News you need, the perspective you won’t find anywhere else. The trans community’s guide to UK news, media and politics and our place in it.

The Trans Agenda

[9 March 2025]

Follow me on Bluesky – @HLeeHurley.substack.com

Transgender: How do you know by H Lee Hurley

UK & IRELAND NEWS

Edinburgh Women’s Aid turns its back on trans women in a shocking betrayal of its values [Edinburgh Evening News]

  • In a disturbing move, Edinburgh Women’s Aid (EWA) has announced it will bar transgender women and non-binary people from its services, ignoring the clear guidance of Scottish Women’s Aid, which has long been trans-inclusive. This decision, which denies vulnerable trans women access to domestic abuse support, including refuge spaces, is a cruel betrayal of its founding principles and a capitulation to anti-trans rhetoric.

    Citing exemptions under the Equality Act 2010, EWA is attempting to justify its discriminatory policy, despite overwhelming evidence that trans women face high rates of domestic abuse and desperately need safe spaces. The move is not about safeguarding, it is about appeasing transphobic pressure groups that have targeted domestic abuse services with abuse, misinformation, and fearmongering.

    By shutting its doors to trans women, Edinburgh Women’s Aid has abandoned its duty to support all survivors, setting a dangerous precedent that could embolden other organisations to follow suit. This exclusionary policy must be condemned and reversed.

IPSO proves once again it is unfit for purpose on trans issues

  • In yet another predictable failure, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) has ruled in favour of the anti-trans propaganda broadsheet The Daily Telegraph after the paper deliberately misgendered a transgender footballer, referring to her as a “biological male”, something they are doing with more regularity. The term, widely recognised as a transphobic dog whistle, was defended by the regulator as “relevant” to discussions on transgender athletes, despite the clear harm it causes and the fact it is not relevant at all.


    IPSO, a toothless, industry-run body, has a long history of failing trans people, consistently siding with newspapers that push libellous, inflammatory and misleading narratives. The Telegraph, one of the most fiercely anti-trans publications in the UK, celebrated the ruling, as it continues its relentless campaign against trans inclusion in society. The decision sends yet another dangerous signal that UK media can continue to dehumanise trans people without consequence.

Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull gets her own section in HOPE not hate’s State of HATE 2025 report [Hope not hate]

Unite calls for politicians to be banned from Pride

THE PAPERS

This week, the papers brought us something quite different in the form of a long interview with Caroline Litman, the mother of Alice, who tragically took her own life. I knew this article was coming and, I’m sure Caroline won’t mind me telling you, that she agonised over whether or not to give the interview to the Times considering the damage they have done. But her story, and that of her daughter, is an important one to tell and the Times’ audience is large. Laura Pullman, who wrote the piece, gave assurances and I’m pleased to see that she was true to her word, although I could nit-pick some things. The piece, like Caroline’s book, “Her Name is Alice”, will tear at your heart and, while trans people will read both, they are really for cis people. Encourage them all to seek the book out especially.

Although the topic of that interview, which you can see below, is not positive, I am classing the article as such.

As for the rest of the papers, they are as you would expect, although slightly quieter this week as they were occupied with Donald Trump’s Ukraine madness.

The Telegraph ramped up their attacks on the puberty blocker trial, despite it being recommended by Cass and Cass being the Bible when it comes to UK trans healthcare. ‘Cass is a landmark study’, they say, and everybody must listen to all of it, except that bit over there, it seems.

The Telegraph had eight pieces this week, the same as last week, while the Mail and Times only managed five between them (three and two, with that three also including the interview with Caroline). The Guardian/Observer had nothing. Sonia Sodha has, by my calculation, six chances left to reproduce her one column before the Observer joins Tortoise and she joins the ranks of the unemployed.

In total, there were 13 articles, one positive and 12 attacks. There was one neutral piece that I haven’t counted as it was a correction from the Telegraph which, unlike all their other corrections, they were not happy at having to correct the record.

The Mail, Telegraph and Times are all still ignoring what Trump and the Republicans are doing to trans people in the States.

Quoted, mentioned or featured this week: Ash Regan, Bayswater, Cass, Charlie Kirk, Christian Concern, David Spencer, Donald Trump, Keira Bell, Nigel Farage, Our Duty, Paul Contrathe, Policy Exchange, Reem Alsalem, Sharron Davies, Stephen Kerr (Tory MP)

Whose bylines were on all these articles? David Barrett, Sue Reid, Matt Dathan, Oliver Brown, Simon Johnson, David Bell, Jack Blackburn, Kieran Kelly, Michael Deacon, Michael Searles, Laura Pullman*

*Sunday Times magazine interview with Caroline Litman, do not add to any ‘bad’ lists

Spotted or know something you think I should include in the Trans Agenda?

