The Trans Agenda #5

[8 March 2024]

Welcome to The Trans Agenda, a newsletter that will arrive in your inbox Monday to Friday at 10am 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.

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So, here we are, I made it a full week (well, Monday – Friday) without getting distracted by something shiny. Thank you to everyone who has subscribed so far, it seems I’m on to a good thing and every person signing up encourages and helps me do more. That being said, I’m looking forward to a few days off now before Monday’s edition has to be compiled.

Happy International Women’s Day! (International Men’s Day is 19 November)

TRANS NEWS

Angela Eagle pledges strong Labour government support for trans people [Angela Eagle]

  • At a debate on LGBTQ+ History Month, which took place at Westminster Hall on Thursday, Labour pledged to take significant steps towards protecting and advancing LGBTQ+ rights when they come to government. Angela Eagle, who led the debate along with Tory MP Elliot Colburn, said this would include introducing legislation for a trans-inclusive ban on harmful conversion therapy practices and ensuring that anti-LGBT+ hate crimes are classified as aggravated offences. Additionally, Labour plans to modernise the process of gender recognition, making it easier for individuals to legally change their gender. Finally, they have committed to appointing an international LGBT+ envoy to represent and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights on the global stage. Eagle didn’t mention how Labour would go about these things nor if Keir Starmer, or Rosie Duffield, had even been made aware of these plans.

MEDIA

Banned transgender Joker movie releases trailer [NME]

  • The official trailer for ‘The People’s Joker,’ a parody film featuring a transgender Joker, has been released after Warner Bros. initially banned it. Directed by Vera Drew, the movie premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2022 but faced a cease-and-desist order from an unnamed ‘media conglomerate,’ halting further screenings. Despite this, the film is set to release in the US on 5 April, with arguments for copyright exemption under parody fair use. The UK release date remains unannounced. Vera Drew stars as Harlequin/Vera, a trans woman aiming for a career in stand-up comedy, alongside Scott Aukerman, Tim Heidecker, Maria Bamford, and Bob Odenkirk.

The Spectator celebrates International Women’s Day with boobs [Spectator]

  • Perhaps it was with International Women’s Day in mind, or, perhaps, it’s just the result of being a right-wing rag that shits all over trans people using writers obsessed with what’s going on under people’s clothes. Who can tell the thinking behind The Spectator’s recent offering entitled, “Boobs are back!”. The link from Twitter led to an article about “Sydney Sweeney and the return of real body positivity”, and how “Our fascination with the female figure never went away.” The tweet itself said “For anyone under the age of 25, they’ve likely never seen it in their lifetime – as the giggling blonde with an amazing rack has been stamped out of existence, a creature shamed to the brink of extinction.’“Another headline on The Spectator from the article’s author Bridget Phetasy is “How Pride lost the public”. Phetasy is a known anti-trans activist.

GB News hosts defends trans women by being sexist, gets shouted at [GB News]

  • During a heated debate on GB News regarding transgender women in sports, Emily Carver disagreed with her co-host Tom Harwood, who has suggested that petite transgender women should be able to compete in women’s sports. The argument unfolded after discussing India Willoughby’s police report against JK Rowling for ‘misgendering’. In truth, there’s more to it than that but that seems beyond many cis pundits.Harwood defended his stance, saying “I think that I am the only person standing in the moderate place on this. Some people go crazy on either side of this debate, I think being unnecessarily rude to trans people and calling them ‘he’ if they want to be called ‘she’ is rude and wrong, but equally I think talking about throwing people into the back of the van is wrong.” Carver criticised Harwood for being ‘out of touch’ with the GB News viewers who email her and for not understanding the implications for women’s sports (there are none), accusing him of mansplaining as “this is an issue for women”. Despite their exchange, they found common ground in believing it shouldn’t be illegal to misgender someone, something I don’t think any trans person believes, either.

Former Tory leader William Hague joins The Times daily podcast ‘The Story’ [Press Gazette]

Labour’s David Lammy to end LBC gig [Politico]

  • Sue Gray has reportedly told Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy to give up his radio slot on LBC.

Rupert Murdoch gets engaged again [Sky News]

  • Just days shy of his 93rd birthday, it was announced that Rupert Murdoch is set to marry retired molecular biologist Elena Zhukova, 67, marking what would be his fifth marriage. It’s worth noting that his previous engagement was terminated just weeks after it was announced and there is also the possibility that he could die before walking down the aisle.

