The Wind That Shakes The Barley
Update 454. For Women Scotland Special. #BeMorePorcupine
Continuing the Irish Heroes season, since I chose a Ken Loach film in the last update, I thought I’d go for another one, The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), set during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) and the Irish Civil War (1922–1923). Written by long-time Loach collaborator Paul Laverty, the film tells the fictional story of two brothers, Damien (Cillian Murphy) and Teddy O'Donovan (Padráic Delaney), who join the Irish Republican Army to fight for Irish independence from Britain, only for the two brothers to then find themselves on opposite sides during the subsequent Irish Civil War. As to who the heroes are I suppose that would depend what side you might have taken in the Civil War!!
Thanks to two wonderful readers for suggested pieces.
Labeling Totalitarianism
Jennifer Bilek on her substack examines a recent tweet from JK Rowling. Albeit I think that JKR is wonderful, I agree with Jennifer on this matter. All thoughts gratefully received.
J.K. Rowling Has Grown Weary and Nauseous
Oct 15, 2024
J.K. Rowling has long battled against a totalitarian system of censorship and intense pressure for refusing to align her public statements with the narrative of gender ideology. She has faced unrelenting rape and death threats, public accusations of bigotry, the silence of her peers, and the complicity of those profiting from her work. Throughout this struggle, she has remained courteous and steadfast. However, she has recently become bolder and more confrontational in her responses to critics who advocate for the claimed human rights of individuals denying their biological sex. This newfound assertiveness has attracted a larger following eager to champion her commitment to women's rights, alongside her fame from the beloved Harry Potter series.
Thus, it was surprising to see her recent tweet on the platform X, expressing her weariness and nausea with those insisting that "there is no such thing as a trans person.”
The notion of transitioning one's sex, or denying its existence, is a corporate and political illusion sustained by a linguistic framework that has been engineered into our institutions, legal systems, and markets. The rapid acceptance of this idea is in direct proportion with the funding and propaganda promoting the belief that individuals uncomfortable with their biological sex can transcend that discomfort through medical assaults on their anatomy. Criticisms of this ideology and its encroachment into our lives are often censored, while narratives demanding compassion for those seeking to disavow their sexed reality are embraced. Punishing dissenters to this narrative has become a nearly full-time job for the mainstream media and academia, as Rowling can attest.
This system is totalitarian. As journalist Stella Morabito notes, transgenderism functions as a vehicle for state power and censorship. Individuals who wish to deny their biological sex—or rather, the concept of sex itself—are backed by major corporations, banks, governments, politicians, law firms, and global asset management firms like Black Rock and Ernst & Young. This should not be misconstrued as a human rights movement for the marginalized.
Recognizing and labeling this totalitarian system, refuting the notion that it is a type of person, is not "policing language," as Rowling suggested; it is an effort to maintain a grip on reality amid a powerful, well-funded campaign seeking to control public thoughts, speech, and perceptions. Yet, Rowling has expressed fatigue at suggestions for the reclamation of language and the reframing of discussions for clarity. Calls for attention to ongoing social engineering and the importance of precise language have been dismissed by those who feel their hard work is being undermined over the triviality of words. Newly formulated LGBT NGOs like Genspect, which promote a “wider lens” and a new “gender framework” for LGBT issues, have also expressed frustration over perceived interference with the language they use that supports the system.
Jennifer goes on to state:
You may call people whatever you wish at your dinner table, but when an authoritative system compels you—through social and financial repercussions—to speak falsehoods about the foundation of reality in public, labeling critiques of this subordination as "language policing" becomes profoundly damaging.
The full piece is here and I recommend it. It is behind a paywall.
In a piece analysing a paper by larping male academic Anne Lawrence, amongst other things, EDI Jester also emphasises the importance of language.
Standing for Women in the Supreme Court
I last reported on the For Women Scotland case here ( under ‘Lobby of Parliament’):
https://dustymasterson.substack.com/p/this-is-ripley-signing-off
Interesting discussion about the case in the first 6 minutes 50 seconds of this Times Radio report.
