[22 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
- Scottish Parliament bans staff from wearing rainbow lanyards, pins or badges.
- Liz Truss bill returns after ferret bashing.
- Bullying teacher believed trans pupil was immersed in a cult.
- Second tribunal for the same thing underway.
- Campaign to vote for Rosie Duffield where she isn’t standing.
- Sian Berry: ‘I wish Greens had been able to deal with transphobia sooner’.
- JK Rowling tweet hidden by EU for ‘illegal or harmful’ speech’.
- Another Tory MP defects to Reform.
- Common Sense Minister claiming tens of thousands for flat near property her Tory MP husband owns.
- English flag botherers remain annoyed, Keir Starmer pleads on their behalf.
- Homophobia in Africa: The American far-right’s footprint.
- Japan takes a step closer to legalising same-sex marriage.
- GOP senator says “satanic” liberals “ruined” sex education to turn kids transgender.
- Anti-trans hate crimes spike, leading to calls for a public health emergency.
- Trans man beaten and arrested by sheriff’s deputy declared innocent.
- Ireland set for new Taoiseach.
- More countries stop weapons sales to Israel.
- Former Met officer jailed following investigation into domestic abuse.
- News of the World publisher ‘unlawfully obtained’ private information on Harry from age nine, lawyer says.
- Transgender Floridians rise up for their rights.
- ‘We’re going backwards’: Photographer captures strength of transgender youth amidst a wave of anti-trans legislation.
- Today’s papers.
- Jobs & opportunities.
- Any other business.
- Weekend reading.
- plus more…
Can I ask you a favour? I guess I’m going to anyway, so not sure why I asked! Could you share this edition of The Trans Agenda with three friends, via WhatsApp, text, email, whatever you like? Each new subscriber helps loads, free or paid! Just send the link to anyone you think might be interested as it would help a lot. Thank you!
NEWS & POLITICS
Scottish Parliament bans staff from wearing rainbow lanyards, pins or badges [Sky News]
- An email sent to Scottish parliament staff said the policy change would begin with immediate effect and all group heads are “expected to support this” lest they give the merest hint of ‘bias’.I am not a social movement. Supporting my right to be treated as an equal human being, free from harassment is not a ‘bias’.
I know that when I see someone with a rainbow I don’t have to worry that person is going to punch me. When the Gender Critical Sex Realist Cult see someone with a rainbow, they get enraged for no rational reason. A rainbow is not a threat to them but they are a very real threat to me. I’m not quite sure how we ended up in a world where people scared of colours now get pandered to at the expense of those truly at risk, but here we are.
It’s also worth asking, what’s the rush? Why does this need to be implemented ‘immediately’? What’s around that corner? Will this apply to other symbols, or just the rainbow?
Liz Truss bill returns after ferret bashing
- Liz Truss’s anti-trans bill will have another go at getting to the floor of the House of Commons this afternoon but, as it has been listed well down the order, it has even less chance than it had last Friday when it was third. As you’ll remember, Truss’s bill was blocked by MPs who filibustered talking about ferrets [Trans Agenda #11]. With the Puppy Import (Prohibition) Bill also listed, Truss’s bill is doomed once more.
Bullying teacher believed trans pupil was immersed in a cult [Bristol Post]
- Kevin Lister, a 60-year-old teacher, was dismissed from New College Swindon for gross misconduct after, amongst other things a teacher shouldn’t do, refusing to use a transgender student’s chosen name and pronouns while claiming ‘transgenderism’ is a ‘cult’. He’s challenging his dismissal, citing religious discrimination, at an employment tribunal. All the headlines claim he was sacked solely for refusing to use correct pronouns, which is never, ever all they did.
Second tribunal for the same thing underway [Trans Safety Now]
- A Christian primary school teacher, represented by Christian Legal Centre’s Pavel Stroilov, faces a tribunal because of her transphobic and Christian beliefs. After unlawfully accessing and sharing a trans child’s confidential information, the teacher was suspended following an investigation into data breaches and inappropriate conduct. You can read details of what was involved in that ‘conduct’ in the link above.According to this article, Stroilov was described by a judge as a “fanatical and deluded young man” during the Alfie Evans case. He has been a spokesman for former Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky and helped UKIP leader Gerard Batten. Stroilov has been linked to conspiracy theories and advised Bukovsky during his trial for possession of child sexual abuse material. His actions have been criticised for causing harm and misrepresenting legal advice, coming very close to contempt of court. Stroilov’s history suggests a pattern of inserting himself into contentious situations, with outcomes that often add to the controversy rather than provide resolution.
