10/20 to 10/26: Recognizing "gender-affirming care" as conversion therapy, renaming genitals
Also, the Iranian government learning nothing from the Mahsa Amini protests last year.
Call to Action
(UK) Help this Mother Stop her Ex from Transing Their Child - You can read more about the case here.
Support a Policy Proposal to Designate Gender-Affirming Care as Conversion Therapy
Women’s Liberation
10/26 - Woman convicted of taking British girl, three, for female genital mutilation in Kenya
It has been a long time coming that the UK government recognizes FGM as a punishable crime, even if a parent takes her child out the country to have the procedure done. This sets a welcome legal precedent that we can only hope other Western nations, like the US, emulate.
10/23 - Iceland’s first full-day women’s strike in 48 years aims to close pay gap
Nearly 50 years after the first “Women’s Day Off,” tens of thousands of Icelandic women are demonstrating again to fight for equal pay and to fight against sex-based violence.
Erasing Women, LGB, and Their Spaces
10/20 - Swedish Politician Thinks the Future is Artifical Wombs
For those who still don’t believe that gender ideology is just a front for transhumanism, here is a translation of the Tweet:
Natural pregnancy is one of the most dangerous things that uterine carriers can be exposed to. Civilizational progress demands that progress be made in the direction of relieving man of this natural but hopelessly obsolete burden. GP writes about my motion to the Riksdag!
Yes, the “most oppressed group” in all of human history can freely, and with applause, celebrate the idea of mass killing dissenters.
Silencing Girls, Women, and Allies
10/26 - Protester who threw tomato juice over Posie Parker to face trial
For once, a Trans Radical Activist faces consequences.
Another example of gender critical women, LGB advocates, and allies having their livelihood threatened and platform removed for WrongThink.
The Strictly Dancing star decided to quit the show after a segment of the audience threatened to boycott the show due to comments Abbington made back in March. The horribly offensive comments? That a 12 year old shouldn’t be doing an overly sexualized drag performance. Abbington has insisted she loves drag and trans people, but that hasn’t stopped trolls’ efforts to unperson her.
10/22 - Jim Dey | 'TERF' battle in Urbana averted
Local (s)hero Nina Paley challenged a sign in a business window saying “No TERFs.” The threat of a legal battle was enough to make the city pressure the business to take the sign down.
Males in Female Sports
10/24 - Swim competition allows a 50-year-old biological male to swim with 13 year-old girls
Shameful. I don’t understand how adults who enable this behavior can sleep at night.
10/21 - Transgender girl makes history with victory at cross country regional
When will Substack allow emojis so I can just put the eyeroll one under these types of headlines?
Reproductive Rights
This is another gender ideology-related article, but the trans lobby would argue it’s an issue of reproductive rights and “bodily autonomy.” The question, as with other controversy in reproductive rights, is how far does the concept of bodily autonomy extend when your body is no longer only your own?
Sexual Exploitation
10/26 - Ohio Woman Fatally Drugged 4 ‘Johns’ She Met for Sex, Officials Say
Aileen Wuornos 2.0. Luckily for Rebecca Auborn, this is 2023 and not 2002. The justice system, and the public, are far more likely to recognize the mitigating factors in her life (i.e. all the circumstances around and leading to her engaging in prostitution) that should preclude the Court from handing down the death penalty.
10/23 - ‘I stood up and fought back’: how revenge porn survivor Georgia Harrison got her abuser jailed
Georgia Harrison, of The Only Way is Essex and Love Island fame, tells her story about legally confronting the man who tried to humiliate her by posting their sex tape online.
Mayor Ron Morrison of National City believes this is the consequence of repealing a law that banned “streetwalking.”
News Impacting Society and Children
Heck yes, Braverman!
The arguments against this suggestion are the same as always: it’s confusing for non-native English speakers and it encourages disassociation from the body for young people.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan (UK) makes it clear that schools are obligated to provide inquiring parents with sex education materials. Historically, schools have used the excuse that copyright laws prevent them for sharing the material.
Full disclosure, I come from working on the defense side of our justice system, so I am admittedly biased towards those accused of crimes. While this headline highlights alleged offenders who are a threat to women and children, the article itself details how the 665 people released without bail over the last two years includes people accused of violent crimes against anyone and everyone. It’s a tricky issue: the principle of treating the accused an innocent until they are proven guilty should be protected; and yet, how do we ensure that rapists and murderers are prevented from causing any more harm as they wait - sometimes years - for trial?
The male “princess” has supposedly been trans-identified since he was 18 months old.
10/23 - BC nurse Amy Hamm’s prosecution continues
Canada sees a fight over freedom of expression.
Another detransitioner lawsuit. Leor Sapir summarizes the background in a Twitter thread as well. Somewhat related, here is a blog that may be of interest, covering the subject of mental health mismanagement of lesbians by health professionals.
10/20 - Judge blocks California school district policy to notify parents if their child changes pronouns
This shouldn’t even be an argument. If a child is experiencing “gender dysphoria” to the point that (s)he feels a need to recreate his/her entire identity, that suggests a serious mental health struggle that parents should know about. In some ways, it speaks to the poor state of emotional health and social services in our country that schools think it makes more sense to hide kids from potentially abusive parents than to work with the whole family to resolve what is at the root of their discord. Anyway, this battle has begun in New Jersey as well.
Beyond the West
10/25 - Japan court rules mandatory sterilisation of people officially changing gender unconstitutional
To be fair, forced sterilization is ethically questionable. It’s more complicated than that when thinking about gender ideology, though. If someone is honest about wanting to be legally recognized as the opposite sex, it would follow that that person takes every step possible to achieve that aim.
10/22 - Iran says girl who collapsed on Tehran metro is ‘brain dead’
A repeat of the Mahsa Amini killing that happened this time last year.
Op-Eds, Commentaries, and Reviews of Interest
Women’s Liberation
10/23 - Toxic by Sarah Ditum review – a decade of misogyny, from Britney to Paris Hilton
10/24 - Why I Don’t Support ‘Karen’ as a slur for Women
Gender Ideology
10/2023 - The diversity trap
10/24 - The fall of Scientific American
10/25 - Trust your discomfort
10/25 - What did Peter Tatchell really say about kids, sex & the age of consent?
"When will Substack allow emojis so I can just put the eyeroll one under these types of headlines."
🙄🙄😉🙂 Think I've worn out that key on my smartphone over the transgender issue ...
"If someone is honest about wanting to be legally recognized as the opposite sex, it would follow that that person takes every step possible to achieve that aim."
Arguably the crux of the problem -- no one, no human changes sex. Transwomen who cut their nuts off don't become females, they become sexless eunuchs. A more risibly idiotic, and profoundly problematic "idea" than "self-identification" is scarcely imaginable. We might just as well pass laws saying that a child of 12 who "self identifies as 35" can buy booze and guns.
Thank You! This is really helpful.
I'm really encouraged by Nina Paley's successful use of Creed Discrimination grounds in Urbana. That could be a template for battling the epidemic of anti-TERF discrimination nationwide!