The Blasted Heath
This is the second in my new series of Shorts designed for those readers who don’t have time right now for this long update ( hope you get to read it in due course) but can check this out now. So you will find this in a separate post headed ‘The Blasted Heath.’ It is about the LGB Alliance conference and the disruption caused there.
The Civil Service Is Captured
Excellent analysis by James Esses on Matt Goodwin’s substack.
How the Civil Service has been CAPTURED by radical ideology by James Esses
A whistleblower reveals all on the woke Civil Service
Oct 14, 2024
Historically, when one thought of the ‘Civil Service’, words like ‘neutrality’, ‘impartiality’ and ‘integrity’ would come to mind. Well, no longer.
For those who had hoped that the Civil Service would be immune from the infiltration of woke ideologies that have swept through society, I’m afraid that, if anything, they have embraced them even more fervently.
Last week, I was contacted by a whistle-blower from the Northern Irish Civil Service. He has asked to remain anonymous, for fear of reprisal if his identity is discovered.
He first became concerned, when, during Pride Month, he and his colleagues were directed towards the Belfast Pride guide. This included signposting sessions run by political parties, which he felt, quite reasonably, was a breach of Civil Service impartiality. Civil Servants were even directed towards a “binder and bra-fitting” class. The fact that the Northern Irish Civil Service were recipients of a Silver Award from the activist Stonewall cemented these concerns in his mind.
My whistle-blower has since shared with me a number of internal policy documents, which really do show how the Civil Service is pushing partisan ideology on its staff and stakeholders. Here are five of the most shocking things in the leaked documents.
1. Guide for “Allies”
This Guide is essentially an activist manual, which, given the supposed neutrality of the Civil Service, is beyond belief. That it was signed off by the Head of the Civil Service, Jayne Brady, is telling.
She tells staff they are all “expected to demonstrate inclusive behaviours”. A graph is provided for staff, which rates them on the level of their “allyship”.
At the bottom are those who are “resistant” or “unaware”. What civil servant would want those labels attributed to them? At the top, the gold standard, is to be an “advocate”, described as a “super ally” who “actively champions” causes. Is this what we want from our civil servants? To spend their time advocating on highly contentious and contested politically and ideologically issues that bear no relation to their job?
Staff are then instructed to essentially keep tabs on each other, as if out of a dystopian novel. They are told that they may “need to intervene and interrupt to prevent further offence or harm”. What harm should they be preventing, you ask? Fraud? Assault?
Nope. “Microaggressions”.
Such microaggressions include, “calling a transgender colleague by their birth or former name”, or telling someone whose first language is not English that “they speak good English”.
Civil Servants are told to wear rainbow lanyards —and pointed in the direction of the LGBT Network who can provide them—as well as adding pronouns to their email signatures and stating their pronouns whenever they introduce themselves. How many will be too afraid to go against this, for fear of being labelled “resistant”?
Particularly unnerving is when, in relation to allyship for women, colleagues are told to “provide additional support to … those transitioning”. Women do not need to ‘transition’; they are simply women. This, in and of itself, demonstrates the conflict in trying to placate ideologies that are fundamentally at odds with each other.
2. LGBT Staff Network – Let’s Get Better Together Guide
This document reads straight off a Stonewall manual, complete with a glossary of terms including ‘aromantic’, ‘pansexual’, ‘gender-queer’ and even ‘cross-dresser’.
On what planet do civil servants need to immerse themselves in the world of cross-dressing for work purposes?
The most shocking statement in this guide is:
“When talking about families, it’s important to remember that some trans men and gender diverse people can carry pregnancies”.
The only people who can get pregnant are women. For the Civil Service to be forcing a false narrative that men can get pregnant is beyond the pale and flies in the face of biological reality.
