Wednesday, April 20, 2022
This day in Herstory: Elizabeth Alyse Cuthbert, AC, MBE, born April 20, 1938 (died August 6, 2017), was an Australian athlete and a four-time Olympic champion. She was nicknamed Australia's "Golden Girl". During her career, she set world records for 60 metres, 100 yards, 200 metres, 220 yards and 440 yards. Cuthbert also contributed to Australian relay teams completing a win in the 4 × 100 metres, 4 × 110 yards, 4 × 200 metres and 4 × 220 yards. Cuthbert had a distinctive running style, with a high knee lift and mouth wide open. She was named in 1998 an Australian National Treasure and was inducted as a Legend in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Athletics Australia Hall of Fame in 2000. (more)
How the left silence women – starting with Deves
From The Spectator | Australia
By Rachael Wong
April 20, 2022
The vicious demonisation of Warringah Liberal candidate Katherine Deves is the latest attempt to silence women who speak out about the impact of harmful gender policies and practices on women’s sex-based rights and the welfare of children.
During her first week of election campaigning, the Save Women’s Sport Australasia co-founder and mother of three daughters has been subjected to relentless, coordinated media attacks for past comments related to her advocacy around the rights and safety of women and girls and the reality of biological sex.
Many of those fuelling the attacks against Deves and trolling her online, are the same people who campaign for women’s ‘safety’ and ‘respect’ and complain that ‘we need more women in politics’, especially in the Liberal Party. But as usual, it is clear that such sentiments are reserved only for women they agree with, which ironically does not include those concerned about issues like the erosion of women’s safety and privacy as males identify into their sports and spaces. The horrendous treatment Deves has received (including threats of dismemberment and burning at the stake) would not be tolerated in any other context. … continue reading
Report: Teens expressing regret over 'gender-affirming care' are 'going unheard' by the Biden administration
'All they really needed was a little time to grow up,' wrote Suzy Weiss
From Fox News (USA)
By Brandon Gillespie
April 20, 2022
A report published Monday argued that transgender teens speaking out against "gender-affirming care" were "going unheard" by President Joe Biden's administration amid the roll-out of its transgender policy touting the "positive effects" of such interventions.
In a Substack post headlined, "The Testosterone Hangover," Suzy Weiss, sister of Bari Weiss and a former reporter for The New York Post, described the struggles of transgender teens who underwent, and subsequently regretted, "gender-affirming care," and argued that "all they really needed was a little time to grow up" rather than rushing into the process of permanently changing their bodies.
Weiss began her report by describing the experiences of a teen girl named Chloe who, after undergoing a double mastectomy and years of taking puberty blockers and testosterone injections, started to have regrets about undergoing such changes.
"Chloe was the beneficiary of what transgender activists call 'gender-affirming care,' which means all the adults in her life—doctors, nurses, social workers, teachers, parents—actively supported her decision to become the person she believed she was meant to be, even if that person required an elective mastectomy in high school," Weiss wrote. … continue reading
Swimming Australia issues stern warning about transgender athletes competing against women - as country's most decorated Olympian joins the debate
Swimming Australia 'preparing' for transgender athletes in the sport
President confirmed showdown meetings over rights of trans athletes
FINA will meet with countries prior to world championship meet in July
Emma McKeon said she wouldn't want to race against 'biologically male' athlete
Swimmer told a Queensland seminar that the sport will have to deal with it
'It's just not fair,' McKeon, an eleven-time Olympic medallist, said this week
From Daily Mail (UK)
By SAM MCPHEE
April 20, 2022
Swimming Australia have admitted transgender athletes are set to become a big issue for professional sports - as Australia's most decorated Olympian speaks out against their inclusion.
Tracy Stockwell, the president of the country's swimming organisation, said they are preparing for trans people to want to compete and are set for showdown talks on their future in meets.
'I don't know that we would have had any instances yet but it's only a matter of time,' she told the Telegraph.
'I think we've got to be prepared for that.'
Ms Stockwell wants the 'divisive' issue clearly outlined by FINA, the International Olympic Committee who oversee water sports, with officials to meet prior to July's world championships.
Swimming Australia will discuss the issue at a board meeting in May, with Ms Stockwell saying they will consider both 'inclusive and fair policies'.
'It's complicated, it's emotional, it's divisive, depending on people's views,' she said at Wednesday's announcement that Australia and the US would conduct a 'duel in the pool' meet in Sydney in August. … continue reading
Gender identity material for elementary schoolers prompts investigation by state rep
From The National Desk (USA)
by ALEC SCHEMMEL
April 20, 2022
HARRISBURG, PA. (TND) — A Pennsylvania state representative is investigating material he says has been distributed by the Biden administration to his state’s department of education, which offers instruction on gender identity for six to seven-year-olds that includes a “Genderbread Person” and a “Gender Unicorn.”