THE PAPERS Monday 3 March – Sunday 9 March

Monday Total: 0

Tuesday Total: 0

Wednesday Total: 0

Thursday Total: 4

The Guardian [0]
The Times [1]
Minority and trans criminals could avoid jail under new rules Matt Dathan - Home Affairs Editor Ethnic minority and transgender criminals may be more likely to avoid prison under controversial changes to sentencing guidelines that take effect next month. Updated guidance sent to judges says that they should consider whether an offender is from an ethnic, cultural orreligious minority when deciding whether to impose a custodial or community sentence. Other factors include whether an offender has disclosed that they are transgender, according to the Sentencing Council, an independent body that provides guidance for judges and courts to ensure consistency and transparency across the country. The new guidance has sparked claims of a “two-tier” sentencing policy that treats ethnic minorities favourably. Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, was unaware of the new guidance before it was published yesterday and said she would request its reversal. A Ministry of Justice source said she was “incandescent” when made aware. Mahmood said: “The Sentencing Council is entirely independent. These guidelines do not represent my views or the views of this government. I will be writing to the council to register my displeasure and recommend reversing this change to guidance. “As someone who is from an ethnic minority background myself, I do not stand for any differential treatment before the law, for anyone of any kind. “There will never be a two-tier sentencing approach under my watch.” Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, called the guidance “completely outrageous” and said it confirmed claims made after the Southport riots last summer of a two-tier approach to sentencing in England and Wales. He said: “Under this guidance there is Change to sentencing rules blatant discrimination against straight white men.” He added: “Under ‘Two-Tier Keir’, our justice system is set to have an antiwhite and anti-Christian bias. Starmer sneered at people who said we have a two-tier justice system — and Angela Rayner labelled them ‘conspiracy theorists’. But here we have it in black and white. It’s unarguable.” Minutes from a meeting of the Sentencing Council that rubber-stamped the guidelines on January 24 reveal that a senior Ministry of Justice official was present at the meeting. However, sources close to Mahmood said the changes were not flagged to ministers. A Labour source pointed out that the last government was aware of the change in guidance during a consultation that ended in February last year. Under the guidance, which take effect from April 1, judges and courts must consider a wider range of factors pertaining to an offender’s background when deciding whether to impose a community or custodial sentence. The guidance relates to the pre-sentence report, drawn up when an offender is from a cohort that judges and courts may deem relevant when considering a sentence. The council states that such a report can be “pivotal in helping the court decide whether to impose a custodial or community order and, where relevant, what particular requirements or combination of requirements are most suitable for an individual offender on either a community order or a suspended custodial sentence”. The new guidance adds factors such as whether an offender is from an “ethnic minority, cultural minority and/or faith minority community”, and whether an offender has disclosed that they are transgender. Existing factors taken into consideration when deciding the type of sentence include whether an offender has previously served a custodial sentence; is a young adult aged 18 to 25; is a woman; is pregnant or post-natal; has addiction issues; is suffering from a chronic medical condition or physical disability or mental ill health; or is a victim of domestic abuse. The council insisted that the guidance does not dictate the sentence but simply gives additional information and context to courts when considering the nature of the sentence. A source pointed out that some demographic cohorts suffer disadvantages in the criminal justice system. The changes were based on research that included evidence showing the proportion of black offenders receiving a community order has been lower than the proportion of white offenders. The Sentencing Council, while independent, reports to the Ministry of Justice. It was set up in 2010 and the current chairman is Lord Justice William Davis, a Court of Appeal judge. He took over the role in August 2022.
Daily Mail [2]
NEW TWO-TIER JUSTICE FIASCO Ethnic minority and transgender criminals should get special treatment under rules Tories say could mean softer sentences Daily Mail6 Mar 2025By David Barrett Home Affairs Editor LABOUR faced fresh accusations of a ‘two-tier justice system’ last night amid astonishing moves to give minorities special treatment in court. All ethnic minorities and transgender people convicted of a crime should be treated differently, according to measures due to come into force next month. The Conservatives said they could open the door to softer sentences for minorities, and risked making the courts ‘anti-white and anti-Christian’. And it reignited the row that erupted after last summer’s riots, when critics said different groups were treated differently by the justice system. The new rules, distributed to magistrates and judges by the Sentencing Council yesterday, say it must ‘normally be considered necessary’ for the courts to commission a ‘pre-sentence report’ about criminals if they come from ‘an ethnic minority, cultural minority, and/or faith minority community’. The move, which came following lobbying by the respective groups, would also apply to all women and transgender criminals, as well as others such as young adults and addicts. Pre-sentence reports often set out reasons why a jail sentence would be detrimental for an offender. Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said the new measures – which take effect on April 1 – would ‘make a custodial sentence less likely’. He added: ‘Sir Keir Starmer sneered at people who said we have a two-tier justice system. But here we have it in black and white. ‘This is an inversion of the rule of the law. We now have two-tier justice under “Two-Tier Keir”. ‘Under this guidance, our justice system is set to have an anti-white and anti-Christian bias. There is blatant discrimination against straight white men.’ Tory minister Neil O’Brien said on X: ‘What the actual hell – this is just raw two-tier justice.’ After appearing to deny the effect of the guidelines, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood later insisted she would try to reverse them. The new measures completely undermine Labour’s flat denial of a two-tier justice system, leading sources to say Ms Mahmood was ‘incandescent’ when presented with them. David Spencer, of think-tank Policy Exchange and a former detective chief inspector with the Metropolitan Police, said: ‘We shouldn’t be surprised that so many people are convinced there is a two-tier justice system when judges are told to apply completely different standards for women, ethnic minorities and transgender people.’ After being confronted about the changes in the Commons yesterday, Ms ‘This is just raw two-tier justice’ Mahmood issued a statement expressing her ‘displeasure’ at the Sentencing Council’s measures. ‘Today’s updated guidelines do not represent my views or the views of this Government,’ she said. ‘I will be writing to the Sentencing Council to register my displeasure and to recommend reversing this change to guidance. ‘As someone who is from an ethnic minority background myself, I do not stand for any differential treatment before the law, for anyone of any kind. ‘There will never be a two-tier sentencing approach under my watch.’ Ms Mahmood insisted the Sentencing Council, which draws up rules which must be followed by judges and magistrates, was ‘entirely independent’. But Mr Jenrick accused her of ‘trying to play dumb’ because her officials attended meetings when the changes were decided upon. It reignited the ‘two-tier’ accusations after last summer’s riots, when critics said police acted more harshly against white, far-Right protesters than they did against other demonstrators, such as those aligned with Black Lives Matter. Reform Party leader Nigel Farage said at the time that the ‘impression of twotier policing has become widespread’. His claim was rejected by Sir Keir and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Sentencing Council chairman Lord Justice William Davis said: ‘The guideline emphasises the crucial role played by pre-sentence reports (PSRs) in this process and identifies particular cohorts for whom evidence suggests PSRs might be of particular value to the court. ‘PSRs provide the court with information about the offender; they are not an indication of sentence.’ Article Name:NEW TWO-TIER JUSTICE FIASCO Publication:Daily Mail Author:By David Barrett Home Affairs Editor Start Page:1 End Page:1
Telegraph [1]
Corrections and Clarifications The Daily Telegraph6 Mar 2025 An article “Transgender police officers to be allowed to strip-search women” (Feb 25) set out some requirements when applying for a gender recognition certificate. We wish to clarify an applicant needs reports from two doctors or a doctor and clinical psychologist, with one confirming gender dysphoria (and any gender affirming treatment), in addition to providing relevant personal evidence, including having lived in their affirmed gender for the previous two years.
School put transitioning girl, 8, ‘on a path to self-destruction’ The Daily Telegraph6 Mar 2025By Telegraph Reporters A CHRISTIAN teacher who was sacked after refusing to call an eight-year-old girl by male pronouns has accused the school of putting the child “on a path to self-destruction”. The teacher, who cannot be named, was dismissed after raising concerns about the safeguarding of a girl who wanted to “socially transition”. Supported by advocacy group Christian Concern, the teacher, who is referred to only as A, has sued Nottinghamshire county council, which runs the school, on the grounds of victimisation for whistle-blowing, unfair dismissal and discrimination because of her Christian beliefs. In her witness statement, Ms A said she was told by the school in 2021 that a child who had been born female, referred to as Child X, would be joining her class but was asked to refer to the child with a male name, which left her uncomfortable. The teacher said staff were provided with literature largely informed by the campaign group Stonewall that was “trans-affirming”, biased and was “ideologically informed and promoted gender ideology over scientific fact”. She said she felt referring to the child using male pronouns would cause “irreversible harm” and that it was “coercive and disrespectful” of the school to make her. Ms A said she felt she needed to ‘She accepted gender dysphoria but said “we should have the humility to put reality first”’ “speak up” about the potential harm the school’s approach could cause Child X. A said she adhered to so-called “gender-critical” beliefs that “being male or female is an immutable biological fact”. She said she accepted gender dysphoria is “a real problem for some people” but that “we should have the humility to put God-given reality first”. She is said to have raised her concerns with the school’s head who told her she had no choice but to use Child X’s preferred pronouns because it was the parent’s request and that she had to “go along with it”. In her witness statement, the teacher said she felt the school was “encouraging Child X on a path to self-destruction”. Ms A said she felt the school had ignored her attempts to navigate the situation by using a gender-neutral name for the child and had shown a “draconian” response to her concerns. The tribunal, which is expected to last until March 14, continues. A teacher at a £17,000-a-year private school who was unfairly sacked after he let his pupils take off their Coivid face coverings has won more than £8,000. Henry Howlett told students they could take their masks off “if they felt anxious” or uncomfortable at a school talent show during the pandemic, an employment tribunal in south London heard. The teacher was sacked from Michael Hall School at Forest Row in December 2020. The judge said his sacking was a “dishonest”, money-driven and “opportunistic”. Article Name:School put transitioning girl, 8, ‘on a path to self-destruction’ Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:By Telegraph Reporters Start Page:10 End Page:10

