1092 Harry Potter author backs employee sacked for denying possibility of Sex Change

Harry Potter author backs employee sacked for denying possibility of Sex
Change

Newsletter published December 21, 2019

(1) JK Rowling supports a researcher sacked for stating that a person’s
biological sex cannot be changed
(2) ACLU demands ‘Feminine Hygiene Products’ in Men's Restrooms for Trans
(3) U.K. Case shows ‘Equality Act’ would help U.S. Trans Bullies get
Gender Realists fired
(4) Gay Lobby deems ‘Pillow Fight’ offensive language

(1) JK Rowling supports a researcher sacked for stating that a person’s
biological sex cannot be changed

https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/2019/12/20/jk-rowling-transgender-issues/

12:04pm, Dec 20, 2019 Updated: 2:18pm, Dec 20

JK Rowling in spat over court ruling on transgender issues

JK Rowling is facing a storm of criticism from the transgender community
after coming out in support of a researcher who was sacked for stating
that a person’s biological sex cannot be changed.

Maya Forstater, 45, was sacked from the Centre for Global Development,
an international think tank, after posting a series of tweets that
questioned the British government’s plans to let people declare their
own gender.

Ms Forstater appealed the dismissal to an employment tribunal. But A
London judge this week upheld her sacking, finding that:

"[Forstater] is absolutist in her view of sex and it is a core component
of her belief that she will refer to a person by the sex she considered
appropriate even if it violates their dignity and/or creates an
intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment."

On Thursday (local time), Rowling tweeted a response that said: "Call
yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have
you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of
their jobs for stating that sex is real?"

J.K. Rowling @jk_rowling
Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with
any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and
security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is
real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill

The Harry Potter author is otherwise known for her liberal political
views and many on Twitter labelled her a TERF (Trans Exclusive Radical
Feminist).

Among those criticising her was the Human Rights Campaign, which
tweeted: "Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary people
are non-binary. CC: JK Rowling."

A spokeswoman for Rowling said the author would make no further comments.

It’s not the first time she has run foul of the LGBTQI community, however.

In 2007, Rowling caused a stir when she said Albus Dumbledore, a key
character in her Harry Potter novels, was gay. But the revelation only
came after the final book had been published and with no explicit
mention of his sexuality in the text.

She angered fans again in 2018 when Fantastic Beasts 2 director David
Yates said the younger Dumbledore character would not be explicitly gay
in the prequel film written by Rowling.

Ms Forstater, who raised more than $A160,000 through crowdfunding to pay
her legal bills, said told the BBC she had been "blown away by the
support and interest in her case".

"All I ever wanted on this was for people to be able to talk about the
policy questions around sex and gender identity in a normal, open,
democratic way," she said.

- with agencies

(2) ACLU demands ‘Feminine Hygiene Products’ in Men's Restrooms for Trans

https://neonnettle.com/news/9811-aclu-demands-feminine-hygiene-products-in-men-s-restrooms-for-transgenders

ACLU Demands ‘Feminine Hygiene Products’ in Men's Restrooms for Transgenders

American Civil Liberties Union claims discrimination against trans
people By: Sarah George

|@NeonNettle on 20th December 2019 @ 6.00pm

The liberal group asserted that failure to provide menstrual products in
men's bathrooms is 'sex discrimination' The American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU) has demanded that men’s restrooms include feminine hygiene
products to prevent "menstruation-related discrimination" against
transgender and "non-binary" people, according to reports.

The ACLU says their goal is to achieve "menstrual equity," whereby
feminine menstrual products are accessible to all, including biological
women who claim to be men and use men’s restrooms.The ACLU said in a
statement:"While free menstrual products are not uniformly provided in
women’s restrooms, they are almost never available in men’s restrooms,
even for pay."

The union asserted that failure to provide menstrual products in men's
bathrooms is "sex discrimination."

'Men’s restrooms are also less likely to have a place to dispose of
these products conveniently, privately, and hygienically,' ACLU says.

The liberal organization states:"Some arguments that challenge
discriminatory laws based on sex-linked characteristics have made the
point that 'only women' menstruate, get pregnant, or breastfeeding.

But that is not a full or accurate portrayal — and menstrual stigma and
period poverty can hit trans and non-binary people particularly hard."

Additionally, the ACLU claims taxes on menstrual products result in
items being less "accessible and affordable."

The argument echoed Planned Parenthood’s claim that birth control must
be "free" in order for it to be available to all women.

The ACLU says their goal is to achieve 'menstrual equity,' whereby
feminine menstrual products are accessible to all, The organization
stated:"Constitutional law scholar and dean of UC Berkeley Law Erwin
Chemerinsky recently co-authored a Los Angeles Times op-ed proposing
that the failure of states to exempt menstrual products from sales tax —
the tampon tax — amounts to denial of equal protection under the
Constitution."

