The Trans Agenda #20

[29 March 2024]

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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.

UPDATE: There won’t be a Trans Agenda on Monday or Tuesday. Not because I’m religious, but because I’ve had one full day off in three weeks (and I won’t even be off Monday and Tuesday, just cutting back for those days).

After yesterday’s bumper issue, you’ll be glad to know this one is somewhat shorter.

The Trans Agenda TL;DR

NEWS & POLITICS

  • Kevin Lister in more legal action.
  • Trans Safety Network statement on NICE evidence reviews on trans affirming care.
  • Scottish Govt publishes proposals to end conversion practices and protect LGBTQ+ people from abuse.
  • First wine bottles filled by new non-binary led ethical winery.
  • Gender Critical Sex Realist Cult target St John’s Ambulance.

MEDIA

  • Meta failing to moderate ‘extreme anti-trans hate’ on its platforms.
  • Suella Braverman to become a columnist at The Telegraph.

TODAY’S PAPERS

  • Daily Mail
  • The Telegraph

TODAY IN PARLIAMENT

  • Parliament is in recess until April 15.

AROUND THE WORLD

  • Trans people in Bangladesh demand safety online.
  • School hate crimes rise rapidly in America.
  • Virginia church seeks to offer LGBTQ-affirming senior housing.
  • Trans activists climb 250-foot construction crane to protest anti-trans laws & police.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

  • LGBTQIA+ Awareness Week NI 2024 – Events programme application form.
  • European Men-who-have-sex-with-men and trans* people Internet Survey 2023/24.
  • Former officer convicted of sexual offences against a child.
  • Officer to appear in court charged with non-recent sexual offences against a child.
  • Ron DeSantis and Disney reach settlement in suit over governing control.
  • Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years.
  • London Mayoral nominations confirmed after Laurence Fox ‘error’.

COMING UP

  • Trans Pride NI fundraiser.
  • Trans Day of Visibility.

JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES

  • The Rainbow Project, Anther, Stylist, Cosmopolitan, Institute for Government, Belfast Book Festival, Human After All, Fern Academy Prize.

RECOMMENDED READING

  • Ændra Rininsland on why we need more trans people in journalism.
  • Trans hockey star Harrison Browne on his new film, scootering around L.A. & being a cat dad.
Transgender. How do you know? By Lee Hurley
Transgender. How do you know? By Lee Hurley

The Trans Agenda

NEWS & POLITICS

TOP STORY

Kevin Lister in more legal action [Kevin Lister]

  • Not content with losing one legal case for his anti-trans views and bullying a trans kid [Trans Agenda #19], it seems Kevin Lister had already lined up another before his ruling came down on Wednesday. Tweeting on March 19, Lister said “My next legal action begins” as he retweeted The Bad Law Project, who are applying for a judicial review ‘to stop the political indoctrination of our children in school’. The political indoctrination of which they speak is not being an arse to trans kids and treating them with basic respect, like calling them by the name they’d like to be called by. Who wouldn’t want a former teacher who has been barred from working with children for life to front that sort of campaign?
New I am not a debate cut out sticker with text in trans colours alternating words in blue and pick. £2.79
Get your ‘I am not a debate’ cut-out sticker, badges, t-shirts, hats and more here and directly support The Trans Agenda and Trans Writes

Trans Safety Network statement on NICE evidence reviews on trans affirming care [Trans Safety Network]

  • Trans Safety Network raises grave concerns about the 2020 NICE evidence reviews on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender individuals, citing serious transparency and integrity issues. They highlight Dr. Az Hakeem‘s involvement in the NHS working group that commissioned the reviews, despite his known opposition to gender affirming treatments and links to anti-trans groups. The network also criticises the exclusion of relevant clinical research and ethical considerations in the reviews, and the refusal of freedom of information requests seeking clarity on potential conflicts of interest. They call for transparency and public scrutiny into the process. Their statement details much more that is of serious concern and I would urge you all to read it.

