Due to all the ‘both sides’ ‘toxic culture war’ narrative regarding the medicalisation of gender dysphoria in children it really is worth stepping back in time to understand what went on at the Tavistock GIDS clinic over the last 30 years. 🧵

https://x.com/Transgendertrd/status/2022990735214096733?s=20

For a good understanding of how the gender service was run in the 1990s ppl can listen to Ellie’s desistance story. She went to GIDs in the 1990s & received talking therapies that explored gender distress. She is a lesbian who desisted from transitioning

Everyone has a peaking story. Mine happened during lockdown when I finally had time to read since all football/hockey/rugby/swimming clubs were cancelled and I stopped being a taxi service for a brief period. Firstly, I read Invisible Women by @CCriadoPerez 1/n It brought home all the myriad ways sex mattered and how due to the ‘default male’ in designs and processes as diverse as crash test dummies and snow clearance, that ignoring women and how they differed from men meant worse outcomes for women. 2/n

This speech is hard to listen to. LVW weren’t sure what @BenMaguireNC thought regarding women’s rights but last night he said this debate is a ‘phoney culture war’ with ‘hate.’ Ben there is nothing phoney or hateful about women standing up for their rights.🧵

https://twitter.com/treesey/status/1937257092546515138

I wonder what Ben hears when women talk about their need for privacy, dignity and safety? When women like Helen’s mum want to ensure single-sex care for their non-verbal highly autistic daughter who requires help with so much - including toileting. transgendertrend.com/severely-learn…

I was fortunate to be able to attend Women & Equalities Select Committee hearing today and hear from the formidable, stoic & thoughtful Bn Falkner. You don't get to see everything on the TV - facial expressions round the table, public gasps, shaking of heads. Top 5 moments 1/n When asked about a 'women only walking group that wanted to include trans women' Bn Falkner was clear there's no obligation to provide such a service as single-sex; mixed-sex could be provided. Discussion went around showing MP couldn't disentangle sex/gender or get past TWAW 2/n

On 31 March @EHRC brought out new guidance re the Equality Act 2010 for political parties. There are some v. useful things in here for GC members in political parties that likely reflect recent legal cases including @ShahrarAli @Nat_freespeech & @LibVoice4Women (which settled)🧵 There is a section on how to avoid discriminating against members. Given so many Party members have faced harassment including vexatious complaints this section is helpful. Discusses the need for 'unbiased and neutral investigations' - impossible if zealots run complaint depts

Really delighted to have settled our legal case with the @LibDems with written confirmation ensuring @LibVoice4Women will be treated the same as other membership groups in the Party e.g. being allowed conference stands, fringe events and adverts. (1/4) thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar… Marking a return to liberal values - freedom of belief and expression. The Lib Dem preamble states “We champion the freedom, dignity and well-being of individuals, we acknowledge and respect their right to freedom of conscience..." we believe this should be a matter of conscience for MPs (2/4)

During the general election campaign, I went canvassing in a whole variety of areas and spoke on the doorstep to about half a dozen Reform voters who often wanted to tell me why they were voting the way they were. 🧵 1/ For example, one man said, ‘I am worried about my grandkids who go to a school where half the children don’t speak English as their first language and the teacher has to give all her attention to them and my grandkids lose out.’ 2/

Sex-Related Differences in the Effects of Sports-Related Concussion: A Review "Sports-related concussion is a serious health challenge, and females are at higher risk of sustaining a sports-related concussion compared to males...females remain an understudied population" 🧵 "Females are at higher risk of sustaining a sports-related concussion...Findings from the available literature indicate that females have prolonged recovery trajectories and worse outcomes following concussion compared to males."

Within the Lib Dems there have been two mantras pushed by trans activists that fall easily from the lips of those they're successfully lobbied to dismiss any concerns we put forth around child safeguarding & evidence. They are the mantras at the beating heart of activism in LD🧵 These have been 1) puberty blockers are safe, reduce mental distress, are reversible and provide a pause to think and 2) ‘gender affirming care’ is essential to reduce suicidality. Both of these have now been undermined by evidence in the #CassReview. cass.independent-review.uk/home/publicati…

At last week’s @StandingforXX event the first speaker said: “A famous feminist once said to me…the trans activists have taken over your institutions. Who the flip do you think is going to give them back to you? They’re not.” She is now Chair of N. London Fawcett Society.👇🧵 Of course, it's not just the Fawcett Society or work places or schools; it is the same within Political Parties. Many women now declare themselves #PoliticallyHomeless due to their Party’s capture on gender identity ideology (the belief Gender Identity trumps Sex).

