The Trans Agenda #29
[6 May 2024]
Welcome to The Trans Agenda, a newsletter that will arrive in your inbox Monday and Thursday if you are subscribed. You can also read it on Substack and on Trans Writes.
Due to the excessive length and how out of hand things were getting, I’ve split the newsletter into two with NEWS & POLITICS, THIS WEEK IN PARLIAMENT, AROUND THE WORLD and ANY OTHER BUSINESS in this one and MEDIA & THE PAPERS in its own, which you can read here or in your email if you are subscribed.
The Trans Agenda
NEWS & POLITICS
NHS England to tell some transgender children to medically detransition or face safeguarding referrals [QUEERAF] [Good Law Project]
- Leaked NHS England guidance reveals a shocking directive for trans children: cease gender-affirming care or risk safeguarding referrals. Misleading families and deepening mistrust, this move exposes the betrayal of trans youth at the heart of the healthcare system.
Kemi Badenoch asks public to report places issuing ‘bad’ single-sex space guidance to government [Attitude]
- In a move straight out of a dystopian novel, the UK government is soliciting reports on organisations providing ‘bad’ advice on single-sex spaces. This thinly veiled attack on trans rights supporters is a dangerous escalation.
Tory proposal for single-room treatment of transgender patients in NHS hospitals
- Under the guise of privacy, new plans would segregate trans patients in single-room hospital wards. This discriminatory change has been rightly condemned by health experts as a distraction from real issues like underfunding and prolonged wait times.
Record breaches in NHS mixed-sex ward policy
- Record-high breaches of mixed-sex ward policy expose government hypocrisy. Rather than fix critical problems like bed shortages, they scapegoat trans patients.
NHS hospitals placed patients in mixed-sex wards 43,700 times last year, a significant breach of the 2012 ban intended to protect patient privacy. This figure, the highest since records began in 2010, more than doubles the breaches reported in 2019. While the national breach rate stood at three per 1,000 treatments last year, specific trusts like Medway Foundation Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals Trust reported significantly higher rates.
Yet, somehow, amidst all this, they are going to find individual rooms for trans people.
Sport England drops Stonewall, caving to right wing pressure
- According to the Mail on Sunday, “The body, which has paid more than £5,000 to the LGBTQ group in the past two years, said the decision was due to ‘value for money’. It comes as Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch called for quangos to cut ties with the charity over fears about the influence it is having on policy. Stonewall declined to comment”
Starmer reverses stance to agree with Rosie Duffield that only women have a cervix
- Sir Keir Starmer has reiterated his position as anti-trans, backing statements made by Labour MP Rosie Duffield, saying that she was “biologically” correct in her assertion that only women have a cervix. In 2021, he disapproved of Duffield’s comments.
Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Starmer said he wanted constructive discussion within the party, stating, “She’s a much-respected member of the parliamentary Labour Party and I want to have a discussion with her and anybody else about how we go forward in a positive way.” He then highlighted the importance of distinguishing between sex and gender, reaffirming what he sees as Labour’s long-standing support for women’s rights. Despite the backtrack, Starmer resisted calls to apologise to Duffield, but that seems to be only a matter of time.
He did not say how he was going to reach out to trans people or our allies.
John Swinney’s likely elevation in Scotland spells trouble for trans rights with his pledge to give Kate Forbes a prominent role.
- John Swinney is poised to be Scotland‘s next First Minister, with his only rival, former finance secretary Kate Forbes, stepping aside to support his candidacy. This clears the way for Swinney’s uncontested leadership of the Scottish National Party by Monday and his assumption of the first minister role by Wednesday. Swinney aims to lead beyond the 2026 elections, bridging party divides and moderating policy positions, particularly on climate and housing. Swinney told the media, “She [Forbes] is an intelligent, creative, thoughtful person who has much to contribute to our national life and if elected I will make sure that Kate is able to make that contribution and that will be part of a united team that draws together our whole party, which given my deep, deep devotion to the SNP I think I am best placed to put together.”
