Tuesday, March 29, 2022
This day in Herstory: Lucille Frances Lawless MNZM (née Ryan), born March 29, 1968, is a New Zealand actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Xena in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, as D'Anna Biers on the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series, and Lucretia in the television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand and associated series. (more)
EXCLUSIVE to the Daily Mail: Connecticut school nurse, 77, is suspended over 'transphobic' Facebook post revealing that student, 11, was on puberty blockers, 12 others were non-binary, and that teachers were helping some keep it secret
Kathleen Cataford, 77, was suspended by Hartford Public Schools School after she posted comments containing specific and private details about students
The post came to the attention of officials at the Richard J. Kinsella Magnet School after the mother of the 11-year-old mentioned saw the post online
'Teachers...are spending 37 hours a week influencing our children, not necessarily teaching our children what YOU think is being taught' she wrote
'I have an 11yo female student on puberty blockers and a dozen identifying as non-binary, all but two keeping this as a secret from their parents,' she added
Hartford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez issued a statement condemning the Cataford's remarks
Cataford remains suspended pending an investigation by the school district into her Facebook comments
From Daily Mail (UK)
By Andrea Blanco
March 29, 2022
A Connecticut school nurse has been suspended over a Facebook post revealing that an 11 year-old at the school where she worked was on puberty blockers.
Kathleen Cataford, who worked at the Richard J Kinsella Magnet School in Hartford, was axed from her role Monday over the post, which was branded transphobic.
Writing on a local mom's group in response to a request for local school recommendations, the 77 year-old said: 'Investigate the school system curriculum...CT is a very socially liberal, gender confused state,' the post read.
It continued: 'As a public school nurse, I have an 11yo female student on puberty blockers and a dozen identifying as non-binary, all but two keeping this as a secret from their parents with the help of teachers, SSW [social workers] and school administration.
'Teachers and SSW are spending 37.5 hours a week influencing our children, not necessarily teaching our children what YOU think is being taught.'
Cataford went on to claim that 'children are introduced to this confusion in kindergarten.' DailyMail.com's attempts to contact her Tuesday were unsuccessful.
Puberty blockers are used to delay puberty in transgender children, and are a current hot-button issue in the United States. … read full article
Can a woman have a penis? Don’t ask me that question, says Starmer
From The Times (UK)
By Chris Smyth
March 29, 2022
Sir Keir Starmer has struggled to say whether a woman can have a penis as he insisted that debates on trans rights need to be done differently.
The Labour leader said that he was an “advocate of safe spaces for women” while also arguing that the law on gender identification needs reform.
His hesitation over the issue is the latest sign of Labour’s difficulties in coming to a coherent position on defining a woman that does not alienate some of its supporters.
Boris Johnson yesterday reaffirmed his view that “the basic facts of biology” were fundamental but that people wanting to change their legal sex should be treated with “generosity and respect”.
On his regular LBC radio phone in, Starmer was challenged about his interview with The Times in which he declared that “trans women are women”, prompting criticism from JK Rowling and others. … read full article (share token)
NHS trusts ask men if they are pregnant before having scans
Male cancer patients and those having X-Rays face ‘unfair’ and ’confusing’ questions after Government removed word ‘female’ from guidelines
From The Telegraph (UK)
By Hayley Dixon
March 28, 2022
Men are being asked if they are pregnant before undergoing scans at NHS trusts in England, it has emerged.
Male cancer patients and those having X-Rays and MRI scans are being asked if they could be expecting after the Government removed the word “female” from the law governing the medical procedures and replaced it with “individuals”.
The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, in Liverpool, now asks “ALL patients under the age of 60, regardless of how you may identify your gender”.
The Telegraph understands that it is among a handful of trusts to have implemented the policy for men and women undergoing procedures that involve radiotherapy and could harm an unborn baby.
It comes amid anger at the NHS for prioritising gender over sex in order to be inclusive of trans people, including on single-sex wards.
One woman whose husband has cancer says that the question before a scan had caused “unnecessary confusion and agitation” and was “unfair” as a combination of steroids and brain surgery had made him emotional.
She added: “This was very confusing for him in his post-surgical daze, his vulnerability and needs completely ignored.” … read full article (web page archive)
Kentucky’s Riley Gaines Tees Off On Swimming Against A Man
From The Clay Travis a& Buck Sexton Show (USA)
March 28, 2022
CLAY: I think you guys are really going to enjoy our only guest here for Monday’s edition of the program. She is Riley Gaines, a senior swimmer at the University of Kentucky. She tied with Lia Thomas — biological man, who has decided to identify as a woman — in this 200-yard freestyle NCAA swimming championships. And this is… There’s so many interesting topics to discuss.
But, first of all, Riley, I want to say, thank you for coming on and actually being willing to discuss this because so many people who are women swimmers have been afraid to say what they really believe about this issue. So I want to start with this. What, in your experience, was it like to swim against a biological man who was identifying as a woman, and what now your fellow competitors think about that experience? You are a senior. Theoretically, this was the end of your college swimming career. What was it like to be down in Atlanta in the last couple of weeks competing there?
