Tuesday, June 21, 2022
This day in Herstory: Antonia Mesina, born June 21, 1919 (died May 17, 1935) was an Italian Roman Catholic and part of Catholic Action. Mesina was murdered in mid-1935 at the age of 15, after she attempted to fend off a would-be rapist and suffered 74 strikes with a stone before she died. (more)
Bureau of Prisons expedites gender transition surgery for ex neo-Nazi bank robber
From The National Desk (USA)
By Alec Schemmel
June 21, 2022
WASHINGTON (TND) — The Bureau of Prisons is fast tracking gender reassignment surgery for an ex neo-Nazi bank robber who claims to have information about co-conspirators involved in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.
Transgender inmate Donna Langan – formerly known as Pete Langan – was given a life sentence after she reportedly robbed 22 banks across seven states over a span of just two years as leader of the Aryan Republican Army (ARA).
Langan, who has reportedly renounced her neo-Nazi roots, also admitted in a 2007 sworn deceleration that ARA members were involved in the Oklahoma City attack.
After being given a life sentence for her involvement in the robberies, Langan resided in a male prison for nearly two decades before being transferred to a female prison following a lengthy legal fight. ... read full article
Pennsylvania bill for gender identity, sexual orientation in schools passes committee
From WETM 18 (USA)
By George Stockburger
June 21, 2022
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Two bills that would “address discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in Pennsylvania schools” has passed the Pennsylvania State Senate Education Committee.
Both of the bills passed the education committee 7-4 on Tuesday afternoon.
State Senators Scott Martin and Ryan Aument, both Republicans representing Lancaster County, say the bill would pertain to age-inappropriate conversations in elementary schools. ... read full article
Gender law ‘poses risk to health tests’
Professor Alice Sullivan said that the Scottish government’s proposals may have “unintended consequences”
From The Times (UK)
By Kieran Andrews
June 22, 2022
Making it easier for people to change their gender risks an increased number of vital medical screenings being missed, an academic has claimed.
Professor Alice Sullivan, head of research at University College London’s Social Research Institute, said that the Scottish government’s proposals may have “unintended consequences”. This could include “erasing” sex as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act, she added.
The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill would change the way that people can obtain a gender recognition certificate, the legal recognition of a trans person’s acquired gender. It would remove the requirement for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and allow trans people to self-identify. … read full article
Opening Statement, Professor Alice Sullivan
Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill
Date: Tuesday, June 21, 2022, Session: 6
Written evidence submission.
By Professor Alice Sullivan
Sex is a fundamental demographic variable and a powerful predictor of almost every dimension of social life.
Sex is a protected characteristic under Equality Act 2010, and is essential for equalities monitoring. EA2010 includes a public sector equality duty to monitor and publish data on the protected characteristic of sex. ... read full article
'Safe space' Navy training on preferred pronouns draws mockery, criticism
From The National Desk (USA)
By ALEC SCHEMMEL
June 21, 2022
NEWPORT, R.I. (TND) — The Navy is getting slammed for a training video designed like a child’s television show discussing how to create “safe spaces” using “inclusive language,” particularly preferred pronouns.
The video, described by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service as an “Official US Navy Video,” was co-hosted by Conchy Vasquez and Jony Rozon, both engineers at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Rhode Island. ... read full article
Gender identity theory – a climate of fear
People who do not subscribe to the theory are being vilified
From The Irish Times (Ireland)
A letter by COLETTE COLFER
June 21, 2022
Sir, – I reply to four pieces that have been published in The Irish Times over the last week. …
I was a contributor to one of the Joe Duffy Liveline shows referred to in these four pieces.
The main point I made in my contribution to Liveline was that there are parallels between gender identity theory and religious beliefs. I explained gender identity theory as involving the idea that a person’s internal sense of gender is different from, and often more important than, their biological sex. I also suggested that people who do not subscribe to this theory are being treated as heretics or blasphemers. ... read full article
Transgender players banned from international rugby league
Transgender players have been banned from women's internationals while rugby league's governing body does further research on its inclusion policy.
From BBC News (UK)
By Frances Mao
June 21, 2022
International Rugby League (IRL) said it wanted to "balance the individual's right to participate... against perceived risk to other participants".
The IRL's move comes as several sports are considering transgender inclusion.
Transgender swimmers were on Sunday banned from women's elite races if they have gone through male puberty. … read full article
At last common sense has won in swimming. Now EVERY sport must stand up for women
I've barely worked for the past three years thanks to bullying by a small but ferocious trans activist lobby, writes SHARRON DAVIES
From Daily Mail (UK)
By SHARRON DAVIES
June 2022
Swimming — like most sports at elite level — is tough. It demands early starts, long, gruelling hours of training, absolute dedication, and utter, single-minded determination.
You must face down disappointment and criticism and carry on. The mental resilience I developed as an Olympic swimmer — I competed in the 1976, 1980 and 1992 Games — has served me well over the past four years as I have campaigned for fair sport for females in the face of a ferocious campaign by a small but aggressive trans- activist lobby.
They have unleashed horrific, often misogynistic abuse and intimidation on anyone who disagrees with them. They issued threats to me and my children, calling me a ‘transphobe’, a ‘bigot’ and far worse. … read full article
‘You had me at underdog’: How the Left fell for Big Pharma
From Genspect (UK)
By Jo Bartosch
June 21, 2022
A week ago today, the UK’s largest public sector union, UNISON, roared with one voice: “trans women are women, trans men are men, non-binary people are valid”. A motion, entitled ‘Trans Equality – Louder and Prouder!’ was conclusively passed at the UNISON local government conference. Sincere gender critical campaigners, some of whom are firmly ensconced on the left, were smeared as “spreading false information to provoke hatred” and erroneously linked to the “far right.” Following the vote, socialist songster Billy Bragg announced with pride that “this is what solidarity looks like.”
