The Trans Agenda #8

[13 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.

Send stories

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

  • NHS confirm pause for under 18s receiving puberty blockers at gender clinics .
  • LGB Alliance embrace their Tufton Street base.
  • 16 Republican states threaten to sue Maine over abortion and transgender care bill.
  • Kansas judge says transgender rights not violated by state’s refusal to change sex on drivers’ licenses.
  • Baseless attacks target Space Camp Counsellor.
  • plus more…

NEWS & POLITICS

NHS confirm pause for under 18s receiving puberty blockers at gender clinics [Evening Standard]

  • While there has understandably been a lot of concern around this news, it is not quite as bad as is being touted by the GCs, their pals and the headlines. Let me be clear, though, it is not good and countless trans kids will suffer even more than they already do. However, it is not the complete ban they were looking for nor the victory they are claiming. Not yet, at least. Small crumbs, I know.

    The changes will create even further delays in access, although thankfully those already on blockers before April 2024 will not be forced off them, which is something, I guess. The broader research-focused changes were anticipated with new ‘research protocols’ being implemented that means access to life-saving medication will be dependent on agreeing to be part of studies that follow kids into adulthood. They will only be included in the studies if they meet the as-yet-undefined criteria for the totally made up ‘early onset gender dysphoria’.

    The stated goal of the review is not to ban HRT, but to establish a research-based approach to treatment moving forward because following internationally recognised best practice would be too hard for this government, given how it feels about trans people.

    Of course, under this government, we cannot rely on them to use appropriate research in the review, but they will be out of power soon. Then it will be up to Labour to decide how to move forward. Given Keir Starmer’s comments on trans kids previously, it is unlikely to be much better than what we are seeing under the Tories.

    In the end, all this does is neglect trans kids further, causing even more harm under the lie of ‘protection’. Currently, there are around 5,000 children and young people on the waiting list for referral to one of the new clinics set to replace the Tavistock, with only 250 of those likely to be transferred. That’s a 10 year waiting list. There are currently fewer than 100 on puberty blockers.

    3,492 responses to the government were strongly in favour of blockers. Only 180 opposed them.

    Cis children remain immune to the reported ‘harm’ caused by puberty blockers and are still able to receive them.

    Dr Natacha Kennedy explains more, “This policy was announced a while ago, it is not new, they are just announcing it again to psychologically harm young trans children & give them additional stress. It is still a disgusting and thoroughly immoral policy which breaches all kinds of research ethics but in particular the right of informed consent and the right to withdraw one’s data at any time without consequence. The NHS puppets of the Tories are treating trans kids as though they are not human beings. They deserve healthcare as much as everyone. Instead, they are getting a deliberately sub-standard service based on bigotry and anti-trans rhetoric rather than science and evidence. It is designed specifically to harm children. The people who made this decision are, in my view, child abusers.”

LGB Alliance embrace their Tufton Street base

  • Posting on LinkedIn, the ‘charity’ LGB Alliance, who are based at 55 Tufton Street, confirmed that they are indeed now ‘part think tank’.

    “Could you be a part of the LGB Alliance Business Forum?” they ask in a post. “It’s a new initiative, driven by the fact that we receive so many requests for help/advice from people with workplace issues and need to build our expertise in this area. The Forum will be a collective of 10 – 15 professionals from a wide range of businesses and industry and will act as a Think Tank and advocacy group for LGB people in the workplace. The Forum will meet virtually bi-monthly and in person for events and networking.”

Labour on assisted dying

  • Keir Starmer has pledged that a Labour government would allow a parliamentary vote on legalising assisted dying within its first term.

Government bills

  • The government is introducing new laws to overturn convictions of sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted due to faulty software, expected to be in place by July with all payments expected before the end of 2024. They are also taking steps to ensure foreign takeovers of British media outlets can be blocked on national security grounds.

Conservative backbenchers are reportedly losing faith in Sunak

  • Some are even urging Boris Johnson to return to campaign for them in the next election.

The government’s proposed new extremism definition is due out on Thursday

  • It is causing concern amongst some senior figures, including the archbishops of Canterbury and York.