Friday Total: 4

The Guardian [0]
The Times [1]
Transphobia drives Trump TMS diary@thetimes.co.uk | @timesdiary Jack Blackburn With Donald Trump leaving Britain and France to support Ukraine, the entente is now not just cordiale but essentielle. Nevertheless, we two old allies are even older enemies, and there’s room for mockery still. In this case, France has been laughing at our not exactly independent nuclear deterrent which is leased from the US. Satirical paper Le Canard enchaîné pointed this out and now President Macron is waving his missiles in our face, saying that France’s nukes are “independent from beginning to end” — end being the operative word when it comes to nuclear weapons. At least the French are also having a laugh at Trump. Their joke is: “Of course he is now against the transatlantic alliance. Trump hates anything trans.”
Daily Mail [0]
Telegraph [3]
Telegraph cleared over transgender term The Daily Telegraph7 Mar 2025 The use of the term “biological male” when describing a trans athlete has been vindicated after The Telegraph described a transgender footballer signed for a women’s team as a biological male. The player complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that the term constituted a “transphobic dog whistle”. The press watchdog rejected this, saying that the use of the term was “relevant” to the issues raised by a biological male competing for a female team. Sport: Page 8 Article Name:Telegraph cleared over transgender term Publication:The Daily Telegraph Start Page:1 End Page:1
Finally, the truth is out – fighting for women’s sport is not anti-trans Press watchdog vindicates Telegraph by ruling that the key term ‘biological male’ is justified in gender debate The Daily Telegraph7 Mar 2025Oliver Brown Chief Sports Writer Battleground: Sutton United women’s trans goalkeeper Blair Hamilton (above); boxer Imane Khelif triumphs at the Paris Olympics (left) despite failing sex tests Sex is real, and it matters. In sport, this elemental truth cannot be affirmed loudly enough. It is impossible to mount any effective defence of the female category without first stating why the inclusion of transgender athletes compromises its integrity, namely because they are biologically male. When the fundamental physiological differences related to sex – whether muscle mass, bone density, or cardiovascular capacity – directly influence performance and fairness, the very term “biological male” becomes a crucial clarifying term for the characteristics that affect competition. So far, so uncontroversial, you might think. And yet when I described Blair Hamilton, a transgender goalkeeper signed for Sutton United Women by a transgender manager, as a biological male in these pages last September, the player complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that the label constituted a “transphobic dog whistle”. According to this argument, the description disregarded Hamilton’s “lived experience and affirmed gender identity”, not to mention “personal journey as a transgender woman”. Six months on, the press watchdog has rejected this complaint, instead determining that Telegraph Sport’s use of the term was “genuinely relevant” to the issues raised by a biologically male goalkeeper competing for a female football team. “The committee did not consider that the term in the context in which it had been used was belittling or demeaning to the complainant, nor insulting in a manner that it considered pejorative or prejudicial,” it added. The verdict marks a significant watershed. It can seem sometimes in this debate as if we have passed through the looking glass, with years of pandering to self-id lobbyists threatening a situation where athletes had to be accepted as whatever sex they purported to be. Somehow, this fallacy reached the highest levels of global sport, with the International Olympic Committee’s former medical director Dr Richard Budgett infamously declaring in 2021: “Everybody accepts that trans women are women.” Au contraire, Dr Budgett. In 2025, the conclusion of the UK press regulator flies in the face of that ludicrous pronouncement, supporting a report that trans women are in fact biological males – and establishing that it is legitimate for journalists to remind their readers of this essential, indisputable fact. Welcoming the Telegraph vindication, Reem Alsalem, the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, said of IPSO’S “genuinely relevant” finding: “Sports encapsulate the relevance in very compelling ways. I still can’t believe that biological sex is considered in many circles to be equivalent to the N-word: heretical, outdated, delusional, irrelevant, and hateful. This in 2025.” Sharron Davies, swimming’s former Olympic silver medallist who has campaigned tirelessly for fair sport for women, said: “I’m extremely happy to see that common sense has won the day and that we can call male footballers stealing places from female athletes, in a category for females, exactly what they are: biological males. How insane that we are even in this ridiculous position. I thank the Telegraph for fighting for fair and safe sport for all our young women. We must stand together and say, ‘No more’.” The IPSO ruling places the immutable laws of human biology above emotive personal testimony. Hamilton, who in addition to being a goalkeeper in a women’s team is an academic specialising in the impact of gender-affirmative care on the athletic performance of transgender athletes, had appealed for a definition of womanhood “beyond mere anatomy”, rejecting any reference to being biologically male on the grounds that this “inaccurately reflected an outdated understanding that did not account for the complexity of gender”. Except anatomy is not some frivolous detail here. It is the centrepiece of the discussion: that men and women are different, and that the delineation of sports by sex serves as a crucial protection for fairness and safety. For too long, there has been a form of coerced speech on this subject, where pronouns mattered more than practicalities, where affirmation was prized above accuracy. It is still enraging to recall Thomas Bach, the outgoing IOC president, declaring at the height of last summer’s boxing scandal at the Paris Olympics that womanhood could somehow be validated by an “F” in an athlete’s passport. But by degrees, the atmosphere is changing. Only last month, World Athletics announced plans to include a cheek swab test for all elite athletes who wanted to compete as women. The message is unmistakable: that the only true gauge of eligibility is biology. Now journalists should no longer feel cowed into toeing the activists’ line. It is critical that all those seeking to report the science are not intimidated into falsifying reality or fooling their readership. I hope, too, that this IPSO decision has repercussions beyond the industry. I know of academics who have been furiously rebuked within their profession for going down the “biological male” route, even when they are guilty of nothing more than the faithful recording of facts. So, let us throw out the reflexive accusations of transphobia once and for all. This, ultimately, is about honest and transparent reporting of an issue at the heart of fair play. “Transphobic dog whistle”? How about just settling for the truth? Article Name:Finally, the truth is out – fighting for women’s sport is not anti-trans Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:Oliver Brown Chief Sports Writer Start Page:8 End Page:8