Scottish Govt publishes proposals to end conversion practices and protect LGBTQ+ people from abuse [Stonewall]

  • You have until April 2 to respond to the consultation (that’s Tuesday).

First wine bottles filled by new non-binary led ethical winery

Gender Critical Sex Realist Cult target St John’s Ambulance [James Esses]

  • Their crime? To request the use of pronouns. Are you able to think of anything else to do with ambulances this crowd could use their time to raise awareness of? Funny how that never seems to occur to them. This is just another in a long list of services that exist to help people that GCs have targeted with relentless abuse. From Oxfam to rape crisis centres, no-one is safe from their wrath. Expect media coverage in Telegraph and/or Mail (I’m writing this before I’ve checked Friday’s papers).

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.

Keep an eye out for

  • Anti-woke wingnuts crying about Trans Day of Visibility falling on Easter Sunday when they are the ones who keep moving Easter. TDoV is always March 31. Let’s face it, they’d be crying about TDoV, no matter what. This way, they get to combine whines.

MEDIA & TODAY’S PAPERS

Meta failing to moderate ‘extreme anti-trans hate’ on its platforms, claims report [Pink News]

  • A GLAAD report criticises Meta for not effectively moderating “extreme anti-trans hate” on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, despite policies against transphobia. Despite high-profile calls for action, violations including transphobic slurs and promotion of conversion therapy persist, often from high-follower accounts.

Suella Braverman to become a columnist at The Telegraph

  • Twice-sacked former Home Secretary Suella Braverman is set to become a columnist for The Telegraph after serving in the cabinets of Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. You all know who she is and what she believes in, and we all know that The Telegraph is nothing more than a hate-filled propaganda sheet written by and for the Conservative Party. Still, it would be nice to have some sort of regulation over this nonsense. Even a hint…

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 subscribe.

TODAY’S PAPERS

The Times

  • There are no articles about trans people in Friday’s edition of The Times.

Daily Mail

  • Told you…In this piece, they quote Helen Joyce from Sex Matters, ‘writer’ Kathleen Stock, and Kate Barker from the LGB Alliance.
St John Ambulance tells job applicants to share their chosen pronouns Daily Mail29 Mar 2024By Alex Ward Social Affairs Correspondent ST JOHN Ambulance has been accused of ‘hostility’ towards job applicants after it emerged staff were being urged to share their pronouns when applying for posts internally. The candidate centre for the charity’s internally advertised jobs requested staff ‘share their pronouns’ in the application process. For those who decline, the website offers a prompt asking ‘if you would like to reconsider’. If a candidate still doesn’t want to list them, they are asked to ‘tell us why you do not wish to share your pronouns’. The prompt is accompanied by a message: ‘Pronouns are something everyone has; they are words like he, she or they, which you want people to use when referring to you. At St John Ambulance, we do not assume or guess what someone’s pronouns are based on their name or appearance. ‘Giving your pronouns below helps the people who look at your application show their respect for you and others. ‘St John Ambulance wants everyone to feel included.’ Helen Joyce, of human rights campaign group Sex Matters, said: ‘This feels like an opportunistic way to “educate” unsuspecting people that socalled gender identity matters more than sex, and toes close to the line in terms of compelled belief. ‘It is comparable to asking an applicant to state their religious beliefs and if they chose not to answer, attempting to convince them of the merits of faith while urging them to reconsider. ‘The message is both patronising and hostile to applicants who hold gender-critical views, which polls suggest is the vast majority of the UK population, and is totally unsuitable as part of any recruitment process.’ St John Ambulance said: ‘As an organisation, it’s important to us to promote the correct usage of pronouns as part of being as inclusive as possible. We try to create opportunities for people to share their correct pronouns where we can.’ It came as it was reported that NHS staff were set to be asked if they identified as ‘greyromantic’, ‘abrosexual’ or as ‘endosex’ in a survey which was not signed off by bosses. The woke questionnaire aimed at LGBT staff sought information about health workers’ ‘current sex’ and what ‘umbrella would your romantic orientation fall under’. Details of the poll were leaked to The Daily Telegraph. Writer Kathleen Stock, who is a codirector of The Lesbian Project, said it was a ‘bats*** survey’. LGB Alliance chief executive Kate Barker said it was ‘infantile, meaningless, and insulting’. She added: ‘This kind of nonsense is a perfect example of why LGB people want to organise on the basis of sexuality, not identity.’ An NHS England spokesman said: ‘This is not an NHS England-approved survey.’ ‘Patronising and hostile’ Article Name:St John Ambulance tells job applicants to share their chosen pronouns Publication:Daily Mail Author:By Alex Ward Social Affairs Correspondent Start Page:17 End Page:17

