit reflects badly on all concerned
From The Times (UK)
The Times Leading Articles
April 8, 2022
The disintegration of a proposed government lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) conference is a fiasco from which no one emerges with credit. The three-day event in June was to have shone a spotlight on the discrimination against gay and trans people and mobilised campaigns to safeguard them. Instead, it has dissolved into a welter of recriminations, arguments over language and ideology, a boycott by most of the groups who would have attended and anger directed at Downing Street for its refusal to ban conversion therapy for trans people.
The government’s vacillations on the issue of counselling for people wanting to transition to the opposite gender was attacked particularly virulently by Stonewall, the main LGBT lobby group in Britain. It insists the ban on conversion therapy, rightly denounced as abusive by the government, must apply not only in questions of sexuality but also of gender. Stonewall has used its influential position among employers and in British society in general to insist that trans rights must, as a matter of ideology, be treated in the same way as gay rights.
Its intolerance of any other view, and its clash with feminist groups over the inclusion of trans people in women’s sport and in access to safe spaces and other women-only areas, has alienated many organisations. No longer are several government agencies willing to let Stonewall determine whether employers conform to standards of diversity. Indeed, campaigners for gay rights, affecting many more people than trans issues, are appalled at the way Stonewall has indulged some of the more extreme trans ideologists. … read full article (share token)
Women can be strip-searched by trans officers who were born male, say police
Guidelines issued to forces urge chief officers 'to recognise status of transgender colleagues from the moment they transition'
The policy says it may be 'advisable' to replace officer carrying out search if detainee objects
But if 'the refusal is based on discriminatory views' it could be 'recorded as a non-hate crime incident'
The guidance, quietly issued in December, was brought to light by retired Superintendent Cathy Larkman
From Daily Mail (UK)
By MAX AITCHISON
April 9, 2022
Female suspects can be strip-searched by police officers who were born male but identify as women – and could be accused of a hate crime if they object, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
New guidelines issued to forces around the country state: 'Chief Officers are advised to recognise the status of Transgender colleagues from the moment they transition, considered to be, the point at which they present in the gender with which they identify.
'Thus, once a Transgender colleague has transitioned, they will search persons of the same gender as their own lived gender.' … read full article