This day in Herstory: Alice Ann Munro (née Laidlaw), born July 10, 1931, is a Canadian short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. Munro's work has been described as revolutionizing the architecture of short stories, especially in its tendency to move forward and backward in time. Her stories have been said to "embed more than announce, reveal more than parade." (more)
Thank you for your patience
After 10 days without a daily roundup, GC News is back. We really needed the break, which has given us some time to reflect on our goals. From the beginning, our vision has been to provide a daily round-up of news and opinion pieces of interest to a gender critical (GC) audience. We think of GC News as a finger on the pulse of the rapidly evolving cultural upheaval related to gender identity ideology. To use a different metaphor, it’s like a snapshot of the daily GC situation.
You, dear readers, care enough about GC issues that you want to be informed. You might be new to the GC world, or a veteran. You might follow many other GC sources, or none. In either case, we hope to link you to some fresh articles of interest every day. We look for stories that we think will be valuable to most readers of GC News.
Please note: our sharing a link in no way implies our endorsement of, or even agreement with, the views of the related author(s). In our view, the GC perspective transcends the standard left/right political differences.
We welcome your feedback. Please reply to this post by email or in the comments section, telling us what you most like about GC News, or if you have any suggestions about how it might be improved.
What do we mean by “Gender Critical”? We believe the basis of GC thought to be:
Human beings are a sexually dimorphic species, which means that all humans are either male or female. There are no other options. Sex is determined at conception, it cannot be changed, and it’s objectively verifiable in about 99.98% of newborns. The extremely rare exceptions (with prenatal DSDs) are still either male or female.
The GC perspective is critical of the idea that gender is an essential personal attribute, independent of one’s sex. Sex always trumps any subjective sense of “gender identity” with respect to sex-based classification. This is especially important in matters of law and public policy.
Everyone has the right to believe whatever they wish, but no one has the right to compel others to validate their personal self-concept or “gender identity.”
While we were on our break, there were many stories we missed. A lot happens in a GC week! Here are links to a few of the important articles, in case you missed them:
The dangers of gender-affirmative care - by Eliza Mondegreen (July 5)
Maya Forstater has won a victory for reality - by Jo Bartosch (July 6)
Belgium: Experts Call for Caution and Debate on Youth Gender Transition and Sex Erasure - by Róisín Michaux (July 8)
Don't think about it - by Eliza Mondegreen (July 8)
As always, we appreciate you for taking the time to read GC News! Please share it with your friends and feel free to add comments to let us know how we’re doing!
- Lee
UK - ‘Now other women are free to say what they believe’: researcher who lost her job over transgender tweets
After the landmark tribunal ruling in her favour last week, Maya Forstater reveals the toll the case took – and explains why it was worth it
From The Guardian (UK)
By Rachel Cooke
July 10, 2022
A full 48 hours after she received the final judgment in her long-running employment tribunal, Maya Forstater still looks a little dazed. It is, she admits, difficult to believe that she is now free to get on with the rest of her life.
“I am very happy,” she says. “I do feel vindicated. The tribunal found that I was a victim of discrimination, and not a perpetrator, which is the story that has been told about me for the past three years. But it is weird, too. This case took on a life of its own a long time ago. It is both about me, and not about me. The implications of the judgment are going to have a huge impact. The most important thing I ever did, it seems, was to lose my job.” … read full article
UK - Church fails to say what a woman is
From The Times (UK)
By Kaya Burgess
July 11, 2022
The Church of England has never drawn up an official definition of a woman because it was regarded as “self-evident”, a bishop has said.
A member of the General Synod, the national assembly that votes on church legislation, posed a written question to bishops this week asking whether the church could define what a woman is. ... read full article
US - Matt Walsh and JK Rowling argue over Macy Gray's backtrack on 'woman' definition
"What is a Woman" documentarian and Daily Wire host Matt Walsh got into a public back-and-forth with author JK Rowling over his criticism of Macy Gray changing her definition of "woman."
From The Post Millennial (USA)
By Joshua Young
July 10, 2022
After being told to "back off" from Macy Gray, Walsh posted on Twitter "Sorry but women who publicly renounce the definition of 'woman' for fear of mean comments from trans activists deserve all the scorn they get. That kind of gutless cowardice is exactly what got us into this position in the first place."
