Well, dear readers, I am still in deepest Hampshire ( see the last update) and this is a longggg one!!!!
So we are still with Galadriel.
Cate Blanchett as Lady Galadriel, Hugo Weaving as Lord Elrond and, of course, Ian McKellen as Gandalf.
The National Health Service
Amazing news! Following temporarily stopping the use of puberty blockers for children with ‘gender dysphoria’ and following public consultation, NHS England have stopped the use of puberty blockers for children completely. However, important to note that there can still be clinical trials, that two new gender clinics are still to be set up and that, once you reach 18, you can access cross sex hormones and gender surgery. Plus this does not affect private providers of puberty blockers and cross sex hormones to children though you would hope it would give them a pause for thought at the very least!
I presume that the WPATH Files may have had a part to play here - see further below. Infuriating that the Government does not now simply step behind Liz Truss’ Bill - see the last update.
Nevertheless, a great moment in this gender war. A battle won…but not the war.
Emily Stearn in The Mail Online ( Children will NOT be prescribed puberty-blockers: Landmark NHS ruling is 'in the best interests of kids' after warnings on dangers of powerful drugs 12 March) reports:
Children will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers at gender identity clinics, NHS bosses announced today.
Ministers hailed the landmark ruling, arguing it would help ensure care is based on evidence and is in the 'best interests of the child'.
The powerful body-altering hormones, which can permanently weaken bones, will now only be available to children as part of clinical research trials.
Puberty blockers are, however, still available, prescribed privately 'off-label' by some medics at non-NHS-based gender clinics.
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss welcomed the move and urged the Government to back her own amendment to widen the ban to private clinics.
The full article is here:
Kellie-Jay Keen provides us with an important reminder of the history of this matter and the important work of brave doctors battling away behind the scenes.
Wales Woo Woo
Lily Zhou in Epoch Times ( Welsh Government Launches Bill to Introduce Gender Quota in Elections 12 March) reports:
The bill, which could face legal battles, says at least half of political candidates must be women, but candidates are expected to declare their own genders.
The coalition government in Wales has published its new bill to introduce gender quotas in elections on Monday after the plan was put on hold last year.
If the Senedd Cymru (Electoral Candidate Lists) Bill becomes law, at least half of a political party’s candidate list will have to be women, at both the constituency level and national level.
However, the future of the bill has already been thrown into doubt after Llywydd (Presiding Officer) Elin Jones MS said she believes the legislative area is reserved for the central government in London.
If Ms. Jones is correct, the Senedd can still proceed with passing the bill, but Westminster can seek to block it as it did with Scotland’s plan to allow gender self-ID.
Defining the Word ‘Woman’
Oppositions have also criticised the government for not defining the word “woman” in the bill.
It comes after a previously leaked draft said a woman can be a transgender male who identifies as a woman.
In September 2023, the Welsh government introduced a wider bill to reform the Senedd, including plans to increase its size from 60 members to 96 members, shorten the term of the legislature from five years to four years, and change the electoral system so that all Members are elected via closed list proportional representation.
The government was initially going to publish the gender quota bill on Dec. 4, but the plan was cancelled at the last minute, with the government saying it was still working on the bill.
The cancellation came a month after a draft was leaked to campaign group Women’s Rights Network (WRN).
In a photo shared by WRN, the draft appears to say “woman” includes a biological male who has undergone, is undergoing, or is proposing to undergo a process to change his physical or other attributes of his sex, and a constituency returning office may not challenge or make any inquiry in relation to a statement made by a candidate that states the individual is a woman.
The WPATH Files continued
I am continuing my reporting on the WPATH Files - see from this update onwards:
https://dustymasterson.substack.com/p/the-end-of-gender-affirming-care
There is so much out there now on the Files that I am going to stop my reporting of excerpts ( albeit that I am continuing to wade through Mia Hughes’ amazing report).
Andrew Doyle dedicated the whole of last Sunday’s Free Speech Nation to this issue and he has now released a version of that without the ad breaks:
Nice piece by Monica Harris of FAIR ( Foundation Against Intolerance and Prejudice) especially addressing the position for lesbians:
Most amazingly the Guardian ( yes, the Guardian) got Hannah Barnes ( author of Time To Think) to write a piece for them:
Malcolm Clark has also written some really excellent stuff about the Files on his substack ( to read most of Malcolm’s writings you need to be a paid subscriber):
Malcolm also writes about trans identifying male activist, Andrew aka Andrea Chu who has clearly been shaken by the WPATH Files. Thanks to a wonderful reader for referring me to this excellent piece by Meghan Murphy about Mr Chu:
You shouldn’t have come for the kids, Andrew
Andrea Chu is enraged that the liberals have begun to question trans acceptance — it seems there is a bridge too far, even for the most inclusive
13 MAR 2024
Andrew ‘Andrea’ Chu
The transgender tipping point appears to have arrived, but not in the way Time magazine meant it a decade ago. What a difference ten years makes: what was once viewed and accepted as the new frontier for human rights is being revealed as something much darker. And trans activists are panicking.