Campaign to vote for Rosie Duffield where she isn’t standing [The Argus]
- There is an article in The Argus calling on people to write in ‘Rosie Duffield‘ in the Brighton Pavilion election to show support for her Gender Critical Sex Realist beliefs. Duffield will not be standing in Brighton, because she represents Canterbury. You are probably wondering why they are doing this, beyond being bananas. A spoiled vote is, after all, just spoiled. Nobody will tally how many people wrote ‘Rosie Duffield’. This next story will likely explain why…
Sian Berry: ‘I wish Greens had been able to deal with transphobia sooner’ [openDemocracy]
- An actual candidate for Brighton Pavilion, Sian Berry, is hoping to replace the retiring trans ally Caroline Lucas as their MP. In the article linked above, Berry acknowledges ongoing transphobia within the Green Party, regretting not addressing it sooner. She says she is committed to trans inclusivity, despite internal conflicts.
JK Rowling tweet hidden by EU for ‘illegal or harmful’ speech’ [Katy Montgomerie]
![The image contains a notification message, presumably from Twitter, stating: "Hello, We have received your complaint regarding the account, @jk_rowling, for the following content: https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1767925800864592 report key: RAAEYiO6uCIZUAABPAAAAAAA9uGipf____w In accordance with applicable law, X is now withholding the reported content in the EU, specifically for the following legal grounds: Illegal or Harmful Speech. For more information on how to appeal this decision, please see here for our internal appeals system. [URL for the internal appeals system]"](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%2F915f5220-7c48-46cd-ad44-bdcea866c571_474x472.png "The image contains a notification message, presumably from Twitter, stating: \"Hello, We have received your complaint regarding the account, @jk_rowling, for the following content: https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1767925800864592 report key: RAAEYiO6uCIZUAABPAAAAAAA9uGipf____w In accordance with applicable law, X is now withholding the reported content in the EU, specifically for the following legal grounds: Illegal or Harmful Speech. For more information on how to appeal this decision, please see here for our internal appeals system. [URL for the internal appeals system]\"")
[I’ll really be flying once I work out how to embed tweets here properly, until then, images are linked to original tweets]
Common Sense Minister claiming tens of thousands for flat near property her Tory MP husband owns [Led by Donkeys]
- Esther McVey, the Minister for Common Sense, Tory MP and GB News host, who presents a show with her husband, Tory MP Philip Davies, has been claiming tens of thousands in expenses for rent on a flat that is a mile away from a house her husband owns. One report I saw this morning put the figure at £250,000.
Another Tory defects to Reform
- Manchester mayoral candidate Dan Baker has left the Conservative Party to join Reform.
Reform UK are now the most popular party amongst Leave voters [YouGov]
- With 33%, they are now 1% ahead of the Tories and growing.
Why are you giving attention to Reform?
MEDIA & TODAY’S PAPERS
Media
BBC Newsnight continue to push anti-trans propaganda [BBC]
- The BBC’s flagship news programme, Newsnight, has been at the forefront of the misinformation war against trans people and they were at it again this week. As a guest, they had Dr Lucy Hunter Blackburn on to talk about how women don’t have penises. What nobody seems to be asking is why these people are so obsessed with the genitals of strangers and why the BBC indulges them in their fetish. On Twitter, Blackburn follows the anti-trans For Women Scotland, Elaine Millar, Dr EM, and Susan Dalgety, amongst others. FWS are currently crowdfunding to appeal the definition of a ‘woman’, a cause JK Rowling has publicly donated £70,000 to.
News of the World publisher ‘unlawfully obtained’ private information on Harry from age nine, lawyer says [Press Gazette]
- Prince Harry has alleged that the News of the World publisher unlawfully obtained private information about him from when he was aged nine. He accuses the company of encouraging and concealing unlawful activities, affecting his private life significantly. A court case against the publisher, involving several high-profile figures, is scheduled for next January.
