So now the LibDems have a new definition of transphobia and the loonies are Leaving the Party.

A number of LGBT+ Liberal Democrats are quitting the party after a formal definition of transphobia was leaked online. A statement, later formally released during Trans Awareness Week, said it was revised due to “greater clarity to the interpretation of the law in this area.”

That is, two lawyers told them their definition is illiberal crap.

Available on the Liberal Democrats website, the new definition rejects “prejudice and discrimination based upon race, ethnicity, caste, heritage, class, religion or belief, age, disability, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.” However, the new statement added that “Holding and expressing gender critical views, whether in internal

From Sex Matters November 14:

The Liberal Democrats have revised their definition of transphobia in the light of recent legal cases. 

The previous policy which drew on the work of “organisations such as Stonewall and TransActual UK”.

The definition is dated September 2020 and written by Candy Piercy, Sheila Ritchie and Alice Thomas.

The Lib Dems have always believed trans right are human rights. Over the last year it has become clear that the Party needed to explain what that means in practice. 

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. “The Lib Dems have always believed this thing and we don’t know what it means.” If you don’t know what it means what the fuck is it you believe???

It’s enraging and contemptible … Read the rest

Liberal Voice for Women tells us:

Doubts about the legality of the Liberal Democrats’ “Definition of Transphobia” (published in September 2020, but never approved by Conference) have finally been put to rest by the publication of a second set of legal advice by a KC.

Earlier this year, the Lib Dems commissioned Guy Vassal Adams KC to provide a legal opinion on the lawfulness of the Definition of Transphobia. When that opinion remained unavailable to the membership, a second opinion from Karon Monaghan KC was sought by a member of the Federal Board and published by us here.

Now the first opinion, that was unavailable, has been made available.

While Karon Monaghan was dismissed by party trans activists

A Mermaid no more.

The chief executive of Mermaids, Susie Green, has left the transgender children’s charity after six years in her post, the organisation announced on Friday.

…

In recent months, the charity has found itself under intense public scrutiny, partly as a result of Mermaids’ own decision to launch an appeal against the Charity Commission’s awarding of charitable status to LGB Alliance, which has been critical of “gender ideology’’. It is understood to be the first time one charity has attempted to strip legal status from another.

Separately, in recent weeks, Mermaids also has been the focus of a number of newspaper articles that have called into question its safeguarding policies, prompting the Charity Commission

This really pisses me off.

The work to end gender-based violence is far from over. But we’re committed to doing that work. Together, we can end the cycle and we can make sure women, girls, and gender diverse people feel safe – both now and into the future. #ItsNotJust #16Days https://t.co/VdUxBMmwYr

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 25, 2022

It says it right there in the headline – international day for the elimination of violence against women. WOMEN. But we can’t have that, can we – women just don’t matter enough to have a whole day to themselves, not even a day for the elimination of violence against us. We have to share everything.

That’s because we’re not fully people. … Read the rest

Originally a comment by Artymorty on It’s like voting to annul gravity.

It’s like voting to annul gravity. Gravitation is never going to be brought to book, or appear in the dock. The world won’t give a shit, and people will keep falling down, even if you do lock up everyone who points this out unfortunate fact. Punishing the people who know how reality works, and arresting those who “calls it as they sees it” is all they’ll be able manage.

This kind of thing has happened before. Stalin’s regime decreed that natural selection was invalid. They rounded up all the geneticists and killed them or sent them to the gulags. They set about restructuring the nation’s agriculture around … Read the rest

Five an hour.

A new study by UNODC and UN Women shows that, on average, more than five women or girls were killed every hour by someone in their own family in 2021. The report comes ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25 and is a horrific reminder that violence against women and girls is one of the most pervasive human rights violations worldwide.

Yes yes yes, very terrible, now we have to talk about the tragic fate of men who say they are women.

This year’s figures also show that over the past decade, the overall number of female homicides has remained largely unchanged, underscoring the urgency to prevent and

This is that Dr Joseph Hartland who experienced the Incident of the Fingernails because people asked questions when he Explained Gender to them.

Obviously, when discussing mental health on a rainy wednesday in Bristol, you need to keep in mind that gender is one of the colonial pillars. pic.twitter.com/3JDDfG6IwB

— J. Reads and Writes (@JLCederblom) November 25, 2022

“Deconstructing gender is vital, gender is a form of oppression, it was one of the colonial pillars, and what it creates is essentially inequality for feminine people or feminine-presenting people.”

No, for female people. Not “feminine,” not “feminine-presenting”; female.… Read the rest

Another item added to the pile of legal issues Trump has to deal with:

Writer E Jean Carroll has sued Donald Trump in the US state of New York for allegedly raping her in the 1990s. Ms Carroll, 78, is among the first to sue under the Adult Survivors Act, which came into effect on Thursday.

The state law allows a one-year period for victims to file sexual assault lawsuits in New York over claims that would have otherwise exceeded statute limitations.

…

In a statement, Ms Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan, said the new lawsuit filed on Thursday is intended to hold Mr Trump accountable for the alleged assault.

Alina Habba, a lawyer for Mr Trump, told US media that,

“I believe they’re just saying that”

How DARE you???!!!

Right. Just bonkers pic.twitter.com/BGlcvoel2n

— Barry Wall (@HeadWarriorTWM) November 24, 2022

“That’s rilly rilly offending, especially being a transgender woman myself”

Also you can tell from the mug shots – that’s a man.

Oookaaay.… Read the rest

Kids and bondage:

Luxury fashion house Balenciaga has apologized for featuring children cuddling teddy bears dressed in bondage gear in its latest advertising campaign.

