I didn’t know about this guy:

A beluga whale that turned up in Norway wearing a harness in 2019, prompting speculation it was a spy trained by the Russian navy, has reappeared off Sweden’s coast.

First discovered in Norway’s far northern region of Finnmark, the whale spent more than three years slowly moving down the top half of the Norwegian coastline, before suddenly speeding up in recent months to cover the second half and move on to Sweden.

On Sunday [May 22, 2023], he was observed in Hunnebostrand, off Sweden’s south-western coast.

…

Norwegians nicknamed him Hvaldimir – a pun on whale in Norwegian, hval, and a nod to its alleged association with Russia.

When

Man tells world he can’t understand why women don’t want men strip-searching them.

The assumed criminality of trans people is getting out of hand and is completely irrational.
A trans person doing their job does not make them an abuser or criminal.
We don’t assume a lesbian officer wants to “feel up women”, so why trans women? It’s absurd. https://t.co/GVeedmi2dS

— Thomas Willett (@ThomasWillett9) January 11, 2024

… Read the rest

Originally a comment by Papito on Relating to coercive behavior.

Since “changing gender” doesn’t really mean anything, how can one prevent it? If you are “assigned sex at birth,” but you are born with an inherent, inalienable gender, then it never changes, so you can’t prevent it changing. For example, once upon a time, in a deleted universe, there was an actress named Ellen Page, but in our more valid universe you can see that a fellow named Elliot Page has credits for Juno, where he played a pregnant girl, and Hard Candy, where he played a 14-year old female vigilante. Because he was always Elliot, he never changed gender. He played those roles as a remarkably talented young … Read the rest

Yes, yes they would. Next question?

So in short, the answer is "Yes". pic.twitter.com/tG6rQTSxUQ

— Wings Over Scotland (@WingsScotland) January 11, 2024

Parents are allowed to talk about gender identity, but they are of course not allowed to say it’s not a real thing. It’s like the church. Parents are allowed to talk about the religion, but they’re not allowed to say it’s bullshit.

Furthermore parents will be jailed for seven years only in the case of coercive behavior, like telling their sons they’re boys and can’t change themselves into girls.

How very liberal.… Read the rest

Dave Hewitt is brilliant.

There is a phenomenon I’ve noticed in political discourse many times in recent years, which goes like this:

• An existing term is colonised and its meaning subverted to new political ends
• Previous users of the term are forced to try to come up with a new term to replace the old one
• The new occupants demonise the old, and deny political legitimacy to any new terminology

The best description I can think of for this process is semantic gentrification, in which users of a word’s original meaning are forced out by newcomers who consider themselves morally enlightened in comparison to the older population, who completely change the character of the term in service of

Originally a comment by Francis Boyle on Too many organisations have let them get away with it.

Our generation had Punk. They practised what we’d probably now call “trolling” and got the desired response. That was their passport to seeing themselves as lonely misunderstood romantic heroes. Then came Goths and most people were a just little wiser and pretty much let them get on with mooching about in cemeteries at midnight and writing bad poetry. We’d been there. Then came what? We’d reached a point when nothing anyone could do in terms of presentation or “lifestyle” could shock or even slightly perturb the older generations. We, who had become those older generations, were all too busy desperately denying the … Read the rest

Is that really true though?

Nice bit of homophobia from anti-trans activist Maya. As a gay man, the ability to be myself at work is vital. I shouldn’t have to hide who I am. DEI schemes help foster an inclusive work environment, something Maya doesn’t understand because she works to create division. https://t.co/y5aBsJ0h1d

— Thomas Willett (@ThomasWillett9) January 10, 2024

Is Thomas Willett’s ability to be himself at work really vital? Is it true that he shouldn’t have to hide who he is?

I don’t mean specifically the azza gay man part, I mean the generalization. Is it vital for people to “be themselves” at work?

I’ve always taken the truth of this claim for granted, but today I paused … Read the rest

Here we are, ready and eager to mutilate you!

Rebecca Mead wrote a rather interesting piece for The New Yorker about the Bloomsbury people and their clothes and what it all meant, but sadly it does end up at the too familiar trendy place.

At the exhibition, Morrell’s garments have been lined up like runway models at the end of a contemporary designer’s show. “Morrell spoke in her journal of how her preferred look was long and plain—she thinks her look is very simple,” Porter said. “But it seems to me that she is responding to her own features and exaggerating things because of the way she looked herself, rather than trying to hide anything.” Given Morrell’s height, hair, and hauteur, she was well aware that she looked striking

Hmm.

Emma Roddick is the first Scottish politician to say she has a Borderline Personality Disorder. Clearly, this shapes her approach to ..gender. pic.twitter.com/uj9PzxLXHw

— Malcolm Clark (@TwisterFilm) January 10, 2024

Hmm.

Google confirms: she does say that.

I want to tread carefully here, but wouldn’t you think a personality disorder would be a hindrance to being a good representative of the people? It’s not called a personality variation but a disorder. I’ve gathered that the borderline type is…difficult. I know “ableism” is a no-no but all the same, people in government really do need some basic abilities.

