It’s a funny thing…much of the time, or most of the time, or nearly all of the time, BBC Woman’s Hour seems to know perfectly well what a woman is. It is, after all, in the title of their program. Their daily program that they put on every weekday.

The author @StonexEmma joins @bbcnuala to talk about her new novel The Sunshine Man ✍️

Set in 1989, it tells the story of Birdie, who takes revenge on the man who she believes murdered her beloved sister.

Listen from 10am ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8nbuYwkvp9

— BBC Woman's Hour (@BBCWomansHour) May 19, 2025

The man. Her beloved sister. Ordinary words used in an ordinary way.

Why are survivors of sexual assault being cross-examined

Same.

Just listened to this and found it quite uncomfortable listening.

Because it felt like @BBCNuala was challenging @KateBMwriting to justify the existence of lesbians. By pushing her to say men couldn’t be lesbians – then saying some people might find that view offensive.

So I… https://t.co/j2yOEFrj1n

— Janet Murray (@jan_murray) May 19, 2025

Just listened to this and found it quite uncomfortable listening.

Because it felt like @BBCNuala was challenging @KateBMwriting to justify the existence of lesbians. By pushing her to say men couldn’t be lesbians – then saying some people might find that view offensive.

So I re-listened to the recent Robin Moira White interview (trans identifying man + barrister) to compare. But there were no questions that

Replies are scathing toward Nuala McGovern.

Here’s the interview with @KateBMwriting on @BBCWomansHour

Kate from @AllianceLGB was cogent throughout.

It’s clear the programme is truly terrified of complaints activism from gender identity advocates (not from women).

Clips in sequence pic.twitter.com/y23otwILgW

— SEEN in Journalism (@JournalismSEEN) May 19, 2025

Listening to that interviewer raises my blood pressure. 'What do you mean by men?' GET A GRIP, WOMAN! You could say, she's not allowed to admit that trans women are men because it's not BBC policy, but in that case, she should resign and get a better job, frankly.

— Jane Holland Author (@janeholland1) May 19, 2025

… Read the rest

Ok by popular demand of at least one person I’ll go on with the “what even are women??” segment of today’s Woman’s Hour.

I paused at the cliffhanger moment when Nuala McGovern asked Kate Barker

and some of course that are listening may find what you’re saying very offensive – do you ever use the term “trans woman”?

Do you ever stop beating your children? Do you ever stop kicking dirt in the faces of the poor? Do you ever stop throwing men off high bridges?

Kate Barker, much too pleasantly in my opinion, says “Yes I would do” but then adds that she prefers to say “trans-identified male, and that’s not to insult or upset anyone but … Read the rest

Originally a comment by Your Name’s not Bruce? on Some memberz of the communniny.

She says she was physically assaulted earlier this year – before the ruling – and now experiences abuse “almost daily”.

“I’ve had the most vile things shouted at me; people are so abusive,” she says.

Well, given that you probably think being called a man is abusive, pardon me if I don’t take your word for it. Given that you think the ruling is incorrect (for no reason other than its curtailment of your former “centred” and “validating” use of female spaces you shouldn’t have been entering in the first place), you’ll have to excuse my lack of sympathy. The scales of justice have finally … Read the rest

Godalmighty. Woman’s Hour today had Kate Barker, CEO of LGB Alliance, on to explain why lesbians are quite pleased about the Supreme Court ruling.

Nuala McGovern: Now you’ve described this ruling as a watershed moment for women and in particular for lesbians; why?

Barker describes the joy and relief of that day

I don’t think people understand just quite how tough it’s been for lesbians over the last ten-fifteen years – I really would characterize it as a kind of dark age for lesbians, and the reason for that is that the LGBTQ+ lobby groups have been encouraging men to self-identify as lesbians, and those men just haven’t taken no for an answer, in terms of trying to access women’s

I can’t wait to rush out and not read this book, let alone not buy it. ($55 for the paperback!)

Transgender and Non-Binary People in Everyday Sport – A Trans Feminist Approach to Improving Inclusion

Ok first what is “everyday” sport? If you mean amateur say that; if you mean something else, make it clear.

Second what is a “trans feminist” approach? Is that a sly euphemism for “fake feminist” approach?

Description:

This formative work discusses transgender people’s inclusion in everyday sport in the United Kingdom. It adopts a trans feminist approach to explore pivotal issues regarding the barriers to participation faced by transgender and non-binary people.

What is a “formative” work? Is “transgender people’s inclusion in everyday sport” a … Read the rest

The BBC is distraught over claims that women have rights.

It’s been a month since the UK Supreme Court ruled that under the Equality Act, “woman” means a biological woman. The decision was welcomed by some women’s rights groups but condemned in the transgender community. How are they and others affected by the ruling feeling now?

Or to put it another way, it’s been a month since the UK Supreme Court ruled that women have rights. How do people who think women should not have rights feel about this ruling now?

While the full implications of the ruling are not yet clear, some members of the trans community feel threatened by it.

Hey Beeb, you know what? Some members … Read the rest

Smith College is confused.

Sneaky. Anyone who doesn’t already know who “Rachel” Levine is will of course assume he’s a woman being honored by a women’s college. Sneaky all around – doing the women-insulting thing, and being coy about doing the women-insulting thing.

There’s been a lot of insulting of women over the past decade or more. We’re rather tired of it.… Read the rest

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

The transgender community fears its rights are “melting away” after a legal ruling which has left people “terrified”, according to one trans woman.

Well they wouldn’t have melted away so easily if they had been actual rights, and not based on an unlawful interpretation of the statutes they were carried in on, would they?

Sarah Savage, a trans woman who is the chief executive and co-founder of Trans Pride Brighton, said it was not long ago that trans rights felt “solidified”.

