I have been thinking of my Irish Mum. I am glad she did not live to see this gender madness. I know she would be proud of me doing my small bit to fight against it. Her favourite song was the Rose of Tralee sung by the great Irish tenor, John McCormack. She would be especially horrified to know that trans identifying males are now allowed to compete in the Rose of Tralee competition. FFS!!!
She was alive at the birth of the Irish Nation - now what has it become?
Anyway, for Mum, here is John McCormack.
Altogether now:
“ The pale moon was rising above the green mountains
The sun was declining beneath the blue sea…”
What Is Happening Re Gender Services?
Worrying article in the Daily Mail but see also below re NHS consultation.
Eleanor Dye in The Daily Mail( NHS England 'draws up plans to allow children as young as seven to get transgender treatment' after shut down Tavistock centre allowed kids aged three to start transitioning 04 August) reports:
The new plans will introduce a minimum age requirement for an NHS referral
The Tavistock centre closed last year after a review found it to not be 'safe'
NHS England has drawn up plans to allow children as young as seven to receive transgender treatment, according to reports.
Regional centres in existing children's hospitals are replacing the shut down Tavistock Centre, which allowed children to receive treatment from the age of three.
The clinic, which had no minimum age for a referral, was closed last year after a review from Dr Hilary Cass branded it as 'not safe' [ Dusty - has it actually shut down yet?].
New plans set out by NHS England have now set a minimum age for a referral for the first time - seven years old - and will also aim to limit the use of puberty blockers.
However, experts have warned that the discussion of gender with children could still be the 'first step' towards a full medical transition.
The regional centres will be led by doctors instead of therapists and will encourage the consideration of the impact of other factors such as autism or mental health issues in an individual's sense of gender dysphoria.
Crucially, under the plans, which have been seen by the Telegraph, only specialist mental health professionals or paediatric services will be able to offer a referral.
Previously, teachers or activists were able to refer a child to the Tavistock clinic.
Children will be offered therapy and support to discuss their feelings, while the plans stress that for 'most' young people, the dysphoria is 'just a phase'.
The plans, seen by The Telegraph, say that by the time a child reaches the age of seven they are 'more established within school, and education professionals and school nurses will be able to contribute to a general observational view as to the appropriateness of a referral'.
But Dr David Bell, a former governor at the Tavistock clinic later known for speaking up about its practices, warned that the new system could 'easily be the first step' towards a medical transition.
He told the newspaper: 'Labelling the problem as a gender problem can easily be the first step on a pathway to medical transition.
'Their difficulties should not be designated as a gender problem, it is much more appropriate that they be seen as individuals who are distressed and this is one way in which that distress is expressed.'
Keira Bell
The NHS's controversial Tavistock clinic shut its doors last year after a damning report found it was 'not safe' for children.
The gender identity service at Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust is now being replaced by regional centres.
The closure followed a review led by senior paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass, who warned the gender clinic was 'not a safe or viable long-term option'.
She found other mental health issues were 'overshadowed' in favour of gender identity issues when children were referred to Tavistock's Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS).
The clinic was accused of rushing children onto puberty blocking drugs by former patients who feel they weren't challenged enough. It treated at least 9,000 children for gender dysphoria since it opened in 1989.
Former patient Keira Bell took the clinic to the High Court, claiming that she had not been challenged enough when she was prescribed the drugs at age 16.
MailOnline has contacted NHS England for comment.
It has always seemed amazing to me that the other ‘co-morbidities’ such as autism or depression or self-harm are effectively ignored and the emphasis is immediately placed on the gender dysphoria. Additionally there is a continuing failure to address the (I would say) incontrovertible evidence that the vast majority of children with gender dysphoria would simply grow up to be gay or lesbian. I am very concerned that the new ‘gender clinics’ may simply continue the (quite frankly) medical abuse that has gone on before. But we do seem to have an opportunity to make our views known - see below.
Consultation Re The Use Of Puberty Blockers
Thanks to EDI Jester for drawing our attention to this.
