Gender
Culture wars
‘Come on, old girl,’ said my husband as though encouraging a cow stuck in a ditch, ‘you must know.’ It…
Why it has to be Kemi
Have you considered a career in whoring? It can be very rewarding, apparently – especially financially. World’s oldest profession and…
Parents must resist Stonewall’s gospel
I think by now it’s becoming horribly apparent to parents of every political persuasion that we can’t sit out the…
What took you so long, Seb Coe?
There’s a left-wing internet advocacy group called 38 Degrees which suggests to its followers that all they have to do…
In defence of masculinity
Anyone who has passed through an education in thepast decade will have encountered the term ‘toxic masculinity’. It is one…
Man up
For an art form that once boldly set out to question conventional divisions of gender, ballet now seems to be…
What I learnt in sex education
The state of Florida recently passed a piece of legislation making it illegal for teachers to hold discussions with pupils…
Care about the trans debate? Ask yourself this question
J.K. Rowling is talking about sex and gender again, which means a lot of people are getting angry. It’s striking…
Sex, trans rights and the Scottish census
It takes some doing to make a census interesting. So congratulations to the National Records of Scotland (NRS). NRS, which administers…
The sex work divide in British politics
They seem like completely unrelated questions: ‘Is sex work real work?, and ‘Who will replace Yvette Cooper as chair of…
The grim reality of gender reassignment
Lisa Littman, a doctor and researcher, recently surveyed ‘detransitioners’ — people who thought they were transgender then changed their minds.…
Jess Phillips and Labour’s ongoing women problem
Last week, Intelligence Squared put on a debate called ‘Is Labour unelectable?’ Unsurprisingly, Labour MP Jess Phillips spoke against the motion…
Scotland’s census sex muddle is bad news for transgender people
What is your sex? It is a simple question and one that we can all surely answer. When it comes…
How the gender debate is dividing Germany
Pronoun politics can be something of a minefield. But if you think the gender debate is confusing, spare a thought…
How Margaret Thatcher helped inspire my transgender journey
The gender debate has generated plenty of heat, but as a trans person – and keen supporter of the Conservative…
Was this volunteer cancelled by Childline for his views on gender?
When Liz Truss confirmed that the government was committing itself to banning LGBT conversion therapy, there was some bemusement: is the…
Is it fair for Laurel Hubbard to compete against women?
Today, the conversation about transgender rights and the interests of women turns to sport. At the Olympic Games, Laurel Hubbard…
New Zealand’s transgender debate is turning nasty
New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. But now,…
Justin Trudeau isn’t the progressive leader he thinks he is
It came as no surprise to me to see activists ‘celebrating’ Canada Day by setting fire to churches and toppling…
The confusing case of Oli London
Not everyone will have heard of Oli London, a British social media influencer who made news for two reasons last…
High life
New York I hope this is my last week in the Bagel. I plan to fly first to Switzerland and…
Laurel Hubbard is the beginning of the end of women’s sports
When women’s professional soccer was deemed good enough for our TV screens a couple of years ago, I was watching…
Gender critical
Seeing my husband in his armchair snoozing, as his unacknowledged habit is, head back, mouth open, stertorous and blotchy, it…
Stonewall’s dystopian attacks on gendered language
Today brings yet more proof that Liz Truss is dead right to want to withdraw government departments from Stonewall’s Diversity…
Are ‘controversial stickers’ really a matter for the police?
Has Police Scotland misunderstood the purpose of policing? A recent crackdown on ‘controversial stickers’ appears to suggest as much. ‘On Monday…