“The political center has moved significantly on trans issues,” Andrea (né Andrew) Chu admits in New York Magazine.
It could have all been so easy if men like Chu could have kept their agenda under wraps — perhaps limited their demands to “acceptance” as women in society. No one seemed to mind much when they only wanted for people to “be kind,” and call them “she,” though some of us saw the slippery slope that became a landslide.
It turns out that even the accepting libs have a tipping point. Indeed, as Chu writes, “the nation’s first pangs of dutiful charity have rapidly subsided — in no small part because the focus has shifted from adults to children.”
While Chu acknowledges the religious right and the TERFs as opposition blocks, the trans questioning that concerns him most comes from liberals, as the liberal will see themselves merely as a “concerned citizen” rather than as the danger Chu claims they are. I don’t actually believe Chu sees those concerned about the impact of gender identity ideology as dangerous to the vulnerable, but rather as a threat to his own power. He, like other male trans activists, fears not violence, but loss of control over the conversation, institutions, the media, and the law.
His agenda is under threat, and that agenda, he’s made clear, is not just about a safe place to pee.
Chu labels this new danger the “TARL” — “trans-agnostic reactionary liberal” — a threat on account of the fact these individuals are not just concerned with the impact of trans activism on society, but are also concerned with free speech and, even worse, the kids.
The root of his anxiety is revealed in his complaints about insistence on “public debate.” This has always been the primary concern of trans activists, who use every tool in the book, from violence, to firings, to prosecution to stop people from questioning their clownfish dogma. The demand has always been that we all stop talking about this and agree that transwomen are indeed women — just like any other red-blooded, sperm producing woman. But things have gone further than mantras, to minors, and the blanket of “no debate” has been ripped off.
While many have tried to sound the alarm about the harms of transing kids (only to be accused of “hate,” naturally), documents like the WPATH Files have removed any doubt that this agenda is dangerous. Now that the debate has moved to focus on kids, and whether or not it is ethical or necessary to medicalize youth who are experiencing regular youth things in such a way that leads to sterilization, removes their ability to experience orgasm or enjoyable sex down the road, and robs them of the future experience of having a normal intimate relationship or family — Chu is perturbed.
The question of whether or not men who enjoy masturbating in nylons are literally women as a result of this practice had been settled, he’d thought. The “kids” question has disrupted Chu’s fantasy.
Transgender Athletes
Sir Keir Starmer has finally seen sense on women’s sport. However, if you are part of the Terf Resistance, you would still be mad to vote for Labour - see:
https://dustymasterson.substack.com/p/go-n-eirigh-an-bothar-leat
Georgina Cutler on GB News ( Starmer finally says 'common sense has to prevail' as he backs trans athletes ban 11 March) reports:
Sir Keir Starmer says he supports the banning of transgender athletes from women’s sport as "common sense has to prevail".
After previously refusing to publicly confirm his stance, the Labour leader has since said he is "supportive" of measures which protect the female category of sporting competitions.
The shift comes amid accusations from author JK Rowling that his party could "no longer be counted on to defend women’s rights".
At the time, he rejected questions about whether trans women Lia Thomas should be allowed to compete in women’s sport.
However, after the Labour Party were warned last year that proposals to introduce self-declaration for trans people would cost it the next general election, Starmer's stance changed.
"I think the important thing is that the sports governing bodies take a lead on this," he told Telegraph Sport.
The full article is here:
JK Rowling
JKR has been having fun 😎
Daniel Sanderson in The Telegraph (Police ‘broke rules’ over JK Rowling misgendering complaint 11 March) reports:
JK Rowling, left, was accused of committing an offence by repeatedly referring to India Willoughby, right, as a male and using male pronouns© Provided by The Telegraph [ Dusty - not sure if any of you needed ‘left’ and ‘right’ there 🤣🤣🤣].
Police broke freedom of speech rules by recording a “misgendering complaint” against JK Rowling as a “hate incident”, a woman’s group has said.
India Willoughby has claimed that Northumbria Police had formally logged a “non-crime hate incident” (NCHI) over an online row in which the transgender TV personality was publicly called a male by the Harry Potter author.
While Northumbria Police deemed that Rowling had not committed a criminal offence , Willoughby leapt on the force’s response to suggest they had officially backed up her view that Rowling is transphobic.
However, police were accused of breaching new rules on NCHIs, published last year, designed to protect freedom of expression and ensure hate incidents were not recorded just because someone was offended.
The new code of practice was issued in response to a retired police officer, Harry Miller, winning a freedom of speech legal battle after an NCHI was logged against him and he was visited by police for expressing the view online that trans women were not women.