GAINES: Right. Thank you guys so much for having me. I’ve been super excited to talk about it. But, you know, kind of leading up to the meet, I wasn’t really too sure what to expect, you know. Getting there, you know, racing and stuff, what kind of environment it would be, how people would feel about it, because like you said so many girls hadn’t really mentioned how they felt or, you know, their true feelings going into the meet. And so I was just so curious.
And then, you know, getting there and racing, I got to talk to other competitors and stuff and see how they felt, and I definitely realized who the silent majority in this whole issue is. And so it was a bit disheartening, you know, watching it. The day before I competed I watch Lia from the 500 freestyle, which was an event I was not in, and it was really just heartbreaking, you know, seeing the girls get ninth and 17th place. But then the next day going into it, my race, it just felt defeating before you even raced, really, which is not a feeling I’m used to. … read full transcript
Genitalia questions debase trans debate, says Angela Rayner
From The Times (UK)
By James Beal
March 29, 2022
Labour’s deputy leader has said it is not acceptable to ask a woman whether she has a penis, but insisted there were circumstances under which a man could be asked whether he was pregnant.
Angela Rayner became the latest Labour figure to wade into the trans rights debate, after the response of her leader, Sir Keir Starmer, in a radio phone-in.
During an interview with Sky News today Rayner, 42, was asked whether it was reasonable to ask a man if he is pregnant. Male cancer patients and those having X-rays and MRI scans are being asked by an NHS trust in Liverpool if they might be expecting a baby.
Rayner said: “If a man was born with the reproductive [organs] because they were born as a female and they’ve transitioned to a male, then if they’re getting medical support because they could be pregnant, then that might be a question that is asked as part of that.
“But it wouldn’t be a reasonable question for me to say, ‘Have you got a penis or not?’ because that’s not acceptable.” … read full article (share token)
Mothers and babies join protest against UK imprisonment of pregnant women
Two babies have died in women’s prisons in UK in past three years, when mothers gave birth without medical assistance
From The Guardian (UK)
By Diane Taylor
March 28, 2022
Fifty babies, accompanied by their parents, have gathered outside parliament as part of a protest calling for an end to custody in prison for pregnant women.
The protest on Monday, attended by women who had previously been in prison when pregnant or after having given birth, or who had been threatened with custodial sentences, along with midwives and advocates for an end to the imprisonment of pregnant women, was organised by Level Up, a feminist organisation fighting gender injustice in the UK, and the campaigning organisation No Births Behind Bars.
Two babies have died in women’s prisons in the past three years, when their mothers gave birth without medical assistance, at HMP Bronzefield in October 2019, and at HMP Styal in June 2020. Prison inspectors found that both mothers were “failed” by the system.
Speakers at the demonstration said the only way to keep pregnant women and new mothers safe was to keep them out of prison and in their communities, where they could access support.
The babies wore hairbands in yellow and green Mother’s Day colours and waved diminutive placards in the shadow of Big Ben bearing the words “no babies behind bars”. … read full article
Entry 6 – Following the interim report (March 2022)
From The Cass Review Journal (UK)
By Hilary Cass
March 29, 2022
Thank you to all those that have taken the time to read the interim report which was published on 10 March. It is good to see that the response has been largely positive. I think this reflects the fact that everyone with an interest in this area shares the same really important objective – to do the right thing for children and young people who are questioning their gender or are in distress, and to get them the support they need as soon as possible.
The interim report needs to speak for itself and the Review doesn’t intend to comment on the various interpretations that have emerged in response to its publication. However, I think there may be some misunderstandings about the standard clinical requirements which we have talked about in the report, particularly with regard to the process of assessment and diagnosis.
I have been clear that there needs to be better agreement and guidance about the appropriate clinical assessment processes that should take place. Current debates around gender can create an artificial binary opposition between explorative and affirmative stand points. This is an oversimplification of a complex issue and can sometimes create misunderstandings of the kind I have referred to. In practice clinicians have a spectrum of approaches and do not necessarily see these models as mutually exclusive.
I have also noticed some debate around the inclusion of the need for a diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and whether that means we are pathologising gender identity or seeing it as a mental health problem. I think it is worth clarifying what is meant by these terms. … read full article
Can men have babies? Albo says ‘no’, Labor says ‘yes’
From Spectator | Australia
By Lyle Shelton
March 30, 2022
Anthony Albanese has incensed LGBTQ+ activists by saying men can’t have babies, but the public don’t believe him when he says he’s not Woke.
His declaration comes from the same reservoir of common sense that drives Christian and Muslim schools to have policies keeping males out of girls’ toilets and sports.
Now, Albo stands accused of being an ‘anti-trans’ bigot by social media.
