Mildred Pierce Part 1

Update 535. Royal College of Nursing Special. #BeMore Porcupine.

There is, once again, a lot to bring to you, dear readers, so this is splitting into two parts. Part 2 will hopefully go out later today.

Now that I am retired and (obviously) without a salary any longer, it would greatly assist my hard work in putting together these updates if you could consider becoming a paid subscriber or else buy me a coffee. Thanks to my paid subscribers and to those who donate via buy me a coffee. Thanks to all subscribers for your support. There are always good discussions in the comments so please get involved in those.

I regard myself as a citizen journalist ( a phrase coined by Glinner) reporting on Terf News, free speech (essential for us Terfs, of course) and related matters. I recommend reading both me and Nutmeg’s Week on the Glinner Update for a comprehensive update of Terf News. Here is Nutmeg’s latest:

https://grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/nutmegs-week-2d3

There are two or three useful round ups published by Terfs in other countries and I will provide links to those when they appear.

As we move into 2025 I will be featuring, to start with, and in alphabetical order, those Readers’ Choices for best film ever that did not make the top seven ( see Update 500 for the top seven).

Next up is Mildred Pierce (1945).

Monte Beragon, the second husband of Mildred Pierce, is murdered. Her first husband’s business partner, Wally Fay is arrested for the murder. But who is the real murderer?

Joan Crawford is Mildred Pierce.

Jack Carson is Wally Fay.

Thank to two wonderful readers for suggested pieces.

Some of the linked pieces below may be behind a paywall.

UK - The Data (Use and Access) Bill

EDI Jester explains precisely why we should be very concerned about this Bill which the Government are trying to push through as quietly and quickly as possible.

Ireland - Update on the Stasi

I last reported on this alarming matter here:

https://dustymasterson.substack.com/p/the-great-dictator-part-1

Jana Lunden of the Natural Women’s Council explains what she intends to do to get to the bottom of this. Go, Jana!

If anyone has further details of the 10 injunctions obtained please let me know.

UK - Sandie Peggie and The Royal College of Nursing

Rebecca Says No on the Glinner Update explains precisely why the RCN are not supporting Sandie Peggie!!

Here is an excerpt.

Sandie Peggie and the Royal College of Nursing

Why has the RCN refused to support Sandie Peggie in the NHS Fife case?

Feb 26, 2025

Nurses Must Affirm Trans People

In the RCN’s 2020 document Fair Care for Trans and Non-binary Patients (which the RCN still signposted to in 2022 and is now labelled ‘under review’), it is stated twice that ‘Nurses and healthcare support workers have a powerful role to play in affirming the true gender identity of trans and non-binary people’. The use of ‘true gender identity’ is incredibly religious in tone and nurses seem to be being compelled by the RCN to go along with the gender beliefs of their patients regardless of the risks to their physical health. The guide begins by claiming that ‘equality legislation exists across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales which outlaws discrimination on the grounds of gender reassignment or gender identity’, even though the Equality Act 2010 does not include ‘gender identity’.

‘Gender-variant Children’

The Royal College of Nursing also uses the chilling phrase ‘gender-variant children’, instructing nurses to treat children’s self-proclaimed gender/sex as being their ‘true’ one. ‘Gender-variant children and young people should be accorded the same respect for their self-defined (or true) gender as trans and non-binary adults are, regardless of their sex’. The RCN’s guide signposts to disgraced children’s charity Mermaids and thanks GIRES for its input in the acknowledgements. It also recommends Gendered Intelligence, the LGBT Foundation, Stonewall and WPATH.

The full piece is here:

https://grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/sandie-peggie-and-the-royal-college

Stop Press

The Darlington Nurses have set up a new union. You can find details here:

info@darlingtonnursingunion.uk.

