THE BIG NEWS OF THE DAY
The Putin inspired war and his atrocities in Ukraine have dominated and continue to dominate, rightly, news agendas in recent weeks and must continue to do so, as it is a fight for freedoms of thought, speech, lifestyle, governance and self-determination.
What has come second at least in newspaper journalism? Perhaps it has been the increasing cost of living. Partygate even seems to be making a comeback, as journalists and broadcasters get excited about £50 fines, less than some parking tickets, in the pursuit of scandalising some individuals, a political abuse. Or perhaps it is in fact the extraordinary obsession with transgender matters and related issues of cancellation, fairness of treatment and legislation, freedom of speech, sports competition and shared toilets. There is not just an imbalance in the quantum of discussion, but also in the substance. Common sense and ideas of proper respect for and fair treatment of all human beings in the UK seem to be skewed.
PUTIN JOINS THE TRANS ACTION
As he grasps at straws, Putin claims that Russia and his regime are victims of others’ aggression, so justifying his mass annihilation of Ukraine, already a devastated landscape. He complains that Russia is being “cancelled”, just as JK Rowling, esteemed author of Harry Potter, has been, he says, by the West, which of course she has not. She is indeed vilified and cancelled by extremists in the UK, who see all life through a transgender lens. This is because she recognises biological women as women, who are being depicted by some, such as the NHS, as rather neutered creatures even though accounting for some half of the world’s population whose rights to feeling safe those extremists would cancel. Putin is, as ever, somewhat off beam in suggesting those extremists represent the entire “West”. He is also wrong in that the West has no interest in cancelling Russia or its people; on the contrary it would like to see them join global democracy and peace. But perhaps the West does wish to “cancel” Putin and his cronies, and for the Russian people to depose them from power.
MORE OPINION AND DEBATE STIFLED
Putin aside and ignoring the heated debate around legislation such as the SNP’s proposal for trans people to choose their sex, there has been extraordinary focus on instances of trans controversy over the last two weeks.
At short notice an NHS child conference for trainee child psychiatrists on gender dysphoria was cancelled. It was organised by Great Ormond Street Hospital and NE London NHS Trust and was to involve high profile speakers on transgender issues, academics and medical professionals. One speaker, Stella O’Mally, a psychotherapist and founder of Genspect, said the conference would have focused on “moderate and well-informed voices”.
Apparently, complaints from some NHS staff alleged the conference was captured by anti-trans ideologists.
A female speaker from a group called Mermaids (a charity on the activist side of for example treating children with hormone and other treatments to change sex) refused to share a podium with a speaker from a group called “Transgender Trend”, as the groups hold opposite views. Another speaker was Helen Joyce, an “Economist” editor, whose book argues that biological sex is immutable. Transgender rights activists stopped the conference. Whoever has the better view is subjective and almost irrelevant here, but the bigger issue seems to be the inability of activists particularly to even listen to and debate different points of view: a freedom being fought for in Ukraine. This cancellation is but another example of the insidious malaise threatening the fundamental basis of free society: this malaise by no means aids or benefits trans people themselves but probably harms them.
Perhaps the organisers of the conference should not have succumbed to the stifling pressures of cancellation. Maybe too they should first organise a conference for trainee psychologists on how to listen to others’ opinions respectfully, discuss openly and how trans people, like all people, will have to hear and tolerate those who may even be abusive and disrespectful. And remembering that perhaps most people in the UK consider that each individual, male, female, gay, trans, black, white or blue, is entitled to equal fundamental respectful treatment.
The current mess is summarised too in a Times article of 2 April, by Lucy Bannerman, headlined “How activists used a veil of secrecy to rewrite biology”.
Perhaps most striking, is that the acrimony in debate seems to exclude a real sense of care and tenderness for trans people themselves. Does not the trans journey deserve special understanding not brickbats?
THE SPORTS DILEMMA
Lia Thomas became the first transgender woman to win the U.S.College swimming championship, and she did so by a country mile. Was this a complete denigration of the biologically female competitors who evidently had no chance against a “woman” who for nearly an entire life had built male strength and body mass etc. Or was it fair sport and the best person won?