Treat bearded trans workers as women, NHS staff asked The Daily Telegraph7 Mar 2025By Simon Johnson Scottish Political editor NHS staff should treat trans colleagues with beards as women if they self-identify as female, official guidance has said. Training materials for NHS Scotland workers asked them to consider the fictional case of “Lucy”, a 29-year-old trans nurse who had yet to formally change their name from Lee. The cultural humility training module stated that Lucy “is still producing facial hair which is exposed” and that some other staff are unhappy correcting patients when they use male terms to describe the nurse. The module stated that “discrimination against Lucy will not be tolerated” and the staff “have a duty (under equality law) to use the correct name and pronouns for Lucy”. In addition, the training endorses the rollout of gender-neutral lavatories, claiming they “promote equality by eliminating the need for people to conform to traditional gender norms”. The training scenarios, prepared by the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) agency, also said that people can decide for themselves “whether they identify as disabled”. The content of the materials was disclosed by The Times as John Swinney was forced to deny that Scotland’s gender self-id policies are “state sponsored abuse of human rights”.
‘It’s nonsensical to demand staff ignore biological reality and participate in an enforced illusion’ Ash Regan, a former SNP minister who quit Nicola Sturgeon’s government in protest at self-id legislation, told the First Minister to apologise to women for the “attack” on women’s rights. Mr Swinney told First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood that he had shown “leadership” on the protection of women and girls. However, he recently backed the right of trans Scottish government staff who self-identify as women to use female lavatories and changing rooms. The exchanges came in the wake of an employment tribunal in Scotland about the right of trans people to access female-only areas. NHS Fife accused Sandie Peggie, a nurse, of misconduct after she challenged the presence of Dr Beth Upton, who was born male but identifies as a woman, in female facilities at Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy. Stephen Kerr, a Scottish Tory MSP, said “It is nonsensical to demand staff and patients ignore biological reality and participate in an enforced illusion. The training materials were produced in December 2023. But after being approached for comment, NES deleted the scenario on gender neutral bathrooms. An NES spokesman said: “The Times article is incorrect. We are not telling staff what to do or say. This is simply a document to help staff discuss equality topics in the workplace.”
Why I’m sounding the alarm on the next trans scandal It beggars belief that, after the Cass Review, we would even consider a clinical trial of puberty blockers The Daily Telegraph7 Mar 2025david Bell Dr David Bell was a governor of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Few issues in contemporary medicine have generated as much controversy as the use of puberty blockers in gender distressed children. The Government, responding to the findings of the Cass Review, has rightly banned the prescription of these drugs. Many other countries have, too. However the Government last week announced an £11 million clinical trial of these medicines to gather evidence of their effects. This raises a fundamental question: can a clinical trial of puberty blockers on children experiencing gender distress be done ethically? The answer, upon scrutiny, is a resounding “no”. I have witnessed firsthand the grave dangers posed by the rush to medicalise childhood gender distress. As a former psychiatrist at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, I was one of the whistleblowers who raised concerns about the practices at the now shuttered Gender Identity Development Service (Gids). What we uncovered was a service driven more by ideology than by robust clinical reasoning. Many distressed children, often same-sex attracted and with autistic comorbidities, were put on a medical pathway to transition by some clinicians who had been captured by “trans” ideology and, as a result, cast aside ordinary sound clinical judgment. A clinical trial risks repeating these ethical failures. These trials are governed by rigorous ethical and legal standards, designed to protect participants from harm. The foundation of these standards is the Declaration of Helsinki, alongside the Good Clinical Practice guidelines and the UK’S Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations. These frameworks exist to ensure that the benefits of any new medical intervention outweigh the risks. The Cass Review has made it clear that the evidence base for the safety and effectiveness of puberty blockers is extraordinarily weak, and that their risks are significant. Existing studies suggest serious concerns, including negative impacts on bone density, cognitive development, and future sexual function. Further, over 95 per cent of children started on a medical pathway will proceed to cross sex hormones and many to surgical intervention. Thus starting any child on PBS is freighted with that knowledge, and of course the ethical implications of that knowledge. To be clear, the prescription of puberty blockers in the context of a trial would, in effect, introduce a known risk of systemic physical harm to a physically healthy child. To put it mildly, this is a divergence from normal clinical trial practice. One of the core principles of medical research is that a clinical trial must seek to answer a question that cannot be resolved by other means. Yet in the case of puberty blockers, safer research avenues remain unexplored. We should be conducting robust long-term follow-up studies of those who have already undergone such treatment, qualitative research into the experiences of the growing numbers of detransitioners, and further animal studies to understand the biological impact of these drugs on adolescent brain development. Another major ethical concern is the question of informed consent. Children under 16 cannot legally provide informed consent for a Clinical Trial of an Investigational Medicinal Product, meaning that parental consent would be required. Yet, given the politicised environment surrounding gender identity, it is difficult to see how true informed consent can be obtained. For example, parents, subjected to trans activist narratives claiming that refusal to provide puberty blockers increases their child’s risk of suicide, will not be in a position to make a free and uncoerced decision. The argument that puberty blockers prevent suicide is completely unsubstantiated. For example, a recent Finnish study found no significant difference in suicide rates among youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria when adjusted for mental health comorbidities. In the UK, Professor Louis Appleby, the leading authority on suicide prevention, has called for caution on the use of false assertions as regard risk of suicide in this group. Informed consent is meaningless when it is obtained under conditions of misinformation and fear. There are moments in medical history when the imperative to “pause and reflect” must override the drive to push forward. Now is one such moment. Given the absence of an established safety profile, the lack of high-quality evidence supporting their efficacy, and the well-documented risks, any such trial would violate our ethical and regulatory frameworks. The medical community, politicians, and regulators need to draw a line under this scandalous piece of medical history. Instead of experimenting on confused children with medical interventions that do more harm than good, we should be dedicating our resources to understanding and addressing the root causes of gender distress, researching psychosocial treatments and following up on the 9,000 children who went through Gids. Let us not repeat mistakes of the past. Read More at telegraph.co.uk/opinion Article Name:Why I’m sounding the alarm on the next trans scandal Publication:The Daily Telegraph Author:david Bell Dr David Bell was a governor of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust Start Page:15 End Page:15