GOP state Rep. Aaron Bernstine sent a letter last week to his state’s Secretary of Education Noe Ortega questioning the material he said he was notified had been “distributed” by the U.S. Department of Education to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), “and is an option to be used in curriculum for students in the 6-7 age range.”
Bernstine was alerted to the teaching material by attendees of a seminar held at Grove City College where, according to Bernstine, they were informed of the origins of such instructional material, and that they were given to his state’s department of education.
The gender identity teaching material included an exhibit displaying two diagrams, one of a “Genderbread person,” including labels identifying the differences between identity, attraction, sex and expression, as well as one of a “Gender Unicorn,” which display’s a double-helix between the character’s legs. … continue reading
Why gender identity should be left out of the ‘conversion therapy’ ban
Evidence shows that the majority of gender-distressed children who are not ‘affirmed’ in their cross-sex identification outgrow those feelings
From The Guardian (UK)
A letter by Maya Forstater and Helen Joyce
April 20, 2022
Your editorial (17 April) does not fully address the reason campaigners from across the political spectrum warn against including gender identity alongside sexual orientation in plans to ban “conversion therapy”.
Evidence shows that the majority of gender-distressed children who are not “affirmed” in their cross-sex identification outgrow those feelings. The proposals that you endorse would make it harder for therapists to explore what may lie behind gender distress. Common underlying causes include the stirrings of same-sex attraction, undiagnosed autistic-spectrum disorder, trauma from sexual abuse and, for many teenage girls, living in a sexist, porn-saturated world. … continue reading
Tennessee lawmakers discuss bill focusing on gender pronouns in schools
An anti-transgender bill that would specify schools are not required to use students' preferred pronouns is making its way through the Tennessee legislature.
From WBIR News (USA)
By WBIR Staff
April 19, 2022
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Lawmakers in Tennessee discussed a bill Tuesday that focused on how educators use pronouns in the classroom.
The bill, SB 2777, is meant to specify that schools and teachers could not be required to use a student's preferred pronoun. It specifies that teachers or other employees of public schools could not be required to use a student's preferred pronoun if it does not align with their gender assigned at birth.
The bill also says they could not be civilly liable for using incorrect pronouns when referring to a student or face employment actions for misgendering a student.
An amendment to the bill also discusses freedom of speech rights inside of schools. It says that protecting freedom of speech for teachers and employees in public schools promotes the state's interests and says that the pronouns teachers choose to use when referring to students is a matter of free speech. … continue reading
To My Son's Therapist: You Can't Say You Didn't Know
From Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans (PITT) (USA)
April 20, 2022
My son recently saw a horrible therapist, who refused to address his underlying issues (such as the sissy porn my son was watching, instead fixating on the idea that “just because you watch gay porn doesn’t mean you’re gay” but this has nothing to do with gender identity therefore a nonsensical statement in lieu of the subject matter), focusing instead only on his trans identity… It is essential that therapists who aim to treat gender dysphoria understand the influences on our boys, including sissy porn and possible internalized misandry that commonly lead to gender confusion and development of trans identities. After I dropped the biased and uninformed therapist, I drafted the email because I wanted to be able to say that I did my best to inform him, especially because he works at a university. It’s important to call out these therapists and provide them with information, so they cannot claim that they just did not know. They know.
Dr. __,
During the time that you were treating my son, it became clear to me that you are not well informed when it comes to gender confusion and dysphoria. I hope you take the time to read this letter, which I wrote in the hopes of raising your awareness to the complexity of this issue, and the realities of trans identification in teenagers like my son. … continue reading (and SUBSCRIBE to PITT!)
r/AskTransgender: Is it possible to believe you're trans when you're not?
From Writing behavior with Eliza Mondegreen (Canada)
By Eliza Mondegreen
April 20, 2022
The most illuminating discussions in online trans communities center on issues of questioning and doubt.
Take this r/asktransgender post: “Can a CIS person fool themselves into believing they are trans? Is it possible for a CIS person to trick themselves into being trans, for reasons such as 'the memes', or peer pressure, or even otherwise?”
To put this into plain English, this person is asking whether it’s possible to mistakenly believe you’re transgender. It’s a good question—one you’d want to think about before deciding to come out as transgender or undertake steps to transition. But what does the hive mind think? … continue reading (and SUBSCRIBE to Writing behavior!)
Trans women left out of female diversity targets after City backlash
FCA scraps plans to require listed companies to count self-identifying women among female employees
From The Telegraph (UK)
By Simon Foy
April 20, 2022
The City regulator has been forced to leave trans women out of new female diversity targets after backlash from industry chiefs.
The Financial Conduct Authority said it will scrap plans to require listed companies to include those who self-identify as women when counting female employees.
The decision comes after hundreds of City firms said they disagreed that targets should be based on gender identity rather than sex.
Out of 439 responses to the consultation, all but one respondent said they did not want trans women to be included in the targets and data disclosures regarding female representation.
The companies said that such an approach would not be consistent with equalities legislation, would fail to recognise the under-representation of women based on sex and the structural discrimination they may face and could allow men to “game” the targets system.