Before I go into this thanks also to EDI for bringing me up to date with another possible meaning for Terf: ‘Tired of Explaining Reality to F***wits.’ 😎
Anyway Barry reports ( on his substack):
NHS Puberty Blockers Consultation Equality Impact Assessment
Sexuality - Oh My
The full document is available here, but I am only concerned with section of the assessment that deals with sexual orientation on page 27.
Frankly it is a mess. …
As well as holding no data, you can see that since 2012 they have been collecting nonsense, such as kink/BDSM, Pansexual and Polyamorous.
Thank fully the independent report has found this section of the EIA is incomplete, and that once completed the discrimination, direct and indirect and the disgusting behaviours we have seen from charities and the NHS itself in eradicating same sex attraction will be addressed.
You can also see my brief response to the consultation below.
It is deeply concerning that the section regarding Sexual orientation is uncompleted. It is blatantly obvious from the cultural sphere that a full on assault against lesbians and gays is taking place. The very notion of a gender identity is profoundly homophobic, and the activities in the cultural sphere are going to influence the medical response. Gender Identity was invented in the 1950s by John Money and is a fantasy. Charities and organisations have recategorized same sex attraction as same gender attraction, meaning I as a gay man have not met the right girl yet. I have been told I am a genital fetishist because I am same sex attracted.
If you entertain this notion in anyway then you would most likely be carrying out indirect and direct discrimination, as well as creating a harassing environment. This is already happening in the NHS with its constant capitulation to the progress flag and the LGBTQIA2S+ activists, who have nothing to do with gays and lesbians.
It is imperative that you are clear, 2 sexes, 2 sexualities, that is it. The census tells us nothing. The entire EIA is steeped in the language of "Gender Identity" and "Queer Theory" and needs rewriting. What someone identifies as is immaterial except as an indicator of mental weakness, grooming etc. You must be particularly clear on this point.
Are there any changes or additions you think need to be made to this policy?
The policy must clearly state the following:
The adoption of a Trans Identity/Belief in Gender Identity is a safeguarding red flag.
2 sexes, male and female 3 sexual orientations, heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual.
Gender Identity is a fantasy.
In addition, you must liaise with other areas, in particular the provision of a non-clinical education triage in which the full horror of this iatrogenic and dangerous medical experiment is exposed for what it is for parents and children. This will include the online situation, the influence of fetishist and paraphiliac men (AGP) and the grooming that takes place online by the charities, the BBC, the NHS itself and others.
You can complete the consultation yourselves, please do.
https://www.engage.england.nhs.uk/consultation/puberty-suppressing-hormones/
As Barry says, I will be reading the documents and doing a submission and I would encourage others to do so. No doubt we can use bits from Barry’s response and other responses. The consultation closes on 01 November so we have plenty of time to do our responses.
Eddie Izzard
Jack Walters at the Daily Express (Eddie Izzard aims to stand for Labour in Brighton at next general election 04 August) reports:
Eddie Izzard
Eddie Izzard is aiming to stand as the Labour candidate in Brighton at the next general election.
Izzard entered the race after making an online announcement.
The 61-year-old, who was brought up in nearby Bexhill-on-Sea, vowed to “support this brilliant city and its diverse and vibrant community”.
Izzard said: “Labour needs a candidate that can inspire many thousands to become our friends and allies in the fight for a fairer-greener-cleaner planet.”
Is that a fairer greener cleaner planet where women don’t dare to leave home and there are no longer any gay or lesbian people?
Al I can say is that I hope he doesn’t get selected!! The Labour Party is bad enough as it is without him in Parliament!!
Kellie-Jay Keen
The longer version of Kellie-Jay’s interview with Jordan Peterson is now available on Spotify. I liked Jordan P saying that compassion is the camouflage for narcissistic serpents. In terms of Kellie-Jay’s scepticism about the Equality Act I think her concerns are answered by what Kemi Badenoch says - see further below.
https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zw2DKjelPnuEYpydFlhgN
Kemi Badenoch
Thanks as ever to my mate, Fingers for sending me the press cuttings from the Times.
