The Trans Agenda #12
[19 March 2024]
Welcome to The Trans Agenda, a newsletter that will arrive in your inbox Monday to Friday if you are subscribed. You can also read it on Substack and on Trans Writes.
Publications known for taking an anti-trans stance are and will be referenced and linked. Often, these are the most comprehensive sources for these stories because of their obsession with trans people. I give a summary for those stories so you can make the choice if you want to click the link or seek out more information elsewhere.
TL;DR
- LGBTQ+ in education debate.
- Trans woman shot three times by someone allegedly saying ‘bad gay’.
- Police warn of growing number of children radicalised online.
- Ex-Met boss cleared over rape remark.
- Priest faces rape and 33 other sex assault charges.
- Nex Benedict’s family releases details from medical examiner’s report indicating “physical trauma”.
- US Supreme Court rejects appeal from parents who lost custody of trans teen.
- Idaho considers a ban on using public funds or facilities for gender-affirming care.
- Hope Not Hate release their report on the State of Hate in the UK.
- Trans content creators say social media can be toxic, but won’t let hate push them offline.
- “Humiliating and hurtful”: Trans+ people react to Keir Starmer backing sports ban.
- Emily Waldron nominated for National Diversity Award.
- Guardian to defend Noel Clarke reporting as true and in public interest.
- Ofcom rules five GB News segments hosted by Conservative MPs violated broadcasting regulations.
- Jewish Chronicle to become charitable trust.
- Today’s papers.
- Any other business.
- Recommended reading.
- plus more…
NEWS & POLITICS
- A debate took place in Westminster Hall yesterday on two opposing petitions relating to LGBT content in relationships education. One wanted to keep it included, the other is part of the attack on LGBTQ+ rights that is widening within the UK. Little has emerged from the debate, beyond culture wars clips from people who haven’t got a clue what they are talking about. I didn’t get a chance to watch the debate in full yesterday but hope to bring updates tomorrow, should they be required. If you’ve seen previous debates, you know what is likely to have happened – people with more hate than sense given too large a platform from which to spout their lies.
Met Police cybercrime team is investigating “allegations of computer misuse” around Labour’s candidate selection in Croydon [Inside Croydon]
- Momentum called it “an alarming development which raises serious [questions] around Labour’s selection processes.”
TUV and Reform to field candidates across NI [William Crawley]
- With the TUV and Reform UK forming an alliance of right-wingnuts in Northern Ireland [Trans Agenda #11], their plan is to stand a candidate in every NI constituency at the upcoming General Election, whenever that might be. Standing their candidates under either the TUV or Reform banner, Reform will help fund the TUV’s election campaign. Both are expected to make anti-trans idiocy part of their campaigns. Reform leader Richard Tice was previously based at 55 Tufton Street, where the LGB Alliance is currently based. Tufton Street is the putrid heart of the manufactured ‘culture wars’ in the UK with ties to dark money across the Atlantic.
Emily Waldron nominated for National Diversity Award [National Diversity Awards]
- Emily Waldron has been nominated for a ‘Positive Role Model Award for LGBT’.
MEDIA & TODAY’S PAPERS
Ofcom rules five GB News segments hosted by Conservative MPs violated broadcasting regulations [Sky News]
- Ofcom has ruled that five GB News broadcasts featuring politicians as presenters infringed upon broadcasting regulations. Specifically, two instalments of ‘Jacob Rees-Mogg‘s State Of The Nation’, along with two editions of ‘Friday Morning With Esther And Phil‘ and one edition of ‘Saturday Morning With Esther And Phil‘, aired in May and June 2023, failed to adhere to rules on due impartiality. Ofcom gave them a warning.
Hope Not Hate release their report on the State of Hate [Hope Not Hate]
- Hope Not Hate’s latest report gives prominence to anti-LGBTQ+ activists, with Kellie-Jay Keen, Fair Cop, The Scottish Family Party and The Family Education Trust all featuring.
About Keen, also known as Posie Parker, they highlight she is a prominent UK anti-trans activist, known for her “adult human female” slogan. Increasingly aligning with the far right, she has expressed anti-Muslim views and collaborated with extremist figures. Her activities include organising rallies that have attracted far-right and neo-Nazi support.
The attacks on Drag Story Hour also features in what is a comprehensive report on the state of hate in the UK.