Runner’s World editor cleared of cheating

  • Kate Carter, wife of anti-trans Guardian journalist, Sean Ingle, who believes cave men could throw spears better than cave women and that’s why trans women shouldn’t play rugby, has been cleared of cheating at the London Marathon. Carter had been accused of ‘unethical’ behaviour in regards to two races but has been cleared by England Athletics. As an aside, an article in the anti-trans Telegraph at the end of last year points out, “Prehistoric women were probably better at hunting than men.”

TODAY’S PAPERS

For those wondering, I focus on the papers that are available via Pressreader.com as, currently, I cannot afford to access all the UK papers. If you’d like to help on that front, you can donate here or take up a paid subscription.

Daily Mail

Trans TV star calls in police after JK row Daily Mail8 Mar 2024By Chris Brooke JK Rowling has been reported to police after being accused of ‘misgendering’ trans broadcaster india willoughby on social media. Ms willoughby, a newsreader and loose women presenter, said she contacted police over online posts in which the Harry Potter author referred to her as a man. She claimed Rowling ‘ has definitely committed a crime’ and that it was a ‘cut-and- dry offence’. But the 58- year- old writer insisted no law compelled her to refer to Ms willoughby as a woman and accused the trans broadcaster of ‘obsessively targeting’ her in recent years. During an online debate about all-female locker rooms, Rowling, pictured, said willoughby was ‘just a man revelling in his misogynistic performance of what he thinks “woman” means: narcissistic, shallow and exhibitionist’. in an interview with Byline TV, Ms willoughby said the posts were illegal, adding: ‘ JK Rowling has definitely committed a crime. i’m legally a woman, she knows i’m a woman, and she calls me a man.’ willoughby, also 58, said the comments had led to ‘ disgusting’ and ‘putrid’ backlash including ‘some of the worst abuse i’ve ever seen on social media’. Rowling responded on X, explaining how lawyers had previously advised she could sue willoughby for ‘defamation’. Referring to willoughby as a man, she said the broadcaster had been guilty of ‘ transphobia’, ‘homophobia’ and ‘racism’ in other comments. A northumbria Police spokesman said: ‘ we received a complaint about a post on social media. we are currently awaiting to speak to the complainant further.’ ‘The worst abuse I have seen’ Article Name:Trans TV star calls in police after JK row Publication:Daily Mail Author:By Chris Brooke Start Page:27 End Page:27

Daily Telegraph

NHS trust calls women ‘birthing people’ The Daily Telegraph8 Mar 2024By Laura Donnelly Health editor AN NHS trust called women in labour “birthing people” in a job advert despite the Health Secretary condemning the language. Maternity services in South Yorkshire are advertising for a role designed to ensure that women giving birth are listened to and feel supported. But the wording of the advertisement has left a local MP furious and comes after Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, urged the NHS to stop erasing women from its vocabulary. South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board says the role of maternity and neonatal independent senior advocates” will “help ensure the voices of women, birthing people and families are listened to, heard, and acted upon”. Nick Fletcher, Conservative MP for Don Valley, said calling women “birthing people” was “scandalous and cowardly” saying the language was “disrespectful to women and mothers”. Last month, Ms Atkins told trusts to stop using such terms to refer to women and mothers, suggesting that a “Leftwing mindset” is creeping into the NHS. “We need to be making this robust case to refuse to wipe women out of the conversation,” she told The Telegraph. “When I see reports of mothers as ‘people who give birth’! No – they are mums ... Half the population are women. The NHS should use the word ‘woman’.” Last year, Steve Barclay, the former health secretary, promised the return of “sex-specific” language to the NHS after references to women were erased from advice on menopause. But many trusts have resisted the shift, routinely referring to “people who give birth” or “birthing parents”. Cathy Winfield MBE, chief nursing officer at the South Yorkshire ICB, said: “We’re very clear that our advocate is here to support women. “They are there to support women first and foremost.” Article Name:NHS trust calls women ‘birthing people’ Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Laura Donnelly Health editor Start Page:7 End Page:7

As you can clearly see in the text above, the ad also uses the world ‘women’ in addition to ‘birthing people’.