3. LGBTQ+ Role Models Guide
This document contains a series of biographies, complete with pronouns, of LGBT+ staff and allies. It ranges from the embarrassing (quoting Queen Latifa and bragging about being the “fourth woman to have taken up the role of permanent secretary”) to the concerning (speaking pridefully about being able to talk openly to colleagues about their sexuality). Do we want or need our civil servants, people who run the state, to be discussing their sexuality in the office?
4. Transitioning At Work Guide
The Northern Irish Civil Service’s openly partisan leanings go beyond the policing of words. They extend to the policing of spaces, or rather the lack of policing. In this guide, ironically under the heading of ‘Single Sex Facilities’, managers are told that men who identify as women are entitled to use women’s toilets, changing rooms and showers, regardless of concerns held by fellow staff members. For an organisation that is preaching care and compassion, they demonstrate none of this towards the women who will be rightfully outraged at having to share their safe spaces with men.
5. Civil Service Inclusive Language Guide
By far the biggest indicator that the Northern Irish Civil Service have been infected by woke ideology is the ‘Inclusive Language Guide’, released only last month.
Civil Servants are told at the beginning of the document that “words…may leave another feeling…potentially unsafe”.
The Guide then goes from the sublime to the ridiculous. Some of the most ludicrous instructions within the Guide, include telling Civil Servants to:
Avoid using the phrase “it’s raining cats and dogs” in front of “international or neurodivergent colleagues or customers” (to prevent confusion)
Always use plural pronouns (they/their) even for individuals (to be gender inclusive)
Avoid using the term “man-made” and instead use “artificial/synthetic” (to prevent sexism)
Avoid using terms like “Baby Boomers” or “Millennials” and instead specify the decade or year of birth of the individual they’re referencing
Avoid using the phrase “she’s young at heart” (to prevent ageism)
Avoid use the phrases “blind drunk” or “fell on deaf ears” (to prevent ableism)
Avoid using the words “mum” or “dad” (to prevent alienation of diverse family units)
Always use gender-neutral pronouns (to ensure non-binary or transgender colleagues feel comfortable)
Avoid asking people what “pronouns they prefer” and instead ask what “pronouns they use” (to prevent insinuating that it’s a choice)
Avoid using the term “illegal immigrant” (as it could have racist connotations) – this is particularly concerning, given the fact that stopping illegal immigration is a duty of the government
Avoid asking someone their “last name” (as it could be confusing for people of certain cultures who put their family name first)
Avoid using the term “ex offender” and instead say “people who have had convictions” (to prevent stigmatisation)
Most ironic of all is, when, quite rightly, the Guide tells staff that they should never force another to accept or comply with their personally held religious beliefs.
Yet, that is precisely what the Northern Irish Civil Service are doing through these documents - forcing adherence and compliance to contentious ideology.
Here’s what my whistleblower told me:
“We obviously support efforts to be welcoming and inclusive to staff however they identify. But the constant signposting to training and material promoting gender ideology as if it were accepted fact is creating a hostile atmosphere for gender critical staff.
There appears to be no awareness that these views are not shared by everyone, let alone of the implications for female staff if gender identity is prioritised over biological sex in the workplace. There have even been articles relating to female healthcare that exclude the word “woman”.
There is also the question of political impartiality: in all other aspects of our work we strive to adhere to the Civil Service Code, but when it comes to gender politics it is only one side that is allowed free rein to promote their agenda.
We fear speaking up for fear of harassment or disciplinary measures.”
This is truly chilling stuff. If we cannot trust the Civil Service to be impartial, then who exactly can we trust?
NHS Wants Secret Hearing
Thanks as ever to Feminist Legal Clinic.
NHS wants secret hearing in trans woman changing room case (14 October)
Health board managers want to curb reporting on a landmark case brought by a nurse who was suspended after she complained about a trans woman in a female changing room.
The nurse is understood to want her tribunal, scheduled for February, to be held in public.
She brought her case against the NHS after she was suspended for complaining about the transwoman getting undressed next to her.
The tribunal will follow a bigger case in the UK Supreme Court. Britain’s most senior judges will hear a test case brought by the gender-critical campaigners For Women Scotland (FWS) against the Scottish government on the legal definition of a woman.