Guardian to defend Noel Clarke reporting as true and in public interest [Press Gazette]
- Women who have accused actor Noel Clarke of sexual misconduct might testify at a forthcoming libel trial to support The Guardian‘s reporting, as per submissions to the High Court. Clarke, known for his role in “Doctor Who”, is suing Guardian News and Media for eight articles, including one from April 2021, which detailed allegations from 20 women. Clarke denies the claims and is seeking £10m in damages, stating the articles have devastated his career and personal life. However, The Guardian intends to defend its journalism as truthful and in the public interest, potentially using testimonies from the accusers at the trial. As Press Gazette add, “In a judgment last year, Mr Justice Johnson said that seven of the articles could lead readers to believe that “mean[s] that there are strong grounds to believe that the claimant is guilty of various forms of sexual harassment” with the eighth meaning “grounds to investigate”. The judge also ruled all of the articles could be defamatory, which had not been disputed by GNM over seven of the pieces.”
Trans content creators say social media can be toxic, but won’t let hate push them offline [CBC]
- Transgender content creators, despite facing significant online hatred, refuse to retreat from social media. They see this vitriol as an attempt to silence the 2SLGBTQ+ community. While figures like Dylan Mulvaney face boycotts and security threats due to their visibility, others like Fae Johnstone and Lauren Sundstrom continue advocating despite personal risks. They highlight a troubling trend where social media algorithms amplify hate speech, increasing exposure and potential harm. Despite these challenges, they remain committed to advocating for marginalised voices online.
Police warn of growing number of children radicalised online [Guardian]
- Senior counter-terrorism officer warns of increased child and youth radicalisation online post-pandemic, following extensive unsupervised internet use. Record arrests noted, with radical material often accessed. Case examples include a jailed student for terror plans and material creation.
Jewish Chronicle to become charitable trust [Press Gazette]
Today’s papers
Daily Mail
Clearly envious of The Daily Telegraph’s style of including an anti-trans page in most issues, they have followed suit today:
Artist probed by police over gender views banned from her own exhibition
- This piece says that the artist, Victoria Culf, was “allegedly banned from her own exhibition after discussing her gender views with a council employee.” That is never all they did. She said she was ‘polite’ as she engaged in her anti-trans rhetoric. She, apparently, got a call regarding ‘harassment’ with claims that police were investigating a ‘hate crime’ for the incident that happened in June. The police deny any investigation and the council deny reporting the artist to the police. In a few weeks, we will no doubt find out a lot more than just this happened. You will not be surprised to hear that the artist is taking legal action against the council and is being supported by the Christian Legal Centre.
Schools ‘still breaking law’
Supporting children who want to transition does NOT break the law.
JK vows to defy ‘ludicrous’ hate crime law
Anti-trans activist group, For Women Scotland, are quoted.
While not directly about trans people, the fight for body autonomy is not solely a trans issue, as trans people have been trying to warn for as long as I can remember. They were always going to go after reproductive rights once they had a solid enough footing from their trans bashing that has been allowed to spread unchecked.
Daily Telegraph
Welsh pupils changing gender in schools
![Welsh pupils changing gender in schools Calls for guidance grow as less than half of boards would inform parents of gender-questioning child The Daily Telegraph19 Mar 2024By Louisa Clarence-Smith EDUCATION EDITOR Schools are allowing children to change gender without telling parents under Welsh Labour, The Telegraph can reveal. Parents raised the alarm about the “shocking” approaches in schools in Wales to dealing with gender-questioning children. All 68 schools in Wales that answered Freedom of Information requests said they would facilitate the gender transition of a pupil, but only 28 per cent stated clearly that they would inform parents of such a move. SCHOOLS are allowing children to change gender without telling parents under Welsh Labour, The Telegraph can reveal. Parents have raised the alarm about the “shocking” approach being taken to children who question their gender in schools in Wales, saying it’s taking place behind their backs. The Welsh Government has promised to publish draft guidance for schools on how to respond to gender-questioning children in the spring, months after the first guidance of its kind was published in England that told schools to presume that a child cannot change gender. But Merched Cymru, which describes itself as a grassroots group of ordinary women from across Wales, warned that children’s safety was being put at risk by an absence of guidance for schools on trans pupils. All 68 schools in Wales that answered Freedom of Information requests submitted by the group said they would facilitate the gender transition of a pupil. Only 28 per cent of the schools stated clearly that they would inform parents. Some 38 per cent said they would not inform parents automatically, while a further 29 per cent said they would only inform parents with a child’s permission. The findings come two years after an Nhs-commissioned report by Dr Hilary Cass, a paediatrician, warned that allowing children to socially transition to their preferred gender was “not a neutral act” and could have a “significant” impact on their “psychological functioning”. Rishi Sunak has said teachers must not let pupils change gender without telling parents. The report by Merched Cymru found 76 per cent of schools instruct