Rowling reported to police after ‘misgendering’ trans presenter The Daily Telegraph8 Mar 2024By Albert Tait and Daniel Sanderson JK ROWLING has been reported to the police by trans broadcaster India Willoughby over “misgendering”. The Harry Potter author became embroiled in an online row with India Willoughby, in which she referred to the transgender newsreader, Loose Women host and former Big Brother contestant as a “man” and with “he” pronouns. Willoughby, who was born male and underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2015, made a complaint to police over Rowling’s posts on X, formerly Twitter, claiming she had “definitely committed a crime”. The broadcaster, who holds a gender recognition certificate, claimed to be “legally a woman”, although Rowling pointed out there was no law which compelled her to “pretend” that Willoughby was a woman. Northumbria Police confirmed that it had received a complaint and said it was waiting to speak to Willoughby further. Downing Street declined to comment on the specifics of the dispute, but pointed to comments from the Prime Minister in which he said “definitions of men and women should not be controversial”. And in October, Rishi Sunak insisted it was “common sense” to say that “a man is a man and a woman is a woman”. Rowling, who has regularly spoken out on the issue of gender identity, said that should she be approached by police, she would explain that “in my view, India is a classic example of the male narcissist who lives in a state of perpetual rage that he can’t compel women to take him at his own valuation”. She said: “Some time ago, lawyers advised me that not only did I have a clearly winnable case against India Willoughby for defamation, but that India’s obsessive targeting of me over the past few years may meet the legal threshold for harassment. I ignored this advice because I couldn’t be bothered giving India the publicity he so clearly craves. “No law compels anyone to pretend to believe that India is a woman.” Willoughby claimed to have been targeted by other accounts with “some of the worst abuse I’ve ever seen on social media” as a result of Rowling’s “trigger”. The 58-year-old claimed to have “contacted Northumbria Constabulary” and said: “I don’t know if it’s going to be treated as a hate crime, malicious communications, but it’s a cut-and-dry offence as far as I’m concerned.” A spokesman for Northumbria Police said: “On March 4, we received a complaint about a post on social media. We are currently awaiting to speak to the complainant further.” A Number 10 spokesman declined to comment on “individuals or cases” and said it would be up to police how to respond. He added: “More generally, the Prime Minister has spoken about definitions, that those should not be controversial.” Article Name:Rowling reported to police after ‘misgendering’ trans presenter Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Albert Tait and Daniel Sanderson Start Page:7 End Page:7

The Telegraph also reveal that Downing Street were asked about the fight by a journalist who clearly has nothing better to do with their time.

POLITICS

Right-wing grifter, Steve Bannon, praises Keir Starmer [LBC via The National]

  • How far right has Keir Starmer moved the Labour party? Far enough that Steve Bannon finds himself ‘very impressed’ by the UK’s Prime-Minister-in-waiting. Vote Tory, get UKIP. Vote Labour, get Tory.

Liz Truss praises Maya Forstater’s ‘courage’ [Liz Truss]

  • Some might think it is a thing of honour to be praised for your ‘courage’ by a former British PM until you remember this particular former British PM was outlasted by a lettuce, crashed the economy and was removed after just 44 days. Millions of ordinary people are still counting the cost of her premiership. Since then, Liz Truss has been cosying up to right-wing extremists in the US while rambling about trans people in the civil service who worked to destroy her leadership.Truss was replying to Maya Forstater tweeting out her Daily Mail glamour shoot which was covered in yesterday’s edition. “This is what courage looks like,” Truss said with a thumb pointing towards Forstater’s tweet. ‘Courage’.

Anti-fascism now a ‘terrorism warning sign’ [Guardian]

  • Prevent, the UK’s counter-radicalisation program, has drawn criticism for including ideologies such as socialism, communism, and anti-fascism as potential indicators of terrorism in its training materials. This is part of a broader effort by the Conservative government to expand its definition of extremism, as long as they can exclude gender critical beliefs [The Trans Agenda #3]. The updated guidance, which also addresses single-issue ideologies like animal rights, has raised concerns among human rights groups and former counter-terrorism officials about the politicisation of Prevent. The document also outlines the primary ideologies viewed as threats: ‘Islamism’ and extreme right-wing, constituting the majority and about 20-30% of caseloads respectively, which seems remarkably low for any organisation taking right-wing extremism even remotely seriously. Critics, including representatives from Rights and Security International and Amnesty International, argue that the broad categorisation of extremism could suppress freedom of expression and politicise Prevent’s application, which is likely the government’s intent. The issue is intensified by understandable allegations of government bias in distinguishing between left and right-wing ideologies under Prevent and the dangers both present separately.

The Trans Agenda by Lee Hurley is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Theresa May to step down as an MP [Maidenhead Advertiser]

  • Former PM and architect of the ‘hostile environment’ and Brexit ‘red lines’, Theresa May, has decided she will step down at the next election rather than face the humiliation of losing her seat after 27 years of representing her constituency in Maidenhead. Over the past year or so, May has been engaged in a rehabilitation tour to rewrite her legacy. We should not forget how horrified we all were when she was voted in as Tory leader just because what came after her was even worse. May is the 63rd Tory MP to announce they are not standing at the election and by far the most highest profile.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  • Is not sitting today.

