Latest news with #SexMatters
Daily Mail
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
At long last, the SNP is forced to accept the word 'woman' refers to biological sex
The definition of a woman refers to biological sex, the SNP government has finally been forced to accept in landmark new guidance. For the first time, the Scottish Government has set out its new position in formal guidance published in the wake of its Supreme Court defeat on the issue. In an update about laws around gender quotas on public sector boards, it states references to woman or women in the legislation 'are references to a biological woman or women'. It issued the new approach after being threatened with legal action unless it implemented the Supreme Court's ruling on the definition of a woman. Now ministers have been urged to ensure that all relevant guidance and legislation is updated. Maya Forstater, chief executive of human rights charity Sex Matters, said: 'The Scottish Government's clarification that the word 'woman' refers to biological women in its guidance concerning public boards might look trivial to a casual observer, but its impact will be outsize. 'As we have outlined in our letter before action, the Scottish Government must now act to bring all its policies in line with the law – and biological reality.' The Gender Representation on Public Boards Act was meant to create a 50:50 balance of women and men on quango boards. It originally defined a woman as 'anyone living as a woman', including biological males with or without a gender recognition certificate (GRC). For Women Scotland successfully challenged this in Scotland's courts and ministers dropped the definition from their law, but the revised guidance continued to say 'woman' included a trans woman with a GRC. After For Women Scotland appealed to the Supreme Court, judges ruled the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. In updated guidance on the Gender Representation on Public Boards Act issued as the Scottish parliament entered the summer recess, a section on 'the meaning of 'woman' for the purposes of the Act' said that 'references in the Act to a 'woman' or to 'women' are references to a biological woman or women'. The updated guidance was issued after Sex Matters threatened new legal action within 14 days if ministers fail to implement new policies and guidance. Scottish Tory equalities spokesman Tess White said: 'It appears only the threat of legal action has seen some common sense break out in the SNP. However, John Swinney has still failed to apologise for backing Nicola Sturgeon's reckless gender reforms.' In its submission to the Supreme Court ahead of last year's case, the Scottish Government argued references to a woman who is pregnant in the Equality Act would also apply to a 'pregnant man' born female. During the case, Ruth Crawford, KC, representing the Scottish Government, said a person with a GRC is 'recognised in law' as having changed sex 'and will have the protection afforded under the Equality Act'.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Hampstead ladies' pond swimmers accuse trans women of spying on them
Swimmers at the Hampstead ladies' pond have accusedtransgender women of spying on them naked. Women have complained of voyeuristic behaviour from some trans women, who were born male, using the Kenwood Ladies' Pond, which they say has made left them feeling 'violated'. One said she had been stared at in the shower, while another saw a biological man taking photographs of other bathers. Now a women's rights group has threatened the City of London Corporation, which owns the outdoor pond, with legal action unless it stops biological men from using it. The pond opened in 1925 and is the sole women-only freshwater swimming amenity in the country. Since 2019 it has been open to trans women. The Corporation has not changed its policy since the Supreme Court ruled in April that, under the Equality Act, sex means biological sex. This judgement means toilets and changing rooms should be segregated by biological sex and not self-identified gender. Women's rights campaigners Sex Matters have threatened to take the Corporation to court unless it changes its regulations to comply with the Supreme Court ruling. The group said it has examples of women who have felt uncomfortable using the ponds since trans women were allowed in. They have 'been subjected to trans-identifying men being naked in the changing area and showers' and experienced 'trans-identifying men taking photographs of women and girls and trans-identifying men topless in the meadow, both of which are not permitted'. Other women have complained about ' trans-identifying men staring at women and girls in the showers and changing facilities'; and 'felt violated in what they considered was a women-only safe space'. One pond user, who wishes to remain anonymous, complained: 'I was showering outside after my swim, when a big man with a long wig and a long coat came walking down the path to the pond area. 'This man came and lingered in the restricted area between the outdoor showers and the fence, where my towel was draped. He stood there turned at an angle, looking at me and evidently wanting me to know that he was looking at me. 'I was trapped, because I was naked, and my towel was on the fence behind him.' In 2019, the pond changed its rules to allow trans women - that is biological men - to use the facilities, claiming it was required under the Equality Act. When the change was being discussed, Charles Lord, from the City of London Corporation, said: 'It shouldn't be controversial. It shouldn't be a debate. Trans women are women, trans men are men.' Even after the Supreme Court judgement, the Corporation put out a statement indicating it would not change its policy, saying: 'Any unlawful discrimination will not be tolerated. Our gender identity policy is designed to ensure our services are welcoming to everyone, including all who use the bathing ponds.' Trans women have been allowed to use the pond since the judgement, even though the signs say 'women only' and 'no men beyond this point'. The changing hut at the ladies' pond contains open communal showers and an open changing area. There is also a mixed pond and a men's only pond. Last month, 30 women's rights campaigners stormed the male-only pond at Hampstead shouting 'no goolies in our poolies' in protest at the policy. Sex Matters said the Corporation was failing on human rights grounds, discrimination and harassment, and had made an error in law. A spokesman for the Corporation said: 'In line with other service providers, we are reviewing our access policies, including those at Hampstead Heath's bathing ponds. 'In doing so, we must consider the impact of current and potential future arrangements on all visitors, while ensuring we meet our legal duties and provide appropriate access. ' This summer we will engage with our service users and other stakeholders to ensure we understand their needs and can take properly informed decisions. 'In considering the way forward, we have taken, and will continue to take, specialist legal advice. The current arrangements remain in place during the review. 'Our priority is to provide a safe and respectful environment for everyone.'