or encourage pupils to recognise classmates’ preferred pronouns. Some 70 per cent of schools offer a unisex option for toilets or have all unisex toilets. The report also found that more than half of schools allow children to participate in sport according to the gender by which they choose to identify. Tanya Carter of Safe Schools Alliance, which has campaigned for the removal of contested gender ideology in schools in England, said: “We want reassurances from Keir Starmer that he [would] work to address these serious failures.” Jeremy Miles, the Labour education minister, has previously said he believes that “trans women are women, trans men are men” while Vaughan Gething, the new Welsh leader, has vowed to make Wales “the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe”. He has pledged to support the Relationships and Sex Education curriculum in Wales, which says pupils will be taught “an awareness of how positive and negative social and cultural norms regarding sex, gender and sexuality influence relationships and behaviours”. Mr Gething has criticised Mr Sunak for blocking Scotland’s attempt to change the law to make it easier for people to change gender from the age of 16. Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “Welsh parents will be rightly horrified to see pupils placed at risk of serious harm. “The new First Minister must intervene urgently and take action to safeguard pupils’ wellbeing.” A Welsh government spokesman said: “We agree this is an area that needs national guidance. We will be holding a full public consultation over the coming months.” Article Name:Welsh pupils changing gender in schools Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Louisa Clarence-Smith EDUCATION EDITOR Start Page:1 End Page:1](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6a249f09-6091-49be-a628-4a87bee610c6_257x307.png "Welsh pupils changing gender in schools Calls for guidance grow as less than half of boards would inform parents of gender-questioning child The Daily Telegraph19 Mar 2024By Louisa Clarence-Smith EDUCATION EDITOR Schools are allowing children to change gender without telling parents under Welsh Labour, The Telegraph can reveal. Parents raised the alarm about the “shocking” approaches in schools in Wales to dealing with gender-questioning children. All 68 schools in Wales that answered Freedom of Information requests said they would facilitate the gender transition of a pupil, but only 28 per cent stated clearly that they would inform parents of such a move. SCHOOLS are allowing children to change gender without telling parents under Welsh Labour, The Telegraph can reveal. Parents have raised the alarm about the “shocking” approach being taken to children who question their gender in schools in Wales, saying it’s taking place behind their backs. The Welsh Government has promised to publish draft guidance for schools on how to respond to gender-questioning children in the spring, months after the first guidance of its kind was published in England that told schools to presume that a child cannot change gender. But Merched Cymru, which describes itself as a grassroots group of ordinary women from across Wales, warned that children’s safety was being put at risk by an absence of guidance for schools on trans pupils. All 68 schools in Wales that answered Freedom of Information requests submitted by the group said they would facilitate the gender transition of a pupil. Only 28 per cent of the schools stated clearly that they would inform parents. Some 38 per cent said they would not inform parents automatically, while a further 29 per cent said they would only inform parents with a child’s permission. The findings come two years after an Nhs-commissioned report by Dr Hilary Cass, a paediatrician, warned that allowing children to socially transition to their preferred gender was “not a neutral act” and could have a “significant” impact on their “psychological functioning”. Rishi Sunak has said teachers must not let pupils change gender without telling parents. The report by Merched Cymru found 76 per cent of schools instruct or encourage pupils to recognise classmates’ preferred pronouns. Some 70 per cent of schools offer a unisex option for toilets or have all unisex toilets. The report also found that more than half of schools allow children to participate in sport according to the gender by which they choose to identify. Tanya Carter of Safe Schools Alliance, which has campaigned for the removal of contested gender ideology in schools in England, said: “We want reassurances from Keir Starmer that he [would] work to address these serious failures.” Jeremy Miles, the Labour education minister, has previously said he believes that “trans women are women, trans men are men” while Vaughan Gething, the new Welsh leader, has vowed to make Wales “the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe”. He has pledged to support the Relationships and Sex Education curriculum in Wales, which says pupils will be taught “an awareness of how positive and negative social and cultural norms regarding sex, gender and sexuality influence relationships and behaviours”. Mr Gething has criticised Mr Sunak for blocking Scotland’s attempt to change the law to make it easier for people to change gender from the age of 16. Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: “Welsh parents will be rightly horrified to see pupils placed at risk of serious harm. “The new First Minister must intervene urgently and take action to safeguard pupils’ wellbeing.” A Welsh government spokesman said: “We agree this is an area that needs national guidance. We will be holding a full public consultation over the coming months.” Article Name:Welsh pupils changing gender in schools Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Louisa Clarence-Smith EDUCATION EDITOR Start Page:1 End Page:1")
This snippet makes it on to the front page of The Telegraph with a follow up on page 6. Schools do not have to inform parents.