‘Albanese proud to deny the existence of trans people just weeks after attending Mardi Gras,’ activist Shane Bazzi wrote on Twitter.
‘This is what we mean about politicians pinkwashing. F***ing shameful. This election is going to be so painful.’
@Strewthqueen tweeted a collage of photos of ‘pregnant men’ as if to prove Albo’s transphobia.
‘So @AlboMP, if you’re so proudly “anti woke”, how about answering this – are these men not pregnant, or are these pregnant people not men? Also, why do you hate families???’
Note the same emotional blackmail used to shut down debate during the 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite. … read full article
Trans-Identified Male Who Took Female Seat in German Political Quota to Speak on "Women in Politics"
From REDUXX (USA)
By Genevieve Gluck
March 29, 2022
Germany’s Green Party has chosen a trans-identified male member of parliament, Tessa Ganserer, to speak at an event highlighting women in politics. Ganserer, whose real name is Markus, was elected to Germany’s Bundestag in September 2021, taking a seat that was reserved for female political representation.
The event, titled Women*. Power. Politics, uses an asterisk throughout its description to indicate “all women are welcome,” by which they are clearly referring to Ganserer, who is a man.
“Time for new perspectives, time for more women* in politics and business,” reads the event’s tagline.
Leading up to Ganserer’s election, feminist campaigners protested a policy put in place by the Green Party allowing men to self-identify into political roles designated for women under a quota system. … read full article (and SUPPORT REDUXX!)
To help my son, it's time to rediscover myself
From Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans (PITT) (USA)
March 29, 2022
I realized after spending two years of my life being turned upside down by my son declaring he was “trans” that I’m not ok.
I’ve spent all my time reading and listening to everything I could get my hands on to educate myself. I did not believe my son was “trans” but I wanted to verify this belief. I found an abundance of proof but I also realized that there were people actually pushing the trans narrative for profit. These people are so engrossed in their ideology that they really did not care that they were harming children. Not just my own but thousands of children. Once you know, you cannot look away or unlearn.
I joined several parent groups and the stories parents tell are unbelievable. But not everyone is listening and what’s happening is worse than I could ever have imagined.
This realization of this teen sexual genocide put me in a deeply depressive state that I could not get out of.
Suicide seemed like a good route for me at first until I realized I had to fight. I had to fight for not only my son but for every child affected by this ideology around the world. Kids are vulnerable and being taken advantage of by greedy and self serving doctors, therapists, surgeons, politicians, and educators.
In my fight to save my child, I have changed. I have become so knowledgeable that I now question everything I ever believed in. I accepted the status quo. I voted on party lines. I believed that people were essentially good. I trusted. Everything in my world has changed. … read full article (and SUBSCRIBE to PITT!)
'This is wrong and must be called out': Sharron Davies leads backlash in transgender cycling row
Emily Bridges will race in Saturday's National Omnium Championships against Laura Kenny
From The Telegraph (UK)
By Ben Rumsby and Tom Cary
March 29, 2022
British sport was engulfed by its first major transgender row on Tuesday night over plans to let a recently-transitioned cyclist race for gold against the country’s greatest female Olympian.
Emily Bridges, who on Tuesday was on the verge of being cleared to compete in women’s events, has applied to enter Saturday’s National Omnium Championship alongside Laura Kenny.
Bridges, 21, from Wales, was said to be awaiting formal approval from the sport’s world governing body to race five-time Olympic champion Kenny, and other stars of this summer’s Tokyo Games, at the Derby Arena.
News of her appearance on a provisional entry list for the event reignited the debate over whether male-to-female trans athletes should be allowed to compete in women’s sport.
That was after a major row broke out just over a week ago when Lia Thomas became the first openly trans swimmer to claim victory at the United States’ top college championship. … read full article (web page archive)
If you believe in fair competition, Emily Bridges should not be racing Laura Kenny
The transgender debate is sensitive but if a 21-year-old novice can beat the greatest female track cyclist that GB has ever produced, sport has a problem
From The Times (UK)
By Owen Slot
March 29, 2022
The Derby Arena is a velodrome with a capacity considered too small to host the National Track Cycling Championships or a World Cup event. It was therefore chosen to stage the National Omnium and Madison Championships this weekend because these events are track cycling at its quirkiest extreme. In other words, it was not expected to be the venue for sports news that could have the most far-reaching consequences.
Prepare then for the women’s omnium this weekend and the possibility of Emily Bridges beating Laura Kenny. Kenny is the most decorated British female Olympian of all time; Bridges has never before competed in a women’s race.
Bridges is a transgender athlete. She was so highly rated when she was coming through the junior men’s ranks that she was selected to join the British Cycling senior academy.
The temperature of the debate over whether a transgender athlete should be eligible to compete in women’s events is one that has been gradually rising globally. It has recently polarised sports authorities in the United States. This weekend in Derby is when it will really hit home here in the UK. … read full article (share token)