Christmas Premier🎄! With the #Section35 judgment in Scotland yesterday, it’s time to release our video on the Scottish GRR bill. Over 10 hours of oral evidence condensed into 2 hours. Speakers include: @ProfAliceS; @TwisterFilm; @LucyHunterB; @k21fem; 🧵 Naomi Cunningham of @SexMattersOrg Susan Smith of @ForWomenScot; Kate Coleman of @NoXYinXXprisons. The evidence is sorted into topics 1) Why trans identifying people say they want a GRC (1m24s) 2) Impact of expanding those receiving a GRC to those without gender dysphoria (3m48s)

Today I posted a response to @LGBTLD post about Conversion Therapy. It was polite, probably thought provoking for some who haven't considered unintended consequences of such legislation. The aim was to prompt discussion. The reply has been hidden (along with others) #NotLiberal

https://twitter.com/hollowood_zoe/status/1723988338527343009

Replies have also been turned off. People and organisations can do this, of course, it is a tool that exists within X. But what does that say about the state of discourse on this subject? How is this 'disagreeing well' as we have been encouraged to do: libdemvoice.org/disagree-well-…

Thought provoking article from Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala, the chief psychiatrist in the department of adolescent psychiatry at Finland’s Tampere University Hospital on the medicalisation of children with gender distress. 🧵thefp.com/p/gender-affir… In 2011, Dr. Kaltiala oversaw the establishment of a gender identity service for minors in Finland. She has personally participated in the assessments of more than 500 such adolescents. Her story is hard hitting of what she has witnessed. Some important excerpts below 👇

I wanted to check the Lib Dem policy on puberty blockers but when I used the usual link, I found it was broken see error below. Since the LGBT+ website has moved and changed I went to the new website to try to find it 🧵 lgbt.libdems.org.uk/en/page/transg…
So, on the new website there is a handy drop-down menu called LGBTQ+ party policy. Bingo, I thought, here it will be. But no. Fourteen policies are mentioned but none are the Lib Dem Transgender and Intersex health charter I was looking for. lgbt.libdems.org.uk/resources/lgbt…

I have heard a lot this week about people being upset by ‘right wing rhetoric’ from the Tory party conference but I find myself thinking ‘what do people expect if the Liberals and the Left have vacated entire areas of human rights issues?’ Take the example of sex and gender 🧵 We hear constantly the debate about trans rights and women’s rights is ‘too toxic’, there’s ‘too much heat’ and that everyone was happy until it was made into a ‘culture war’ by the Tories. This is an extreme rewriting of history. Left wing feminists such as @bindelj (note 2007!)

6 days to go until #LDConf starts! Some highlights from Spring Conference. First up we had Chair of @LGBLiberalForum, @TobyKeynes calling for reasoned debate and saying ‘we could do with a lot less personal abuse.’ He was heckled throughout🧵 Later I asked for a debate on women’s quotas. Women are underrepresented by a factor of 2:1 on some int. LD committees. The current wording of the quota in 2.5 allows males to identify into the women’s quota. A move to next business curtailed the debate

I am reflecting on a few conversations I have had this week where ppl told me 'it is good to be able to say what I think'. They're right! It is. It is liberating. Especially when you have been told off for 'wrong think' for making mainstream, moderate and moreover lawful points🧵 Following advice from 2 KCs the liberal democrats revised their code of conduct at the end of last year. This means that gender critical speech is now 'permitted and protected' in the party. Note this policy still protects trans people from harassment. See 👇

I have been thinking about the Lib Dem ‘menstruation is not just a women’s issue’ story which has been picked up by a lot of papers. As usual in this debate it all comes back to language and why it matters. 🧵

https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1693372791993630858?s=20

The definition of sex is ground zero in the sex/gender debate. Females of the species produce (or have the blueprint to produce) large sessile gametes and males produce or have the blueprint to produce small motile gametes.

I believe in women’s rights, plus I am a scientist. It is inevitable I wouldn’t support gender ideology. I hear often that gender ideology won’t win because they came for the children. But I think there’s something more fundamental than that. 🧵 Real Liberals Debate.

Thought provoking article. "When doctors fundamentally misunderstand the cause of a condition and treat the symptoms instead, and fail to...modify their practice in response to known adverse outcomes, our patients suffer" unherd.com/2023/07/doctor… "The existence of just one detransitioner suggests that an individual was not offered the correct treatment for their condition by doctors...It is a clear case where the medical profession caused harm. We are ethically bound to learn, and widely disseminate, the lessons..."