Source: NHS wants secret hearing in trans woman changing room case
The Irish SPHE Scandal
I have been reporting on this in recent updates. Jason Osborne reports further on Gript News.
SPHE “programme” did not get approval from any Catholic bodies – Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan
October 14 2024
Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan has said in a recent video that controversial SPHE materials, which have been discussed in a viral video, “did not get approval from any Catholic body”.
In saying so, the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore contradicted Minister for Education Norma Foley, who said in response to questioning from Gript that the revised SPHE curriculum was “signed off by all of the different bodies, including management bodies, including religious bodies, religious representative bodies”.
“Look, just in terms of the whole SPHE and the changes that have been introduced, they were introduced as a consequence of enormous public consultation, and indeed you will be aware that many of the management bodies, both religious and lay management bodies, have all endorsed the new programme that’s out there,” Minister Foley said on that occasion.
In the diocesan video, Bishop Cullinan said that a viral video about the SPHE programme was causing “quite a bit of alarm,” because the programme in the video comes from an ideology that is “totally unsuitable for the Catholic setting”.
“The good news is that, in actual fact, that particular programme, even though it was said that it was approved by Catholic bodies, it was not. It did not get approval from any Catholic body, in fact it was not approved either by the Department of Education, and the ASTI, the main teacher’s union, alerted their members not to use it,” the bishop said.
“It’s good to know also that any programme that is being delivered to your child in secondary schools must, according to the law, be delivered consistent with the characteristic spirit of the school. In other words, the ethos of the school, and that, I believe, for parents to know that is a great comfort.”
Bishop Cullinan added that there are alternative SPHE programmes developed by the Irish Episcopal Conference for primary school students and students in the junior cycle at secondary school, with a programme for senior cycle students in development and due to be available in September 2025.
“That is something which all Catholics can support and be very comfortable with as an excellent resource for the imparting of knowledge of the vision of the person, of the vision for sexuality in God’s plan, in this whole area of SPHE,” he said, describing the materials as “beautifully consistent with Church teaching, with the Gospel”.
Speaking with Gript, Bishop Cullinan said that he’d received supportive emails since putting out the video, and reiterated that the recently-exposed elements of a SPHE programme would be “unsuitable for anybody, any school”.
“In fairness to that lady, Mary Creedon, she highlighted something and she started a debate and let’s have a debate. Let’s have a discussion. That’s always good, and let us be reasonable about it,” he said.
New Zealand - How Do You Identify!?
Excellent piece (as ever) on her substack, A B’Old Woman from Katrina Biggs.
The survey which gave me identity confusion; and the identity-loving councillor who wants to be mayor.
Oct 15, 2024
I recently got an email from the Christchurch City Council (NZ), asking if I would participate in a survey of their decision-making processes. It was sent to me because I had made a written (and oral) submission to them on their ‘Equity and Inclusion Policy’, so I was on their list of those who had engaged with them in this way.
Besides being a thorn in their side about their policies of allowing men with identity issues into female spaces in Council-owned venues, I also try to be a good(ish) citizen in other ways. I admit I drag my arse about that last bit at times, but I also believe in getting off that same arse occasionally, both physically and metaphorically, and doing something besides moaning about the state of things.
The email from the Council said:
“Christchurch City Council wants your views on our decision making processes. It is part of our programme that gives residents and customers a say on how the Council is performing.
As someone who has used the Council's governance function in the last 12 months, we want to hear your views to help improve this service. This includes appearing at a hearing or making a deputation to Council, committees or community board meetings, or making a submission.
It will take about three minutes to complete and all answers given will be made anonymous so you won’t be identified.”
It didn’t sound too onerous, so I decided to give it a bash, but got stuck when I got to being asked how I identified -
I mean, I know that I’m a biological woman, but I’d never thought about how I identified. I just am a woman. However, for the purposes of this survey, reality didn’t appear to be a requirement. It seemed the Council was okay with me choosing any one of those options to “identify as”. There was no indication that a temporary identity wasn’t allowed, so I could have truthfully chosen anything on the list for the purposes of the survey, and then changed it again afterwards, with no deception involved.