The updated guidance states that members of the public have the right to “express personally held views in a lawful manner” and that police must consider freedom of expression protections when deciding whether to log NCHIs.
Maya Forstater, executive director of the Sex Matters campaign group, won a landmark legal case in 2023 which is referenced in the rules. It established that so-called “gender-critical” beliefs – that men cannot become women – are protected in law.
‘Protections for freedom of expression’
“Guidance issued last year makes it clear that a non-crime hate incident should not be recorded for saying that sex matters,” Ms Forstater said.
“That guidance reinforced protections for freedom of expression and expressly stated that a non-crime hate incident should not be recorded on the basis of someone being offended.
“JK Rowling’s comments clearly don’t meet the threshold for a non-crime hate incident.
“If they have been recorded as such, Northumbria Police should be required to defend its decision to record a woman speaking in factual terms about a man who has persistently hounded her as a ‘hate incident’.”
The full article is here:
Meanwhile Olivia Christie in The Mail Online ( JK Rowling sparks another Twitter spat with Mother's Day post wishing a 'Happy Birthing Parent Day' to 'all whose large gametes were fertilised' 11 March) provides a perfect example of how trans rights advocates just don’t do humour 😊
JK Rowling has sparked another Twitter spat with a Mother's Day post wishing her followers 'Happy Birthing Parent Day'.
The Harry Potter author tweeted today: 'Happy Birthing Parent Day to all whose large gametes were fertilised resulting in small humans whose sex was assigned by doctors making mostly lucky guesses.'
The row comes after Rowling was reported to police earlier this week over accusations she 'misgendered' trans broadcaster India Willoughby.
Now the sarcastic Mother's Day post has caused a fresh furore on social media with users accusing the Harry Potter author of stirring up division.
Broadcaster Narinder Kaur replied: 'Of all the ways Rowling could have used her star status to make a difference in the world, she chose to pick on a miniscule per cent of an already very demonised group of people. So sad.' [ Dusty - not sure if Narinder might not be referring to reality TV stars here??😂 ].
Another user Ian Timbrell said: 'It breaks my heart to see how she is descending into trolling and unnecessary attacks.
'She could have wished all mothers happy Mother’s Day, but instead has decided to deliberately cause hurt and pain. History will not look kindly on it.' [ Dusty - Herstory might do though, Ian].
A third person added: 'Happy Mother’s Day to me, a cis woman who gave birth and isn’t threatened by others who have gave birth choosing to identify as a birthing parent because it affects no part of pregnancy, childbirth or motherhood.' [ Dusty - in which case you are a total twat 😊].
However Rowling did not back down and instead posted a second tweet saying: 'Devastated and bewildered that my embrace of inclusive language has angered its most enthusiastic devotees, so let's just say: Happy Mother's Day to all females who've raised children.'
The full article is here:
Feminist Legal Clinic
FLC in Australia have been very prolific. Three pieces from them.
A child’s fertility pact – by Bernard Lane (12 March)
A primary school-age girl, Isla, offered one of her eggs for future harvest so that her elder sister, Mia, who identifies as a boy, could one day have a child if she is sterilised by transgender hormone treatment, a court in Australia has heard.
“It’s like a pact between them,” the court was told by parent A, who supports their eldest daughter’s wish for puberty blockers and testosterone; Mia has also expressed a wish to undergo “every surgery available.”
The Federal Circuit and Family Court this week has been hearing a case in which the separated parents—whose personal characteristics have been suppressed by order of Justice Peter Tree—disagree on whether “gender-affirming” medical treatment or mental health intervention should be the focus in serving the best interests of the gender-diverse sisters.
Parent A, who lives with the daughters, seeks an order for sole parental responsibility, which would enable Mia, who had begun high school at the time of the fertility pact, to continue down a path towards hormonal interventions with irreversible effects including a risk of permanent infertility.
Parent B, who regards Mia’s trans identification as a phase and favours a child’s acceptance of the body over gender medicalisation, is seeking shared responsibility and orders stopping the pursuit of hormonal treatment.
Source: A child’s fertility pact – by Bernard Lane
Detransitioners Australia ( 12 March)
We are a new organisation set up to advocate for the rights and interests of detransitioners and desisters in Australia. Give us a follow to keep up to date with our efforts and support our work. We’re just getting started; detransitoners have been spoken over for too long.
Source: Detransitioners Australia
Gender Dysphoria and Anorexia in Adolescent Females | SEGM ( 12 March)
A new publication in Sexuologie (the journal of the German Society for Sexual Medicine, Sexual Therapy and Sexual Science/DGSMTW) takes on the issue of the sharp rise in transgender identification in adolescent females, which remains poorly understood. The authors, Korte and Gille, present an intriguing hypothesis for this novel phenomenon, comparing and contrasting gender dysphoria to anorexia nervosa, and finding a number of important similarities.