![Shocked ‘At parents evening, the teacher kept calling my son Ruby’ The Daily Telegraph19 Mar 2024 Case Study The father of an autistic child at school in Wales says he only found out that teachers were treating his 14-year-old son as a girl at parents’ evening. He said secrecy by the school, which has allowed his son to change his name, pronouns and dress, has damaged his child’s health and puts other pupils at risk. “Robert is autistic, so while his understanding is good, he really struggles with social situations,” the father said. “He’s a big strong boy; impulsive. He’s keen to learn, but his social and emotional development have been assessed as being delayed by about seven years.” He added: “On parents’ evening my wife went in and some of the teachers were saying things like, ‘Ruby has done very well in English this year. Oh, sorry, should it be Rob?’ I’d had suspicions already he asked to be treated as a girl in school. Then we got a call about him stabbing himself with a ruler and they referred to CAMHS [Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services]. The letter from CAMHS called him Ruby. “The school have never contacted us to discuss any of this. When we queried it they just said: ‘We’ve said he can wear a skirt if he wants to. I don’t know which toilet he is using.’ We’re terribly worried that he’s being encouraged to behave in ways that could be dangerous to others and therefore to himself.” The father said: “I talked at length about transitioning with the assistant head, and asked about policy, but they never sent us the policy or told us it was on the new website. Once I’d read the whole document I felt hoodwinked, powerless, disenfranchised. We realise that whatever we say or do, we have been checkmated by the school. The policy states that parents will only be informed about a social transition if the child gives permission.” Article Name:Shocked Publication:The Daily Telegraph Start Page:6 End Page:6](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1d1c90ef-3068-4440-8c5e-f21a01798503_1507x560.png "Shocked ‘At parents evening, the teacher kept calling my son Ruby’ The Daily Telegraph19 Mar 2024 Case Study The father of an autistic child at school in Wales says he only found out that teachers were treating his 14-year-old son as a girl at parents’ evening. He said secrecy by the school, which has allowed his son to change his name, pronouns and dress, has damaged his child’s health and puts other pupils at risk. “Robert is autistic, so while his understanding is good, he really struggles with social situations,” the father said. “He’s a big strong boy; impulsive. He’s keen to learn, but his social and emotional development have been assessed as being delayed by about seven years.” He added: “On parents’ evening my wife went in and some of the teachers were saying things like, ‘Ruby has done very well in English this year. Oh, sorry, should it be Rob?’ I’d had suspicions already he asked to be treated as a girl in school. Then we got a call about him stabbing himself with a ruler and they referred to CAMHS [Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services]. The letter from CAMHS called him Ruby. “The school have never contacted us to discuss any of this. When we queried it they just said: ‘We’ve said he can wear a skirt if he wants to. I don’t know which toilet he is using.’ We’re terribly worried that he’s being encouraged to behave in ways that could be dangerous to others and therefore to himself.” The father said: “I talked at length about transitioning with the assistant head, and asked about policy, but they never sent us the policy or told us it was on the new website. Once I’d read the whole document I felt hoodwinked, powerless, disenfranchised. We realise that whatever we say or do, we have been checkmated by the school. The policy states that parents will only be informed about a social transition if the child gives permission.” Article Name:Shocked Publication:The Daily Telegraph Start Page:6 End Page:6")
This piece quotes the anti-trans activist group Safe Schools Alliance.
JK Rowling vows to keep misgendering trans people
HOUSE OF COMMONS
- Nothing that fits the interests of this newsletter.
WESTMINSTER HALL
- Nothing that fits the interests of this newsletter.
HOUSE OF LORDS
- Oral questions with one addressing the level of support given in schools to special needs pupils.
- There will also be a short debate on the “Current level of sexual and reproductive healthcare provision in England and the case for a workforce plan.”
COMMITTEES
AROUND THE WORLD
Trans woman shot three times by someone allegedly saying ‘bad gay’ [Chicago Sun Times]
- The shooting of a transgender Venezuelan migrant outside VLive nightclub in Little Village, Chicago, is being probed as a hate crime after the assailant allegedly said “bad gay” before firing three times into her groin and both legs, leaving the woman in critical condition. Despite key evidence, including a shell casing found in the car used during the shooting, and the man being identified as the shooter, no charges have been brought against the main suspect due to the victim’s fear and lack of witness cooperation, linked to concerns over the suspect’s gang affiliations.
