Saturday, May 14, 2022
This day in Herstory: Catherine Elise Blanchett AC, born May 14, 1969, is an Australian actor and producer. Regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. Blanchett is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. (more)
The Abortion Debate Is Suddenly About ‘People,’ Not ‘Women’
What progressives lose when they won’t name the group most affected by abortion bans.
From The Atlantic (USA)
By Helen Lewis
May 14, 2022
Say what you like about the ACLU; it knows how to get people talking. But not necessarily in terms favorable to the ACLU. Late last month, the civil-liberties organization was revealed to have ghostwritten Amber Heard’s contentious Washington Post op-ed about suffering from domestic violence; the article was timed to coincide with the release of her film Aquaman. And on May 11, the ACLU once again caught the moment, posting a tweet that perfectly encapsulates a new taboo on the American left: a terrible aversion to using the word women. … read full article
Carole Hooven On Fuentes’ Claim That “Science Rejects the Sex Binary”
From Twitter (a thread)
By Carole Hooven
May 14, 2022
In his article entitled “Biological Science Rejects the Sex Binary, and That’s Good for Humanity,” Princeton anthropologist Agustin Fuentes informs us that “Science points to a more accurate and hopeful way to understand the biology of sex that is more conducive to respect and flourishing.” What is this new take on the biology of sex that should replace the “sex binary,” and how will it promote respect and flourishing? Neither question is clearly answered in his essay.
What is clear is that Fuentes thinks “the belief that biology creates two types of humans”—a “sex binary”—is not only wrong, but bad for humanity. Evidently, better beliefs about biology and the binary should be informed by an appreciation for the diversity of genitalia, hormones, and behaviors across male and female animals. For example, some females are aggressive and have huge, penis-like clitorises (hyenas), some fish change sex (e.g. clownfish), and “when it comes to raising kids, humans don’t come in two kinds.” Instead of a binary, “there are multitudes of ways to be a male or female or both.”
If you’ve seen the awesome movie the Wicker Man, you’ll have an idea the size of the straw person he is arguing against. Humungous. Some fish can indeed change sex and men can be devoted parents. Nobody’s claiming sex is immutable in every species or that sex-related traits like parenting are strictly dichotomous.
The “sex binary” is usually understood as the claim that sex itself (even in humans) is a dichotomy (binary). The typical rejection of the binary involves claims like “sex is on a spectrum,” or “sex is multidimensional continuum.” But the sex binary is real, even in clownfish. They actually illustrate the binary beautifully: their sex changes because the type of gamete they produce changes.
“Male” and “female,” roughly, are the words describing those with the capacity to produce sperm or eggs, respectively. Two gamete types, two sexes. (Fuentes doesn’t include a definition of “sex” nor “sex binary.” And “gamete,” “egg,” “sperm” fail to make an appearance, while some form of “diverse” appears five times.) Fuentes seems to be trying to convince us that part of the reason we should reject the sex binary is because believing it restricts social acceptance of gender diversity.
I’m not upset with Fuentes because I think some of his scientific claims are wrong. I’m upset about what’s happening to the practice of science, the credibility of scientists and the work we do.
Let me explain. At the end of his article, Fuentes gets personal: “instead of listening to people who are misogynistic, sexist, or homo/transphobic; incels; or politicians who base their ideologies on a biological sex binary and myths about its evolution, we can and should be open to a serious understanding of biology and its better options for human flourishing.”
Don’t listen to those bigoted, biased people who are weaponizing science and twisting facts to support their nefarious social agendas. Instead, listen to those who better understand biology and how we can use it to support admirable social agendas.
Ideally, citizens of a liberal democracy should have equal access to information relevant to social and political issues, and scientists can play an important role by adding to the common pool of knowledge.
Crucially, in class and in public, we should steer clear of suggesting that only certain scientific views are morally acceptable. Doing otherwise, as exemplified by Fuentes’ article, limits our ability to discover how the world actually works, reduces our authority as unbiased providers of information, and sends the message that there is a straight line from scientific facts to social policy.
Instead, let’s welcome all good-faith questions and views into the marketplace of ideas, and teach our students how to evaluate claims, listen to the opposition, consider implications of what they learn, and arrive at their views in light of facts rather than ideology. And finally, I’ll support the rights of gender minorities no matter what anyone tells me about clownfish.