Subscribe now

TODAY’S PAPERS

The Guardian

  • Teaching unions and school leaders in the UK are criticising the government’s proposed guidance for schools on how to support transgender students, calling it incomplete, legally dubious, and vulnerable to challenges in court. Sex Matters also say some stuff.
Unions call for overhaul of ‘vague’ school trans guidance The Guardian13 Mar 2024Richard Adams Education editor Teaching unions and school leaders are calling for an overhaul of ministers’ proposed guidance on the treatment of transgender pupils, calling the current version incomplete and vulnerable to legal challenges. The unions and other organisations, including the campaigning group Sex Matters, are also critical of the guidance’s proposals for how schools should respond to children wanting to socially transition to a different gender by changing their names or uniform. In their responses to the government’s consultation, which closed yesterday, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and the NASUWT teaching union expressed concerns that the government had ignored legal advice that schools could face a “high risk” of losing court cases if they follow the new guidance. Leaked legal advice obtained by Schools Week revealed that Department for Education lawyers said parts of the guidance would fail to stand up to legal challenges. But the passages were still included in the published draft and approved by No 10 and Kemi Badenoch, the equalities minister. Julie McCulloch, the director of policy at ASCL, said: “While [the guidance’s] publication is helpful in many ways, we also have a number of concerns. One of the reasons why this guidance is so necessary, along with supporting schools in taking compassionate, evidence-informed decisions which keep all their pupils safe, is to protect school and college leaders from increasingly vitriolic and threatening challenges in relation to the decisions they make. “The very least we would expect from any government guidance is that it is legally sound. “If the government cannot provide assurance that schools and colleges will not be leaving themselves open to legal challenge by following this guidance, then the government itself must commit to taking on any legal challenges that arise against schools.” Patrick Roach, the general secretary of NASUWT, said new guidance was desperately needed by schools, but the current draft should be withdrawn and replaced with “sensible and credible interpretations” of schools’ legal duties. He said: “Teachers and headteachers need to be confident that following guidance from the government will not conflict with other legal and statutory obligations, such as the Equality Act, or Keeping Children Safe in Education safeguarding laws. “In our view, the draft guidance fails to provide effective support on practical issues … including working with children who have already transitioned with the support of their families. “It also fails to address the issue that teachers, schools and colleges rarely have access to adequate support on these matters from external agencies.” Both unions said the advice that schools should adopt a policy of “watchful waiting” in response to a pupil’s request to socially transition was vague. NASUWT’s response said the phrase gave “little practical assistance”, adding: “Specifically, the guidance does not set out what schools and colleges should watch for, nor does it help them to determine a reasonable duration within which they should watch and wait in particular cases.” Sex Matters, while supportive of the guidance overall, also criticised the lack of detailed guidance being offered to schools in issues such as social transitioning. “Schools are not clinics, and teachers are not clinicians. They cannot undertake watchful waiting … or involve other children in ‘providing treatment’ for gender dysphoria,” its response to the consultation stated. Article Name:Unions call for overhaul of ‘vague’ school trans guidance Publication:The Guardian Author:Richard Adams Education editor Start Page:2 End Page:2