Mounting pressure on Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething over controversial donations [Guardian]
- Growing dissent within the Labour Party focuses on recently installed Welsh First Minister Vaughan Gething after he accepted £200,000 from Dauson Environmental Group, led by a director convicted of environmental crimes. This has sparked calls from within his party and opposition for Gething to return the funds and initiate an independent inquiry. The controversy threatens to impact voter trust yet further in Labour, with significant internal and external pressure mounting for swift resolution.
The Party of Women flops in elections, while trans-inclusive Women’s Equality Party gains a councillor
- With five women standing to be elected as local councillors, Kellie-Jay Keen’s Party of Women collected a total of 509 votes, coming last in three races, third out of four in one and fourth out of six in the other. It has been suggested that their logo was confusing and that voters could have mistaken them for other parties, which would, of course, mean even fewer wanted to vote for them.
The trans-inclusive Women’s Equality Party, meanwhile, had a councillor elected.
British darts star Deta Hedman forfeits match after refusing to face transgender player [Express]
- Noa-Lynn van Leuven was put through to the semi-finals of the Denmark Open after her opponent pulled out, harming her own career while blaming trans people.
More people regret having children than having gender-affirming care, study finds [Pink News]
- Research indicates that transition-related regret is significantly lower than regret following childbirth, abortions, or knee surgery. Data reveal that less than one percent of individuals who undergo gender-affirming procedures experience regret, compared to higher percentages in other major surgeries and life choices.
Keep an eye out for –
- The Tories had an awful week with the local and Mayoral elections, so they will need a distraction. With Kemi Badenoch and her pals trying to do as much damage as possible to trans people before they are booted from government, this could be a bad week. Sorry, this could be an even worse week than normal.
THIS WEEK IN PARLIAMENT
Parliament returns with focus on period poverty, men’s health, and digital threats
- After a brief recess for May Day, Parliament resumes activity on Tuesday. The House of Lords will begin with a discussion on period poverty, led by Baroness Verma (Con). Later that day, the House of Commons Committee on Health and Social Care will question a government Minister about the concerning decline in men’s life expectancy and the lack of a dedicated men’s health strategy.
Wednesday sees the weekly spectacle of Prime Minister’s Questions, followed by continued Lords debate on the controversial Foetal Sentience Committee Bill and the Media Bill. The Lords will also address a pressing digital issue: the potential for political deepfakes to undermine democratic elections, with questions led by Baroness Jones of Whitechurch (Lab).
Committees remain busy throughout the week. Wednesday includes a debate around the Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) Bill, aimed at curbing abusive lawsuits targeting participation in public debate. Another notable session sees the Women and Equalities Committee examine non-consensual intimate image abuse. Reality TV star Georgia Harrison, a vocal campaigner, will offer her insights alongside the CEO of OnlyFans, highlighting the widespread nature of this form of exploitation.
Thursday features a Backbench Business debate in the Commons focused on the much-discussed BBC mid-term charter review. In the Lords, Lord Cashman (Labour) will raise the crucial issue of the Ugandan government’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights.
Note: Although Parliament is technically in session on Friday, no business relevant to this newsletter is scheduled.
Monday 6 May
- Parliament is in recess
Tuesday 7 May
House of Lords
- Oral questions – Assessment of the scale of period poverty – Baroness Verma (Con) [more details here]
Committees
- 10am – Men’s health – Oral evidence – MPs to question Minister on lack of men’s health strategy amid fall in life expectancy [more details here]
Wednesday 8 May
House of Commons
- 12pm – Prime Minister’s Questions
House of Lords
- Oral questions – Ensuring political deepfakes on social media are not used to undermine the outcome of the general election – Baroness Jones of Whitechurch (Labour) [more details here]
- Legislation – Foetal Sentience Committee Bill – committee stage – Lord Moylan (Conservative) [more details here]
- Legislation – Media Bill – committee stage – Lord Parkinson of Whitely Bay (Conservative) [more details here]
Committees
- 9am – To consider the Bill – Debate – Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation Bill [more details here]
- 2.20pm – Non-consensual intimate image abuse – Oral evidence – WEC to hear from campaigner and reality TV star Georgia Harrison plus OnlyFans CEO on tackling revenge porn [more details here]
- 4pm – The role of human rights in the UK democratic process – Oral evidence [more details here]
Thursday 9 May
House of Commons
- Backbench Business – General Debate on the BBC mid-term charter review [more details here]
House of Lords
- Oral questions – Representations to the government of Uganda regarding its Anti-Homosexuality Act – Lord Cashman (Labour) [more details here]
Friday 10 May
- No business that concerns the scope of this newsletter.