Kemi Badenoch has written a very important opinion piece and, as I mention above, I think she is spot on about the Equality Act. However I do think she is being too ‘light touch’ about Government intervention and I think we need stronger Government action.
In any event, she writes (Diversity obsession has led to Kafkaesque madness 30 July):
I became very uneasy reading this month. NatWest group had closed the account of Professor Lesley Sawers. Why had this accomplished business woman, appointed an OBE for services to equalities and business, had her bank account closed after 25 years? Dr Sawers happens to sit on the board of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The implication was that she had lost her account for speaking about contentious issues, such as transgender rights and women – only spaces. Yet it’s her job to talk about these things.
The government appoints people to these positions, often to do very difficult work in the public eye. It is absolutely critical that they are protected and not punished for speaking their minds with a draconian application of politically exposed person (PEP) regulations. You The government appoints people to these positions, often to do very difficult work in the public eye. It is absolutely critical that they are protected and not punished for speaking. Their minds with a Draconian application of Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) regulations.
Last week week I watched commentators and Labour MPs tie themselves up in knots trying to justify the closing of Nigel Farage’s bank account, simply because they didn’t like his views. Yet when the lawyer, Gina Miller, whose views are at the other end of the political spectrum, says her party’s bank account has been closed, it appears as if political activity itself is being proscribed.
It is perfectly reasonable for banks to be arbiters of legality in financial transactions; however, they cannot become arbiters of morality, withdrawing essential services from people they think are problematic.
Yet, this is just the tip of the iceberg. In recent years something far more insidious has been occurring. It isn’t just bank accounts that are being withdrawn, but people’s very livelihoods are being threatened for their views; people such as Maya Forstater, who had to take a case to court to prove her beliefs were protected under the Equality Act. She is not alone. Over the past three years, the Free Speech Union has supported more than 2000 cases of people across the UK who have lost their jobs or been disciplined at work for lawful free speech.
The root of the problem is a fundamental misunderstanding of the Equality Act 2010, often exploited by those with a separate agenda. The Equality Act is a shield, not a sword. It is about preventing discrimination, not social engineering. There are no protected groups in the act, only protected characteristics. A white man is just as protected on the characteristics of race and sex as a black woman, yet many believe the act is there just to protect minorities, when in reality, it protects us all.
Many companies’ diversity and inclusion activities are falling foul of the law; for example, by confusing legal positive action and positive discrimination, which is illegal – except when selecting political candidates… Encouraging people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply for a job or go for a promotion is positive action, and legal. Restricting applications for a position to a certain group is positive discrimination and most certainly isn’t. This has led to increasing calls for the Equality Act to be scrapped. The act is 30 years old and could be improved but the issue is not the law. It’s bad actors misrepresenting it to suit their agenda ( my emphasis).
She continues:
So how is this government helping when individuals are trapped in these Kafkaesque circumstances? The new requirements for banks seeking to close customers’ accounts set out by the Treasury show that in extremis, we will step in. However, it is critical that we regulate as a last, not a first, resort. We have a plan that starts from first principles,; in stark contrast to the knee-jerk reactions of the opposition political parties, whose views change depending on the politics of the victim.
It is not government’s job to write companies’ HR policies. However, it is our job to stop them doing harmful things based on a misunderstanding of the law. My department has been working on a better way to do diversity and inclusion, wrestling the issue back from the activists and the professionally offended without making new laws. Our Inclusion at Work panel of experts from academia and business will develop resources based on evidence not ideology. This will help leaders and their confused HR colleagues understand what actually works and supplant dubious materials from snake – oil salesmen operating in a largely unregulated space.
I’m committed to bringing people together, rather than atomise them into identity groups, and helping businesses to focus on delivering healthy work environments, rather than becoming social regulators.
More from The Times
News from France
Adam Sage (Men in pants using female rail carriages 29 July) reports:
A problem with an online system has given men seats in women – only carriages, the French rail company SNCF has admitted.