The Telegraph

  • There are no articles about trans people in the Friday edition of the Daily Telegraph main section, but they do have a feature on Parkrun and ‘How the culture wars engulfed a beloved institution’. Funnily enough, they don’t mention that it is an entirely fabricated ‘war’ dreamed up in Tufton Street by the Policy Exchange and spread with glee by the likes of the Telegraph who helped attack Parkrun for being trans-inclusive. They also follow up on the ‘story’ that featured in the Mail yesterday [Trans Agenda #19] on a small LGBTQ+ inclusive football team from Australia who has trans players.
Telegraph sport frontpage with The battle for Parkrun. How culture wards engulfed a beloved institution
The battle for Parkrun How culture wars engulfed a beloved institution The Daily Telegraph29 Mar 2024By Jeremy Wilson CHIEF SPORTS REPORTER Parkrun is preparing for its 20th birthday, but the extended family – which has expanded from 13 runners at Bushy Park on Oct 2, 2004 to more than nine million registered global participants today – has never been so restless. Why is Parkrun under fire? The beloved institution has stumbled into various rows, ranging from what constitutes competitive sport and transgender inclusion to whether so-called “Parkrun tourism” – visiting different venues – should be discouraged over environmental impact. Calls have been made for Sport England to withdraw funding if the gender policy does not change and, according to one leading sports industry source, there is “significant concern” that the campaign could undermine public confidence in one of the nation’s most effective health initiatives. A separate petition urging Parkrun to restore recently deleted performance data, which included course records from under-11s all the way to over-80s, has attracted almost 25,000 supporters. Accusations of “discrimination” have included a Scottish academic who says that the removal of numerous statistics from events pages is prejudiced against neurodiverse people and Olympians who say women are still being treated unacceptably by allowing gender self-identification. Parkrun suffered a further blow earlier this month when Sir Jonathan Van-tam, the deputy chief medical officer during the pandemic, resigned as a trustee after only a year, citing “personal reasons”. Van-tam wished Parkrun “every success in continuing its important work in improving the health and happiness of even more people around the world”. Yet for all the turbulence, numbers continue to boom, new events are being added weekly, doctors are prescribing Parkrun to patients and a charity whose revenue has grown beyond £7million (through grants, donations, retail sales and various sponsors) is targeting a global expansion that would double its numbers and events over the five years from 2023 to 2028. Telegraph Sport can also disclose that, despite the controversy, the Government will not be summonof ing Parkrun to its forthcoming round table about transgender policies in British sport and there is no prospect at this time of Sport England cutting a £5million investment to help grow their weekly free five-kilometre and 2km events. There is also no sign of Parkrun’s leaders – or indeed its various critics – backing down in disputes that cut to the very soul of what it represents and what its future should be. How does transgender issue relate to Parkrun? It is 2½ years since the UK Sports Councils published guidance which changed domestic sport in a single sentence. It concluded that it was impossible to balance “transgender inclusion, fairness and safety in gender-affected sport where there is meaningful competition” because of retained differences in strength, stamina and physique. Numerous governing bodies were effectively being told that they must make a choice and the subsequent direction of travel, explicitly backed by the Government, has been to ban transgender women from the female category. This was adopted last year by UK Athletics but Parkrun, which started out as a time trial, says that its raison d’etre is now firmly participation rather than competition. Runners can self-identify as male, female, prefer not to say or “another gender category”. “Parkrun only exists to inspire people, from any background, to come together, to be social, and active,” said chief executive Russ Jefferys. “You can be anyone – everyone is welcome.” But this unfairly fails to protect the integrity of women’s sport, say campaigners, who identified examples of transgender runners registering in the female category and setting various records. They began wearing “Save Women’s Sport” T-shirts to events and were active on social media. A prominent campaigner is Mara Yamauchi, an Olympic marathon runner and former Foreign Office diplomat. “Women would be entirely absent from sport if the female category didn’t exist,” she said. “It excludes male advantage. By choosing inclusion, they have not chosen fairness for females. It’s sex discrimination.” Parkrun argues that there is a key difference between its “community-led, socially focused physical activity events” and races organised by national federations. It has championed stories of transgender Parkrunners, such as Kate Hodge, who described feeling “always welcome” and appreciated being able to easily change gender identity on her Parkrun profile. “When you worry you might be an outsider, it’s liberating to be part a community where you feel totally included and accepted for who you are,” said Hodge. The debate persisted, to the ignorance of many Parkrunners, and the stakes became significantly raised over recent months. Women in Sport, an apolitical charity, intervened to say that all