ACLU also promotes its "Menstrual Equity Toolkit," saying it "provides
advocates with key arguments and materials for advancing menstrual
equity through legislation."Earlier this year,

Neon Nettle reported that transgender bathrooms in schools had left
girls "too afraid to use the restroom" over fears of bullying, sexual
harassment, and "period shaming," a women's rights group warned.A
growing number of schools are moving to eliminate separate sex
facilities because they are not inclusive and can lead to bullying of
"gender fluid" students.Some school girls have now resorted to avoiding
using the bathrooms due to cruel taunts from boys and a lack of privacy
and dignity, campaigners argued.

(3) U.K. Case shows ‘Equality Act’ would help U.S. Trans Bullies get
Gender Realists fired
https://thefederalist.com/2019/12/20/u-k-case-shows-equality-act-would-help-u-s-trans-bullies-get-more-people-fired/

U.K. Case Shows ‘Equality Act’ Would Help U.S. Trans Bullies Get More
People Fired

Alarming developments in the U.K. and Canada show where the United
States is headed if it passes the Equality Act and continues bowing to
the increasingly powerful transgender bullies.

By Chad Felix Greene

DECEMBER 20, 2019

Is it transphobic to say biological sex is binary and immutable? Can you
support transgender people while criticizing modern transgender
activism? Would you imagine losing your job or being suspended from
social media for merely stating factual human biology?

The answers might shock you and affirm growing fears on both the left
and the right regarding the freedom to discuss gender, sex, and
sexuality honestly in the public square. Alarming developments in the
U.K. and Canada show where the United States is headed if it passes the
Equality Act and continues bowing to the increasingly powerful
transgender bullies.

On Dec. 18, 2019, a U.K. employment judge ruled that a visiting fellow
at the Centre for Global Development, Maya Forstater, was rightfully
terminated from her position after some of her tweets were found to be
"not worthy of respect in a democratic society." The judge argued, "I
conclude from … the totality of the evidence, that [Forstater] is
absolutist in her view of sex and it is a core component of her belief
that she will refer to a person by the sex she considered appropriate
even if it violates their dignity and/or creates an intimidating,
hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment."

What inspired such a passionate denunciation from the judge? As
Forstater argues, "My belief … is that sex is a biological fact, and is
immutable. There are two sexes, male and female."

Trans Activists Are Silencing Gender Realists

Louise Rea, who works for the law firm that supported the CGD in this
case, applauded the decision: "Judge Tayler held that ‘the claimant’s
view, in its absolutist nature, is incompatible with human dignity and
fundamental rights of others.’ He observed that the claimant was not
entitled to ignore the legal rights of a person who has transitioned
from male to female or vice versa and the ‘enormous pain that can be
caused by misgendering a person.’" Dismissing the claim that this was an
issue of free speech, Rea argued, "It is the fact that her belief
necessarily involves violating the dignity of others, which means it is
not protected under the Equality Act 2010."

On Nov. 26, 2019, after diving into the trans debate online, Will
Johnson, a literary editor in Canada working for the Humber Literary
Review, tweeted, "I love trans people. Every trans person I’ve ever met
is a world class human being. I know some f-cking amazing trans writers
too. So how come so many trans rights activists are such petulant,
small-minded sh-t-heads?"

Shortly after, he was terminated from his job. His employer emailed, "We
have grave concerns about comments on your Twitter account and threads
that give rise to transphobic sentiments or question the validity of
people of any gender." Johnson, who has been a vocal LGBT advocate
throughout his career, responded, "Anybody who believes I am capable of
expressing or encouraging hate doesn’t know me at all."

Jesse Singal, who writes for New York Magazine, carefully documented his
exchange with Twitter about the suspension of a feminist advocacy
account known as 4th Wave Now. During a conversation, the account
stated, "Sara is a trans woman — her gender identity, female, does not
align with her natal sex, male," and was subsequently reported for abuse.

In response to Singal’s inquiries, Twitter confirmed that the statement
violated Twitter’s rule on "hateful content," justifying the account
suspension. In Singal’s thread, he determined, "In a lot of situations,
simply describing what being trans *is* could lead to you losing your
account."

In all three cases, the issues at hand were not the abuse of nor
violence toward transgender people. No one was targeting trans people
online or in any physical environment, nor did any trans person face
discrimination. All three people involved consider themselves
left-leaning in their politics and typical advocacy.

The only "crime" committed was expressing an idea now believed by far
too many in power to be dangerous and morally offensive. Under the guise
of protecting the emotional safety of transgender people, these
authorities claim that merely believing in binary biological sex is harmful.

The Equality Act Will Police Beliefs

What is being described is akin to a religious doctrine in which those
who hold opposing beliefs inherently violate that doctrine. While citing
potential harm toward transgender people if beliefs regarding binary sex
are permitted, it never occurs to these authorities that transgender
people have the freedom and power to define what the term "sex" means
for everyone else.