A passenger who made a booking with the state rail operator said this week she had to travel with two men, one of whom stripped to his underwear.
SNCF said, after an enquiry that the system used by travel agents had a flaw that gave men tickets in women – only night train carriages. The 25-year-old passenger told Le Parisien that she was “really shocked” when a guard failed to tell the man to get dressed.
Equality and Human Rights Commission
George Greenwood (Lawyer to investigate trans row at equalities watchdog 31 July) reports:
The equalities minister has called in a KC to review the circumstances of an attempt to oust the chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
Kemi Badenoch, who also serves as business secretary, has asked the barrister to examine how allegations about the equalities watchdog chairwoman Baroness Falkner of Margravine have been handled.
The article continues:
Badenloch is understood to have asked the lawyer to examine the handling of the inquiry into Falkner, before writing to the commission about the resumption of the investigation. It is understood the review will not cover the substance of the allegations, but provide assurance to Badenoch that processes have been correctly followed.
This is welcome news, of curse, and hopefully might lead to identifying the troublemakers who caused this problem in the first place.
The American Academy of Pediatrics
Thanks to the wonderful Feminist Legal Clinic in Australia for this news:
Doctors Group to Examine Guidelines for Treatment of Transgender Youths ( 04 August)
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the nation’s premier association of pediatricians, plans to review the evidence for gender-affirming medical care and potentially amend its policies that help guide doctors and clinicians providing the treatment to transgender youth.
The exact scope of the review has yet to be determined, but is expected to include an evaluation of medical interventions such as puberty blockers and hormones, which are in some cases used to delay puberty or boost physical features associated with a gender different from the patient’s sex at birth.
The process, known as a systematic evidence review, typically looks at all relevant evidence behind any given treatment, adjusting for bias and other potential flaws. It will be conducted by an external organization, according to a person familiar with the matter.
In Europe, systematic evidence reviews have led to at least five European countries—the U.K., Sweden, Finland, Norway and France—to urge more caution in the use of puberty blockers and other medical interventions, noting that there isn’t enough evidence to support claims that the benefits outweigh the risks.
Source: Doctors Group to Examine Guidelines for Treatment of Transgender Youths – WSJ
EDI Jester also reports on this here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oM9c_BbIyM
As I said in the comments to Barry’s piece, I think legal cases are going to be very important as well on this issue.
More NHS Woo Woo
Thanks to a wonderful reader for drawing this to my attention:
Jack Hardy and Shaun Wooler in The Mail Online ( NHS managers are told not to offer sympathy to female colleagues worried about sharing toilets with biological men in woke handbook August) report:
NHS managers have been told not to sympathise with female colleagues worried about sharing toilets with biological males.
Thousands of workers at a hospital trust in the North East have been given a woke handbook which forbids team leaders using phrases such as 'I understand your concerns' to anyone who complains about the issue.
The 38-page document, which applies to more than 8,300 doctors, nurses and support staff, also says that it is discriminatory not to use a trans or non-binary person's preferred pronoun.
Mao and the Cultural Revolution anyone? The article continues:
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust has been accused of unlawfully discriminating against employees with gender-critical views, with critics calling it 'a recipe for bullying women'.
The Free Speech Union also said the policy must be withdrawn.
Under the 'Transitioning at Work and Gender Diversity Policy', staff are told it is transphobic to 'deliberately use the name a Trans colleague had prior to transition'. They are also told it is offensive to ask a trans or non-binary person questions such as 'which bathrooms do you use?'
The policy tells bosses that employees who identify as a different gender should be allowed to use alternative changing rooms and showers, even if they have no plans to medically transition.
It reads: 'Managers must not make supportive comments such as 'I understand your concerns' to staff who, for example, complain about Trans or Non-Binary colleagues having access to gendered spaces.
'This policy applies to everyone, including applicants applying for a job, staff including agency and volunteers, services users and carers, visitors, stakeholders and any other third party organisations who work in partnership with the Trust.'