I suppose the reality is that some people now think of such things as matters of “identity” and thus sacred. Thus … Read the rest

Joan Smith at UnHerd yesterday:

A social worker has won her claim for harassment after she was suspended for expressing gender-critical beliefs — and the judgment has far-reaching implications for freedom of speech. For years now, activists have claimed an exclusive right to decide what constitutes “transphobia” and too many organisations — employers, regulators and political parties — have let them get away with it.

Not any more. An employment tribunal has found that Rachel Meade suffered harassment by her employer, Westminster Council, and her regulator, Social Work England (SWE). It’s a stunning vindication for Meade and a warning to other organisations that take accusations of transphobia at face value. 

Meade’s ordeal began when the regulator received a single

What I don’t get is, why do people feel so happy to talk about themselves endlessly like this? It makes me cringe with embarrassment just to watch it – I can’t begin to imagine actually doing it.

Mind like a steel trap:

…the miracle of magnets still appears to stump some people, including Donald Trump.

At a recent rally in Mason City, Iowa, the former president went on a rant about the [fragility] of magnets while complaining about the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier.

Simply put: The ship has an electromagnetic aircraft launch system that relies on very large magnets.

“They had a $900 million cost over on these stupid electric catapults that didn’t work. They had almost a billion dollar cost over on the magnetic elevators,” he said. “Think of it, magnets. Now all I know about magnets is this: Give me a glass of water, let me drop it on the magnets, that’s

The SNP doesn’t mess around:

Parents who refuse to allow their children to change gender would face up to seven years in jail under SNP plans to ban “conversion therapy”.

Proposals published on Tuesday state that actions designed to “change or suppress” another individual’s gender identity, causing them physical or psychological harm, would become illegal under the radical law.

SNP ministers acknowledged that so-called conversion practices often took place in a “family setting”, raising the prospect that parents could be criminalised if they refuse to go along with their child’s declaration that they are transgender.

You mean if they refuse to agree that their son is a daughter or their daughter is a son.

The fact that parents are … Read the rest

A few weeks ago:

pic.twitter.com/oWdMh4XfJ6

— USA Climbing (@USAClimbing) December 1, 2023

But that’s not inclusive and fair. That’s the whole point. It’s not fair to women. Women are people too. Please make a note of it.

Also how the fuck does that “reduce administrative complexities for all athletes”?… Read the rest

Forced teaming in journalism:

A public consultation is under way on planned laws to ban conversion therapy for sexuality or gender in Scotland.

Sexuality and “gender” [i.e. gender ideology] are two different things and should not be discussed as a pair.

The proposed ban has raised concerns from those who fear attempts to counsel people struggling with their identity could be seen as conversion therapy.

Conversion therapy refers to practices “aiming to change or supress a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity”.

Only because captured news outlets like the BBC keep shoving them together. Conversion therapy for sexual orientation has nothing to do with awareness that people can’t change sex.

During a visit to LGBT Health and Wellbeing

Ah they’ve noticed.

Yes, it could, and yes, it is, and we’ve been dealing with that for years now. Feminist women who don’t believe in magic gender have been monstered, punished, ostracized, expelled, called Nazis and cunts and all the rest of it.… Read the rest

Ok then.

Social worker Rachel Meade has won her case against and Westminster City Council and Social Work England.

A hearing has been scheduled on 12 – 13 Feb 2024 on financial compensation if the parties can't resolve the remedy between themselves.#OpenJusticehttps://t.co/lChtcrWdcf pic.twitter.com/xwUW66aQhR

— Tribunal Tweets (@tribunaltweets) January 9, 2024

The Claimant's solicitors note this is a landmark decision. "It is the first time a Regulator and an Employer have together been found to have been liable for discrimination relating to gender critical beliefs." https://t.co/fbSnqNWIo6

— Tribunal Tweets (@tribunaltweets) January 9, 2024

Here's my favourite excerpt from the decision. A poke in the eye to those whine 'its not the belief, its the manifestation of the belief'. pic.twitter.com/xzrwQDkoys

Quite a startling assertion, in a piece that’s not even about trans ideology.

…my experience of an all-girls’ school, followed by twice as long as a trustee of a prison charity, informed a lot of my politics, including why I became a transgender ally. Before I had thought seriously about trans rights, and the immeasurable preciousness of any human being with the courage to live their most meaningful and truthful life…

What???

So Zoe Williams is saying that trans people, as such, just because they are trans people, are immeasurably precious because they have “the courage to live their most meaningful and truthful life”?

There’s so much that’s absurd about that. Where to begin?

One, are trans people the … Read the rest

They’re already doing it.

Following a lengthy campaign of letters, emails and FoI Act requests, we know that 35 out of 47 forces have ALREADY IMPLEMENTED or will implement the policy.
Check the status of YOUR force in our report. #StateSanctionedSexualAssault
2/7 pic.twitter.com/J4rkAMrsvz

— Women's Rights Network – WRN (@WomensRightsNet) January 8, 2024

This decision was taken to make policing more attractive as a career to ‘transgender individuals’.

What about women?
No women’s groups were apparently consulted either at national or individual force level regarding this policy.

Why don’t we matter @PoliceChiefs @AssocPCCs?… pic.twitter.com/3U6grTid0c

— Women's Rights Network – WRN (@WomensRightsNet) January 8, 2024

Their Equality Impact Assessment is a sham. A shocking derogation of their public sector equality