Daily Mail

  • Once again, Sex Matters and Maya Forstater feature as they push the GC view of what has happened here and not the reality. No surprise, really. Health Minister Maria Caulfield also talks about ending the ‘routine prescription of puberty blockers’. Currently, 83 trans kids are on blockers.
Landmark decision sees NHS ban child puberty blockers at gender clinics Daily Mail13 Mar 2024By Shaun Wooller and Alex Ward NHS clinics will be banned from prescribing puberty blockers to children who think they are transgender, amid safety concerns over the powerful drugs. The Government last night described the new NHS England policy as a ‘landmark decision’ that will ensure care is in the ‘best interest of the child’. Puberty blockers pause the physical changes that occur in teenagers, such as breast development, menstruation and facial hair. From April 1 they will be available only as part of clinical research tristated, als – but as no trials have yet been approved it effectively creates a blanket ban. The NHS policy document states: ‘There is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty- suppressing hormones to make the treatment routinely available.’ Maya Forstater, executive director of gender campaign group Sex Matters, said: ‘This a momentous development in the course correction of NHS England’s approach to treating childhood gender distress. The significance of the statement that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty blockers cannot be overthere given the success that activist lobby groups have had in portraying them as a harmless and reversible treatment.’ However, Mermaids, a transgender youth support charity, described the move as ‘ deeply disappointing, and a further restriction of support offered to trans children and young people through the NHS’. The decision follows a public consultation and comes after NHS England commissioned an independent review of gender identity services for under 18s. That review, led by Dr Hilary Cass, followed a sharp rise in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service (Gids) run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist mental health unit in London which had come under repeated scrutiny for prescribing puberty blockers to children. In 2021/22 were more than 5,000 referrals to Gids, compared with less than 250 a decade earlier. In February 2022, Dr Cass published her interim report saying there was a need to move away from one unit and pointed to a lack of long-term evidence and data collection on what happens to children and young people who are prescribed the drugs. The Gids clinic is now due to close at the end of this month. Health minister Maria Caulfield said last night: ‘Children’s safety and wellbeing is paramount, so we welcome this landmark decision by the NHS. ‘Ending the routine prescription of puberty blockers will help ensure care is based on evidence, expert clinical opinion and is in the best interests of the child.’ Following the Gids closure, two new NHS services will open in early April, situated in London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. A further six are expected to open within the next two years. Fewer than 100 young people are currently on puberty blockers and they will be able to continue their treatment. Former prime minister Liz Truss, whose Health and Equality Acts Bill includes a ban on the prescription of body-altering hormones to children questioning their sex, said: ‘I urge the Government to back my Bill, which will reinforce this in law and also prevent these drugs being supplied privately.’ ‘Safety is paramount’ Article Name:Landmark decision sees NHS ban child puberty blockers at gender clinics Publication:Daily Mail Author:By Shaun Wooller and Alex Ward Start Page:11 End Page:11