Rowling responded to Walsh saying, "Endless death and rape threats, threats of loss of livelihood, employers targeted, physical harassment, family address posted online with picture of bomb-making manual aren't 'mean comments'. If you don't yet understand what happens to women who stand up on this issue, back off." ... read full article
US - JK Rowling slams 'gender activist' doctor for calling disabled women 'psychotic'
Rowling continues her campaign against transgender ideology
From Fox News (USA)
By Anders Hagstrom
July 10, 2022
J.K. Rowling slammed a pair of doctors for arguing that it is "psychotic" and "disgusting" for disabled women to demand female doctors for their intimate health care Sunday.
Rowling weighed in on a Twitter debate regarding women's care in which a number of individuals claiming to be doctors argued women's rights advocates are "psychotically hung up" on fighting gender ideology. ... read full article
UK - 'I Lost My Job for Saying Males Aren't Women. So I Sued My Employer'
From Newsweek (USA)
By Maya Forstater
July 10, 2022
On July 6, I won a claim I had first brought to a U.K. employment tribunal three years ago; that I was unfairly discriminated against by my employer, and subsequently denied employment, because of my personal views about sex and gender.
After losing and then appealing that loss, an employment tribunal in London has now declared that I was a victim of discrimination because of my belief that the two sexes are immutable. ... read full article
US - Think-Tanked
How Progressive Nonprofits Went Over the Waterfall
From Year Zero (USA)
By Eliza Mondegreen
July 9, 2022
Four years ago, Maya Forstater, a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development, waded into the United Kingdom’s heated debate over proposed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. When it passed in 2004, the Gender Recognition Act represented some of the strongest protections in the world for people seeking gender reassignment. But by 2018, trans activists wanted something far more radical: gender self-identity — legal recognition as a man or a woman (or both or neither) based on an individual’s say-so — enshrined in UK law. … read full article
Australia - Erasing women
Why are feminists destroying feminism?
From Spectator | Australia
By Katherine Deves
July 9, 2022
The decision of the United States’ Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade exemplifies that, for too long, women have taken their rights for granted. Roe was always at risk; its precarious, loose reasoning, predicated on the implications of decisional privacy, was not explicitly protected by the American constitution. … This modern-day outlawing of abortion removes access to safe and affordable essential healthcare and leaves the challenging rationalisation of this outcome to a federal system of states bereft to deal with it nationally. ... read full article
US - Supreme Court rules that Madison Schools may allow students to choose their pronouns, for now
From Wisconsin Examiner (USA)
By Isiah Holmes
July 9, 2022
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that a school policy which protects the right of students to use different names or pronouns at schools, without being outed to their parents, may remain in effect while a case involving its continuation moves through lower courts. While the policy’s ultimate future remains in question, the decision was a relief to LGBTQ students and their advocates.
The policy, adopted by the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) in 2018, allowed students to use different names or pronouns at school than the ones they used at home without school officials having to inform their parents. Advocates saw the policy as a way to provide a safe place within the school for LGBTQ youth, whose families might not be supportive. It’s not unheard of for LGBTQ youth to face violence at home, or be kicked out of their homes altogether. ... read full article
US - Oregon mom blasts woke new state law calling for free tampons in all BOYS' school bathrooms and says cash should be spent on books and supplies
Cherylene Stritenberg has petitioned the Oregon Department of Education to roll back the Menstrual Dignity Act
The law requires public schools to provide free menstrual products in all bathrooms, including those designated for boys as young as kindergarten
To pay for the dispensers, about $5.6 million would be diverted from the State Schools Fund - enough to pay 30 teachers' salaries for two years
Stritenberg says the money could be better used on new textbooks and supplies
She has called for a public comment period before the law goes into effect for the next school year
From Daily Mail (UK)
By Melissa Koenig
July 10, 2022
An Oregon mother is fighting back against a new state law calling for free tampons in all boys' school bathrooms - saying the money could be better spent on textbooks and supplies.
Cherylene Stritenberg, a member of the Eagle Point School District, has petitioned the Oregon Department of Education to roll back the Menstrual Dignity Act - single-handedly triggering a two-week comment period on the law before it goes into effect for the next school year, Oregon Live reports. ... read full article
UK - UK Women’s Charity Promoting Trans Author Who Wrote “Pedophile” Sex Guide for Children
From REDUXX (USA)
By Genevieve Gluck
July 9, 2022
A local chapter of a UK women’s charity is under fire after promoting a book by a trans author who wrote an explicit sex guide for children, and who called being gay a “consolation prize” for men who weren’t transgender.