Only groomers defend secret conversations with children about sexuality
From Washington Examiner (USA)
By DEBRA SOH
May 14, 2022
Earlier this week, PolitiFact (a self-described “fact-checking website”) published a piece titled “Why it’s not ‘grooming’: What research says about gender and sexuality in schools.” The piece centers on Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, dubbed by dishonest critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, and argues that conversations in the classroom about sexuality and gender are not grooming because they are “done without intent to sexually abuse a child.”. … read full article
Warning: satire ahead!
Don’t trust the myths of biology
Being a woman has absolutely nothing to do with tits
From The Critic (UK)
By Titania McGrath
May 2022
Scientists and intellectuals have long struggled to determine what a “woman” might be. This mysterious concept has evaded the sharpest of minds through human history. It is very much the holy grail of metaphysics, a will-o’-the-wisp dancing on the ever-receding horizon of knowledge.
So when Boris Johnson claims he knows what a “woman” is, and that they ought to have “single-sex spaces” and their own categories in sports, we should treat his comments with the derision they deserve. When Keir Starmer was asked if a woman could have a penis during an interview by Nick Ferrari on LBC, the Labour leader’s response was far more incisive and dignified: “Uh, Nick, I’m not, er, I, I don’t think we can conduct this debate with, you know, I get this, uh.” This just goes to show that only a Labour government will be able to bring clarity to this issue. … read full article
How trans activists exploit gay rights
The battle over trans ‘conversion therapy’ reveals the underhanded tactics of the gender ideologues.
From Spiked (UK)
By Joanna Williams
May 12, 2022
Despite war in Ukraine and an escalating cost-of-living crisis at home, it’s the re-drafted legislation on conversion therapy that has emerged as one of the big talking points from this week’s state opening of parliament. The UK government is proposing to make it illegal to engage in practices designed to change the sexual orientation of under-18s and non-consenting adults.
But campaigners are up in arms. They want a ‘trans-inclusive’ ban to encompass not just sexual orientation, but also gender identity – and for the ban to be extended to all adults, including those who freely consent to wacky ‘therapies’. … read full article
Sexism on the Left is driving Biden's attacks on Title IX
From Washington Examiner (USA)
By KARA DANSKY
May 13, 2022
Since taking office in January 2021, the Biden administration has been systematically taking a hacksaw to Title IX, with disastrous results for women and girls.
Title IX turns 50 this year. By Title IX, I am referring, of course, to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The language of Title IX itself is simple and straightforward:
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
The purpose of this law was to remedy centuries of exclusion from, and discrimination against, women and girls in the educational arena in the United States. It has led to significant and material advancements in the roles that women play in civil society today.
The Biden administration has been accomplishing its assault on Title IX by redefining the word sex to include the phrase “gender identity.” This might seem innocuous. It might appear on its face that the redefinition of sex to include “gender identity” is meant to protect a small community of marginalized people called “transgender.” … read full article
Federal Judge Blocks Part of Alabama Law Prohibiting Puberty Blockers for Minors
From National Review (USA)
By Zachary Evans
May 14, 2022
A federal judge on Friday blocked part of a new Alabama law criminalizing the performance of gender-transition procedures on minors.
The law, signed by Alabama governor Kay Ivey in April, also designates the prescribing of puberty blockers or hormones treatments to minors as a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison. Under state law, a minor is defined as any resident under 19 years old. … read full article
Trojan charities
Institutional drift leftwards does not have to be inevitable
From The Critic (UK)
By Ben Sixsmith
May 12, 2022
As an Englishman, I always had the vague sense that the ACLU existed to defend civil liberties. It is, after all, the American Civil Liberties Union. It was founded, in its own words, “to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country”.
So, why did the ACLU assist Amber Heard in writing the article about domestic violence that got her sued by Johnny Depp? According to Associated Press, “It was the ACLU that drafted the article under Heard’s name, reflecting her role as an ACLU ambassador on gender violence issues.” … read full article
Kathleen Stock: the professor who lost her career amid toxic gender debate
From RNZ Saturday Morning (New Zealand)
May 14, 2022
Kathleen Stock was a professor of philosophy at the University of Sussex for 18 years, but quit her post last year amid angry protests over her views on gender and transgender rights. In her book Material Girls: Why Reality Matters for Feminism, Stock writes on her belief that biological sex is immutable and cannot be changed, therefore people that choose to transition genders are living an “immersive fiction”.
