Hi all, welcome to the August edition of State Of The World, my monthly round up of news for the LGBT community that has interested me. Lots to get into so let’s get started.
100,000 People turn up for Trans Pride London
On Saturday the 27th July over 100,000 people turned up in London in the biggest Trans Pride ever anywhere in the world according to the organisers.
The event’s theme was “existence and resistance” in response to the UK supreme court ruling in April that said the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.
It’s also worth noting that as per usual nothing in the morning papers apart from the Guardian.
Yet again the majority of the public supports transgender people while the people in power don’t
Good Law Project to challenge the EHRC.
The High Court has set a date in November to consider Good Law Project’s challenge to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s guidance, which has spread confusion and fear through the trans community since it was rushed out in April.
Days after the Supreme Court’s decision in the For Women Scotland case, the EHRC published – without consultation – an “interim update” which encourages companies and public bodies to stop trans people from using toilets in line with their lived gender.
This unleashed a wave of uncertainty and anxiety, with trans people challenged in bathrooms, outed in their workplaces, and under such stress that some were unable to keep doing their jobs.
In May, Good Law Project teamed up with two trans people and a person who is intersex to challenge this damaging update.
I hope the Good Law Project wins this case and makes the EHCR think properly before publishing damaging guidance for any minority group again
New chair for the EHRC announced.
Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson has confirmed that Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson will be appointed as the new Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
This is against the advice of both the Women’s and Equality Committee and the Joint Committee on Human Rights for Dr Stephenson’s links to the Gender Critical movement, namely the Sex Matters.
The Minister for Women and Equality, Bridgett Phillipson, over-ruled both of the recommendations anyway in what I think is to push the anti-trans agenda this current government seems to have.
The Minister said she has the “utmost confidence” in Stephenson to run the equalities watchdog with “integrity and professionalism,” with Stephenson adding she looks forward to starting the role to “ensure that everyone is treated with respect and dignity”.
When the UK voted the Tories out a year ago, I thought at least, things can now get back on track. The government wouldn’t be after taking away the basic rights every human should have anymore, namely be treated with respect and dignity.
How wrong was I.
The EHRC is no longer impartial and thus unfit for purpose.
Labour bringing in Section 28 2.0
The UK government’s latest relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance calls on schools to be “mindful” that there is “significant debate” about transgender identities, and staff “should be careful not to endorse any particular view or teach it as fact”.
The Department for Education (DfE) finally published its long-awaited, updated statutory guidance on RSHE on Tuesday (15 July), as well as its response to the consultation held on proposed changes to it.
A statutory review of RSHE guidance was announced by the former Conservative government under Rishi Sunak in March 2023, after the DfE said it had received “disturbing” reports of “inappropriate material” being taught in some schools. Education secretary Gillian Keegan, who supported outing trans pupils to parents, said the review was needed to “make sure all children are protected from inappropriate content”.
The revised guidelines will come into force from 1 September 2026, replacing the previous guidance and sets out the legal duties schools must comply with when teaching RSHE.
This is Section 28 in all but name against transgender children.
JK Rowling calls for M&S to be boycotted
JK Rowling, the Harry Potter creator who is using the profits from that franchise to set up a fund to help TERFs in court battles, has called for a boycott of M&S after an article has emerged that an employee asked a customer if they needed help in a polite way.
A mother and teenage daughter were looking to buy the daughter her first bra, so an employee who was 6’2 politely asked if they needed help around the store, something all retail workers do every day and is part of their job. The customer has written to M&S saying her daughter was shocked and visibly distressed that a transgender woman, as the employee was 6’2 so obviously a transgender woman, would offer help and that they had to leave the store.
Just to put how ridiculous this statement is, I am 6’3 and I know a LOT of cis women my height and above. Also, numerous studies have shown that 98% of sexual predators in the UK are cis men, not the trans community. In fact, a vicar or priest has more chance of being a sexual predator than a transgender person by the statistics.
After the customer wrote to M&S, they got an apology from the company by saying they are ‘truly sorry’ that the employee was doing her job properly.
Now JK Rowling, in her hatred for all things transgender, is calling for a boycott of M&S, not for abuse, but because a transgender woman was just doing her job politely and professionally.
People like JK Rowling and the wider critical feminist movement will not be happy until transgender people are totally erased from all forms of public life.
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