The Equality Act orders employers not to discriminate against staff on several 'protected characteristics' that include religion and belief. Now campaigners have told the trust the policy must be scrapped.’
In a letter to bosses at the Trust, Toby Young, director of the Free Speech Union, said: 'We are writing to request that this policy be immediately withdrawn and an urgent review undertaken.
'We are especially concerned by its insistence that female staff cannot refuse to use the same bathroom facilities as biological males and cannot express any concerns about having to do so.
'The Trust must strike a balance between protecting trans individuals from harassment and discrimination and protecting the rights of gender-critical employees.'
Gender-critical author Helen Joyce added: 'This policy clearly unlawfully discriminates against Trust employees who hold gender-critical beliefs.'
Sex Matters
Shout out as ever to wonderful Sex Matters.
Their latest bumper summer edition includes advice on what to read and watch.
Sex Education
Thanks to the same reader for directing me to this bit of good news from Swindon:
Dan Sales and Iwan Stone in The Mail Online( EXCLUSIVE - Fury at 'soft porn' teaching material that tells school children how to perform sex acts - forcing council to withdraw shocking materials amid backlash 05 August) report:
A council's sex education teaching materials amount to 'soft porn', a representative for a women's rights organisation has claimed, after the council were forced to withdraw some of its recommended teaching material.
Documents seen by MailOnline concerning the lessons included the controversial 'Genderbread man' - which shows someone's gender identity, gender expression and anatomical sex to be different things.
The classes, recommended in Swindon Borough Council's Relationships and Sex Education Programme, explained that sex is 'assigned' at birth.
Caroline Ffiske from Conservatives for Women, a right-wing group which opposes the rights of trans people in single-sex spaces, told MailOnline some of the resources were tantamount to 'soft porn'.
She said: 'In the hands of children who are too young, some of these images effectively become soft porn.
'So that is where we have got to. These images are sexual, and early sexualisation harms children, eroding boundaries and destroying innocence. Now we are normalising 'trusted adults' sharing sexual images with children.
'That teachers and council workers can't see this shows how untenable this agenda has become.
'Perhaps it is time to close it down; let parents manage these sensitive and important conversations; and have schools go back to their core remit.'
But now the council has rowed back on their teaching plans - removing the support pack from circulation and waiting for new government guidance.
A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson said: 'Swindon Borough Council has removed the RSE curriculum support pack which was produced and the link for schools is no longer available.
'The Department for Education is currently consulting on new guidance for schools, which the Council will consider once received.'
Women’s Rights Network
Also shout out to the wonderful WRN who produce a regular excellent newsletter. One extract from their latest one is here:
Breast Binding: the painful truth
How common is breast binding? And what are the health risks? Read a review of the evidence and find out how dangerous this practice really is by reading the extended Tweet of our blog on Breast Binding
Our conclusions: Breast binding carries significant health risks. While many symptoms appear minor in nature – such as back ache and skin soreness – permanent discomfort is not a natural state for young women to be experiencing. Neither is shortness of breath. Worryingly, pain symptoms do not subside within a few years, but continue escalating. Some serious complications, such as rib fracture, also occurred later.
Our Summary: There is no safe limit, and no safe method, of breast binding. Binding your chest is bad for your health and should not be encouraged.
From breast-binding to breast removal. Companies like Costa Coffee and Penguin Books are encouraging and facilitating the mutilation of women's bodies, aided by those whose first principle is 'do no harm'. We were all shocked by the vile image used to promote Costa Coffee, featuring a mutilated young woman’s body.
Read this BMJ article about breast ironing. Breast ironing: an un der-recognised form of gender-based violence. Now, compare breast binding to breast ironing. Only one is viewed as child abuse by bodies like the Criminal Prosecution Service, the NSPCC, and Childline in the UK. Why is breast binding not viewed as a form of abuse and mutilation too?
Two Bits Of Good News From Ireland
Nice to have some good news from Ireland.