competitive sport – including Parkrun – should have a universally protected category for natal girls or women to safeguard fairness. The Policy Exchange, a thinktank on the right, then reported that “at least three female Parkrun records in the UK were held by people who were born male” and called for Sport England to withdraw its funding (which is from the National Lottery) if the gender policy was not changed. Parkrun remained unmoved. There has been concern that a change could self-exclude people who may have transitioned if they then had to ‘out’ themselves by changing their Parkrun gender category. The main argument against Parkrun’s participatory explanation, however, was simple: “Why, if this is not competitive sport, are there results, and so many lists of records?” So what happened to the records? Without warning on the morning of Feb 8, every male and female alltime age category record for senior and even junior Parkruns had disappeared, as did lists of the top 500 times on each course, most firstplace finishes and historic age and gender-graded tables. Even lists of people below a certain barrier, such as sub-20 minutes for women and 17 minutes for men, had gone. Some presumed it was a technical glitch, but then came a statement which confirmed that the change was deliberate. Parkrun denies that the decision was influenced by the transgender campaign. Internal research, it says, had found that one of the biggest barriers to participation is the “misperception that Parkrun is a competitive race” and associated concerns of not being fit enough or worrying about finishing last. In a statement to Telegraph Sport, it emphasised findings which showed that 40 per cent of people say that the non-race element appeals to them. “Removing this data is one of a number of ways we can reinforce this point, reduce barriers and show that anyone is welcome,” it said. Parkrun did not, however, produce specific feedback showing how statistics on the drop-down menu of a website was putting people off. And much performance data also remained public, including weekly individual times, positions, gender classifications, personal bests and age grading. ‘Statistics spurred me to the point where I have just qualified as an England veteran’ Each event is still operated in exactly the same way. The Government and Sport England do not appear concerned by the gender policy. Culture secretary Lucy Frazer will imminently host a round table that will “hold to account” notable sports administrators over a perceived failure to protect the female category but Parkrun is not seen as a national governing body and has not been invited. Sport England also still regards Parkrun as being in line with its own “uniting the movement” strategy to get more people active. What has been the reaction? Two things quickly became certain following the change. Any hope of quietening those asking for a sexat-birth gender policy had failed. Parkrun, say the campaigners, still produces results without a sex-atbirth female category and so their argument still stands. At the same time, an additional community of Parkrunners, aghast at the statistics going, have begun a separate campaign that has gathered considerable support. For Mary Taylor, a Parkrunner and volunteer from Rugby who began the petition, there is a personal interest. Her two children, Miles and Jasper, gained incentive from the records but she has since been “most moved by stories from the older generation” who were motivated into their 70s and 80s to do Parkrun by the statistics. “How did they expect all those record holders would feel, children and adults alike, to have their achievements wiped out?”, said Taylor. “It was gut-wrenching. Nobody that we have come across has said that they found these statistics off-putting. People who enjoyed the statistics do not feel welcome at Parkrun anymore.” Miles, 12, who began in Junior Parkrun before reaching the top 30 in the national cross-country championships, said: “I felt annoyed and confused. The stats don’t exclude people, they motivate people. Without them, I wouldn’t be as good.” His brother, nine-year-old Jasper, said: “I am really annoyed because I was working up to get onto the fastest 500 list.” An older runner inspired by the age-group records is James Willis, a 75-year-old from Skegness who helped establish the first Parkrun in Malaysia. “The statistics spurred me on to the point where I have just qualified as an England veteran,” he said. “There’s this argument that the statistics stopped people becoming Parkrunners but 250,000 did Parkrun every week before they went. It’s all rubbish.” Julia Murphy describes her “months of training and trying” to break the 20-minute barrier to join an exclusive local club: “I finally made it... and then two weeks later the list is gone.” Many autistic people have signed the petition, saying that the stats were a particular source of interest. “Gamification through stats is known to help motivate various neurodiverse groups to engage in exercise, particularly those with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder),” said Dr Andre Gilburn of the University of Stirling. “Both these groups engage in below average amounts of exercise so this is a highly discriminatory stance.” What has Parkrun got to do with climate change? Amid the disappearing comparative records, another change that initially slipped under the radar was the loss of data celebrating people who had visited the most different Parkrun locations. The Facebook page “Parkrun Tourism” has 37,000 members worldwide and collecting the A-Z of Parkrun (even the elusive Q) has become a badge of honour. There are now 2,200 Parkruns across 