HOUSE OF LORDS

  • Sits from 10am with a debate on International Women’s Day led by Education Minister Diana Barran.

SPORT

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe doubles down on regulation changes for transgender athletes [CNN]

  • At the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Sebastian Coe, President of the governing body, reiterated his Council’s stance when it comes to trans women. He claimed, without evidence, that failing to exclude athletes who have undergone “male puberty” from female world rankings competitions would result in no woman winning a sporting event again, which is obviously an absurd thing to say. Only two trans women have ever even made it to the Olympics compared to 36,000 cis women competitors over the past 20 years. Of those two, one was a back-up. If you were to believe Coe and co., Laurel Hubbard, who actually competed in 2020, should have had no trouble winning gold in her chosen sport of weightlifting. She did not complete a single successful lift.

AROUND THE WORLD

Hundreds form human ‘barrier’ to protect Nex Benedict school from Westboro Baptist Church protest [Pink News]

Portland bartender who shoved transgender woman guilty of hate crime, jury rules [The Oregonian]

  • A bartender, who was off-duty at the time, was convicted of second-degree bias crime and harassment on Wednesday. This came after the bartender attempted to prevent a patron from using the women’s restroom and pushed her when she attempted to clarify her gender. Surveillance footage revealed the incident, capturing Cassie McIntyre pushing Riis Larsen, a transgender woman, near the women’s restroom at Jake’s Place.

Most voters oppose candidates who campaign against transgender people: Poll [The Hill]

  • A poll by GLAAD indicates that a majority of voters are likely to oppose candidates who advocate against transgender rights, including restrictions on gender-affirming healthcare and participation in sports for transgender youth. Former President Trump has pledged to ban gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors and impose policies that strictly define gender. Despite Trump’s promises to roll back LGBTQ+ protections, the GLAAD survey reveals widespread opposition to restricting gender-affirming healthcare, with a significant majority of voters, including Trump supporters, believing such healthcare decisions should be left to the parents of transgender minors. The survey also highlights that LGBTQ+ voters are highly motivated to vote in the upcoming elections, largely favouring President Biden and Democratic candidates. However, LGBTQ+ voters express some dissatisfaction with Biden’s administration over its handling of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and other issues.

Supreme Court under pressure to step into the debate over transgender rights [CNN]

  • The Supreme Court is under growing pressure to address the issue of gender-affirming care for transgender minors amidst a surge of restrictive laws from GOP states. Historically, the Court has avoided intervening in transgender rights cases, including those concerning school bathroom access and conversion therapy bans. However, conflicting lower court rulings on gender-affirming care may compel the Supreme Court to engage with this matter for the first time, reports CNN. Currently, the Court faces four appeals related to bans in three states. The debate intensified with an emergency request from Idaho officials to enforce their state’s ban while legal proceedings continue. With over 20 states enacting restrictive laws, the legal landscape is fragmented, prompting speculation about the Supreme Court’s potential intervention. Justices Alito and Thomas have previously shown interest in addressing transgender rights issues, suggesting a possible willingness to review these cases for reasons that can’t be good. The Supreme Court’s decision could have profound implications for transgender rights, parental rights, and the broader debate over gender-affirming care in the United States.

Serbia: LGBTQ+ activists protest against alleged police brutality [Pink News]

CULT WATCH

Genspect in Portugal with Linehan, Joyce, Jackson, Stock and more [source]

  • Genspect are holding an event in Lisbon called “The Bigger Picture. A healthy approach to sex and gender”, which will run between 27 and 29 September later this year. Scheduled to appear are: Kathleen Stock, Michael Shellenberger (of the WPATH Files – Trans Agenda #4), Mia Hughes, Andrew Doyle, Peter Boghossian, Dr Louis Irvine, Chris Elston, Sarah Phillimore, Laura Becker, Bev Jackson, Helen Joyce, Graham Linehan, Eliza Mondegreen, Andrew Gold, Sue Evans, Marcus Evans, and Bob Withers. A veritable ‘who’s who’ of obsessed anti-trans mouthpieces.

Did they even read the Forstater judgment?