John Hand in The Irish Mirror ( Barbie Kardashian transferred to male prison and remains under restricted regime 03 August) reports:
Dangerous inmate Barbie Kardashian has been transferred to a male prison - but remains under a restricted regime for the safety of others, we can reveal.
Sources say that Kardashian, who identifies as a trans woman after she [ Dusty - come on Mirror - HE] secured a gender recognition certificate, has been moved into Limerick Prison’s D block in recent days in the men’s side of the jail.
The lag had been housed in an isolation unit of the now-old female part of the prison, which has since closed after the opening of a brand new facility there recently.
A factor behind the move to the male prison is because of Kardashian’s behaviour towards women.
But measures are in place for the safety of others.
This means that she is only allowed out of her cell when other inmates are locked into theirs.
A number of prison officers must also be present when she is outside her cell.
A source explained: "This individual is an absolute nightmare to deal with.
"She is extremely violent towards women and poses a huge threat to inmates and staff.
"She is in the men’s prison now which is a change-up but it’s only recently.
"There haven’t been any incidents of note yet but there are still huge fears around her.
"So with that, staff are taking no chances and she’s on a restricted regime and there’s a number of factors around that.
"But it’s in place for the safety of prison officers and inmates, that’s the priority here."
What is amazing is that such a dangerous man has been in the female estate for so long!!
Ben Scallan on Gript ( I recommend Gript by the way) ( SENATOR “HORRIFIED” BY LONG-TERM IMPACT OF GENDER RECOGNITION BILL 04 August) reports:
Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell has questioned whether Ireland has gone “stark raving mad” over a series of government workshops on gender pronouns, adding that he is “horrified” by the long-term effect of the Gender Recognition bill which he voted for in 2015.
This week the Irish Times published an article explaining how Irish civil servants have been attending “interactive pronoun workshops” to help them “get to grips with evolving LGBTQ+ terminology, including understanding pronouns.”
As part of gender ideology, many trans-identified individuals choose to select their own preferred pronouns, such as “he/him,” “she/her” and even “they/them” for non-binary individuals who identify as neither male nor female. Some use mixed pronouns, such as “he/them” or “she/him.” In addition, some individuals choose to use so-called “neo-pronouns,” such as “xe/xir” and “ze/zir,” which the HSE recognises.
Reacting to the Irish Times story, Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell asked: “Has the entire country gone stark raving mad?”
“We passed the Gender Recognition Bill. I fully supported it. I never expected to be handed a sheet defining some 58 genders.”
The article continues:
Asked by Gript if he felt gender ideology had gone too far, Craughwell replied that he believes “it has gone way beyond.”
“The latent effect of the Gender Recognition Bill, which I fully supported during its passage through Seanad Éireann, now horrifies me,” he said, claiming that he supported it initially out of “compassion.”
The Gender Recognition Act, which was passed in 2015, is a controversial Irish law which states that any individual in receipt of a Gender Recognition Certificate is considered the gender of their choice under Irish law. This has had far-reaching consequences and been the subject of intense debate in recent years.
“I am, I believe, a fairly conservative man,” continued Craughwell.
“I found it difficult to get my head around gender transition, but having met some who had been through the transition process, I felt out of compassion I should support the Bill.”
However, he added: “The legislation has been abused and twisted beyond anything I could ever have imagined.”
He referred specifically to instances of violent biological males being put into female prisons – a widely unforeseen consequence of the Bill in 2015.
And Finally…
Whoa, I go away for 48 hours and all this happens!!!
Given two good news Irish stories, we started with the great Irish tenor, John McCormack and shall end with Christy Moore’s marvellous tribute to the Rose of Tralee( plus kind of history of the Irish in the late 20th century!!)
“I suppose a rasher sandwich is out of the question?” 😎
Re Eddie Izzard aims to stand for Labour in Brighton Pavilion, it looks like it’ll be Trans Green Sian Berry vs Trans Guy Eddie.
And how come he's Eddie again? What happened to Suzie?
Go raibh maith agut.