22 different countries. But it has all become rather more difficult to document after Parkrun, who say that their mission is to “create a healthier and happier planet”, referenced the environment in explaining this specific change. “We realise these things are ‘value add’ for many but actively encouraging Parkrunners to take part in ‘Parkrun tourism’ or certain ‘challenges’ could mean more strain on event capacity,” a spokesperson said, adding: “Plus, given increasing concerns about environmental impact, it doesn’t feel right for us to encourage this, particularly when the vast majority of people participate only at their local Parkrun.” This has upset another set of Parkrunners. “I am not an uberparkrun tourist but I have been to 45 locations in two countries so far,” said Will Hartley, a geography teacher from Woking, who intends to complete a Parkrun in Poland next month. “I tell my students all the time how important it is to protect the environment, but I think this type of message is taking some of the fun and enjoyment out.” Stu Rutherford and Joanne Parker both described the move as “woke”, while Pippa Cumbers questioned where this all might end. “Is the world suddenly stopping the tourist industry?” she asked. So what next? Despite the backlash, Parkrun says that there has been no adverse impact on turnout since the records were deleted. Average participation numbers have grown 15 per cent in 2024 and there have been 180 new events added over the past year. However, there are warnings that Parkrun’s phenomenal progress cannot be taken for granted. “They have created the most successful active leisure event on the planet but are risking its future success by taking a punt based upon insight rather than scientific evidence,” said Dr Gilburn. Taylor, the petition organiser, remains unconvinced by the official explanations. “I can only conclude that Parkrun is either out of touch with the reality on the ground… or there are deeper issues behind the change,” she said. Parkrun says that it is constantly “growing and learning”. Frameworks for communication with “our vital volunteer communities” have been recently strengthened, it says, and conferences, live Q&A sessions, surveys and focus groups have regularly taken place with positive feedback. Although some volunteers, including at least one race director, have stood down in protest, the prevailing mood is to influence from within. Parkrun intends to use October’s big anniversary “as an opportunity to look ahead to the next 20 years of supporting more people to be active within their communities”. The organisation, however, stands at a crossroads. “I am really concerned they are damaging the Parkrun we all know and love, that has been a fantastic success for the past 20 years,” said Taylor. “Parkrun is the masses of volunteers and runners across the world. And they are brilliant. We want nothing more than to restore the harmony in our community by Parkrun creating a truly inclusive solution for all.” quoted by Australia’s Daily Telegraph newspaper saying: “Our girls are here to play for fun and expect to play in the female competition. They did not sign up for a mixed competition. “Some of the parents were so concerned they would not let their daughters play. It was so disheartening for them to see the huge difference in ability – they’re killing it.” In Australian grass-roots football, trans women are allowed to participate in female competition. John Ruddick, an MP in the New South Wales parliament, said: “It’s not just a question of fair sportsmanship. It’s also a question of physical safety for female players born female.” Kirralie Smith, of Binary Australia, which campaigns on trans issues, accused the country’s sports leaders, including regional body Football NSW, of cowardice. She said on X: “Your misogynist policy that protects males in female sports is forcing girls to self-exclude. It is unfair and unsafe. You are cowards hiding behind bad laws.” Jennifer Peden, Flying Bats president, said: “Trans women belong in the women’s competition because that is the gender with which they identify. Trans women have played with the club for at least 20 years, at levels ranging from beginner to skilled, just like our cis women players.” Article Name:The battle for Parkrun Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Jeremy Wilson CHIEF SPORTS REPORTER Start Page:6 End Page:6 Side with five trans players ‘left parents banning girls’ The Daily Telegraph29 Mar 2024By Ben Rumsby SPORT INVESTIGATIONS REPORTER A women’s football competition has been branded “misogynist” after it was won by a team featuring five transgender players, amid accusations one had broken an opponent’s leg in two places. Flying Bats FC won every match they played during the four-week Beryl Ackroyd Cup in Sydney, Australia, including a 10-0 victory in which one of their trans players scored six times. Since winning Sunday’s final 4-0, it has emerged organisers had earlier held a crisis meeting, during which rival teams were warned that forfeiting games against the Flying Bats would result in disciplinary action and could even be viewed as “an act of discrimination”. The same meeting included accusations that a 6ft 2in, 14st Flying Bats player had once broken the leg of an opponent, who was 5ft 6in and 9½st, and claims that 24 teammates of the injured player had quit because they did not want to face the LGBTQ+ side. Flying Bats went on to win the 1,000 Australian dollars (£514) first prize. One senior club official was Article Name:Side with five trans players ‘left parents banning girls’ Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Ben Rumsby Start Page:7 End Page:7