Instead, some companies wanted trans individuals to be separately identified because of their different life experiences. … continue reading (web page archive)
Florida Department of Health Releases Guidance on Treatment of Gender Dysphoria for Children and Adolescents
From The Florida Department of Health (USA)
April 20, 2022
Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, the Florida Department of Health released guidance regarding the treatment of gender dysphoria for children and adolescents. This guidance uses the most up-to-date scientific data available, and it prioritizes the overall health and well-being of Florida's children and adolescents. The Department's guidance is available here.
"The federal government's medical establishment releasing guidance failing at the most basic level of academic rigor shows that this was never about health care," said State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. "It was about injecting political ideology into the health of our children. Children experiencing gender dysphoria should be supported by family and seek counseling, not pushed into an irreversible decision before they reach 18."
Countries such as Sweden, Finland, France, and the United Kingdom are currently reviewing, reevaluating, stopping, or advising caution on the treatment of gender dysphoria in children and adolescents.
The Department crafted this guidance using published and peer-reviewed data that calls into question the motives of the federal HHS. Guidance of this magnitude requires a full, diligent understanding of the scientific evidence. … continue reading
Why we can’t give up the word ‘woman’
Maya Forstater on why politicians must no longer duck the gender debate.
From Spiked (UK)
By Maya Forstater
April 20, 2022
‘What is a woman?’ This simple question is now like kryptonite to even the savviest of British politicians. Maya Forstater – co-founder of a new campaign, Respect My Sex If You Want My X – wants to use the upcoming local elections to ask this and other pointed questions of political candidates. The aim is to challenge today’s fashion for treating gender identity as more important than biological reality – and to get politicians to acknowledge that this outlook is affecting women and children.
She joined Brendan O’Neill for last week’s episode of his podcast, The Brendan O’Neill Show. What follows is an edited extract from their conversation. Listen to the full episode here.
Brendan O’Neill: One of the things I really admire about the Respect My Sex campaign is the confronting questions that you want people to ask political candidates. For example, ‘Can you tell me what a woman is?’. I cannot wait to ask this of the next person who knocks on my door canvassing for my vote. Another question is ‘What do you think is most important: sex or gender?’. Why do you think it’s so important to elevate the reality of sex over the subjective category of gender?
Maya Forstater: Gender can mean lots of different things. Most ordinary people, when they say gender, they really mean sex. But gender also means this idea of having an innate feeling of being male or female or neither or both or fluid – and that this feeling can replace sex in situations where sex matters. … continue reading
Katie Archibald claims IOC unfair to female cyclists and trans women
Olympic cycling champion says IOC underplays biology
Archibald feels rules also unfair to trans riders such as Bridges
From The Guardian (UK)
By Sean Ingle
April 20, 2022
The double Olympic champion Katie Archibald has sharply criticised the transgender policies of the International Olympic Committee and other sports bodies – saying they have not only let down female cyclists by underplaying biology but left trans women, such as Emily Bridges, facing intense scrutiny.
Archibald, who won the second of her cycling gold medals in Tokyo last year alongside Dame Laura Kenny in the Madison, said it was wrong for governing bodies to ignore the science that shows trans women who have gone through male puberty have a retained advantage in strength, stamina and physique.
However, she also expressed deep sympathy for Bridges, who broke the junior men’s 25-mile record before transitioning in 2020, saying she was only following the rules of cycling’s governing body, the UCI, before it decided to block her racing as a woman last month.
“It is my opinion that the international governing bodies of several sports have let down transgender athletes, in particular transgender women, with their inclusion policies,” Archibald said in a statement.
“These policies have put the athletes, their involvement in sport, and their personal lives under intense scrutiny when all the athletes have done is follow the rules and enter a category they were encouraged to enter.”
Archibald made it clear that she and other females were also being let down by the unwillingness of sports to accept the importance of biology.
“I feel let down by the International Olympic Committee who tell me there should be no assumed advantage for an athlete with a gender identity different to their sex,” she said. … continue reading
The NHS is dehumanising women
Why is so much ‘trans inclusive’ language so misogynistic and objectifying?
From Spiked (UK)
By RAQUEL ROSARIO SANCHEZ
April 19, 2022
Healthcare staff in Sussex in the UK have been encouraged to find alternatives to female-specific words when caring for pregnant women. According to the Daily Mail, Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust has advised midwives and obstetricians that ‘some individuals may have preferred terminology for their anatomy’, and that staff should act accordingly.
The guidelines add that maternity care has typically been designed as a ‘women-only service’, which may not serve the needs of ‘trans’ and ‘non-binary’ individuals who identify as neither male nor female.
So, instead of a female-specific term such as ‘breast milk’, staff are being encouraged to refer to ‘human milk’ or ‘chest milk’. The trust also recommends finding other words for ‘breasts’, ‘cervix’, ‘clitoris’, ‘labia’, ‘vulva’ and ‘uterus’. … continue reading