Then there is the case of UK cyclist Emily Bridges, who as a male had the potential it is said to compete in the Olympics as a man, but who came out as trans in 2020. She was due to compete in the UK National Omnium Championships against numerous women, including the world- beating Laura Kenny. But the global cycling regulator banned her as she remains registered as a male cyclist. Presumably when that ceases, she will be eligible, except that the UK Cycling Authority may itself prevent her participation.
There is an important debate going on and it will continue: at its heart is the need to demonstrate fairness towards both the vast majority of non-trans women and the relatively few trans women who may have clear competitive advantage. Also, there needs to be a consistency across sports, nationally and internationally. In the Observer of 3 April Kenan Malik wrote an article headlined “From pool to track: disputes over trans athletes mustn’t make everyone a loser”, a decent summary of issues. One solution being aired is for trans athletes to have their own category, which would acknowledge a reality, but of course that is not straightforward to some people. Open discussion with respect for all opinions, however diverse, together with a considerate caring approach, is essential and it is to be hoped the hate stirrers can be silenced, as they do the people they purport to support no favours.
AND LOCAL SPORT TOO, AS WELL AS LITERATURE
In the Daily Telegraph of 24 March, Alison Pearson observed an instance of a lady applying to Putney Tennis Club, who could not find an appropriate box to tick for a biological female – that the word biological has to be used so often before “female” illustrates on its own the absurd state that has been reached. Apparently, the club was following the guidance applied by the NHS, in Annex 3 of their “rulebook”. The NHS places on the same ward women along with men who decide to identify as women, even if they have the sexual apparatus of a man. That a rape has occurred on one such ward at least, it is reported, does not deter, since after all that would be impossible as by definition all people on the ward were women!
In the same week, Sir Philip Pullman, President of the Society of Authors, resigned: having been hounded by activists for supporting Scottish author Kate Clancy for her book “Some Kids I taught and what they taught me”. She was being cancelled and so her supporters got cancelled too, Sir Philip no longer feeling free to express his opinions. And Keir Starmer is continuously being pressed to answer the question “Can a woman have a penis?”, and he does not have an answer. And NHS trusts are now reported to be asking men whether they are pregnant before a scan or radiotherapy.
The press and debating time in public being given to these issues is out of all proportion to their importance. Are there really millions or even hundreds of thousands of people for whom these questions are burning? At least the Equality and Human Rights Commission has now issued guidance in attempts to clarify the law, confirming that transgender people, born male, can be excluded from single sex, i.e. women only, places such as lavatories: but it makes clear that if an organisation is to exclude trans women from certain services there must be a legitimate aim, such as privacy, decency and to prevent trauma or to ensure health and safety. They are doing their best to be balanced. Meanwhile apparently Stonewall is petitioning to scrap the Commission as not fit for purpose – are they too powerful a lobbying group?
GIVE DECENCY, CARE AND COMMON SENSE A CHANCE – AND FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND SPEECH
Somehow so many public services and academic institutions seem to allow the tide of gender neutralisation and abandonment of ordinary language and behaviours to have swept through their organisations, penalising those who do not share the activist view of transgender. Most people perhaps have no interest in theoretical and ethereal debates over gender and queerness and redefining the real world. It is however fundamental to decency and human respect that trans people are accepted and not abused and treated with normal equality of rights as all members of the UK public should be. Equality laws do apply to them fairly. Equally too, children confused about their gender and feelings need care and protection. That the Government are flip flopping around on banning trans conversion therapy of hormones and other medication applied to children does not help. Politicking in this area is dangerous. Why not leave sex conversion to the choice of the individual when they reach a responsible age, normally 18?
Trans problems is simply not the defining issue of our times, it is not even close. Those who wish to debate and argue the arcane issues around it must be free to do so, a feature of a free and tolerant society. But a proportionate balance of the level of airtime devoted to it is required from journalists and broadcasters. Respectfulness and common sense can prevail and seek to ensure fairness to all, including the majority. Perhaps the UK also needs to recognise and remember that for the vast majority of the peoples of the world this is not a major talking point. Murder, war, genocide, child abuse, modern slavery, starvation, autocratic abuse of human rights, and climate change the biggest existential threat of all, and a host of other big issues, deserve greater attention.
Most important perhaps is the whole debate over the complexity of trans should be based in care and thoughtfulness for all those affected. Current acrimony and polarisation do nothing but harm.