UK - Puberty Blockers

Nick Wallis reports: ‘Looks like King’s College have got the £10m contract to study the effects of puberty blockers on kids by, er, giving puberty blockers to kids.’

https://x.com/nickwallis/status/1895072155194286505

£10 million!!!! FFS!!!!!! As I recently reported, James Esses and Keira Bell are looking to take legal action regarding these proposed clinical trials.

https://dustymasterson.substack.com/p/life-is-beautiful?utm_source=publication-search

New Zealand - Free Speech

Here is a message from Dr David Harvey on behalf of the Free Speech Union NZ. All thoughts, especially from Kiwi readers, gratefully encouraged.

I'm contacting you about an urgent issue that needs your attention.

My name is Dr. David Harvey and I am a former senior lecturer and national expert in Law and Information Technology. I am writing to you because I am deeply concerned by the proposed changes to free speech online.

….

Free speech is meant for everyone. But increasingly, this "public square" is excluding some.

The InternetNZ Council, which is the body that is responsible for administering the .nz domain name, has recently declared that InternetNZ is systemically racist and is proposing a new constitution that will make the organisation co-governed, and constitutionally required to implement policies that will eliminate 'harm' on the internet.

This means that InternetNZ has the sole power to decide the following:

Who is allowed to register a .nz internet domain

What names you are allowed to register under .nz

Under what circumstances your .nz name can be taken off you

This is why we need Kiwis like you who care about protecting free expression in New Zealand to claim a stake in the system.

Your involvement will make the difference in pushing back against this blatantly undemocratic attempt to impose a new censorship regime; more on that in a moment.

What seems almost certain is that InternetNZ will use its new powers to decide to remove .nz domain names from organisations they perceive as ‘harmful’.

Everything from political parties and civil society groups that challenge co-governance to organisations advocating for civil liberties; the Free Speech Union would probably fall within this as our website is on the .nz domain.

How exactly would this be possible under such reforms?

The proposed principles for the new constitution include the following:

InternetNZ must centre Te Tiriti o Waitangi in its work [ Dusty - Te Tiriti o Waitangi, also known as the Treaty of Waitangi, is a document that established the relationship between the British Crown and Māori in New Zealand]

That users must be able to enjoy the Internet free from harm

InternetNZ will be co-governed with two co-chairs – one of whom must be Māori

Any member who does not agree with InternetNZ being a Te Tiriti centric organisation will be ineligible to be on the Board

The number of elected board members will drop from nine to five, and appointments increased from two to four so almost half the board will be appointed

At least one third of the Board must be Māori

As you can see, this is entirely undemocratic, ideological, and primed for censorship.

The vast majority of websites in New Zealand depend on a .nz domain – it’s the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) in this country. Currently, the .nz and .co.nz domains are popular, considered trustworthy, and immediately indicate a connection to New Zealand, which is obviously beneficial for local branding and consumer confidence.

Sweeping moves to censor and control this domain as outlined above will inflict potentially irreversible damage on free speech in this country.

Civil liberties do not protect themselves. Nor can central government always be relied upon to provide the necessary defence. In truth, civil liberties like freedom of expression have depended historically on informed and principled members of civil society participating actively in public institutions.

Having served as a judge for many years, I'm aware of the limitations of the law and the importance of a strong civil society that believes in and upholds democratic values.

….

InternetNZ is still a democratic organisation that anyone can join – but this window of opportunity is soon going to close, so we need free speech defenders like you to join as members.

As a member, you can vote at general meetings and have your say in constitutional arrangements. When the new constitution is proposed you will be able to read it, decide for yourself on the issues, and vote accordingly. Given how likely it is to be abused, we think it needs to be scrapped.

…sign up here as a member of InternetNZ for $21. It's a good price for an internet that respects free speech.

A few people in key positions acting undemocratically can have drastic consequences for this country. But together, we can make a difference; we just have to act now.

Time is rapidly running out.

I strongly urge you to support a free and democratic internet in New Zealand and support us in pushing back against draconian digital censorship.

Let's ensure our internet remains free.