…

In its original press release, the company said that the line featured “dozens of new products ranging from homeware, petwear and scent, from everyday items to limited-edition collectibles and bespoke furniture.”

But there was an angry response on social media to the shots which featured young children with plush teddy bear bags dressed in what looked like BDSM-inspired outfits. One child is pictured with an assortment of empty wine glasses.

They’re luxury bespoke kids, all right? They’re fine with it. They’re sex workers, it’s kink, get over yourselves.

“We sincerely apologize for any offense

Originally a comment by maddog on Clinicians and parents are trying to make sense of it.

how parents and professionals should respond to children who express distress about their gender

Girls aren’t distressed about their gender. They are distressed about their sex. And why wouldn’t they be? Society teaches girls, from birth, that they are less-than, second class, subservient, and essentially worthless non-entities. Their only value is in their fuckability.

Being a sex object — not a person — for boys and men becomes more critical for girls at puberty, when the consequences of being female — the body’s ability to become pregnant — become acute. No wonder girls don’t want to be girls. Boys have freedom; girls are … Read the rest

Announce you’re appalled first! Find out what you’re appalled about later!!

We are appalled by the treatment of the presenters this afternoon during our CCQI EDI webinar, it represents the opposite to the College values, which we strive to uphold every day. We are currently looking into what happened and how.

— Royal College of Psychiatrists (@rcpsych) November 23, 2022

What treatment? How do they know it represents the opposite to of the College values when they don’t know what it was?… Read the rest

Originally a comment by Your Name’s not Bruce? on He’s a Mx.

In the initial digging through the killer’s online tracks, was there the faintest whiff of ‘nonbinary-ism? Were ANY pronouns specified? Might this be a bit of theatre to mock the victims? [John the Drunkard]

But according to the logic of self-ID, the sudden “discovery” of one’s EnBeeness, or Transness is perfectly legitimate and must be respected, centered, and validated. That won’t stop them from playing the “No True NB” card, though. They want it both ways, and they want it now. Trans activism has long since stopped seeing (if it ever saw to start with) the many contradictions in its position. It doesn’t matter if it makes … Read the rest

Yesterday –

Do you ever doubt yourself, @HartlandJoseph? Does it ever occur to you that what you call “transphobic” may simply represent different vantage points from your own? That those questioners are just as caring as you? pic.twitter.com/PnZZGkbtQi

— Bev Jackson (@BevJacksonAuth) November 23, 2022

And of course there’s the issue of “what is gender inclusive healthcare?”

It’s this, for example:

Hmmm I wonder why there were questions raised at the EDI training for RCPsych yesterday?? pic.twitter.com/P7qgbge1yy

— LoonyQuine (@LoonyQuine) November 24, 2022

Single-sex spaces – trans women need to be housed in all-female wards, this decreases violence towards trans women.

But of course it increases the risk of violence towards women, but that doesn’t matter at all … Read the rest

More from the Guardian “why the surge in girls saying they are trans?” piece:

“Left-handedness increased over time after we stopped punishing left-handed children in schools, because some children are naturally left-handed and were now able to express it,” said Cleo Madeleine, a spokesperson for the trans support group Gendered Intelligence.

“In the same way, increased visibility and acceptance of trans people has led to a gradual increase in young people who feel comfortable expressing their trans identity. The most important thing is to recognise that this is not a problem to be solved or a bad outcome to be avoided.”

It is though, at least when it involves surgeries and/or blockers and/or cross-sex hormones. And that’s just the outcome … Read the rest

So the Guardian is starting to allow its journalists to talk about it, occasionally, with much caution and hesitation.

Earlier this year, a team of NHS researchers was asked to investigate why there has been such a huge rise in the number of adolescent biological girls seeking referrals to gender clinics.

I have to interrupt for just a second to point out that that’s a bit like asking why there was such a huge rise in the number of people talking about Harry Potter in 1997. One reason there’s been such a huge rise in the number of adolescent girls joining the trans bandwagon is the fact that it’s a bandwagon. It hasn’t always been a bandwagon; now it … Read the rest

Nottingham Council admits wrongdoing.

A council spent more than £10,000 on legal fees and handed out £570 in compensation after “unlawfully” banning an event hosted by an author.

A talk by feminist campaigner Julie Bindel was stopped by Nottingham City Council due to what it said were her views on transgender rights.

…

The talk, organised by Nottingham Women for Change, had been due to take place on 25 June. However, the day before the event, the group was told by the council it could not go ahead. The authority said Ms Bindel’s views “fly in the face” of its position on transgender rights.

The council’s position “flies in the face” of my position on women’s rights. Women are … Read the rest

We do this every day now, sometimes more than one a day.

At least six killed in Virginia Walmart shooting

At least six people were killed Tuesday night inside a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, according to local officials. The shooter is also dead.

• At least six people were killed Tuesday night inside a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, according to local officials. The shooter is also dead.
• Four victims are in area hospitals with unknown conditions, according to Chesapeake Police. The gunman was identified as a 31-year-old Walmart employee.
• The shooter was a manager at the store, four sources tell CNN. Investigators believe he opened fire on other employees in a break room, a law enforcement source tells CNN.

This is … Read the rest

The SNP will simply ignore the rapporteur.

A leading UN official has condemned the SNP’s gender recognition reforms as posing a danger to women and urged Scottish ministers to postpone the legislation.

…

In a 4,500-word letter to the UK government Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, appealed to Sturgeon to allow “sufficient time to complete a thorough assessment of all foreseeable consequences”.

The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill is set to be enacted by Christmas, though it was introduced at Holyrood only last month. It aims to make it easier for trans people to switch gender through “self-ID” and by lowering the age limit from 18 to 16.

I’ll never understand … Read the rest