Saturday Total: 3

The Guardian [0]
The Times [0]
Daily Mail [0]
Telegraph [3]
Newsom breaks with Democrats over trans women sports rules The Daily Telegraph - Saturday8 Mar 2025By Kieran Kelly Gavin Newsom, and This is I completely agree with you on that… it’s deeply unfair. We’ve got to own that. We’ve got to acknowledge it.” During the 75-minute show, Mr Newsom sought to distance himself from the use of pronouns, criticised Gavin Newsom is tipped to run for president in 2028 GAVIN NEWSOM said it is “deeply unfair” to allow transgender women and girls to compete in female sports in a break with many Democrats. The California governor, who is tipped to run for president in 2028, has long been seen as a trailblazer on LGBT rights, defying state law to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples in 2004 when mayor of San Francisco. He made the comments on the first episode of his podcast, where he plans to have “honest discussions with people that agree disagree with us”. His first guest, Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old Trump campaigner, had accused Democrats of being out of touch on transgender participation in sports. Mr Newsom responded: “I think it’s an issue of fairness. cancel culture and described defunding the police as “lunacy”. His comments on transgender participation in sports signal a break from his party’s position and comes just days after Democrat senators blocked a Republican bill to bar trans women and girls from female sports teams. The comments sparked a backlash from Democrats – and surprise among Republicans. “We woke up profoundly sickened and frustrated by these remarks,” read a statement from California’s LGBT legislative caucus. Bill Essayli, a Republican politician serving in the California State Assembly, told ABC News he was “stunned” to hear Mr Newsom’s remarks. “We’ve been saying this for years. I’m stunned today he’s admitted it. I just don’t know if it’s genuine or not, because he’s not just some political commentator, he’s the governor. “He has the ability to change this policy, and I don’t think he will,” he said. Mr Essayli called on the California governor to issue an executive order to require students to play on sports teams consistent with their sex at birth. Currently, students can play on teams consistent with their gender identity. The rule has been in place since 2013. Transgender participation in sports was repeatedly brought up by Donald Trump during his election campaign. On Feb 5, he signed an executive order that prevents transgender women from competing in female sports categories. Article Name:Newsom breaks with Democrats over trans women sports rules Publication:The Daily Telegraph - Saturday Author:By Kieran Kelly Gavin Newsom, and This is Start Page:14 End Page:14
Puberty blockers The Daily Telegraph - Saturday8 Mar 2025 In the wake of the Cass Review’s report on the use of puberty blockers in treating children presenting with confusion and distress over their gender, the government rightly acted to ban their use. The evidence of benefits was too slim, and the safety risk to those taking these drugs too great, to justify their continued prescription to vulnerable children. A temporary ban put in place in May last year was accordingly made permanent in December. While this policy remains in place, however, there now appears to be a potential backdoor to their continued use in Britain. The announcement of a clinical trial of puberty blockers in children raises the spectre of potentially large numbers receiving these drugs with the justification that the programme is necessary to gather evidence on their efficacy. But the suspicion remains that this is merely a politically acceptable cover for their continued provision. There is a growing body of literature on the effects of giving puberty blockers to children, and a known risk profile associated with their use. There seems to be little justification for this new trial, even if it would be ideologically convenient for progressive activists. Instead of pouring millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money into this project, it would surely be better if the Government were to follow up on the outcomes of those treated prior to the ban. As things stand, we appear to be preparing to treat another generation of children as guinea pigs. Article Name:Puberty blockers Publication:The Daily Telegraph - Saturday Start Page:15 End Page:15