The authors conclude that clinicians working with gender-dysphoric adolescents must familiarize themselves with the complex dynamics of female adolescent development, and that trans-affirmative medical interventions should not be considered until adolescent development is complete. With the Journal’s permission, SEGM is posting the full English-language translation below, preceded by a brief synopsis and the SEGM take-away.
Synopsis “The development of a stable female identity in adolescence is highly complex, demanding, susceptible to disruption and accompanied by crises,” observe Korte and Gille. Female puberty presents serious challenges that every girl must find a way to navigate. Temporary crises during this stage are common as girls attempt to navigate their changing bodies and the ways families, peers, and society at large respond to these changes. The authors observe that successfully traversing this crucial phase of psychosocial and identity development requires “a high degree of willingness to change, flexibility and advanced emotional and self-regulation skills.” When an adolescent girl fails to negotiate these challenges successfully, serious disorders, including anorexia and gender dysphoria, may arise, with psychological conflicts projecting onto the body. Either disorder may serve as an “exit strategy” employed when a girl cannot find a way to accept her developing female body.
Source: Gender Dysphoria and Anorexia in Adolescent Females | SEGM
Thanks to the same wonderful reader for the next two pieces.
Alabama
James Reinl in The Mail Online (OUTRAGE over male-to-female trans hall monitor at Alabama space camp: parents and lawmakers want self-described 'butch coded space queer' out of girls' shower room 12 March) reports:
Republican lawmakers want an Alabama space camp to take action, as parents of child attendees sound the alarm about a male-to-female trans adult hall monitor accessing the girl's shower room.
Sen Tommy Turberville is among the politicians voicing alarm about a trans staffer at the US Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville, who has reportedly made sexually explicit social media posts in the past.
Alabama GOP [ ie. Republican] congressman Dale Strong has shared a link to an article identifying the trans employee as Molly Bowman, who calls themself [ Dusty - come on The Mail - himself!] a 'butch coded space queer' and who works at the Huntsville camp.
Bowman did not answer our request for comment.
Trans space camp hall monitor Molly Bowman uses they/them pronouns and appears to be taking cross-sex hormones
The row spotlights tensions between trans rights activists, who say society needs to accept an individual's chosen identity, and the millions of Americans who say biological males should keep out of women-only spaces.
Robert Aderholt, an Alabama congressman, says worried parents of space camp attendees contacted him about 'situations that could potentially put them in danger.'
The Republican said he relayed these worries to camp officials.
The full article is here:
Detransitioner
Very interesting and moving story from a detransitioner on Reality’s Last Stand.
Jamie Reed’s Whistleblowing Changed My Life
The last decade of my life had been the epitome of sunk-cost fallacy. Today I know that being a woman is just about being female.
12 MAR 2024
Last year, I made one of the biggest changes of my life when I decided to stop trying to disguise my sex. A few days after my 28th birthday would have marked ten years since I began injecting testosterone. I had always thought I would feel at peace with that milestone, so deep in my so-called “authentic life.”
Heading home from work one day in February 2023, I stopped to look at the newspaper stand, where a headline about Jamie Reed blowing the whistle on “gender medicine” at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital caught my eye. As I read the article, it shook me to my core how much I related to each and every line. I myself had used the phrase, “Would you rather have a dead daughter or a living son?” on my mother, a phrase I had heard online, a phrase apparently recited by medical professionals to distraught parents. I was horrified to realize I was not the only one who had gone down this path as a minor.
I had already stopped taking testosterone several months prior, fearing medical complications. Despite my facial hair, as my body fat began to redistribute I began to be correctly sexed by confused men in public restrooms. I debated my next step. My little niece had only ever known me as her “uncle,” since my husband and I lived outwardly as a happy “gay” couple. Having grown a beard and undergone a double mastectomy, I continued pretending to be a man… but did I want to?
The full piece is here:
Endpiece
Some good news for a change!! Here you go…
Thanks Dusty… and for finding time whilst on your trip.
KJK’s words about the children who have already been harmed but now see puberty blockers banned, struck a chord. I’d had the same thought. What kind of hell will they be in ( once they’ve escaped the cult mentality).
What a creep Starmer is. Does he have a single shred of moral fibre or was it all ‘barristered’ away? There is no excuse for anyone with a brain to not understand the physical differences between male and female. To have ever accepted males in women’s sports is to display ideological capture and I simply do not trust his conversion one inch, especially as it’s all because of election concerns. What will he do once elected and is being barraged by activists? I think we all know the answer.
Dear readers
Both the Galadriel posts are proving a bit sluggish, so if you can push them around a bit that would be much appreciated.
By contrast the recent post 'The End of Gender Affirming Care?' has been my second most popular post to date 😊
I hope to do the next post tonight
Dusty