Today’s papers
Daily Mail
![Her name’s Jo, and she thinks trans people should go to the gas chambers... Outrage at police ‘parody of J.K. Rowling’ Daily Mail22 Mar 2024Scottish Home Affairs Editor By Graham Grant Gender critical: J.K. Rowling POLICE Scotland has been accused of defaming J.K. Rowling by inventing a fictional character called ‘Jo’ who calls for transgender people to be sent to the gas chambers. At a hate crime event, officers were given a ‘scenario’ in which ‘Jo’ is described as a passionate gendercritical campaigner who, like the Harry Potter author, believes people cannot change sex. Women’s groups and a leading SNP MP claimed the character was a thinly veiled parody of Ms Rowling, whose first name is Joanne and is called Jo by her friends. The hate crime ‘youth engagement’ event, held in February, was part of a programme organised by Police Scotland for LGBT history month. The row comes ahead of the introduction on April 1 of hate crime laws in Scotland, which critics warn are an attack on freedom of speech. SNP MP Joanna Cherry KC branded the alleged parody ‘disgraceful’, adding it is ‘so telling that they couldn’t find a real-life example, so chose instead to create a fictional one which is arguably defamatory of the woman at whom it is so clearly directed’. The hate crime event, supported by Police Scotland and jointly organised by the Scottish LGBTI Police Association and the Time for Inclusive Education ( TIE) campaign group, invited attendees to consider the case of ‘Jo’. She is described as an ‘ online influencer’ who is ‘very active’ on the social media platform TikTok, and has a ‘large following’. Ms Rowling is active on X, formerly Twitter, and has 14 million followers. The scenario states that ‘ Jo often gets very passionate about her beliefs and will say things like “there are only two genders ...” ’ Ms Rowling regularly expresses similar sentiments on social media. The scenario concludes by stating: ‘Jo posted her most recent video with the caption: “They all belong in the gas chambers.” ’ Attendees were then asked to discuss whether a hate crime had been committed by ‘Jo’ and ‘what action do you think police should take?’ Views expressed by attendees were then ‘fed back to decisionmakers within Police Scotland’. Marion Calder, a director at campaign group For Women Scotland, said the materials were ‘clearly trying to create a link with J.K. Rowling’ and that it was ‘deeply concerning’ to ‘Defamatory of Potter author’ see ‘Jo’ quickly leap from ‘reasonable statements’ to the Holocaust. ‘ This suggests gender- critical women with a high profile endorse a mass extinction, which is frankly bonkers, and sends a message that perfectly sane women have been radicalised,’ she added. A spokesman for Police Scotland said the event was ‘not mandatory for officers’, adding: ‘Our training for the new [hate crime] Act reflects all aspects of the new legislation, including the protection it includes around freedom of expression.’ Ms Rowling declined to comment. Article Name:Her name’s Jo, and she thinks trans people should go to the gas chambers... Publication:Daily Mail Author:Scottish Home Affairs Editor By Graham Grant Start Page:27 End Page:27](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%2F5b6d56b6-b1e2-4fb5-9caa-9d977bc618df_364x444.png "Her name’s Jo, and she thinks trans people should go to the gas chambers... Outrage at police ‘parody of J.K. Rowling’ Daily Mail22 Mar 2024Scottish Home Affairs Editor By Graham Grant Gender critical: J.K. Rowling POLICE Scotland has been accused of defaming J.K. Rowling by inventing a fictional character called ‘Jo’ who calls for transgender people to be sent to the gas chambers. At a hate crime event, officers were given a ‘scenario’ in which ‘Jo’ is described as a passionate gendercritical campaigner who, like the Harry Potter author, believes people cannot change sex. Women’s groups and a leading SNP MP claimed the character was a thinly veiled parody of Ms Rowling, whose first name is Joanne and is called Jo by her friends. The hate crime ‘youth engagement’ event, held in February, was part of a programme organised by Police Scotland for LGBT history month. The row comes ahead of the introduction on April 1 of hate crime laws in Scotland, which critics warn are an attack on freedom of speech. SNP MP Joanna Cherry KC branded the alleged parody ‘disgraceful’, adding it is ‘so telling that they couldn’t find a real-life example, so chose instead to create a fictional one which is arguably defamatory of the woman at whom it is so clearly