Stock, who describes herself as a gender non-conforming lesbian, says questions about sex and gender are deeply philosophical, but people - including academics - are scared to talk about it due to the toxicity that surrounds the debate. … listen to interview
Florida church to hold 'pride conference' with drag show for high schoolers
From Washington Examiner (USA)
by Jeremiah Poff
May 13, 2022
A church in Naples, Florida, will host a "youth pride conference" next week for children ages 12 to 18 that will include a drag show and a presentation on political activism.
Billed as "an exploration of LGBTQ-related issues facing today's youth," the free one-day event, organized by a local chapter of the gay and transgender activist organization GLSEN, will take place on May 21 at Naples United Church of Christ.
The program for the conference includes a drag show "from some of our local drag queens," several presentations on mental health issues for gay and transgender individuals, a presentation on "sexuality and science" by an evolutionary biologist, a presentation on "inclusive sex education" by a representative from Planned Parenthood, and a presentation on political activism and advocacy. … read full article
NZ: Trans-Identified Male Behind Stabbing Attack at Indian Restaurant
From REDUXX (USA)
By Reduxx Team
May 14, 2022
The identity of the suspect behind a vicious stabbing attack at an Indian restaurant in Cambridge, New Zealand has been revealed due to a lapse in name suppression.
Matthew Richard Nelson, a male who identifies as a woman named Emma, appeared in Hamilton District Court on May 5. Nelson’s name had previously been withheld from the public, but has now been revealed as the case has gone to court and name suppression has not been re-applied. … read full article
New APP Poll: Swing State Voters Strongly Oppose Transgender Agenda
From American Principles Project (USA)
MAY 12, 2022
WASHINGTON — Today, American Principles Project (APP) released results from a poll of voters in six Senate battleground states on a number of hot-button issues, including women’s sports, sex changes for children, and parental rights bills like the one recently passed in Florida.
The survey, conducted by OnMessage Inc., polled 1,200 likely voters in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. … read full article
No, trans is not ‘the new gay’
From Genspect (UK)
May 14, 2022
It’s often assumed that being trans is somehow very similar to being gay. But the truth is a little more complex – and we’d like to show you how.
In general, we take other people’s internal experiences at face value. If you say you’re hungry, you’ll probably be believed; likewise, if you say that you’re gay, or if you say that you’re trans. We take one another at face value, because we don’t accuse one another of dissembling without good reason, and certainly not of lying. … read full article
Critics accuse Swindon Council of promoting ‘damaging transgender ideology in schools’ amid concern over the number of child referrals to sole NHS gender service
From The Daily Mail (UK)
By SANCHEZ MANNING
May 14, 2022
Council chiefs faced criticism over their trans policy last night amid concern about the number of referrals to the only NHS gender service for children.
Figures obtained under Freedom of Information legislation show that the average referral rate across England was 32 per 100,000 under-18s in 2018 and 2019.
But Swindon had a figure of 66 per 100,000. It was among seven areas out of 191 with a rate more than double the national average. … read full article
UK: Trans-Identified Pedophile Blames ‘Male’ Self for Offending
From REDUXX (USA)
By Genevieve Gluck
May 13, 2022
A U.K. sex offender who identifies as transgender has been caught with extreme pornographic images which depict the rape of children in an “explicit and realistic way.”
On March 17, Carlisle Crown Court heard how Jasmine Challands, 46, whose birth name is Peter James Challands, hid two mass-storage USB devices in a box of Legos. Investigators discovered the devices and the child sexual abuse materials they contained during a routine inspection for compliance to a sexual harm prevention order, which included an obligation to inform police about any digital storage devices.
In an interview with police at the time of his arrest on March 16, Challands blamed his “former” male self for the offending, saying, “Peter was responsible for them.” Challands emphasized that Peter, rather than Jasmine, had “bad” things on the USB devices which reflected fantasies of sexually abusing children. … read full article
WATCH: ‘What Is A Woman?’ New Trailer For Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh Documentary Revealed
From Daily Wire (USA)
By Ashe Schow
May 14, 2022
“What is a woman?” That is what Daily Wire host Matt Walsh wants to know. It seems like a simple question, yet with today’s gender ideology and activism, getting a clear answer appears elusive.
Walsh, a husband, father, host, speaker, and author, travels the country and beyond in a new documentary asking this very question and trying to find a definite answer, only to be met with confusion and hostility from those telling children that they can change their sex.… read full article (and watch trailer)