Some were shocked that UNISON had not only misrepresented their position but that it had effectively pulled support from members whose jobs will be at risk if they ‘come out’ as gender critical at work. Others saw the vote as more evidence of the long-running bromance between the mainstream left and fundamentalist, beardy men’s rights activists. Indeed, from Hamas to the warriors of woke, organisations on the left clearly have a ‘type.’ ... read full article
People can climb social ‘pecking order’ by claiming they are trans, suggests Tom Holland
Historian mentions Jamie Wallis, the Tory MP who came out in March, and says being heterosexual is now looked upon as ‘boring’
From The Telegraph (UK)
By Craig Simpson
June 21, 2022
People can climb the social “pecking order” by claiming they are trans, Tom Holland, the historian, has suggested.
The best-selling author has claimed there is a “growing” trend of people claiming to have a particular gender or sexual orientation in “progressive” circles in London and UK universities. … read full article
Biden’s Repackaged ‘Conversion Therapy’
From The National Review (USA)
By The Editors
June 21, 2022
Last week, in the month of Pride (formerly known as June), President Biden signed an executive order directing his health and education departments to do everything in their power to encourage transgenderism among children and “promote expanded access to gender-affirming care.”
To justify this intervention, Biden warned of the alleged alternative: “so-called ‘conversion therapy’ — a discredited and dangerous practice that seeks to suppress or change the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQI+ people.”
Biden is confusing a couple of things to be deliberately misleading. … read full article
Radio 4 host Justin Webb admits he had 'no idea' transgender athlete he interviewed about sport rule changes once BOASTED about knocking out women - as listeners compare it to 'asking what Jack the Ripper thinks about street safety'
Fox, 46, became the first openly transgender mixed martial arts fighter in 2013
BBC's Justin Webb said he didn't know Fox had boasted about beating up women
She tweeted about knocking out 'terfs' in 2020 before deleting the posts
From Daily Mail (UK)
By MARTIN BECKFORD
June 21, 2022
A BBC presenter has admitted he interviewed a transgender athlete not knowing she had boasted about seriously injuring women.
Justin Webb said he and the producers of Radio 4's Today programme had 'no idea' about the disturbing comments made previously by Fallon Fox.
He spoke to the American ex-martial arts fighter about the contentious issue of biological males competing in elite female sport – but was unaware she had once claimed to have 'enjoyed' knocking out two women. ... read full article
Male and female in the Equality Act
From Sex Matters (UK)
June 21, 2022
Last week, Old Square Chambers hosted a seminar about single-sex services and the law. Barristers Nicola Newbegin and Robin Moira White argued that biological sex is something that “popped up” recently in relation to the Equality Act.
The meaning of the protected characteristic of “sex”, they said, is ambiguous and does not correspond to biological sex (and therefore the single-sex service exceptions are complex and difficult to use).
We disagree. ... read full article
Stonewall official called JK Rowling's lesbian lawyer friend Allison Bailey a 'terfy barrister' after she criticised their trans policies, court hears
Lesbian barrister Allison Bailey is suing Stonewall and Garden Court Chambers
Bailey's tweets were criticised by Stonewall - who complained to her employers
She claims she was marginalised at work and offered inferior briefs as a result
Stonewall has accused her of being 'literally the author of her own misfortune'
Final submissions were heard yesterday with a ruling to be made at a future date
From Daily Mail (UK)
By STEWART CARR
June 21, 2022
A lesbian activist who is suing Stonewall was allegedly branded a 'terfy barrister' by one of the charity's officials, her lawyer said, during the closing submissions of an employment tribunal.
Garden Court Chambers (GCC) barrister Allison Bailey launched discrimination action against both her chambers, which is classed as a trade association, and the LGBT charity in a landmark case which has gripped the legal profession. ... read full article
Both Sides Now
An urgent proposal
From BROADVIEW with Lisa Selin Davis (USA)
By Lisa Selin Davis
June 21, 2022
Why are we fighting about drag queens?
On the one hand, sure, this form of entertainment was originally associated with adult gay sexuality, a salacious and audience-pleasing performance in underground bars and clubs, and maybe it’s not appropriate for kids. But RuPaul’s Drag Race has been on TV since 2009 and I’ve often seen it advertised in the subway. …
As many people know, I think the Democrats are just as terrifying—and I am one! Or maybe I was one. Like many of you, I am a zombie wandering the barren landscape of political homelessness in large part because of this issue. After all, let’s not forget all the parents investigated for not socially or medically affirming their kids, the gross misuse of the term child abuse. ... read full article
This new woke attitude to ‘sex work’ is utterly deluded
Do young progressives really believe that prostitution is a normal job – “like being a store clerk or an architect”?
From The Telegraph (UK)
By MICHAEL DEACON
June 21, 2022
All schools have a duty to provide pupils with information about careers. In New York, however, pupils are arguably being given more information than they need.
The city’s department of education has provided all high school pupils with free access to a digital library full of age-appropriate books. And among them, reports the New York Post, is a book which argues that “sex work” – the progressive, “non-stigmatising” modern term for prostitution – is a perfectly normal job, just like working in a shop or “being an architect”. … read full article
I promise, I will always be on your side
From Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans (PITT) (USA)
June 21, 2022
This essay is translated from Italian. The original version can be found here.
A few months ago, my 12-year-old daughter—the classic tomboy in her choice of games and clothes, but typically female in her relationships (friendships with girls and crushes on boys)—confessed to me that she is a trans boy. ... read full article