Nex Benedict’s family releases details from medical examiner’s report indicating “physical trauma” [LGBTQ Nation]
- Nex Benedict‘s family says the medical examiner’s report downplays the severity of his injuries before his death by suicide [Trans Agenda #9]. While the report listed the cause of death as medication overdose, the family revealed details of bruises, abrasions and haemorrhages on his body.
US Supreme Court rejects appeal from parents who lost custody of trans teen [USA Today]
- The Supreme Court declined to review an Indiana custody case where devout Christian parents lost their transgender daughter due to concerns over her severe eating disorder, not their gender identity views, according to the USA Today report linked above. Despite the parents’ appeal, highlighting potential future conflicts over children’s gender identity, the state emphasised medical necessity and the child’s well-being.
Idaho considers a ban on using public funds or facilities for gender-affirming care [ABC News]
- Idaho lawmakers are voting on a bill to ban public funding for gender-affirming care, affecting state employees and Medicaid-covered adults. If passed, Idaho will join at least nine other states with similar bans, amidst ongoing national ‘debates’ over LGBTQ+ rights. The proposed law faces inevitable legal challenges citing violations of federal mandates and constitutional protections.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Priest faces rape and 33 other sex assault charges [Daily Mail]
- Reverend Christopher Brain, head of the Nine O’Clock Service, faces one rape and 33 indecent assault charges against women from his congregation, spanning 1981-1995. Brain appeared in Sheffield Magistrates’ Court and was released on bail. The Daily Mail buried this on page 26, well after their page of trans hate.
Official nominations open today for the London Mayoral race
Mark Drakeford’s final First Minister’s questions
- Welsh Labour leader and First Minister Mark Drakeford will take his final FMQs today before handing in his resignation to the King. Vaughan Gething was elected to replace him [Trans Agenda #11].
Obama in Downing Street for private meeting [Sky News]
- The former US president, Barak Obama, arrived at Number 10 yesterday for what the PM’s spokesperson said was an “informal courtesy drop in as part of his trip to London” for the Obama Foundation that apparently few were expecting. Obama also met with Keir Starmer. He was then expected to have dinner with David Lammy, who is apparently an ‘old friend’, and his wife Nicola Green.
Rwanda Bill
- All 10 of the Lords amendments, including one that removes the clause that states, despite reality, Rwanda is a ‘safe country’ for migrants, were defeated in the Commons on Monday night. Labour reportedly agreed with seven of the 10 but could not defeat the Tory whip. Peers are expected to find ways to reword the amendments and send the bill back to the Commons for a second time, delaying it further, something that would annoy Sunak and co. who want to get flights off before they call an election.
Ex-Met boss cleared over rape remark [Daily Mail]
- The former head of Scotland Yard will not face a disciplinary hearing following claims that he dismissed the bulk of rape complaints as ‘regretful sex’.
Trump unable to post bond for $454m civil fraud appeal [Guardian]
- Donald Trump‘s lawyers claim he cannot post a $454m bond for his civil fraud appeal, calling it a “practical impossibility” after being rejected by 30 surety companies. The bond must be cash or equivalents, not hard assets.
COMING UP
- The report on ways to strengthen watchdogs to hold MPs to account will be released by the UCL’s Constitution Unit [UCL].
- The Women and Equalities Committee report calling for disability access to be considered at the point products are designed will be released [House of Commons].
- Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford’s last day in the job after five years.
TRANSWRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Why are people accusing JK Rowling of Holocaust denial? By Gemma Stone.
- What does Liz Truss’s anti-trans bill actually say? By Lee Hurley.
- Understanding the “WPATH Files” debate, by Lee Hurley.
- JK Rowling will be arrested, finally, by Gemma Stone.
- Sex Matters Director Helen Joyce reads porn of teenagers for “research”, by Gemma Stone.
RECOMMENDED READING
“Humiliating and hurtful”: Trans+ people react to Keir Starmer backing sports ban, by Conor Clark [Gay Times]
- Trans+ people are rightfully hurt after Keir Starmer expressed support for banning us from sports teams [Trans Agenda #7]. In this piece, trans+ activists and community members highlight the discriminatory impact of such bans, emphasising the importance of inclusive and respectful dialogue in sports. They also discuss how these actions are a broader attempt to marginalise and exclude us from public spaces and activities.
RECOMMENDED WATCHING
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