The Fawcett Society prompted outrage this week after promoting a book, The Gender Games, by transgender author Juno, born James, Dawson. The West Midlands Branch of the Society runs a monthly book club and announced July’s selection in a social media post made on Thursday. ... read full article
UK - Tory MP Penny Mordaunt is too hung up on trans rights to become PM, say women's rights group
Penny Mordaunt said ‘trans men are men and trans women are women’
The Trade Minister's ‘woke’ views became a central issue of her leadership bid
Conservatives for Women raised alarm of her ‘staunch views about trans rights
From Daily Mail (UK)
By GLEN OWEN and BRENDAN CARLIN
July 9, 2022
Tory leadership hopeful Penny Mordaunt was branded ‘a warrior for the trans lobby’ last night as her ‘woke’ views became a central issue of her bid to succeed Boris Johnson.
Trade Minister Ms Mordaunt came under fresh fire for previously declaring that ‘trans men are men and trans women are women’. ... read full article
US - Dave Chappelle's surprise Netflix special delivers a punch to cancel culture
From Hot Air (USA)
By KAREN TOWNSEND
July 9, 2022
In a surprise move, Netflix quietly released a “speech” on Friday delivered by comedian Dave Chappelle at his high school alma mater, Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. The speech is forty minutes in length and time well spent for Chappelle’s audience. The speech/special is titled “What’s in a Name?”
The reason for Chappelle’s speech that turned into a Netflix special was the re-naming of the school’s theatre. Chappelle was to be honored by the school. His name was supposed to be on the theatre but all that changed after a much-publicized meltdown by students at the high school over the choice of honoring Chappelle. Students decided that Chappelle’s Netflix special “The Closer” was intolerant of transgender people and treated Chappelle badly during a visit to the school. Chappelle heard their complaints but treated them more as adults than as kids and pushed back. … read full article
US - Largest Teachers Union Discusses Dousing “Mom” And Going With “Birthing Parent”
From The Free Press (USA)
By Mike Jenkins
July 10, 2022
Leaked documents from Terry Stopps, show that the nation’s largest teachers union, the National Education Association (NEA), is debating a proposal to begin pushing the use of “LGBTQIA+ inclusive” language, like “birthing parent” instead of “mother” and “non-birthing parent” instead of “father,” in the formal language used by state and local educational entities. …
According to the NEA’s alleged proposal, using such language would relieve members of their anxiety over “how a Board of Education/solicitor defines ‘maternity leave,’ ‘mother,’ and/or ‘father,’” and is a reflection of “how LGBTQIA+ members build their families.” ... read full article
Canada - 'I would've left her alone if she hadn't been parading her new abs in a fashion magazine': Jordan Peterson doubles down on Elliot Page criticism that got him banned from Twitter and claims transgender star is 'converting' kids
Conservative psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson defended his attack on transgender star Elliot Page, claiming he is converting children
Peterson said that Elliot showing off his abs and appearing in Esquire magazine was confusing kids into thinking they were transgender
He also got angry and yelled at podcaster Kyle Kulinski, who refuted his argument on Friday as Peterson reiterated his controversial claims
It comes after Peterson was suspended on Twitter for writing that Page had his breast removed by a 'criminal physician,' which was flagged as hateful
From Daily Mail (UK)
By RONNY REYES
July 9, 2022
Conservative author and psychologist Dr. Jordan Peterson doubled down on his attack on Elliot Page, claiming Hollywood's biggest transgender star was 'converting' children by posing for pictures with his abs.
Peterson, who was suspended from Twitter after saying Page had his breasts removed by a 'criminal physician,' reiterated his statement on Friday and said he needed to speak up following Page's shirtless show on Esquire's summer issue last month.
... read full article
UK - Domenico Di Ceglie: Tavistock
From Gender Critical Woman Blog (UK)
By @STILLTish
July 9, 2022
This is the final part on Domenico Di Ceglie, the man who set up the children and youth service at the U.K’s main gender clinic. You can read parts 1 & 2 here. These posts are part of my series on the Tavistock.
Tavistock: Domenico Di Ceglio 2
This piece will focus on the question and answer session, following his talk which I covered in parts 1 & 2. ... read full article
Welcome back, GC News! I've missed my daily GC News fix.
I agree wholeheartedly with your definition of what it means to be gender critical and am glad that you include a variety of perspectives on issues. By reading some pieces which do not meet your definition of what it is to be gender critical, we can become more aware of those who think differently. Maybe each issue should include a short definition of "gender critical" and a one-sentence disclaimer that the views in some linked pieces don't meet the criteria.