directed’. The hate crime event, supported by Police Scotland and jointly organised by the Scottish LGBTI Police Association and the Time for Inclusive Education ( TIE) campaign group, invited attendees to consider the case of ‘Jo’. She is described as an ‘ online influencer’ who is ‘very active’ on the social media platform TikTok, and has a ‘large following’. Ms Rowling is active on X, formerly Twitter, and has 14 million followers. The scenario states that ‘ Jo often gets very passionate about her beliefs and will say things like “there are only two genders ...” ’ Ms Rowling regularly expresses similar sentiments on social media. The scenario concludes by stating: ‘Jo posted her most recent video with the caption: “They all belong in the gas chambers.” ’ Attendees were then asked to discuss whether a hate crime had been committed by ‘Jo’ and ‘what action do you think police should take?’ Views expressed by attendees were then ‘fed back to decisionmakers within Police Scotland’. Marion Calder, a director at campaign group For Women Scotland, said the materials were ‘clearly trying to create a link with J.K. Rowling’ and that it was ‘deeply concerning’ to ‘Defamatory of Potter author’ see ‘Jo’ quickly leap from ‘reasonable statements’ to the Holocaust. ‘ This suggests gender- critical women with a high profile endorse a mass extinction, which is frankly bonkers, and sends a message that perfectly sane women have been radicalised,’ she added. A spokesman for Police Scotland said the event was ‘not mandatory for officers’, adding: ‘Our training for the new [hate crime] Act reflects all aspects of the new legislation, including the protection it includes around freedom of expression.’ Ms Rowling declined to comment. Article Name:Her name’s Jo, and she thinks trans people should go to the gas chambers... Publication:Daily Mail Author:Scottish Home Affairs Editor By Graham Grant Start Page:27 End Page:27")
That JK Rowling’s fans jumped to the conclusion that this was based on JK Rowling tells you everything you need to know about how they view their hero. If you haven’t seen it, this was the material:
Daily Telegraph
The SNP acknowledges JK Rowling may face “multiple complaints” under new hate laws effective April 1, due to her views on transgender people.
TODAY IN…
HOUSE OF COMMONS
- 9.30am – Private Members’ Bills.
WESTMINSTER HALL
- No business.
HOUSE OF LORDS
- From 10 am:
- Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill – second reading.
- Foetal Sentience Committee Bill – second reading
- Genocide (Prevention and Response) Bill – second reading
COMMITTEES
- No business.
AROUND THE WORLD
Homophobia in Africa: The American far-right’s footprint [DW]
- Investigations reveal how American far-right activists are contributing to rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in Africa. With funding and support from Uganda to Nigeria, they’re influencing laws and public opinion.
Japan takes a step closer to legalising same-sex marriage [Them]
- The Sapporo High Court in Japan has ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, marking a significant step towards legalising same-sex marriage. The decision challenges Japan’s civil code but requires legislative action for formal change.
GOP senator says “satanic” liberals “ruined” sex education to turn kids transgender [LGBTQ Nation]
- Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) claimed on a podcast that liberals are part of a “satanic cult” ruining sex education to make children transgender, marking a continuation of his frequent anti-LGBTQ+ pronouncements. He alleges a moral war between good and evil, associating liberalism with destruction because he is an idiot.
Trans man beaten and arrested by sheriff’s deputy declared innocent [LA Times]
- Emmett Brock, a 23-year-old trans man and teacher, was declared innocent after being unjustly beaten and arrested by an LASD deputy. Brock’s lawyer has filed a federal lawsuit, alleging cover-up and excessive force during the incident outside a 7/11. The assault and arrest took place over a year ago and, in that time, Brock also lost his teaching job. There is a video of the assault, available in the link above.
Anti-trans hate crimes spike, leading to calls for a public health emergency [Advocate]
- Data from Los Angeles County shows a significant increase in anti-transgender hate crimes, reaching a historic high with 44 cases in 2022, 72% of which were violent. This rise, influenced by the political climate [see above], has prompted calls for a public health emergency declaration.
