They’ve been trying to take Zelensky out and failing.

President Zelensky has survived at least three assassination attempts in the past week, The Times has learnt.

Two different outfits have been sent to kill the Ukrainian president — mercenaries of the Kremlin-backed Wagner group and Chechen special forces. Both have been thwarted by anti-war elements within Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Wagner mercenaries in Kyiv have sustained losses during their attempts and are said to have been alarmed by how accurately the Ukrainians had anticipated their moves. A source close to the group said it was “eerie” how well briefed Zelensky’s security team appeared to be.

Some Chechens tried last Saturday and were “eliminated” by Ukrainian security.

Oleksiy Danilov,

Ten days ago a fellow “trans lesbian” talked to Susan Stryker about his plans to tell Irish lesbians what’s what.

The upcoming Lesbian Lives Conference in UCC will see the internationally renowned Susan Stryker giving a keynote speech. I spoke to her in advance of the conference, and, as a trans lesbian myself, I found her insights on trans people’s role at this point in world history incredibly illuminating.

Well naturally. What could be more illuminating than a man telling a man about their “role” in telling women what to do?

We also discussed being a trans woman within the wider lesbian and academic community. “There was Simone de Beauvoir saying one is not born, but rather one becomes a

Empathetic?!!!

‘Gender has changed, is changing still, changing all of us and we in turn change it’ – A beautiful, funny and empathic keynote from @susanstryker #LesbianLives2022 pic.twitter.com/x7ujmm9Hll

— Equality Network (@LGBTIScotland) March 4, 2022

A man who accepts an invitation to give the keynote at a lesbian conference does not have a lick of empathy. A man who stands in front of room full of lesbians and pretends to be one of them does not have a lick of honesty or integrity or decency. A man who stands in front of room full of lesbians and pretends to be one of them reeks of male entitlement and ego and sense of superiority.

Of course the quislings at “Equality Network” … Read the rest

Oh whew, there’s no problem then, what a relief.

.@ShonaRobison "We must be clear: all the evidence tells us that the cause of violence against women and girls is predatory and abusive men; it is not trans people. We must not conflate the two." pic.twitter.com/vcHWozQ2PX

— Sarah Masson (@_sarahmasson) March 3, 2022

Oh but wait though. Wait a second. Back up. How do we know which is which? How do we know which “trans women” are really just predatory and abusive men disguising themselves as “trans women” to get access to vulnerable women in private spaces? How do we know???… Read the rest

The Met Police – the ones with the horrific record of abuse of women – just can’t do enough for their trans n enby ossifers.

The Met Police are reviewing their uniform policy amid concerns some officers feel obliged to wear uniforms that do not match their gender identity. Currently, the uniforms officers wear are at a manager’s discretion, meaning that some trans or non-binary officers may feel obliged to ‘come out’ to management when picking their kit.

But “coming out” as gender-special is the whole point. It’s an announcement that One is more special than everyone else. Doing it to a manager, and watching the manager anxiously grovel, must be their treat of the year.

In his interview

Ron DeSantis chastised some high school students for…clowning around? Littering? Smoking? Laughing at him? Saying “like” too many times?

No.

The Florida Republican governor approached a group of students wearing masks who were standing behind a podium at the University of South Florida, where he was scheduled for a news conference Wednesday.

“You do not have to wear those masks. I mean please take them off,” DeSantis said to, at first, polite laughter. But he wasn’t kidding around.

“Honestly, it’s not doing anything. We’ve gotta stop with this Covid theater. So if you want to wear it, fine. But this is ridiculous,” he continued.

Why do we gotta stop?

DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw defended the governor’s statements on Twitter:

Originally a comment by Omar on Puff puff puff.

Part of her wanted people to know her journey to this moment, to know what it felt like to be in a body but not be of that body.

This could be the biggest philosophical breakthrough of all time! Imagine the response from dear old Plato if he was still around. The consciousness of Lia Thomas or whatever his real name is, floats about inside his body like goldfish at constant equilibrium with the water inside its bowl; IN THE BOWL BUT NOT OF IT! Drop the bowl on the floor and smash it, and there will be the goldfish flapping about, free.

Another term for ‘consciousness’ is ‘soul’, proving … Read the rest

It’s Women’s History Month and Robin Buckallew is again observing it by writing a story a day. Today’s is about privilege and who really has it.

NEVER POOR… Read the rest

The Sports Illustrated interview with Lia Thomas slobbers all over him.

Fresh off her final practice of the week, the most controversial athlete in America sat in the corner of a nearly empty Philadelphia coffeehouse with her back to the wall. Lia Thomas had done some of her best work this season while feeling cornered.

Aw diddums. Imagine how the women feel – then laugh a callous laugh and go back to fawning over Lia.

The shy senior economics major from Austin became one of the most dominant college athletes in the country and, as a result, the center of a national debate—a living, breathing, real-time Rorschach test for how society views those who challenge conventions.

He’s not … Read the rest

Lia Thomas has spoken up.

Thomas was recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated and is on their daily cover.

“I just want to show trans kids and younger trans athletes that they’re not alone,” Lia Thomas told SI. “They don’t have to choose between who they are and the sport they love. I’m a woman, just like anybody else on the team. I’ve always viewed myself as just a swimmer. It’s what I’ve done for so long; it’s what I love. I get into the water every day and do my best.”

I don’t believe him. I don’t believe that is what he just wants. I think what he wants is to win a lot of races and … Read the rest

Always finding a new low.

