On April 28th the judgment in Rachel Meade's case was published, showing a decisive victory against her regulator and employer for their discrimination against her gender critical views.
This is very, very good, Sarah. Very clear. Very well written.
My view: it shows the law defines the ambit of free speech well, but the remedies are inadequate.
1. Stonewall and other 'consultants' giving EDI/HR advice need to be directly liable to claimants who suffer discrimination on the basis of their wrong advice: the point in the Bailey appeal. This will force the cowboy consulting industry to take proper legal advice and give advice on what the law is and not what they want it to be, and address the grift.
2. Where a claim involves workplace bullying by colleagues that management fails to discipline (Phoenix, and Stock if she had brought a case) the tribunal ought to be able to step in and enforce discipline those responsible directly, up to and including dismissal.
3. Where management wantonly aims to suppress free speech for ideological reasons like Meade, then in addition to aggravated damages the tribunal should be able to impose direct penalties on the managers personally responsible, up to dismissal and bans from performing or overseeing any HR or personnel matters.
4. Per LGB Alliance, there is a value in having charities represent a range of views in an open society. There is no value in those that actively seek to repress other views through No Debate. Such charities should lose their status.
The corollary of a right to free speech is an obligation on others not to suppress it. These cases show that. But if we are serious about the right we need to be more serious above the obligations too.
The obverse of Forstater is gender ideology's childish belief in gendered souls is worthy or respect or at least protecting in an Open Society. That is what free speech means. But the bit of the ideology that holds non-belief in its dogmas is hate speech and bigotry that needs to be suppressed is not worthy of respect at all. In fact as the cases show it is illegal already. We just need to get tougher.
Thanks again. Well said. Have we won the war? A natural pessimist, I will believe it when it happens.
If I, as a non-Catholic, were to state that I do not believe the Pope’s words are the words of God, many Catholics might be offended. Some might even accuse me of trying to deny the existence of Catholics. However, nothing that I said prevents Catholics from living and believing what they do. I don’t have to say their holy words, or profess a belief in their religion. In a democratic society with freedom of speech and religion, this should be obvious.
The likes of Robin White may continue to hold themselves out as experts in this field. But how many potential clients are going to go to them for advice when their legal reputations have been comprehensively trashed?
I think that the complete unravelling of this scandalous interlude in our legal, and medical, history will now happen at extraordinary speed, a classic example of the domino effect.
I hope so. I am given uneasy pause however by the apparent complete inability of those making serious decisions about disciplinary/regulatory/court matters, and those advising them, to read or understand court judgments. If we are still seeing these cases a year from now, then something has gone fundamentally wrong.
Trans/gender ideology is an acid that melts grey matter. I’ve said it before, but it just keeps on being true. I have a very old friend who works at Oxfam. Since they were infiltrated by the ideology, she says it’s all they talk about. Once it’s in an institution it just takes up all available space. Feed the starving? Nah we need to argue about what pronouns the starving people want us to use. They don’t care, they’re just interested in feeding their kids? God we’d better educate them! Let’s use our limited resources on training after training after training in how to spread the Message.
Melted brains.
Good article, madam, as always :). You’re a ray of sunshine for me. A bright light that burns away shadows.
Brilliant. Well done to Rachel and you,Sarah. Slowly but surely we're reclaiming the public square from the bullies who tried to silence and cancel us.
Rachel Meade, Sarah Phillimore are so brave to put their necks on the line. However right your cause, the process is a deterrent and punishment to 99% of the population. There was no guarantee you would win a long drawn out and costly process. The managers, counsel, lawyers acting for SWE and the council have no qualms about racking up whatever costs they fancy. Who is pays their costs and the award? Will anyone lose a job, reputation or cut in salary? The organisation with the state and every taxpayer in the land (willingly or not) is a formidable foe. Hat well and truly doffed.
The war, I am afraid is worldwide, so though we’re definitely winning some battles locally there is still a very long way to go. Polish your boots and put your best foot forward!
Social Services genuinely don’t care about anything happening outside their bubble. They groomed my daughter to run away from home at 17 because I wouldn’t affirm the delusion. The Cass report means nothing to them, they’re still calling her by another name and they don’t even care that my ex husband suffered a stroke as a result of them transing my daughter. They had the audacity to tell me that they had professional meetings where “serious concerns were expressed about my views”. They’re a mafia. And the cult is getting desperate. They tried to get a teacher in the barred list because he wouldn’t tell a pupil her weird pronouns. So yes, they will do that, they will try to get you barred or sacked or arrested. Americans look at the UK with delight but the UK is still full of evil civil servants. Genuinely wicked people who will stop at nothing. And they do this because they’re transing their own children.
I agree the legal victories suggest that the war might have been won in the realm of employees rights in the UK. I have doubts however when looking at the broader picture - gender self-id is still being pushed e.g. in the US and Germany. Here most parties on the left or centre of British politics seem to have bought into the TRA's position or major elements of it, e.g. the Lib Dems, Greens (on both sides of the border), Labour (albeit appearing to back off from self id & supportive of the Cass review recommendations) & SNP. Even the Tories have pandered to the TRAs, though backed off from it under Johnson, Truss and Sunak, though the latter talked of a trans inclusive conversion therapy ban at one point but the legislation never appeared and it's probably too late to introduce it before the next general election. As such my expectation is that a Starmer government, especially if it relies on Lib Dem, Green or nationalist parties support, will be more friendly to the TRAs' agenda than the Tories were since being re-elected in 2019.