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
‘Sparkly' pro-trans books targeting toddlers
Toddlers are being targeted with books that present a positive vision of becoming transgender, research has found. Campaign groups Sex Matters and SEEN in Publishing have carried out the first comprehensive report of its kind examining gender ideology in the publishing industry. The report found that gender ideology – the belief that being a 'woman' can be independent of biological sex – has become 'dominant' in the industry. The review concluded that the state of children's publishing is 'particularly concerning'. It found that a 'shiny, sparkly world of trans identities' is being promoted to young readers, with 'many aimed at toddlers'. Recent titles aimed at children include Julian is a Mermaid, Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl?, and She's My Dad. The audit of the publishing industry found that of 21 publishers surveyed, a fifth of their output on transgender-related products was targeted at children. The report raised concerns that the message in the books was often that becoming transgender will 'resolve bodily hatred and create enduring joy in the form of 'trans euphoria''. The report quotes an extract from the book I Am Jazz, by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, which states: 'From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. 'She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in boy's clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way.' The report warns that 'ideological marketing to children risks causing extensive harm', particularly by suggesting that 'a trans identity can cure any bodily discomfort or anxiety that they may be feeling'. It suggested this could set children down the path to medically transitioning by undergoing hormone therapy or surgery. The report also warns that many books embed the idea that 'if girls like clothes and toys that are more typically aimed at boys, they may really be a boy in a girl's body'. The concerns come after last year's Cass Review which concluded that children who think they are transgender should not be rushed into treatment they may regret. The report also follows April's Supreme Court decision which ruled that the definition of a woman is based solely on biological sex. The problems highlighted in children's publishing are part of a wider issue with ideological conformity in the industry, the report claimed. Work carried for Sex Matters by author Matilda Gosling said 'gender-identity beliefs have become dominant in publishing', and even led to 'poor commercial decisions guided by ideology'. It also found that the enthusiasm of the publishing industry for pro-gender ideology works was misplaced, with analysis finding that 'gender-critical books sell, on average, nine times more' than books promoting gender ideology. It cites the example of author Helen Joyce receiving a £20,000 advance for a book, Trans, which then went on to sell 100,000 copies internationally and more than 23,000 in the UK. The report claims that transgender model Munroe Bergdorf, by contrast, received a six-figure sum for the book, Transitional, which went on to sell fewer than 3,000 copies in the UK. It added: 'Commissioning editors have run scared of bold, brave, interesting books that reflect a diversity of ideas and that readers want, and instead commissioned books that fit the beliefs of their junior staff.' The dominance of these beliefs has also led to years of people being 'cancelled' or silenced for their gender-critical beliefs, it has been claimed, and the entrenchment of equality, diversity and inclusion policies within publishing houses which 'exclude' gender-critical staff. This year, Ursula Doyle settled a legal case with Hachette, a large publishing house, where she worked until coming under fire from pro-transgender activists for publishing the 2021 book Material Girls, by Prof Kathleen Stock. In 2023, Gillian Philip, the children's author, claimed she was dropped by her employer after publicly supporting JK Rowling's critical views on transgender issues. She ultimately lost her legal battle. That same year, Sibyl Ruth, the gender-critical editor, said she was dropped by a literary consultancy after stating that the idea of someone with a 'heavy five o'clock shadow' being a woman 'blows my mind'. The report concludes by calling on the publishing industry to 'make a clear commitment to freedom of speech both internally and in commissioned work'.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Mothers-to-be called ‘pregnant participants' in Government report
Expectant mothers have been described as 'pregnant participants' in a Government report. The study into how passengers would react to emergencies in a self-driving taxi used the phrase nine times. Similar wording, including 'pregnant passengers', 'pregnant users' and 'pregnant individuals' was used throughout the Department for Transport (DfT) report. Neither the phrase 'pregnant woman' nor the word 'mother' were mentioned. However, the word 'transgender' was written 14 times while 'woman' featured just twice – and one of those times was in the phrase 'transgender woman'. It's prompted critics to claim the report was an example of the public sector attempting to erase women's rights. The Conservatives urged the Government to 'get a grip', while DfT insisted the study did not affect anyone's legal rights. Written by Dr Clare Mutzenich of Lacuna Agency, a consultancy, the study looked at how expectant mothers, among other groups, reacted to various simulated emergencies while in a robot taxi. It found that pregnant women felt more vulnerable than other groups when travelling in a driverless taxi during an emergency, such as a stranger trying to get in or a fire starting inside the car. Helen Joyce, the director of advocacy at the human rights charity Sex Matters, described the study's deliberate avoidance of the phrase 'pregnant women' as forming 'part of a broader erasure of women's needs'. 'It's very telling that the DfT refers to 'pregnant passengers' rather than pregnant 'women' in a study looking at how people with different protected characteristics may respond in an emergency situation,' Ms Joyce said. 'Only women can have the protected characteristic of 'pregnancy and maternity', and this study both obscures that fact and fails to consider the protected characteristic of 'sex' in its own right. The word 'woman' appears just twice, one of which refers to a 'transgender woman' – that is, a man who identifies as trans. 'This official, publicly funded research is part of a broader erasure of women's needs. It places pandering to gender ideologues ahead of objectively considering the specific safety needs of one of the largest groups of passengers – that is, women.' Gareth Bacon, the shadow transport secretary, said: 'It says everything about this government that a Department for Transport report can't bring itself to call pregnant women what they are – women. 'This is what happens when ideology overrides common sense, and it's women who get erased. The Supreme Court has now made clear what we already knew, but rather than lead with clarity, Labour are still twisting themselves in knots. They need to get a grip.' A think tank previously warned that public sector workers were refusing to accept the Supreme Court ruling, made earlier this year, on the legal definition of a woman. Policy Exchange, a think tank, said in its Biology Matters Compendium, published earlier in June, showed that 'there is still a great deal of ideological capture in the policy and practice of many public institutions'. 'The defence of sex-based rights does not end with a court ruling. It requires persistent scrutiny, open debate, and the courage to challenge ideological orthodoxy wherever it may reside,' it said. The Supreme Court's April judgment overturned a previous interpretation of the law, which had been promoted within the public sector by lobby groups such as Stonewall. Under what these groups insisted was correct, trans-identifying men had to be treated as if they were born female, including giving them access to women's toilets and changing rooms. Some public sector workers felt bound to support this because of Labour's Equality Act 2010, which contains the legally binding 'public sector equality duty' that forces them to promote and fund pro-diversity initiatives. A DfT spokesman defended the Lacuna Agency driverless taxi report by saying it included 'more than 30 references to 'female'.' 'The language used in the report, which was prepared by an external agency, does not impact any relevant legal obligations applying to women,' he said. Lacuna Agency failed to respond to a request for comment. It comes after a recent DfT U-turn on driverless car technology, with Uber announcing this month that it would be trialling such vehicles from spring next year. Previously, the Government had said that fully-driverless car technology would not be introduced until 2027 at the earliest.
Tatler Asia
20-06-2025
- Health
- Tatler Asia
Inside Women's Health in Focus: A global summit driving change in women's healthcare
Women's Health in Focus brought together medical professionals, researchers and wellness enthusiasts at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre over two intensive days On June 16 and 17, Women's Health in Focus: A Global Summit brought together medical professionals, researchers and wellness enthusiasts at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. Hosted by Tatler Front & Female Awards nominee Maaike Steinebach and founder of Femtech Future, a boutique advisory firm for women's health and femtech; and Gen.T honouree Anca Griffiths, CEO and co-founder of OM Health Hub, the gathering addressed the blind spot in modern medicine. 'Anca and I are here because we had a dream, where women truly understand their bodies and feel equipped to take control of their health. A dream where companies recognise that supporting women's health isn't a perk, but smart business and the right thing to do. A dream where investors stop calling women's health 'niche' and start seeing it as one of the fastest moving sectors in innovation.' The Women's Health in Focus's opening discussion featured Alyson J McGregor, author of Sex Matters , and Marjorie Jenkins, who exposed the gender bias embedded in contemporary healthcare with precision. Their panel set the tone for an event that refused to accept the status quo. It revealed that women spend 25 per cent more time in poor health than men on average, a gap which, if closed, could add more than US$1 trillion to the global economy annually by 2040. See also : How a billion-dollar dowry led Gigi Chao to fight for everyone's right to wed and why marriage equality in Hong Kong could finally be within reach Photo 1 of 17 Anca Griffiths and Maaike Steinebach (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 2 of 17 Marjorie Jenkins, Anca Griffiths and Alyson J. McGregor (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 3 of 17 Kristina Snaith-Lense, Maaike Steinebach and Claire Melwani (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 4 of 17 Inside the summit (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 5 of 17 Fiona Nott, Yanie Soo, Sharmeen Shroff and Cassandra Szoeke (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 6 of 17 Inside the summit (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 7 of 17 Christopher Asandra, Lindsay Jang, Isabella Daza and Jill Van Vugt (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 8 of 17 Inside the summit (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 9 of 17 Iza Calzado Wintle served as the event's emcee (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 10 of 17 Jen Wannenmacher served as the event's emcee (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 11 of 17 Anca Griffiths (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 12 of 17 Sara Jane Ho and Maaike Steinebach (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 13 of 17 Inside the summit (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 14 of 17 Elisabeth Sorrentino, Anca Griffiths, Maaike Steinebach and Sarah Vee (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 15 of 17 Inside the summit (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 16 of 17 Inside the summit (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak) Photo 17 of 17 Inside the summit (Photo: courtesy of Nicole Burak)