Transgender Floridians rise up for their rights [Watermark]
- Transgender Floridians and allies rallied in Tallahassee to protest against restrictive state policies, including a DMV policy change hindering gender marker updates on IDs. Organised swiftly by six trans-focused groups, they demanded legislative action under the “Let Us Live” slogan amid rising anti-trans legislation.
‘We’re going backwards’: Photographer captures strength of transgender youth amidst a wave of anti-trans legislation [Daily Camera]
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Ireland set for new Taoiseach
- Simon Harris now expected to become the new Fine Gael Leader and Taoiseach after Leo Varadkar’s shock resignation on Wednesday [Trans Agenda #14].
More countries stop weapons sales to Israel [Al Jazeera]
-
Canada joins the Netherlands, Japan, Spain and Belgium in suspending arms sales in the wake of Israel’s brutal military offensive in Gaza. Many other nations have said they will no longer purchase Israeli weapons.
English flag botherers to remain annoyed, Keir Starmer pleads on their behalf [Daily Mail]
- The FA and Nike stand by the new England kit amid furore over a multi-coloured St George’s flag that is so tiny on the back of the collar you can only see it clearly when close-up. There are no plans to recall the strip amidst so much baked gammon.Meanwhile, wannabe Tory leader, Keir Starmer, has urged England to revert back to the traditional cross, which is also what the racists are demanding, claiming it is a ‘unifying’ flag. “We just need to be proud of it,” Starmer said. “So I think they should just reconsider this and change it back. I’m not even sure they properly can explain why they thought they needed to change in the first place.” As Nike explained when it was launched, it was a “playful update” to the cross “to unite and inspire”.
A reminder, this is a tiny badge on a football kit, not the official flag of the country.
Former Met officer jailed following investigation into domestic abuse [Met Police]
- Former Metropolitan Police officer Isaque Rodrigues-Leite was sentenced to two years and three months in jail for offences including false imprisonment, assault, coercive behaviour, and criminal damage between 2016 and 2019. He was dismissed following a misconduct hearing.
Magic money tree
- The House of Lords Commission wants peers who live outside of London to be given £100-a-night if they plan on staying in the capital just before or after appearing at parliament. Universal credit gives you £292-£368 a month to live on if you’re single.Meanwhile, Home Secretary James Cleverly spent £165,000 of taxpayer money chartering a private jet to Rwanda for a one-day round trip.
COMING UP
Saturday
Protest – RCGP host conversion therapy conference in London
- A protest is organised for outside the Royal College of General Practitioners in London against a conversion therapy conference hosted by CAN-SG, which will be promoting anti-trans views. Demonstrations led by Transgender Action Block, Lesbians and Gays Support The Migrants, and The Dyke Project begin at 10am.
Sunday
- The 6th Annual Football v Transphobia starts and runs until Trans Day of Visibility. You can read more about that here.
JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES
Cosmopolitan
- Looking for pitches for their love and sex section, very trans friendly. More info here.
BAFTA
- Looking for a website editor who can be part-time or freelance if needed. More info here.
Institute for Government
- Are looking for paid interns in what seems like a good opportunity. More info here.
Edinburgh International Book Festival
- Is looking for two trainee writers-in-residence. More info here, move quickly, though, this one closes on Tuesday.
Belfast Book Festival
- Has a call-out for all writers aged 18-26 living in Ireland to apply for “this extraordinary opportunity to attend and contribute to Belfast Book Festival 2024 as Young Writer Delegates.” More details here.
Human After All
- Seeking freelance project managers, copywriters, designers and strategists. More info here.
BBC
- Has an open call out for scripts for EastEnders. More info here.
The Health Foundation
- Are looking for a social media assistant. More info here.
Hay Festival
- The Hay Festival has introduced The Platform, a new space for young creatives to exhibit their work, ranging from poetry to playwriting. Participants will receive a performance fee, and the festival will cover accommodation and travel expenses. More info here.
Jobs compiled, in part, with help from Sian Meades-Williams.
WEEKEND READING
- I Don’t Care About Your Brand, by Jude Doyle
RECOMMENDED WATCHING
TRANSWRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
- Sex Matters Director Helen Joyce reads porn of teenagers for “research”, by Gemma Stone.
- Understanding the “WPATH Files” debate, by Lee Hurley.
- 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.
- JK Rowling will be arrested, finally, by Gemma Stone.
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 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.
