Reasons to be Cheerful

I have been asked to preserve this thread as a substack post for the probably inevitable time when I am banned from Twitter again. What started as a quick riposte to one of the innumerable anonymous and abusive accounts, morphed over the course of the day to a list of staggering magnitude of all the reasons to be cheerful in what can seem like a very long and gloomy struggle to restore sense, courtesy and the rule of law to discussions about sex and gender. I have aimed to tidy up and include some of the more serious omissions. And I am well aware that even after a day of effort, I have missed people off who ought to be here; I am sorry for that - it is a failure of my memory, not a negative comment on your efforts.

For the benefit of those not based in the UK or who have very short memories, let’s do a quick run down of how the ‘fascist terfs’ have prevailed in their civil rights struggle. 

Harry Miller wins case against Humberside police and his appeal against Hate Crimes Guidance heard in March 2021. My Judicial Review against Wiltshire on similar grounds about to be issued. 

Maya Forstater wins her case in the EAT and belief in the immutability of sex is confirmed as a protected belief pursuant to the Equality Act. As a result the @EHRC finally make public statement about the importance of single sex cases. 

The ONS concede it acted unlawfully in attempting to permit self ID on the census after JR proceedings issued by @fairplaywomen

The Employment Tribunal find that @BluskyeAllison has an arguable case against her Chambers and Stonewall for their creation of a hostile working environment by discrimination against her for her protected beliefs 

The Charity Commission review the absurd accusations that the @ALLIANCELGB is a ‘hate group’ and grant it charitable status. 

Keira Bell ensures the High Court undertake a thorough review of the Tavistock’s sparse evidence base for the efficacy of medical transition and are shocked by what it (doesn’t) find - prompting Australia to review its own practices. Sweden and Finland also restrict access to PB. 

A book by @HJoyceGender which unpicks the lunacy of the ‘gender ideology’ movement is a best seller and @SexMattersOrg arrange for copies to be sent to MPs 

Numerous of the newly elected Police and Crime Commissioners speak out directly against the conflation of sex and gender and the harm this does to women. 

Women in Scotland continue to show that #WomenWontWheest in continued demonstrations against the erasure of women as a sex based category. Marian Millar is represented by @joannaccherry who argues her human rights have not been respected by the criminal charges laid against her. Johann Lamont’s #SixWords amendment to the Forensic Medical Services (Victims of Sexual Offences) (Scotland) Bill is passed after a campaign by Scottish women forced the SNP to accept it.

Numerous grass roots groups continue to flourish - I am proud to be part of that group which has seen effective campaigns led by @MsGiveZeroFox and the clear exposition of @sleeepysandy. 

@ebswa is formed and Sonia Appleby is awarded £20k as a tribunal finds against the Tavistock, the judgment commenting unfavourably on the behaviour of Mermaids. On Sep 30 @ebswa will hold a webinar discussing issues around children’s consent to medical transition. 

And @HelenWebberley is on the midst of her 55 day disciplinary tribunal to determine her fitness to practice after she gave testosterone to a 12 year old girl. 

Read more about the opposition to this growing medical scandal here

The Reindorf report lays bare Essex university’s shameful mistreatment of female academics, after being mislead by misrepresentation of the law by @stonewalluk. The exodus of organisations supporting Stonewall continues. 

Liz Truss confirms that England will not proceed to amend the GRA by reference to ‘self ID’. Scotland persists but is met with increasingly public and vocal opposition 

There is international outcry at the appearance of Lauren Hubbard at the Olympics and concerns raised and repeated about the implications for women’s sports. 

@NoXYinXXprisons supported the judicial review against putting male prisoners in female prison estate - sadly the judicial review did not succeed BUT clear recognition from High Court that women’s rights and trans rights were in conflict.  Following that court hearing, a number of groups representing the interests of women in prison, are included in the consultation process during policy revision.

This was a useful corrective to the assertions by those such as Robin White that anyone who claimed such a tension was ‘completely mad’. Also Robin’s book on trans rights and the law was published without any consideration of the EAT judgment in @MForstater case. 

Thus rendering it immediately largely useless. Which is pretty par for the course in this ‘debate’. See @legalfeminist for continued dissection of discrimination law in this field, along with @AudreySuffolk @anyabike. The 13 year old girl who challenged ‘trans guidance’ for schools in Oxfordshire. Authentic Equity Alliance @AnnMSinnott has also had some success with training public bodies /companies on the law.

In fact our ‘movement’ is now large enough for those within it to criticise each other for their political allegiance etc. I will choose to see this as positive as it shows just how great our weight of numbers are now. There should be room for all of us. 

Shout out to the journalists and the provocateurs - @bindelj@VictoriaPeckham@suzanne_moore@StandingforXX@BoozeAndFagz

And to the less high profile but I suspect equally as effective @thegencrit@MsGiveZeroFox@CultSwat@sleeepysandy and all at #GRARG and to those who fight hard to protect children @Transgendertrd@SafeSchools_UK

Sue and Marcus Evans, Prof David Bell and all the other Tavistock whistleblowers - Newsnight for covering the story.

And sorry, missed @jo_bartosch off the journalist list. This is always the problem with attempting a list! But I will continue to see this as a positive. There is just SO MUCH going on and so many people making sure their voices are heard. thanks to you all. 

special thanks of course to @WeAreFairCop who have allowed me to enter my twilight years as a political activist - otherwise I would be nothing but an utterly contemptible middle aged woman of zero value or interest. Not where I saw myself at 50, but more than happy to keep on. 

Those who have paid a heavy price but keep on keeping on, such as Glinner.  Those who can’t be cancelled, such as JKR.

And the Parliamentarians @Baroness_Nichol and others who are speaking up and not being cowed by ludicrous assertions of transphobia etc. Rosie Duffield, we stand with you.

@CforWomenUK and @LabWomenDec - effective in bringing change where it counts, in Westminster.

Forgot the academics! Shame on me. They have paid a particularly heavy price given the shameful abandonment by Universities of their founding principles @janeclarejones Kathleen Stock Prof Freedman @JoPhoenix1 Selina Todd. Also the students - Lisa Keogh and @JamesEsses, we stand with you.

And @8RosarioSanchez for standing up to Bristol University, @_JVigo for brilliant podcasts, @brunskellevans for being there at the beginning and @michelemooreEd …. 

How could I forget the gay men who have spoken up in defence of sex based rights and sex based attraction! Thank you @Jebadoo2 and @DanialWebb@damebabsdbe and many others 

And the trans people who do not need to deny my sex to celebrate their own existence; thank you @DebbieHayton @FionneOrlander @seven_hex @BuckAngel @MsBlaireWhite

 @_HelenDale in fact all the Helens @helenstaniland who was resurrected on this site in a true miracle of rebirth. 

And the artists! @TheFamousArtBR and @JessDeWahls who saw their communities turn on them but fought back. @NehandaMusic who took on Billy Bragg. The lesbians, fighting against their erasure @Belstaffie.

Pretty much all my What’s App groups. 

THANK YOU