Notably, the more traditional choices of ‘male’ and ‘female’ were replaced with “A man” and “A woman”. I guess it’s a bit tricky to ask whether we’re male or female now, as it might indicate a truthful answer was desired about one’s biology. Imagine the hurt feelings which could arise in the breasts of those who think denying their biology is a human right!
Eventually, I decided to return to the survey, and pick the identity which suited me in the moment. With any luck there’d be a section at the end which asked for other input, and I could use that to tell them how confusing it was to be asked how I identify, with no ‘when, where, how, why’ guidelines. However, it was a one-chance only survey, and when I went back to it, I’d lost that chance.
Of course, it came from a no-reply email address. Perhaps I could have rung the Council and asked for it to be sent to me again, but I just couldn’t see that as having the word ‘easy’ in it.
Like many public institutions these days, the Christchurch City Council is saturated with wokery. As far as the councillors go, not all are on board with it, but Councillor Sara Templeton, who wants to be mayor, is an absolute devotee. She led the panel who created the Equity and Inclusion Policy, which refused to include the word ‘sex’ in it. According to Councillor Templeton, the word ‘gender’ in the list of those whom the Council “recognises and values” in the policy can mean ‘sex’, too, although she also acknowledges it’s not always the same thing. What that word means on any given day is up to who’s interpreting it. It’s as loose and changeable as asking us how we identify.
When I watched the video of the Council discussing the ‘Equity and Inclusion Policy’, prior to voting on it, Councillor Templeton was asked by the mayor to address some questions raised about why the word ‘sex’ wasn’t included in the policy. In that address, she said “Our rainbow community, especially those who are transgender, are some of the most vulnerable and victimised in our community”. It’s clear that the word ‘sex’ is seen by her as a threat to having nothing stand in the way of any man who says he’s a woman gaining free and unfettered entry into all female spaces in Council-owned venues.
Now, Councillor Templeton, who prioritises the wants of men with identity issues over women, is going to run for mayor. If Christchurch’s citizens don’t want this, they must turn up to vote against it. Remember the saying: ‘those who turn up run the world’.
Dusty - I have been to Christchurch and it is a beautiful city. Turn up and vote, citizens of Christchurch!!
The States - Women’s and Girls’ Sport
Brandi Kruse on Undivided reports on 14 year old Ahnaleigh who lost in a major race to a larping boy, who then spoke about this at a conference and then got attacked online. Well done, Ahnaleigh.
Endpieces by Liz
#BeMorePorcupine
#LetWomenSpeak
#Grassroots Army
Sadly I have to agree with you about JK Rowling. She’s been fantastic but we cannot afford to fall into the use of the language of gender ideology in public, no matter the intentions, reasons or justifications. There are no trans people and it is not kind to the majority to imply that there is. As we see on a daily basis, the ideology has been so quietly and stealthily embedded everywhere across the West to the detriment of women, children, gay people and society as a whole. The article on the civil service is a perfect illustration. If we are to make progress, we must be consistent and accept no compromises. To compromise is to lose everything.
So glad that RC schools in Ireland have an alternative to the pornographic content based on WHO and UNESCO schemes.
Thanks Dusty. #BeMorePorcupine
I have just discovered something and want to share it more widely. It relates to your outline on the civil service being captured ideologically and acting to entrench ideology. This observation is objectively true but someone else has found a way to describe the pattern more completely. This is Wesley Yang a fellow Substacker who has been commenting on the culture war from the USA.
He has labelled the process "a non-electoral politics of institutional capture". Basically he descries a long term strategy of instilling policies AROUND the electoral system so the public never gets a chance to vote out unpopular policies. That way the people pushing these bizarre ideologies get them locked in before the public gets the chance to even complain let alone say no.