AROUND THE WORLD
Trans woman Sasha Williams stabbed to death in Las Vegas [Advocate]
- Sasha Williams, a 36-year-old trans woman of colour, was stabbed to death in Las Vegas. The incident, which occurred in January, has only recently garnered attention. Sasha was attacked on a city street, and her alleged assailant, Hassan Malik Howard, was arrested shortly after. Sasha, known for her vibrant spirit and contributions to the Las Vegas ballroom scene, is mourned by a community shocked by the violence.
France sees nationwide protests in support of trans people
- You can see the turnout here
‘It’s a trap’: LGBTIQ+ Ugandans wary of court ruling on right to healthcare [openDemocracy]
- Queer people and health providers remain at risk of being punished for receiving or providing health services
LGBTQ people criminalised in Iraq facing up to 15 years in prison [Roya News]
- The Iraqi Parliament passed a bill that criminalises same-sex relationships and gender transition with imprisonment of up to 15 years, after the initial version had stipulated the death penalty.
Utah receives 4,000 hoax complaints after new restrictive transgender bathroom law [New York Post]
- Utah officials say they have been inundated with more than 4,000 bogus complaints of transgender people using public bathrooms just 72 days after the state launched a program to report such instances.
South Carolina Senate approves ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors [The Sumter Item]
Mississippi Republicans pass anti-trans bathroom bill at last-minute [Advocate]
Florida colleges close LGBTQ+ centers due to Ron DeSantis’s “dystopian” anti-DEI law [Gay Today]
- The University of North Florida (UNF) has shut down its LGBTQ+, intercultural, interfaith, and women’s centres to comply with Gov. Ron DeSantis‘s (R) 2023 law banning publicly-funded universities from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
14 states sue the Biden administration for the right to discriminate against trans kids [LGBTQ Nation]
- More states have announced lawsuits against the Biden administration over its new Title IX rules mandating anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ students, bringing the total number of states suing the administration to 14.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Man jailed for vicious homophobic attack in Brixton [Met Police]
- A former Met police officer has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for a severe homophobic assault in Brixton, which occurred after a Black Pride event. Evidence, including CCTV, led to the conviction of Jabbard Mabounda for attacking two men at a bus stop. The victims received hospital treatment.
Former officer jailed following conviction for multiple rapes [Met Police]
- Cliff Mitchell, 24 of Putney was convicted in February of 10 counts of rape, three counts of rape of a child under 13, one count of kidnap and breach of a non-molestation order following a trial at Croydon Crown Court. He was a serving PC in Hounslow when a number of the offences were committed. On Wednesday, 1 May he was sentenced at the same court to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 14 years.
Saudi activist jailed for women’s rights advocacy [Guardian]
- Manahel al-Otaibi, a Saudi women’s rights activist, was sentenced to 11 years in prison by an antiterrorism court for her advocacy, including her choice of clothing and use of social media to challenge male guardianship rules. This sentence contradicts Saudi Arabia’s publicised reforms towards women’s empowerment.
Gérard Depardieu will go on trial in October over allegations by two women that he sexually assaulted them on film sets. [The Times]
Get your Ferrets for trans rights stuff here
TRANSWRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- The 32 things The Cass Review recommends and why they are concerning, by Gemma Stone.
- NHS & puberty blockers: Former GIDS patients reflect on long wait times, invasive assessments, by Sasha Baker.
- The Cass Review: A government-sanctioned attack on trans lives, by Lee Hurley.
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