The Telegraph

  • As expected, The Telegraph put the puberty blockers story on their front page with a longer piece on page 6. Once again, Maya Forstater and Sex Matters are quoted.
summarise - NHS bans use of puberty blockers Ministers say decision has been taken to protect the ‘best interests’ of patients under the age of 18 The Daily Telegraph13 Mar 2024By Michael Searles Health correspondent Children will be banned from receiving puberty blockers on prescription under NHS rules that come into effect immediately. Under18s will now only be able to take the controversial drugs as part of a clinical trial set to start at the end of this year. At least 100 children have been prescribed puberty blockers during the time that the NHS has taken to finalise its decision and policy. Anyone currently taking puberty blockers will be able to continue using them without joining a clinical trial. CHILDREN will be banned from receiving puberty blockers on prescription under NHS rules that come into effect immediately. Under-18s will now only be able to take the controversial drugs as part of a clinical trial set to start at the end of this year. Ministers said the “landmark decision” was in children’s “best interests” and would help to ensure youngsters who feel their gender is not the same as their sex are being treated using medical evidence. The proposals to stop the practice were first accepted by NHS England in July 2022 following recommendations made by a review led by Dr Hilary Cass, the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. She warned that the drugs may permanently disrupt the brain maturation of adolescents, potentially rewiring neural circuits in a way which cannot be reversed, and said there was a lack of long-term evidence and data collection on their safety and effectiveness. The blockers pause the physical changes of puberty such as breast development or facial hair. Experts have said the “affirmative” approach by the controversial Tavistock clinic and subsequent referrals for the prescribing of blockers was sending children on an “irreversible” path without exploring other mental health conditions. Maya Forstater, executive director of women’s rights group Sex Matters, said it was “a momentous development in the course correction of NHS England’s approach to treating childhood gender distress”. “Many have been calling on the NHS for years now to return to an evidence-based approach,” she said. “The significance of NHS England’s statement that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty blockers cannot be overstated.” The Tavistock’s Gender and Identity Development Service (Gids) is no longer accepting patients after being shut down by the NHS, with new regional hubs set to open next month, following a year of delays. The announcement comes following the culmination of a public consultation on the policy, which was published on Tuesday confirming the decision. The NHS said: “We have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty-suppressing hormones to make the treatment routinely available at this time.” Liz Truss MP, the former prime minister, said the ban should be extended to private practices as well and called on MPS to back her amendment to the Health and Equality Acts Bill to make their prescription to children illegal. “I welcome NHS England’s decision to end the routine prescription of puberty blockers to children for gender dysphoria,” she said. “I urge the Government to back my Bill on Friday which will reinforce this in law and also prevent these drugs being supplied privately.” At least 100 children have been prescribed puberty blockers during the time that the NHS has taken to finalise its decision and policy. Anyone currently taking puberty blockers will be able to continue using them without joining a clinical trial. It is understood NHS England hopes to have a research study into the use of puberty blockers in place by December 2024, with eligibility criteria yet to be decided. Maria Caulfield, the health minister, said: “We have always been clear that children’s safety and wellbeing is paramount, so we welcome this landmark decision by the NHS. “Ending the routine prescription of puberty blockers will help ensure that care is based on evidence, expert clinical opinion and is in the best interests of the child.” In 2021-22, there were over 5,000 referrals to the Tavistock’s Gids compared to just under 250 a decade earlier. Following Tavistock’s closure, two new NHS services will now open in early April, situated in London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. Centres in other regions will be set up at a later date. The NHS has said children attending these clinics will be supported by clinical experts in neurodiversity, paediatrics and mental health, “resulting in a holistic approach to care”. ‘The significance of NHS stating there is not enough evidence to support puberty blockers can’t be overstated’ ‘This will help ensure that care is based on evidence, expert opinion and is in the child’s best interests’ Article Name:NHS bans use of puberty blockers Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Michael Searles Health correspondent Start Page:6 End Page:6
  • That isn’t enough anti-trans content for The Telegraph, who also have on the same page:
Teachers not using pronouns could face legal challenges The Daily Telegraph13 Mar 2024By Louisa Clarence-smith Education Editor The guidance was drawn up by Gillian Keegan, above, and Kemi Badenoch TEACHERS who refuse to use pupils’ preferred pronouns could face legal challenges despite new trans guidance, education unions have claimed. The guidance states that schools do not have to, and should not, accept all requests for social transition, and that teachers should ensure parents are involved in decisions affecting their children, but that there could be exceptions for abusive families. The guidance, drawn up by Gillian Keegan, the Education Secretary, and Kemi Badenoch, the equalities minister, is non-statutory, meaning it is not legally binding. It does not impose an outright ban on social transitioning, because ministers said they would need to amend the Equality Act 2010 to do so. Ms Badenoch said she was “very pleased to see the changes on ‘exceptional circumstances’ to prescribing puberty blockers”. “Evidence, not ideology, must always inform our approach to children’s health and wellbeing.” However, responding to the consultation on the proposed guidance, teaching unions said they would need assurance from the Government that they would not leave themselves open to legal challenges. Dr Patrick Roach of the NASUWT, which represents 300,000 teachers, said the guidance “falls short of what schools and colleges have a right to expect” and called for it to be “withdrawn and replaced”. A government source said: “The NASUWT is finding problems where they don’t exist. The guidance is rooted in the Equality Act.” Article Name:Teachers not using pronouns could face legal challenges Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Louisa Clarence-smith Education Editor Start Page:6 End Page:6
  • Although not trans-related, I found this piece interesting in The Telegraph for obvious reasons as scientists say, “It may be time to retire the ‘larger males’ narrative.”
Male mammals are ‘no bigger than females in most species’ The Daily Telegraph13 Mar 2024By Sarah Knapton Science editor MALE mammals are not bigger than females in the majority of species, contrary to popular belief, scientists have found. Princeton University compared male and female body masses of 429 species in the wild and discovered that in 55 per cent of cases, females were either the same size, or larger, than males. Females are larger than males in a wide range of species. These include, the domestic rabbit, the horseshoe bat, the spotted hyena, and the golden hamster as well as manatees, blue whales and seals. Likewise, male and female lemurs, golden moles, horses, zebra and tenrecs (a species similar to hedgehogs) are usually similar sizes. The researchers said that the “larger male” narrative may have emerged because more studies have been carried out on “charismatic” species, where males are noticeably bigger, such as lions, elephants and pandas. Humans also have noticeable sex differences, with the average human male height worldwide being nearly five foot six inches, compared to women at just over five feet two inches. Writing in the journal Nature Communications, first author Dr Kaia Tombak, a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton, said: “A long-standing narrative postulates that in mammals, males are typically larger than females. “Darwin treated it as a matter of common knowledge, as have many subsequent evolutionary biologists. “It may be time to retire the ‘larger males’ narrative.” Article Name:Male mammals are ‘no bigger than females in most species’ Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Sarah Knapton Science editor Start Page:10 End Page:10