Essentially, these determinations raise one group of people and their
beliefs above others holding different beliefs. The outcome is tangible
legal and social inequality.

The events in Canada and the U.K. provide startling insight into our
future if the Equality Act were to pass, for the U.S. bill includes the
same references to sex, sexual orientation, and gender in its
anti-discrimination language as the U.K. Equality Act 2010. The debate
on the U.K. side spirals into the precise meaning of every phrase within
its own version of the law, which dictates what is "legal" and "illegal"
to believe regarding gender and sex.

While not directly restricting speech, the law effectively does so.
People who violate arbitrary speech rules may be punished through social
shaming or even a loss of employment. In the same way, Twitter requires
those who violate its arbitrary "hateful conduct" rulings to delete the
tweets in question before accessing their accounts again, effectively
coercing public profession of belief.

The progressive instinct to coerce belief through shaming and stigma is
far more effective than a simple law making speech illegal. Once a
person’s beliefs are declared "not worthy of respect in a democratic
society," and  he is forced to erase his own words in order to continue
participating in public discussion, idea suppression is already in
place. As Singal articulates, people will simply avoid saying out loud
what they fear will get them targeted for removal from public platforms.

The power of legal precedent cannot be underestimated, either. The U.K.
judge used his own interpretation of the law to enforce his personal
beliefs. In Canada, where Human Rights law recognizes gender identity
and expression, merely arguing that a portion of the transgender
movement is toxic and bullying was enough for a five-year literary
veteran’s dismissal. The Equality Act in America will empower these same
bullies to intimidate and legally coerce dissenters here too.

The Transgender Movement Is Powerful

Transgender people have long relied on their status as a "marginalized"
and "vulnerable" community to demand protections, sympathy, and public
support. But as time moves forward, the movement has become a remarkably
powerful aggressor in the public square, using the full force of its
influence to shut down speech it finds threatening to its worldview.

The transgender movement has sought to radically change what it means to
be human and has bullied and intimidated its way through all social,
scientific, and medical industries to expel opposition. Now these
bullies seek to erase anyone, regardless of political or social views,
who stands up to them online.

In 2019, we must regard the transgender movement as a powerful and
influential threat to freedom and personal expression. These activists
are far from a persecuted minority simply trying to live their lives in
peace. The movement has become a Puritan court imposing its will onto a
population fearful of social and financial consequences.

To state the simple truth of biological sex has become a rebellious act
with real-world consequences, and the only way to battle this kind of
censorship is through rebellion. It was never enough to be tolerant or
even accepting. This contingent demands we must change our very beliefs
just to avoid public wrath.

We must reach a breaking point where we as a society say, "No more."
Transgender bullies will not intimidate me into hiding my beliefs, and
the more people who refuse to be silenced, the less power they will have
over all of us.

Chad Felix Greene is a senior contributor to The Federalist. He is the
author of the "Reasonably Gay: Essays and Arguments" series and is a
social writer focusing on truth in media, conservative ideas and goals,
and true equality under the law. You can follow him on Twitter @chadfelixg.

(4) Gay Lobby deems ‘Pillow Fight’ offensive language
https://thefederalist.com/2019/12/20/glaad-deems-pillow-fight-offensive-language/

GLAAD Deems ‘Pillow Fight’ Offensive Language

DECEMBER 20, 2019

By Emily Jashinsky

Please note, "pillow fight" can now be considered an offensive term,
according to one of the country’s most powerful LGBT advocacy organizations.

GLAAD objected to language that described sparring between Mayor Pete
Buttigieg and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in the Thursday edition of
Politico’s Playbook PM newsletter. "The South Bend mayor has been
testing an outsider message in a field dominated by D.C. insiders, but
he’s been a bit sidetracked by his pillow fight with Elizabeth Warren,"
wrote the authors.

This displeased GLAAD. Friday’s Playbook newsletter included a note from
the group’s director of news and rapid response.

"For women and LGBTQ people at the workplace, hearing phrases like
‘dramatic,’ ‘over the top,’ and even ‘pillow fight’ during office
disagreements fosters negative stereotypes and diminishes a person
simply because of who they are. Disagreements happen in politics, but
using these loaded terms during disputes feed into the sexist and
homophobic tropes that simply have no place in our political coverage
and rhetoric," said Drew Anderson.

The Playbook authors appeared to take this complaint seriously,
clarifying it was not their "intent" to offend anyone. To their credit,
the obvious reading of the term is "a fight where no one draws blood,"
as the newsletter noted. How it also plays into "sexist and homophobic
tropes" was left unexplained. It’s difficult to imagine many readers
thought past the phrase’s obvious connotation.

What seems more offensive is the implication that grown adults are so
psychologically frail they would feel "diminishe[d]" on the basis of
their sex or sexual orientation by reading the term "pillow fight" in a
perfectly appropriate context.

Emily Jashinsky is culture editor at The Federalist. You can follow her
on Twitter @emilyjashinsky .

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