Tucker: It might be time for Joe Biden to let us know Ketanji Brown Jackson’s LSAT score was. Why wouldn’t he tell us that… pic.twitter.com/boPHU5PnMd

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 3, 2022

… Read the rest

Priorities.

The Russian Football Union said it will go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) to appeal against its ban from international competitions after the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

On Monday, Russian football clubs and national teams were suspended from all competition “until further notice” by Fifa and Uefa.

The union said it would file one lawsuit against football’s world and European governing bodies, demanding Russia’s men’s and women’s national teams be allowed to compete.

Or, you know, they could just look at the bigger picture and take the hit. Putin is not their fault, but he’s not Ukraine’s fault either, and look what’s happening to them.… Read the rest

ACLU pushing girls in front of the train again.

Attempts to push trans youth out of public life aren't just happening in Texas. Politicians around the country are supporting these harmful policies.

But we know that trans youth belong EVERYWHERE. https://t.co/sIIrFcg1jx

— ACLU (@ACLU) March 3, 2022

Nobody’s trying to “push trans youth out of public life.” We’re trying to prevent males from invading and destroying everything women have. The ACLU couldn’t care less about women and our rights.… Read the rest

Be careful.

A personal trainer died after taking caffeine powder the equivalent of up to 200 cups of coffee, an inquest heard.

At one time, that is – not drinking 200 cups, which would take a lot of time, but taking 200 cups’ worth of caffeine all at once.

Caffeine is used by some gym-goers, with some fitness websites recommending it for improving sports performance in certain doses. However, experts have warned that when taking powders there is a risk of consuming over the recommended amount.

On Tuesday an inquest heard Mr Mansfield began clutching his chest and complaining his heart was beating fast after consuming the product. Minutes later, after going to lie down, he began foaming

More on Prymachenko and the Russian war crime:

The Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum, located northwest of the capital city Kyiv was burnt to the ground, along with 25 works by Prymachenko, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Vlada Litovchenko, director of the Vyshhorod Historical and Cultural Reserve, confirmed the “irreparable loss.”

“Numerous historical and architectural monuments and archaeological sites are under threat of artillery shelling and uncontrolled movement of heavy military trucks,” Litovchenko wrote in a statement on Facebook that was translated into English.

From that statement:

Maria Prymachenko’s Museum in Ivankiv (Kyiv oblast) is on fire after the Russian attack. Prymachenko was a Ukrainian folk art painter and one of the most famous Ukrainian painters ever

How sweet.

@ValMcDermid & @SusanStryker– see you there! #LesbianLives2022 #UCC

— Equality Network (@LGBTIScotland) March 2, 2022

LB+ women? What’s that supposed to mean? Men, I guess. Lesbian, bi, and male women.

That’s not what it’s called though. It’s called Lesbian Lives.

Reminds me of the time a man renamed the last Women in Secularism conference “Women and Femmes in Secularism.” It wasn’t his conference to rename.

The shoutout to the man Susan Stryker of course underlines the point. “Hahaha women you don’t get to have anything of your own. Hahaha lesbians we get to make you pretend this hulking man is a lesbian, and give him top billing. Sucks to be you.”… Read the rest

Smash their culture, smash their art, smash their history, smash their beauty.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has reportedly led to the destruction of roughly 25 works by the beloved Ukrainian folk painter, Maria Prymachenko. https://t.co/VubLptnbw4

— VICE (@VICE) March 1, 2022

On February 25, the Ivankiv Historical and Local History Museum was burned. It is not yet confirmed how many of the museum's holdings survived, but the loss is a blow to Ukraine’s cultural history, its collective spirit, and its artistic soul. https://t.co/AHi48IEkI1 pic.twitter.com/kOu26zS9hI

— VICE (@VICE) March 1, 2022

Prymachenko, who died in 1997, was known to transform cultural motifs into vivid and wildly imagined narratives, in which elephants longed to be sailors, horses traveled to outer space,

Wrong sort of lesbians, wrong sort of women, wrong sort altogether – must not be allowed to say no to men.

An academic and gay rights campaigner has claimed critics of Nicola Sturgeon’s transgender reforms are being “excluded from the political process” in Scotland after she was blocked from joining a Holyrood LGBT group.

Dr Shereen Benjamin said that she was viewed as “the wrong sort of lesbian” after MSPs and pro-trans rights lobbyists unanimously decided to refuse her membership of a Scottish Parliament forum, which she said she had wanted to join to find common ground with opponents.

The right sort of lesbian is a male one, and the only slightly less right sort is the fan of … Read the rest

Originally a comment by Dave Ricks on The single most stunning response.

In the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (CRA64), in Title VII protecting employment for example, it is unlawful to discriminate against an individual “because of” this list of protected characteristics:

race, color, religion, sex, or national origin

Promoters of the Equality Act (EA) say it “completes” the CRA64 by “adding” protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. The public might assume this means the EA would “add” those characteristics to the list like this:

race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity

If so, then the word “sex” would still mean the sex binary (as the Supreme Court interpreted “sex” in the CRA64 as … Read the rest

Yesterday we saw that University College Cork is putting on the 25th annual Lesbian Lives Conference, and that the first Keynote Presenter is Susan Stryker, a man. It’s interesting to see how he presented himself as a visiting professor at Yale.

He looks a little bit…burly.

Normally, of course, it’s obnoxious or worse to judge people on their appearances, but there is a genuine issue of male v female bodies here, along with issues of presentation and what one can get away with and so on. Stryker looks a bit like Steve Bannon. Very few women can get away with looking like Steve Bannon, and even fewer would feel 100% safe challenging him.

In other words why doesn’t it bother … Read the rest