The Independent

Children will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers in gender clinics, says NHS The Independent13 Mar 2024ATHENA STAVROU (PA) The Tavistock gender identity c l inic in northwest London has come under repeated scrutiny and is closing at the end of March Children will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers at gender identity clinics, NHS England has confirmed. Puberty blockers, which pause the physical changes of puberty such as breast development or facial hair, will now only be available to children as part of clinical research trials. Fewer than 100 young people are currently on puberty blockers and they will be able to continue their treatment. These children are being seen by specialist endocrine services at Leeds and University College London Hospital. The decision comes after a public consultation on the issue and an NHS England-commissioned independent review in 2020 of gender identity services for children under 18. That review, led by Dr Hilary Cass, followed a rise in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service (Gids) run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. In the year to April 2022, there were over 5,000 referrals to Gids, compared to just under 250 a decade earlier. The clinic has come under repeated scrutiny and is closing at the end of March. Following the Tavistock’s closure, two new NHS services will open in early April, in London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. In February 2022, Dr Cass published an interim report saying there was a need to move away from one unit and recommended the creation of regional services to better support youngsters. The NHS has said children attending these clinics will be supported by clinical experts in neurodiversity, paediatrics and mental health, “resulting in a holistic approach to care”. Around 250 patients are expected to be transferred to the new clinics from Gids when they open and some 5,000 more children and young people are currently on the waiting list for referral into the new clinics. Dr Cass also pointed to a lack of long-term evidence and data collection on what happens to children and young people who are prescribed medication. She added that Gids had not collected routine and consistent data “which means it is not possible to accurately track the outcomes and pathways that children and young people take through the service”. Health minister Maria Caulfield said: “We have always been clear that children’s safety and wellbeing is paramount, so we welcome this landmark decision by the NHS. Ending the routine prescription of puberty blockers will help ensure that care is based on evidence, expert clinical opinion and is in the best interests of the child.” The consultation on the future of services received more than 4,000 responses, including around a quarter from members of the public, 22 per cent from patients, 21 per cent from parents, 10 per cent from trans adults and 5 per cent from clinicians. John Stewart, national director of specialised commissioning at NHS England, told the PA news agency: “Given that the debate is often very polarised, so too were the responses to the consultation. Many people said the policy didn’t go far enough in terms of still allowing potential access [to puberty blockers] through research, and others saying clearly they disagreed fundamentally and that these should be routinely available to everyone who believes they need it.” Regarding the new clinics, he said: “This is just the first step in building a regional model, where our aim is to establish between seven and eight specialist centres, including the north and the south hubs, over the next year to two years.” It is understood NHS England hopes to have a study into the use of puberty blockers in place by December 2024, with eligibility criteria yet to be decided. Want your views to be included in The Independent Daily Edition letters page? Email us by tapping here letters@independent.co.uk. Please include your address Article Name:Children will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers in gender clinics, says NHS Publication:The Independent Author:ATHENA STAVROU Start Page:14 End Page:14

Daily Express

  • They claim the story about puberty blockers as an EXCLUSIVE which it clearly isn’t. They quote anti-trans activist Labour MP Rosie Duffield with what might possibly be the biggest load of crap on this whole thing. She says, “At long last, these experimental and potentially catastrophically damaging and irreversible drugs [edit – they are not experimental, catastrophically damaging nor irreversible] will not be available to children who simply need to pause, give themselves time and the chance to grow into who they want to be as adults.” Yes, that’s right, they are going to stop trans kids doing the thing that will let them grow to be the adult they want to be in order to allow them time to grow into the adult they want to be. How is that supposed to make sense?

    Once again, they believe forcing a child through the wrong puberty is somehow a ‘neutral’ act and are unable to see that it is the blockers that give pause, not their denial of them.