It’s worth noting that none of the usual suspects when it comes to covering trans issues in a negative light have covered the Kevin Lister tribunal result. They had nothing in their main papers yesterday and nothing again today.

TODAY IN PARLIAMENT

  • Parliament is in recess until April 15.

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AROUND THE WORLD

Trans people in Bangladesh demand safety online [Deccan Herald]

  • Trans people in Bangladesh say social media platforms must do more to tackle hate speech, warning that an increase in transphobia online could threaten their safety in real life – and set back rights progress.

School hate crimes rise rapidly [Washington Post via The Week]

  • School hate crimes against LGBTQ+ students more than doubled from an annual average of 108 from 2015 to 2019 to 232 in 2021 and 2022, according to FBI data. In states that have passed laws or policies curbing LGBTQ+ student rights and education, school hate crimes more than quadrupled over the same period.

Arlington church seeks to offer LGBTQ-affirming senior housing [Washington Blade]

  • Clarendon Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Virginia, plans to redevelop its property to include LGBTQ-affirming senior housing and a childcare centre. Ahead of its 100th anniversary, the church, in partnership with Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, seeks a zoning change for the project. Despite facing opposition from some local residents and a pause for project revisions, the church aims to continue its long history of supporting affordable housing and the LGBTQ community.

Trans activists climb 250-foot construction crane to protest anti-trans laws & police [LGBTQ Nation]

  • Two trans activists were arrested after climbing a 250-foot crane in Atlanta to protest “Cop City” and anti-trans legislation. They aimed to highlight violence against trans people and the need for action against restrictive laws.