Only to the degree by which your campaign of lying, bullying, and terrorism had succeeded. These “rights” were only “solid” because they were enforced on a

“Sarah” Savage, the guy who pulled the fire alarm because women were holding a meeting, gets attention from the less fastidious news media for being a trans woman who demands all the rights.

The transgender community fears its rights are “melting away” after a legal ruling which has left people “terrified”, according to one trans woman.

Sarah Savage, a trans woman who is the chief executive and co-founder of Trans Pride Brighton, said it was not long ago that trans rights felt “solidified”.

Miss Savage described the ruling as “extremely worrying”, adding she had benefited from access to a women’s refuge after she came out and is now concerned that opportunity has been taken away from others.

Extremely worrying for … Read the rest

The shouty man in question is Sarah Savage.

@OhSarahSavage SO upset by women having a meeting about women's health, he set off the fire alarm in a Brighton library, so everyone had to leave. Pathetic! Here's Savage posing by a sign claiming trans identified males "aren't a threat". But his actions say otherwise #WarOnWomen pic.twitter.com/x5P49o1k6B

— Hazel Tarragon #NoSelfID (@HazelTarragon) May 18, 2025

He’s not a threat, oh good heavens no, but if women dare to have a meeting he will make sure to shut that right down. Which is in no way a threat. At all.… Read the rest

Large loud aggressive man tells us how he terminated a meeting of women by pulling the fire alarm, and shouts angrily about how fearless he is and how he will not let this go.

New boss even worse than the old boss.

“I was fired up..something *went* in my head
I knew I could not let it go. So I walked into the library and found the room where they were meeting”

It was a meeting in a public library for women’s health + free crèche
Too much for the organiser of Trans Pride in Brighton to bear pic.twitter.com/7vPeySQPGW

— teresa smith (@treesey) May 18, 2025

… Read the rest

Smith College tells us about its four commencement speakers for this year.

Four distinguished leaders in the arts, academia, health and wellness, social justice, and innovation will be awarded honorary degrees at Smith’s 147th Commencement on Sunday, May 18. In a tradition begun last year by President Sarah Willie-LeBreton, each honorand will offer a few words of wisdom and congratulations to the graduates.

Did I mention that Smith is a women’s college?

Honorary degrees will be awarded in May to:

• Danielle Allen, professor of political philosophy, public policy, and ethics at Harvard University and founder and chairperson of Partners In Democracy.
• Evelyn M. Harris, vocal teacher, former member of the world-renowned a cappella group Sweet Honey in the

In another, but very nearby, corner of the forest another court with another ruling.

The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to block a judge’s ruling that had temporarily paused plans for mass layoffs and program closures at federal agencies.

A judge paused plans for mass layoffs and program closures at federal agencies?? That’s so shocking! All federal agencies are bad, and everything federal agencies do is bad. Obviously! The people should all be fired and the programs should all be slammed shut. Nothing should ever be done for any reason other than profit.

Last week, Judge Susan Illston of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California called for a two-week pause on the

Trump does not have a close acquaintance with the law, but that doesn’t slow him down any.

President Donald Trump endorsed the idea that the United States Supreme Court had placed an “illegal injunction” on him by temporarily blocking his administration’s ability to deport Venezuelans, accused of being gang members, without due process, while litigation on the matter plays out in lower courts.

On Truth Social on Saturday, Trump reposted two posts made by attorney Mike Davis, a close Trump ally and the founder of the Article III project, calling the court’s recent decision “illegal” and claiming it was “heading down a perilous path” by not allowing Trump to continue a constitutionally questionable action.

“The Supreme Court

It’s hard not to suspect a new Sokal Hoax.

I mean come on. “According to this definition pregnancy or the potential for pregnancy define womanhood.” Well yes, Genius, they do. If you look you’ll find that that applies to other mammals too. You know what there would be if they didn’t? Nothing, that’s what. Without reproduction there is nothing. P.D. James wrote a novel about that very scenario – a world in which human reproduction had simply stopped. In a world like that it takes only a few decades for living humans to disappear entirely. Not just thin out, not just become scarce, but go extinct. Like the dinosaurs. Get it?

It’s too obvious not to get. Must … Read the rest

Human ingenuity.

Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss is worried about Seattle’s ears. 

Earlier this spring, he drafted a “hearing protection ordinance” that would require music venues to provide hearing protection for free or less than $1, or risk fines. 

“This bill is about making sure that people have the opportunity to both enjoy Seattle’s vibrant music scene and protect their hearing health no matter where they go,” Strauss said when presenting the idea to his colleagues in March. 

Well…that’s like going swimming with the sharks while taking a box of bandaids with you. It’s like going to an all-you-can-eat restaurant with a bottle of diet pills in your pocket. It’s like setting your house on fire and then putting on … Read the rest

One of the many things I hate most about Trump

(It’s supposed to be only one of those – many things OR hate most – but with Trump it’s always both, because he always has all the toppings. There are many many things about him that I hate the most. I wish it were otherwise, but it isn’t.)

is the way he does the bad thing times 10 or 100 or 1000. He has no artistry, no restraint, no sense of Less is More. Every damn time he just jumps in with both feet and dials the abuse to a million. It should handicap him, but of course it doesn’t, because there’s no justice. The stupider his reaction to X … Read the rest

I didn’t realize Pride had gone homophobic. I’m so old I remember when Pride was all about lesbians and gay men.

Stroud Pride says no LGB views.

“Come and perform at Pride!

PS NO WOOFTERS” pic.twitter.com/rGOz7OVUFj

— Wings Over Scotland (@WingsScotland) May 16, 2025

… Read the rest