    Puberty blockers will not be prescribed to children Daily Express13 Mar 2024By Christian Calgie CHILDREN will no longer be prescribed puberty-blocking drugs, NHS England declared yesterday in a move applauded by Conservative and Labour MPs alike. The announcement followed concern at a sharp rise in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service in London. A review has now concluded there is “not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty-suppressing hormones to make the treatment routinely available at this time”. Puberty blockers, which pause physical changes such as breast development or facial hair, will be available only to children taking part in clinical research trials. The Government said the move was in the “best interests of the child”. Labour MP Rosie Duffield said: “At long last, these experimental and potentially catastrophically damaging and irreversible drugs will not be available to children who simply need to pause, give themselves time and the chance to grow into who they want to be as adults.” The independent review of gender identity services for under-18s, led by Dr Hilary Cass, was commissioned by NHS England in 2020. There were over 5,000 referrals to Gids in 2021-22, compared with just under 250 a decade earlier. The service is run by the Tavistock clinic, which is due to close at the end of this month. Health minister Maria Caulfield said ending the prescriptions would “help ensure that care is based on evidence, expert clinical opinion”. Former PM Liz Truss welcomed the announcement last night. Excesses She urged the Government to back her Private Member’s Bill on Friday that will “reinforce this in law and also prevent these drugs being supplied privately”. The legislation would ban bodyaltering hormones for children both privately and on the NHS. It would also prevent officials claiming a child is the opposite sex. Ms Truss says her Bill would strike a blow against the excesses of “extreme trans ideology”. Fellow Tory Jackie Doyle-Price blasted the prescription of body-altering drugs “without any study of the long-term health consequences”. In February 2022, an interim report by Dr Cass recommended creating regional services, rather than having one unit, to better support youngsters. She added that Gids had not collected routine and consistent data, “which means it is not possible to accurately track the outcomes and pathways that children and young people take through the service”. Two new NHS services, at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, will open next month. The NHS said children would be supported by experts in neurodiversity, paediatrics and mental health for “a holistic approach to care”. Article Name:Puberty blockers will not be prescribed to children Publication:Daily Express Author:By Christian Calgie Start Page:11 End Page:11

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.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  • Prime Minister’s non-answers will take place in the Chamber at 12pm. Sunak is likely to face tough questioning at PMQs, both about the Hester controversy and a newly revealed poll showing Labour with an 18-point lead.

HOUSE OF LORDS

  • The report stage of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill, with possible amendments relating to the Telegraph takeover.

Subscribe now

AROUND THE WORLD

16 Republican states threaten to sue Maine over abortion and transgender care bill [Bangor Daily News]

  • A bill aiming to protect the rights of out-of-state patients to access abortion and gender-affirming care in Maine is being met with fierce opposition from Republican attorneys general from 16 states. These attorneys general threaten to sue Maine if it passes the “shield bill”. This proposed legislation would defend patients and healthcare providers from legal harassment by states hostile to providing these essential medical services.

    See also: Trans Agenda #7 – Bomb threats in Maine legislature follow bills on trans care.

Kansas judge says transgender rights not violated by state’s refusal to change sex on drivers’ licenses [Fox News]

  • In a disappointing decision, a Kansas judge upheld a law forcing the state to list biological sex at birth on drivers’ licenses. The judge’s argument that the policy is necessary for public safety is nonsense and perpetuates harmful GC stereotypes. Trans people are not inherently a safety threat, and inaccurate identification documents actually increase vulnerability. Forcing someone to carry a licence that doesn’t match their gender presentation can lead to discrimination, harassment, and violence.

    This decision also ignores legal precedents recognising transgender rights as fundamental. As with all anti-trans legislation, it flies in the face of medical and scientific consensus that gender identity is not solely determined by biology assigned at birth. The Kansas legislature’s attempt to restrict definitions of gender is an act of prejudice, not practicality. By siding with the Kansas Attorney General, the judge has put transgender Kansans at risk and demonstrated a disregard for their safety, dignity and right to accurately reflect their identity.

Baseless attacks target Space Camp Counsellor [Yellow Hammer]

  • The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is facing a barrage of unfounded social media allegations targeting a trans counsellor at their Space Camp program. These allegations (that there is a trans on the loose), fuelled by politicians like Rep. Dale Strong and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, have spread ‘fear’ and caused some parents to withdraw their children from the camp for no good reason. There has been a call to “remove this individual and open a safety review” to investigate “potential harm and damages” the counsellor may have caused to campers by existing.

    As usual, no evidence of any misconduct exists. No accusations have been made that the trans person was inappropriate in any way. A trans person being employed is all it takes. These attacks are rooted in bigotry, perpetuating harmful stereotypes, endangering the well-being of a dedicated employee.

    The Space & Rocket Center has publicly affirmed that their top priority is the safety and security of all campers. Their statement also highlights their rigorous vetting process for all employees, including background checks, and strict behavioural standards that explicitly ensure camper safety and well-being. While they didn’t confirm or deny if this trans counsellor even exists, they did end their statement with a rather more ominous “We are working to determine the facts in this case, after which we will take appropriate action.” That usually means the trans person will be sacked, regardless of the ‘facts’.