 

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ANY OTHER BUSINESS

European Men-who-have-sex-with-men and trans* people Internet Survey 2023/24 [Maastricht University]

  • Seeking respondents if you are a man (cis or trans*), a trans* woman or a non-binary person…
    • who has sex with men
    • who is attracted to other men
    • who thinks they might have sex with men in the future.

Ron DeSantis and Disney reach settlement in suit over governing control [npr]

  • The conflict between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney over the control of Walt Disney World‘s governing district has been settled. The dispute, sparked by Disney’s opposition to Florida’s “don’t say gay” law, led to a two-year legal battle. The settlement apparently “signifies a new phase of cooperation” between Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, ending the legal fights.

Former officer convicted of sexual offences [Met Police]

  • Former PC Thomas Thorpe was convicted at Kingston Crown Court for sexual offences against children, including making indecent photographs and attempting sexual communication. Engaging in conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 12-year-old, Thorpe was arrested in 2019. He resigned from the Met in 2022 and faces sentencing in May. His actions were deemed gross misconduct in a misconduct hearing.

Officer to appear in court charged with non-recent sexual offences [Met Police]

  • PC Anthony Rowley, 51, of the South Area Command, will face Westminster Magistrates’ Court on charges of sexually assaulting a girl under 14 between 1988 and 1989 in Croydon. The offences, reported in May 2023, led to his arrest and suspension. A misconduct investigation is underway alongside the criminal case.

Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years [New York Times]

  • Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of FTX cryptocurrency exchange, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for stealing billions from customers, far less than the 110 years maximum but above the defence’s request of 6.5 years.

London Mayoral nominations

  • Labour
    • Sadiq Khan.
  • Conservatives
    • Susan Hall.
  • Lib Dems
    • Rob Blackie.
  • Green Party
    • Zoë Garbett.
  • Reform UK
    • Howard Cox.
  • Social Democrat Party
    • Amy Gallagher.
  • Independent
    • Count Binface (aka Jonathan Harvey). Previously known as ‘Lord Buckethead’ until a copyright dispute forced him to change.
  • Laurence Fox did not get his finalised papers submitted in time after his first submission was found to have ‘errors’.

JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES

The Rainbow Project

  • The Rainbow Project is seeking to recruit for a new post of Fundraising and Partnerships Officer to join their team who are working to make Northern Ireland a better place for LGBTQIA+ people. Applications close 2/4/24. Interviews on 19/4/24. How to apply can be found here.

LGBTQIA+ Awareness Week NI 2024 – Events programme application form

  • The international theme this year is ‘No One Left Behind: Equality, Freedom and Justice For All’. You can find the application form here.

Anther

  • Anther seeks UK medical journalists for women’s health content to help their mission to break taboos and stigmas in women’s health; opportunities include blogs, possibly podcasts, social media content. Pay variable in the range of £750-£1250/month. Send CV and writing samples to [email protected].

Stylist

Cosmopolitan

  • Looking for pitches for their love and sex section, very trans friendly. More info here.

Institute for Government

  • Are looking for paid interns in what seems like a good opportunity. More info here.

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.

Fern Academy Prize

  • Fern Press and How To Academy are delighted to launch the inaugural Fern Academy Prize, in association with Tortoise Media – a new annual non-fiction essay prize for those working at the frontier of creativity and thought. With a £3,000 prize up for grabs and much more, including representation, it opens for entries on April 2. You can find out all you need to know here.

Jobs compiled, in part, with help from Sian Meades-Williams.

COMING UP

Trans Pride NI fundraiser

  • Friday 29 March, 7pm, The Sunflower, Belfast.

Trans Day of Visibility

  • Sunday 31 March marks the 15th Trans Day of Visibility. Check local organisations for events near you.

RECOMMENDED READING

  • Ændra Rininsland on why we need more trans people in journalism [Diva]
  • Trans hockey star Harrison Browne on his new film, scootering around L.A. & being a cat dad [Queerty]
Get your Ferrets for trans rights stuff here

TRANSWRITES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

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Yesterday’s edition can be found here.

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