Dr. David Harvey
Former District Court Judge
Free Speech Union
www.fsu.nz

The States -Women’s Sport

Colin Wright reports on Reality’s Last Stand as to how the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s proposed new ‘transgender policy’ does not actually align with Donald Trump’s Executive Order!

The NCAA’s Transgender Policy Is a Trojan Horse

The new protocols will streamline the process of men competing in women’s sports.

Feb 27, 2025

Shortly after President Trump signed his executive order banning males from competing in female sports, National Collegiate Athletic Association president Charlie Baker announced that he and the NCAA Board of Governors would convene to align their policy with the directive. On February 6, the NCAA released an updated “Participation Policy for Transgender Student-Athletes,” which Baker described as a new “national standard” that “brings much needed clarity as we modernize college sports for today's student-athletes.”

While the new policy might seem reasonable at a glance, a closer look reveals a giant loophole that could be used to defy the clear intent of Trump’s executive order. In fact, the updated protocols could make it easier for males to compete in women’s sports.

The full piece is here:

https://www.realityslaststand.com/p/the-ncaas-transgender-policy-is-a?publication_id=225618&r=1v403b

Pretend Medicine

Sandra Pertot on Gender Clinic News looks at how so many medical professions are still pushing so called ‘gender affirming care’ as a safe and appropriate treatment despite all the evidence to the contrary!

No room for sex

The gender-affirming world turns on a denial of reproductive reality

Feb 25, 2025

Photo by Oleg Sergeichik on Unsplash

What disturbs me most about gender-affirming care (GAC) is that so many health professionals are convinced it is a safe and appropriate treatment—indeed the only treatment—to use with gender-questioning young people. For many years, GAC appears to have been broadly accepted with minimal criticism and reviews were generally supportive of the safety and benefits for gender-questioning minors.

There are two broad categories in the transgender debate: GAC for minors (under 18) and the impact on female rights of self-ID by adult males. These are different discussions but rely on the same theoretical assumptions.

The appearance of consensus

Why has it become a contentious issue now, with calls for a review of guidelines in many jurisdictions, when for so long the claim was “the science is settled” and there was “no debate”?

I used the word appears, above, for a reason: it wasn’t that there was no concern among health professionals, but rather, there was a planned and deliberate strategy by trans activists to silence any opposition.

The full piece is here:

https://www.genderclinicnews.com/p/no-room-for-sex?publication_id=627677&r=1v403b

Spectacular Collapse

Maybe a bit early to predict this? Sydney Watson, in the light of Donald Trump’s Executive Orders ( see ‘A Manifesto’ here: https://dustymasterson.substack.com/p/a-manifesto ) takes us through the recent history since 2010. This is very good as far as it goes though she leaves out the damage to lesbians, gays and bisexuals. All thoughts gratefully received.

Islamophobia

I know that many of my readers will be opposed to the proposal by the Labour Government in the UK to bring in what is effectively a new (and very alarming) blasphemy law! Please sign this petition.

https://citizengo.org/en-gb/ot/14805-defend-the-freedom-to-critique-islam---stop--islamophobia--blasphemy-law?dr=24628030%3A%3A8ebaab6bd1b8cca6d08624c58ff7ee6e

Woke Is Dead

A tour de force from George the Giant Slayer. I think he may be a bit over optimistic though. Any thoughts gratefully received.

Endpieces

I am splitting the two endpieces between the two parts of this update. Starting with Liz. Tenaciously’s latest in the next part.

From Liz

#BeMorePorcupine

#EndGenderAffirmingCare

#AdultHumanFemale

#LetWomenSpeak

#GrassrootsArmy

#FightForFreeSpeech

#ByeByeStonewall

#GenderEnders

#NeverSurrender

The next Part to follow later, Terven.

If you like this update, please send to a friend. Until next time, Terven. This isn’t over yet! Please subscribe for free or paid or buy me a coffee, like and comment.