Greek leaders speak out against mob attack on trans women [AFP News]

  • Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Katerina Sakellaropoulou have strongly condemned the recent mob attack on two trans women in Thessaloniki [The Trans Agenda #6].

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

When is a racist not a racist? When he gives £10m to the Tories it seems…

  • The Conservative government find itself in a difficult situation thanks to its own racism. An embarrassing policy to release prisoners early due to overcrowding is overshadowed by their largest donor’s racist and misogynistic comments about Diane Abbott. Frank Hester’s remarks have sparked an internal debate within the Conservative party on whether they qualify as racist. Everybody else is in no doubt that they absolutely do [see Trans Agenda #7 for more details].

    Senior Conservative figures were reluctant to call the remarks racist and are trying to justify keeping Hester’s £10m contributions to the party. It took Downing Street nearly a full day to finally admit the comments were racist after refusing to comment throughout the day. Hester, it should be noted, has also received hundreds of millions in taxpayers’ money. Some Tories ludicrously claim a ‘cancel culture’ mentality is behind the scrutiny of remarks that called for Abbott to be ‘shot’, while others practiced some whatabouttery in regards to past comments from Abbott, who has never wanted to see anyone shot. Grassroots Conservative members largely support keeping the money. Ultimately, most Tories believe Hester’s comments about Abbott being enough to put him off “all Black women” were somehow neither racist nor misogynistic. Wanting to see her shot or dead, because she consumes resources others could enjoy, is not a problem for the current UK government. Protest outside one of their houses, however, and they are waving through millions for extra security in a flash.

    Labour leader Keir Starmer, who kicked Abbott out of the PLP and ignored racist abuse aimed at her from inside the party, insists, rightly, that the comments were abhorrent and the money should be returned.

    Abbott, meanwhile, has expressed fear for her safety due to the remarks which is completely understandable. I imagine she doesn’t feel too great about so many of of her colleagues in Parliament excusing the comments, either.

Not a racist says more racist things

  • New allegations have surfaced that Hester used racist language when referring to people of Indian heritage.

Andrew Tate and brother Tristan arrested in Romania on UK warrant [Guardian]

  • Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been detained in Romania. The arrest stems from a UK warrant regarding allegations of ‘sexual aggression’ that date back to the period between 2012 and 2015. The Tate brothers maintain their innocence. Their legal representative indicates these allegations were previously investigated by authorities in the UK, with the Crown Prosecution Service deeming the evidence insufficient for a conviction.

    The Tates’ recent arrest in Romania adds to their existing legal troubles. They were previously detained in the country on separate charges of rape, human trafficking, and involvement in an organised crime group. The brothers deny all accusations against them. Their representative suggests the timing of the UK warrant is suspicious, questioning whether Andrew Tate’s online fame has influenced the recent legal developments. If this were true, he would have been arrested long ago and not now, when he has largely vanished from mainstream view after his first arrest in Romania.

UK Government goes after foreign students [Guardian]

  • Home Secretary James Cleverly has questioned the integrity of the UK’s graduate visa program. He alleges that international students could be exploiting university programs as an inexpensive path to UK work permits. Cleverly has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to investigate potential abuses of the visa system.

Rwanda plan update

  • The government may offer migrants (including some asylum seekers) £3,000 in cash as an incentive to voluntarily relocate to Rwanda.

COMING UP

  • The Office for National Statistics will release its monthly GDP figures for January.
  • Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch is at the European Scrutiny Committee lying talking about retained EU law at 2.30pm.
  • The anti-trans Badenoch will also sign a cooperation agreement with anti-trans Texas Governor Gregg Abbott in Downing Street. The deal is expected to cover carbon capture and life sciences.

TRANSWRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

RECOMMENDED READING

SUPPORT THE TRANS AGENDA

Tired of the same old news narratives? Get ‘The Trans Agenda’ delivered right to your inbox – news with the trans community at the forefront. Subscribe now!

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.

The Trans Agenda also needs your help. Your donation powers my reporting efforts, amplifying trans voices and keeps you in the know. Support independent trans journalism. Help keep in-depth reporting in ‘The Trans Agenda’ available and accessible by donating today!

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.

Yesterday’s edition can be found here.

Thank you for reading The Trans Agenda by Lee Hurley. This post is public so feel free to share it.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR