Latest news with #transactivism
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Reform council removes trans books from children's section at libraries
A Reform council has removed all transgender-related books from the children's section of its libraries, its leader has announced. Paul Webb, Reform's cabinet member who oversees libraries, said he had made the decision after a 'distressed' member of the public approached him with concerns about trans ideology books in the children's section of a library. Linden Kemkaran, Reform's leader of Kent county council, hailed the decision as a 'victory for common sense'. It is unknown how many books are to be removed or how the council will classify transgender-related books. The authority runs 99 community libraries and five mobile library vans. Reform won the council from the Conservatives, who had controlled it since 1997, as part of a sweep of victories at the local elections in May. In a video posted on X, Mr Webb said: 'I was recently contacted by a concerned member of the public who found trans-ideological material in the children's section of one of our libraries. I have looked into this and this was the case. 'I've today issued an instruction for them all to be removed from the children's section of any of our libraries. 'They do not belong in the children's sections of our libraries. Our children do not need to be told they were born in the wrong bodies. So, from today (July 2) this will stop.' According to a post by Ms Kemkaran on X, the books that appear to be on the removal list include: The Autistic Trans Guide to Life, written by two leading autistic trans activists; How to be a Girl: A Mother's Memoir of Raising her Transgender Daughter and This Arab is Queer, a collection of memoir and personal stories by Arab LGBTQ+ writers. She added: 'Telling children they're in the 'wrong body' is wrong and simply unacceptable.' The decision was criticised by Antony Hook, the Liberal Democrat leader of the opposition, who said: 'It is bizarre that the leader of the council is making announcements on social media, rather than to the council.' Mr Hook told BBC News he had written to the head of Kent library services to ask for an update on what books were to be removed. The move comes as Reform's newly elected council leaders continue their push for the removal of all flags that are not the Union flag or that of the local area. Last month, Monica Fogarty, the chief executive of Warwickshire county council, defied an order from the council's newly elected leader to take down a Pride flag. Zia Yusuf, the head of Reform's department of government efficiency, claimed the refusal showed that 'a coup d'etat is under way in Britain'.
National Post
26-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Leslie Roberts: LGBTQ rights used to be about equality. Now it's about ideological coercion
Every June, rainbow flags fill our streets, storefronts and social media feeds as the world marks Pride Month. As a gay man who remembers a very different time, I feel a genuine sense of pride and gratitude for how far we've come. But I also find myself increasingly uneasy, not about being gay, but about what the LGBTQ movement has become. Article content You won't find me dancing shirtless on a float or wrapped in a feather boa. I'm more likely to be found in the suburbs, where many of us now live, raising children, caring for aging parents and commuting to work. That, too, is what being gay looks like today. And it's a vision of normalcy we fought hard to achieve. Equality, after all, meant being treated like everyone else. Article content Article content Article content But somewhere along the way, the movement changed. What was once a focused, hard-won campaign for equal rights and recognition has been absorbed into a broader cultural project — one that many of us no longer recognize, and increasingly struggle to defend. Article content Article content This is especially true when it comes to the current direction of trans activism, which has not only dominated LGBTQ discourse in recent years, but has also sparked sharp political and cultural backlash. Let's be honest: many in the gay, lesbian and bisexual communities are quietly asking how and why the T became the centrepiece of our shared movement. Article content The transgender cause, particularly as it relates to children and adolescents, raises medical, ethical and social questions that are far more complex than the fight for same-sex marriage or workplace protections ever was. Puberty blockers, irreversible surgeries, pronoun mandates and policies around sports and shared spaces — these are issues that affect not just trans individuals but families, schools and society at large. Article content Article content And yet, to even raise a question about any of this is to risk being branded a bigot. That's not progress. That's ideological coercion. Article content Article content For years, the LGBTQ community stood united because we had to. We faced the same threats: violence, discrimination, marginalization. But that solidarity was based on common ground: sexual orientation. Now, gender identity, a fundamentally different concept, is redefining the movement's priorities, its language and its public image. Article content Let's not forget: many moderates in the gay community stepped back from activism once the major battles were won. When same-sex couples could marry and adopt, when we could live and work without fear of legal consequences, many of us moved on. We integrated into the mainstream. We cut our lawns, raised kids, joined school committees. And in doing so, we believed, perhaps naively, that the struggle was over.
Telegraph
26-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
JK Rowling is right: The Guardian should be embarrassed by this pro-trans propaganda
The Guardian has long been celebrated for its typos. The other day, however, it ran a headline which appeared to have an entire word missing. It read: 'One in three across UK are overdue for cervical cancer screening.' One in three what? Mothers? Midwives? Marchionesses? Members of Bananarama? I scanned the article's intro to locate the mislaid noun. Unfortunately, though, I ended up even more confused. Because the answer turned out to be 'people'. 'A third of people across the UK,' reported someone with the unusual job title of health and inequalities correspondent, 'are overdue their cervical cancer screening, while in parts of England some are at greater risk of the disease than others due to a low uptake for the preventive vaccine.' Naturally, I was alarmed. Because 'a third of people across the UK' includes me. In all my 44 years on this Earth, I've never had a single screening for cervical cancer. Am I in danger? Should I ring my GP and demand a detailed inspection of my cervix as soon as possible? Then again, there is another way to interpret this story. Which is that the poor old Guardian is so desperate not to offend trans activists, it's got itself tied up in knots. Any sane newspaper, after all, would simply have used the word 'women'. But The Guardian daren't do that. Because then it would be besieged by horrified ideologues, irately reminding it that trans women are women but don't need cervical cancer screenings – while trans men are men but do need cervical cancer screenings. To use the word 'women', therefore, is hateful and trans-exclusionary. Sadly, there's just one drawback to The Guardian 's wonderfully inclusive approach. Which is that other readers will be baffled. They'll think: 'Does it mean a third of women? Or a sixth?' As JK Rowling put it on social media: 'This is what happens when you erase the word 'woman' from your reporting: you disseminate inaccuracies and falsehoods. If you prioritise an ideology over giving clear and accurate information, you aren't journalists, you're propagandists.' To be fair to The Guardian, however, it doesn't always get it wrong. Less than a month ago, it ran the headline: 'New AI Test can predict which men will benefit from prostate cancer drug.' So they are clear about the difference between men and women sometimes. When the cancer only affects men, anyway. Still, it would be nice if they and other progressive outlets could be consistent. In an important medical context, such nonsense is enough to give you a thumping headache.
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Trans women say influencer Lilly Tino's 'rage-baiting' posts are putting them at risk
Trans activist Lilly Contino has been condemned by trans women for putting the already marginalized community at risk of even greater 'harm and malice' by reinforcing negative stereotypes in 'ragebait' clips on TikTok. The most recent controversy stemmed from a viral post that included mirror selfies of the 31-year-old as she 'rated' the women's bathrooms at Disney World in Florida - and has spiraled into a call for Lilly to be 'banned' from TikTok and the amusement park. A petition started by a 'concerned parent' has received over 500,000 signatures at the time of writing, as its creator urged the platform to 'carefully evaluate Lilly Tino's presence' on it. Georgia native Lilly - who was born male - rose to fame in 2022 when she came out on professional networking platform LinkedIn, adding: 'Hey, my name is Lilly and I use she/her'. Since then, she has used her social media platforms - with over half a million followers in total - to document her trans journey, but critics within her own community say the influencer is doing more harm than good. Earlier this month, Lilly found herself at the center of a social media storm after she shared a series of selfies taken inside women's bathrooms at Disney World - forcing trans women to publicly declare 'we do not condone' her behavior. The photographs were uploaded to TikTok and showed the reflection of Lilly - wearing different crop tops and Disney Ears headbands - in different mirrors inside the toilets. In a few snaps, other guests at the amusement park are also visible in the background - with several people calling Lilly out for violating the women's privacy. The TikTok has received over 15 million views and 70,000 comments - most of which are critical - at the time of writing as trans women say it's only the latest example of Lilly's brand of content that prioritizes user engagement over the community's safety. Her detractors argue that Lilly's TikTok presents a warped portrayal of trans women with the sole purpose of gaining views and social media clout - without considering how they might adversely impact their well-being in what is already a hostile environment. Secretly recording waitstaff that 'misgender' at American restaurants, 'sneaking' into women's bathrooms, and using corndogs and cake pops to explain sex modification - while surrounded by children at amusement parks - play into transphobic cliches, it is felt. 'I promise you that trans women do not walk around begging to be misgendered or enter women's spaces with the intent of causing a public disturbance - let alone document it and put it online,' Jade Dugger clarified in a strong reaction video to Lilly's Disney clip. 'Because going into several different women's restrooms and rating them online, taking photos in those restrooms, and posting those photos knowing that there are other women in the background is very predatory behavior that we do not condone.' In response to Lilly's admission she 'peed standing up' at the bathroom at Disney World, influencer Amelia Majesty said 'these videos are rapidly decreasing trans acceptance'. She also blasted the American content creator for suggesting trans women don't need to 'disclose' they've had 'their downstairs done' before getting intimate with a partner, adding: 'What is there to disclose? There's no deception.' Shaking her head in disagreement, Amelia replied: 'Trans women need to disclose they're trans before that happens, this is unacceptable and wrong - and it puts the entire community in danger.' She said Lilly's 'advice' - which was widely discredited in the comments - fuels the 'negative stereotype' that trans women are 'trying to trap men, and that's absolutely not true'. According to another creator Dominque Morgan, is that Lilly is the 'product of TikTok' - and uses sensationalism to drive engagement by cosplaying as children's cartoon characters or exaggeratedly describing how being 'misgendered' created an 'unsafe' or 'threatening' environment. Trans influencer Seana Momsen dismissed Lilly by saying 'I don't think' of her, adding: 'I think she just rage-baits for the views, for the money and she's quite dramatic with her pieces.' Reacting to videos of Lilly expressing profound hurt at being misgendered - including leaving restaurants despite receiving an apology - Seana added that 'we're not at the place where everyone is going to default' to gender-neutral pronouns. Lilly has since addressed the backlash in a separate video - that has been viewed over eight million times - as she doubled-down on her decision to post the bathroom ratings in a statement that, many felt, missed the point. Lilly said bathroom selfies were a common fixture of celebrity's social media profiles as she added: 'And it's not just celebrities. Any woman you ever meet has likely taken a photo in a public bathroom. 'So, what is different about me that I'm not allowed to take bathroom selfies?' She argued that people judge trans women differently 'depending on how well they pass' or whether they 'look trans'. 'I know that I don't pass, trust me I know,' she continued. 'But passing privilege is a real thing. 'There are some trans women out there who will never be able to pass. Do they deserve to be treated differently? No! They should be able to take bathroom selfies too.' She dismissed the privacy concerns in relation to the women that appeared in the background of the now-contentious clips - after some social media users cited the Florida statute 810.145 that prohibits 'digital voyeurism' in places where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy like bathrooms. Lilly asserted that 'law only applied to buildings owned or leased' by the state, before adding: 'And even if it wasn't allowed, who cares! Let us tinkle in peace.' Reacting to the statement, TikTok users pointed out celebrity bathroom selfies don't typically 'have people in the background' as they said 'not everything is transphobia'. Lilly's visit to the Happiest Place on Earth has taken on a distinctively unhappy twist in view of the backlash - but the bathroom selfies aren't the only thing people have complained about. She was called out by internet users after she refused to eat her meal at Tiffins Restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park after the waiter accidentally misgendered her. She was eating Tiffins Restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park and the waiter was explaining the first course when he used the male pronoun. Despite the employee instantly apologizing, Lilly explained in her video about the incident that she 'no longer felt safe' at the restaurant. She ultimately decided she didn't want to eat there anymore because she knew she wouldn't 'enjoy' the food with her 'guard up.' The content creator ended up not having to pay for the food or her drink, but the interaction left some viewers disgruntled. In the now-viral video, Lilly was seen sitting at the table as the waiter brought out her first course, the $18 Tiffins Signature Bread Service. But as the waiter was explaining where all the different breads came from, he called Lilly, who was wearing a blue, cropped tank top, white jean shorts, and pink Minnie ears with a bow, 'sir.' 'It's coconut bread from Thailand?' Lilly asked, to which the waiter replied, 'Yes sir.' 'It's ma'am,' Lilly quickly corrected him. 'Ma'am, I'm sorry. My bad sir,' the flustered waiter said. Afterwards, Lilly reflected on the moment to the camera, explaining: 'That totally sucked the joy out of this bread tower.' Controversial: Lilly's interaction with the waiter has since gone viral, gaining million of views on both of her platforms 'It makes me want to immediately leave because I no longer feel safe here. Now my guard has to be up. 'I'm not gonna enjoy this bread as much because my guard is up. We should be able to go places and not have to worry.' The video then cut to Lilly flagging down a waiter, and telling them: 'I don't think I want this bread tower, actually, I'd rather have the check if that's okay. 'I think their training says they're supposed to say "friend" and not used gendered language, it's a pretty big thing that Disney has done,' Lilly told the camera in another clip. 'Nothing was wrong with the bread, I just don't want it anymore. Just because they apologized doesn't mean [I] don't feel sad or offended. 'Have you accidentally ever hurt someone and said, "I'm so sorry, it's an accident?" Do you expect them to be like, "Oh, it was an accident, of course, no problem whatsoever. All of that hurt is now undone." That's not how it works.' It appeared that Lilly didn't have to pay for the uneaten bread or her soda. In one final clip, a staff member at the restaurant was heard apologizing to Lilly once again, before he told her that her drink was 'also on him,' seemingly confirming the bread was free too. 'They meant well but it still hurts,' Lilly captioned the clip. In March 2022, it was announced that Disney World staff members, as well recordings throughout the parks, would no longer include 'gendered greetings' like 'boys and girls' or 'ladies and gentleman.' In December 2022, the same year that Lilly came out, she said that bullies and drug addiction stopped her from realizing her gender for 27 years. It was only when she got clean did she understand her gender identity - after relocating to San Francisco from Atlanta and went to Target to buy a dress and 'put on a wig'. She added: 'It was a bittersweet moment because I thought there's something here, it's the answer to my emptiness and loneliness, I've been living a lie. 'I kept it a secret and I would try on clothes and makeup - it was a cocoon and I was figuring it out on my own.' By December 2020 Lilly was sure of her true identity and knew her name instantly. She said: 'Like many trans people, I'd been playing videogames for years and I would always pick girls and call them Lilly.' She gained a mentor, a trans woman in 2020 called Eve who helped her to discover herself and answer any questions she had. In October 2021, she told her best friends Deborah and Jake on a trip to Atlanta - before coming out to her parents and brother. Lilly started wearing dresses and make-up and was prescribed the hormones spironolactone in May 2021, a male hormone suppressant, progesterone and later oestrogen. She added: 'Taking progesterone helps the boobs and my emotions run hotter. I cry a lot better now.' Lilly worries for trans women who don't have insurance to pay for hormones, and says many are resorting to buying hormones off the black market. She added: 'There is a global shortage of oestrogen and progesterone right now.' Lilly has since undergone FFS - with the influencer revealing her new face on TikTok. In 2023, Lilly revealed she was verbally assaulted at a restaurant in San Francisco while she was dining with her dog at the Cheesecake Factory. In the clip, the woman can be heard describing herself as a TERF - or a trans-exclusionary radical feminist - before threatening Lilly with physical violence.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour STILL cannot decide what a woman is: Weeks after trans ruling, party axes women's conference to avoid protests
Labour last night scrapped its annual women's conference rather than face legal challenges and protests if it continued to admit transgender women. The party's governing body was attacked by both women's rights campaigners and transgender activists over the decision as it wrestled with the consequences of the landmark Supreme Court ruling on single-sex services. Meanwhile, in a parliamentary debate on Monday, four Labour MPs called for transgender people to be allowed to 'self-identify' as the opposite sex, revealing the depth of opposition within the party to the judgment, despite ministers saying they will abide by it. A Labour Party spokesman said: 'Labour must ensure all party procedures comply with the Supreme Court's clear ruling. Labour is clear that everyone in our society deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.' At a meeting of Labour's National Executive Committee yesterday, members voted to rewrite policies aimed at boosting women's involvement in politics on the basis of the court ruling, so that they apply only to those born female and no longer include men who identify as women. Background papers warned: 'To do otherwise would expose the party to significant risk of direct and indirect discrimination claims succeeding.' But the NEC also agreed to indefinitely postpone this year's National Women's Conference, a day-long event with speeches from leading MPs, due to be held in September, rather than let it go ahead with a ban on trans women. Background papers said there was a 'significant risk of legal challenge to the event as it currently operates' and warned: 'There may be protests and heightened security risks to staff and attendees should the event go ahead.' Labour Women's Declaration said: 'We're pleased that the party has at long last decided to follow the advice we have been giving them since 2019 and to comply with the 2010 Equality Act. 'And it's right that all the party's positive action measures to support women's representation and participation will now be for women only. 'But, having finally confirmed the correct basis for participation in women's structures in the party, the cancellation of this women's conference is ridiculous and unnecessary.'