This is very, very good, Sarah. Very clear. Very well written.
My view: it shows the law defines the ambit of free speech well, but the remedies are inadequate.
1. Stonewall and other 'consultants' giving EDI/HR advice need to be directly liable to claimants who suffer discrimination on the basis of their wrong advice: the point in the Bailey appeal. This will force the cowboy consulting industry to take proper legal advice and give advice on what the law is and not what they want it to be, and address the grift.
2. Where a claim involves workplace bullying by colleagues that management fails to discipline (Phoenix, and Stock if she had brought a case) the tribunal ought to be able to step in and enforce discipline those responsible directly, up to and including dismissal.
3. Where management wantonly aims to suppress free speech for ideological reasons like Meade, then in addition to aggravated damages the tribunal should be able to impose direct penalties on the managers personally responsible, up to dismissal and bans from performing or overseeing any HR or personnel matters.
4. Per LGB Alliance, there is a value in having charities represent a range of views in an open society. There is no value in those that actively seek to repress other views through No Debate. Such charities should lose their status.
The corollary of a right to free speech is an obligation on others not to suppress it. These cases show that. But if we are serious about the right we need to be more serious above the obligations too.
The obverse of Forstater is gender ideology's childish belief in gendered souls is worthy or respect or at least protecting in an Open Society. That is what free speech means. But the bit of the ideology that holds non-belief in its dogmas is hate speech and bigotry that needs to be suppressed is not worthy of respect at all. In fact as the cases show it is illegal already. We just need to get tougher.
Thanks again. Well said. Have we won the war? A natural pessimist, I will believe it when it happens.
No comment just yet! Basking in relief and enjoying a moment of reality!
If I, as a non-Catholic, were to state that I do not believe the Pope’s words are the words of God, many Catholics might be offended. Some might even accuse me of trying to deny the existence of Catholics. However, nothing that I said prevents Catholics from living and believing what they do. I don’t have to say their holy words, or profess a belief in their religion. In a democratic society with freedom of speech and religion, this should be obvious.
The likes of Robin White may continue to hold themselves out as experts in this field. But how many potential clients are going to go to them for advice when their legal reputations have been comprehensively trashed?
I think that the complete unravelling of this scandalous interlude in our legal, and medical, history will now happen at extraordinary speed, a classic example of the domino effect.
I hope so. I am given uneasy pause however by the apparent complete inability of those making serious decisions about disciplinary/regulatory/court matters, and those advising them, to read or understand court judgments. If we are still seeing these cases a year from now, then something has gone fundamentally wrong.
Trans/gender ideology is an acid that melts grey matter. I’ve said it before, but it just keeps on being true. I have a very old friend who works at Oxfam. Since they were infiltrated by the ideology, she says it’s all they talk about. Once it’s in an institution it just takes up all available space. Feed the starving? Nah we need to argue about what pronouns the starving people want us to use. They don’t care, they’re just interested in feeding their kids? God we’d better educate them! Let’s use our limited resources on training after training after training in how to spread the Message.
Melted brains.
Good article, madam, as always :). You’re a ray of sunshine for me. A bright light that burns away shadows.
Brilliant. Well done to Rachel and you,Sarah. Slowly but surely we're reclaiming the public square from the bullies who tried to silence and cancel us.
Rachel Meade, Sarah Phillimore are so brave to put their necks on the line. However right your cause, the process is a deterrent and punishment to 99% of the population. There was no guarantee you would win a long drawn out and costly process. The managers, counsel, lawyers acting for SWE and the council have no qualms about racking up whatever costs they fancy. Who is pays their costs and the award? Will anyone lose a job, reputation or cut in salary? The organisation with the state and every taxpayer in the land (willingly or not) is a formidable foe. Hat well and truly doffed.
The war, I am afraid is worldwide, so though we’re definitely winning some battles locally there is still a very long way to go. Polish your boots and put your best foot forward!
Great news! thank you.
Social Services genuinely don’t care about anything happening outside their bubble. They groomed my daughter to run away from home at 17 because I wouldn’t affirm the delusion. The Cass report means nothing to them, they’re still calling her by another name and they don’t even care that my ex husband suffered a stroke as a result of them transing my daughter. They had the audacity to tell me that they had professional meetings where “serious concerns were expressed about my views”. They’re a mafia. And the cult is getting desperate. They tried to get a teacher in the barred list because he wouldn’t tell a pupil her weird pronouns. So yes, they will do that, they will try to get you barred or sacked or arrested. Americans look at the UK with delight but the UK is still full of evil civil servants. Genuinely wicked people who will stop at nothing. And they do this because they’re transing their own children.
I agree the legal victories suggest that the war might have been won in the realm of employees rights in the UK. I have doubts however when looking at the broader picture - gender self-id is still being pushed e.g. in the US and Germany. Here most parties on the left or centre of British politics seem to have bought into the TRA's position or major elements of it, e.g. the Lib Dems, Greens (on both sides of the border), Labour (albeit appearing to back off from self id & supportive of the Cass review recommendations) & SNP. Even the Tories have pandered to the TRAs, though backed off from it under Johnson, Truss and Sunak, though the latter talked of a trans inclusive conversion therapy ban at one point but the legislation never appeared and it's probably too late to introduce it before the next general election. As such my expectation is that a Starmer government, especially if it relies on Lib Dem, Green or nationalist parties support, will be more friendly to the TRAs' agenda than the Tories were since being re-elected in 2019.