Way of the World Michael Deacon The Daily Telegraph - Saturday8 Mar 2025 No matter what Donald Trump may have done in the past week or so, I doubt many Americans regret voting for him yet. If only because the Democrats seem hell-bent on reminding them why they did. Take what happened on Thursday. Gavin Newsom – the Democratic governor of California – had just plucked up the courage to admit that letting trans women (ie, males) compete in female sports is “unfair”. Well, of course it’s unfair. And in contact sports, actively dangerous. Inevitably, though, almost the entire American Left reacted as if Mr Newsom had just called for a cull of every kitten in the country. “Newsom Condemned for ‘Throwing Trans People Under Bus’,” reported The Guardian. Numerous activists denounced him (“profoundly sickened”, “shocking and offensive”), and declared that his comments would severely harm his chances of being the Democrats’ next pick for president. Plainly these gibbering fanatics are still incapable of seeing why their behaviour is so damaging to their party. It’s not that voters necessarily care about trans issues, or even about women’s sports. It’s that they can’t take seriously anyone in politics who claims to believe that males and females are equal in height, weight, speed and strength. Naturally enough, voters think: “These people must be either lying, or mad. Either way, I don’t want them in charge. In comparison, they’ve actually managed to make Trump look honest and sane.” No doubt everyone in Britain will have eagerly welcomed the news that, under revised sentencing guidelines, criminals who are deemed to come from marginalised minority groups (for example, those who are black or Muslim) could be given sentences that are more “carefully considered”. I’m sure we can all agree that this scrupulously fair plan will heal divisions in our fractured society, bring communities together and end racism once and for all. None the less, I fear that it may yet prove to have one small downside. Which is that white criminals will cynically try to wangle softer sentences by claiming they come from marginalised minorities, too. Take redheads. Mick Hucknall, the singer with Simply Red, once angrily insisted that making fun of people with ginger hair (such as him) is akin to racism. Lily Cole, the redheaded model, has also argued that these two forms of prejudice are “not dissimilar”. If so, why shouldn’t a criminal with ginger hair demand that, during sentencing, the judge take into account the lifetime of cruel discrimination that he has been forced to endure, on account of his carrot top? He might even argue that his descent into criminality was a direct result of the understandable anger and alienation he felt in response to our society’s endemic anti-ginger bigotry. Ultimately, therefore, his crimes were society’s fault, not his own. Many liberal-minded modern judges, I suspect, would readily accept such an argument, and let the poor marginalised criminal walk free on the spot. Although of course they might end up regretting it, once every single defendant starts turning up to court in a See You, Jimmy wig. Hey guys! It’s Meghan Sussex here, with another episode of my new Netflix series, filled with incredible tips on how to elevate your lifestyle so it can be almost as perfect as mine. So far I’ve shared some of my most amazing secrets, like how to put some pasta into a pan, how to put bits of food you aren’t going to eat into the food bin, and how to blow up some balloons. But today I’m going to share my most useful lesson of all. How to teach your grandmother to suck eggs. First of all, you’ll need some eggs. You can easily get these from one of the hens in the grounds of your beautiful Californian home, but don’t worry if you don’t have time to run your own artisan poultry farm – these days, eggs are also available in many local grocery stores, and even supermarkets! Next, you’ll need a grandmother. As a little girl growing up in LA, I always loved grandmothers. They truly are the most adorable little old ladies. My husband used to have a grandmother, and I was so hyped to teach her the secrets of how to suck eggs, but sadly, certain unnamed members of the Royal household chose to deny her that opportunity. I guess it’s not for me to say why they might have been so rigidly opposed to the Queen of England receiving some much-needed expert advice from a woman of colour. So I’ll just leave you guys to draw your own conclusions. So now you’ve got your eggs, and you’ve got your grandmother. What next? Easy. Just pop an egg into your grandmother’s mouth – and chant, “Suck it, Grandma! Suck, suck, suck!” This is the part my kids always love to help out with. They also have great fun decorating the eggs first, with colourful paints or felt-tip pens. And it’s great for Grandma, too, because sucking on an egg is so much healthier for her than sucking on a boiled sweet. Lower calories, and zero sugar! So you’ll be helping Grandma to watch her weight! That’s all for today, but tune in next time, when I’ll be showing you an incredible way to make money – using nothing more than a piece of old rope! Article Name:Way of the World Michael Deacon Publication:The Daily Telegraph - Saturday Start Page:16 End Page:16