  • As notable GCs continue to misgender trans people while claiming they are protected by the ruling in Maya Forstater’s tribunal, it appears they haven’t actually read it or, if they have, need reminded about what it actually said.“That does not mean that in the absence of such a restriction the Claimant could go about indiscriminately “misgendering” trans persons with impunity. She cannot. The Claimant is subject to same prohibitions on discrimination, victimisation and harassment under the EqA as the rest of society. Should it be found that her misgendering on a particular occasion, because of its gratuitous nature or otherwise, amounted to harassment of a trans person (or of anyone else for that matter), then she could be liable for such conduct under the EqA. The fact that the act of misgendering was a manifestation of a belief falling with s.10, EqA would not operate automatically to shield her from such liability. The Tribunal correctly acknowledged, at para 87 of the Judgment, that calling a trans woman a man “may” be unlawful harassment. However, it erred in concluding that that possibility deprived her of the right to do so in any situation.”

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

Killer of Brianna Ghey applies for permission to appeal sentence [BBC]

  • Eddie Ratcliffe, one of the two people convicted of the brutal murder of Brianna Ghey, and the one whom the judge said was partly motivated by transphobia, has applied for permission to appeal his sentence. He was given a life sentence with a minimum of 20 years to be served. The decision on Ratcliffe’s appeal request will be made by a senior judge.

The UK government has announced it is to appeal over a ruling by the High Court in Belfast that one of the key elements of the Northern Ireland Troubles Legacy Act is unlawful [Belfast Telegraph]

Italian courts approved a scheme, sponsored by allies of former US President Donald Trump, to set up a “gladiator school” for right-wing wannabe politicians in an ancient monastery in the mountains of central Italy. [Politico]

Red Bull suspend woman who accused Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour [BBC]

Doctors will use the NHS app to monitor patients’ step counts and ‘tackle unhealthy lifestyles’ says Health Secretary Victoria Atkins [The Times]

The Renters’ Reform Bill is at risk of collapse due to Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove being held to “ransom” by landlord MPs [The S*n]

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin launches the Women’s Safety Unit to tackle violence against women and girls in the region.

Sweden is joining NATO [Politico]

COMING UP

Friday 8 March

  • Sex/Work Strike ’24 – Soho Square, 6.30pm. DecrimNow, say “On International Women’s Day this year, join us as we take to the streets to demand an end to the violence we face in every area of our lives. We demand an end to the oppressive policies and practices that enable clients and pimps to harm us.”
  • Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry speaks to an openDemocracy conference about the Freedom of Information Act at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
  • Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will speak at the Association of School and College Leaders conference.
  • “On the Basis of Sex”, the 2018 film about the life of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is on BBC Two at midnight.

Saturday 9 March

  • National Demonstration – Ceasefire NOW – Stop the Genocide in Gaza, 12pm – 4.30pm, assemble 12pm at Hyde Park Corner, London, marching to the US Embassy. The accessible route will join the march from an assembly point at Bessborough Gardens at 1pm. [Palestine Solidarity Campaign].You can view both routes here.

JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES

  • The Rainbow Project NI – Recruiting a Fundraising and Partnerships Officer who will be working to develop fundraising strategies and build relationships with potential partners in support of their work to make Northern Ireland a better place for LGBTQIA+ people. Recruitment closes on 2 April at 10am, with interviews taking place on Friday 19 April. Email [email protected] to request an application pack or click here.
  • The Teeside Lead – Open to pitches from freelancers who want to write in-depth journalism on the area, focusing on equality, climate, housing, migration or more. Email Luke Beardworth.
  • 90min – The football website is looking for a Women’s Football Editor for an initial four-month role that they hope will turn permanent. Further details here.
  • Digital Spy – Looking for feature pitches on movies – ‘think hot takes, theories or opinion pieces about new film releases, or film-related news’. Further details here.
  • Unbound Theatre – Looking for an experienced writer/workshop leader to promote their brand new community writing project at various live events in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire throughout 2024. Further details here.

AND FINALLY…

More GC cracks [Kellie-Jay Keen]

  • Cracks have been evident in the GC movement for some time and it seems as if one of the more prominent figures might be feeling left out after Rosie Duffield and co. appeared in a GC photoshoot in Thursday’s Daily Mail [TTA #4]. Putting out a video, it is clear that Kellie-Jay Keen is not happy at a certain unnamed MP who used to be her friend but doesn’t seem to want to play with her any more.

TRANSWRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

RECOMMENDED READING

  • A huge misconception about medical care for trans kids [Boston Globe]
    Written by a physician who cares for transgender youth.

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CALL FOR STORIES

Seen something newsworthy related to the trans community in the UK? Send me a tip! I’m always looking for leads and underreported stories.

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