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Streeting to allow puberty blocker trial for children Health Secretary refuses to intervene over research that could act as a loophole to be exploited by activists The Sunday Telegraph9 Mar 2025By Michael Searles HEALTH CORRESPONDENT WES STREETING has refused to intervene in an NHS puberty blocker trial despite concerns about children’s safety. The drugs were banned last year in the wake of the independent Cass Review, which found no evidence to support their use and warned they may also disrupt brain development. But an NHS trial to examine the evidence around their use in children is awaiting the green light from the ethics regulator, which controversially approved a pilot into the drugs in 2011 but failed to ensure the results were shared. Some 6,000 children are currently on the national gender clinic waiting list and could be eligible to receive the drugs if their clinical team and parents agree. Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative Party leader and former equalities minister, has led criticism of the planned trial, with campaigners expressing concern it could act as a “loophole” to be “exploited” by activists despite the ban. But the Health Secretary insisted it must go ahead to find evidence around the use of the drugs, as had been recommended by the Cass Review. A Department of Health spokesman said Mr Streeting had “been crystal clear about the need for children’s healthcare to be evidence-led” and that extending the puberty blocker ban had been “one of his first acts in office”. But Mrs Badenoch said it was “hard to believe there could ever be an ethical way of trialling these irreversible drugs for this purpose”. A spokesman for Bayswater Support Group, which advocates for evidence-based care on behalf of 600 families with trans-identifying children, said those responsible for the first trial had not been “held to account for their role in the initial Tavistock scandal” and “the whole process appears at risk of being replicated, with more children being knowingly harmed”. Keith Jordan, a spokesman for Our Duty, a support group for parents with gender-questioning children, said the first trial “should have produced clear data on the harms of this treatment pathway” and that it was “telling” that the data had been suppressed. He said the Health Research Authority (HRA) needed to “act to protect the vulnerable, not rubber-stamp another unethical experiment” and added: “We know that whenever a loophole is created activists will find ways to exploit it.” Experts have pointed to the multiple failures of the initial puberty blocker trial run by the Tavistock gender clinic and University College London, which began in 2011, and said they feared the scandal would be repeated. The “Early Intervention Study” was approved by the HRA almost 15 years ago, after initially being rejected on ethical grounds. It took nine years for the results to be published. The HRA has been criticised for failing to monitor the trial, which did not require parental consent. Puberty blockers are currently banned in the UK after Mr Streeting made a temporary suspension indefinite on the advice of the Commission on Human Medicines. But last week, it emerged that the NHS trial into the drugs, run by researchers from King’s College London, would be backed by £11million in government funding. Details of the trial have yet to be submitted to the regulator for ethical approval, it is understood. Under new legislation passed last month, clinical trials are legally required to publish a summary of results within 12 months of the end of the trial or face regulatory action by the MHRA, which also has the power to stop or halt a trial if it has concerns. A spokesman for the HRA said: “Research ethics committees do not decide what research takes place and how it is carried out. They carry out their ethical review using an established framework for the review of health and social care research in the UK.” An NHS England spokesman said the study “has been subject to independent academic peer review and a review by the National Institute for Health Care and Research committee ahead of seeking the usual strict ethical and approvals”. Article Name:Streeting to allow puberty blocker trial for children Publication:The Sunday Telegraph Author:By Michael Searles HEALTH CORRESPONDENT Start Page:13 End Page:13

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