Latest news with #TransgenderDayofRemembrance
The National
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
JK Rowling called The National 'anti-woman' – here's my response
She made this claim because we ran an article, and have run many articles previously, describing groups like Sex Matters as "anti-trans". I would like to take the opportunity to defend this newspaper against Rowling's frankly ridiculous description, and explain why "anti-trans" is indeed suitable language for these activists. What did JK Rowling say and what was the context? On Wednesday, our reporter Laura Pollock published a story headlined "Sex Matters considers new legal action against Scottish Government". In the social copy for the article, we stated: "An anti-trans campaign group is threatening further legal action against the Scottish Government, saying ministers are failing to implement the recent Supreme Court judgment on biological sex in equalities law." On Wednesday night, Rowling tweeted: "For Women Scotland is a feminist campaigning group. You appear to be an anti-woman newspaper." It is important to note that we weren't referring to For Women Scotland, but the group Sex Matters, which suggests Rowling didn't actually read the story before trying to smear our publication. Sex Matters and "anti-trans" First of all, let's take on the argument that describing Sex Matters as "anti-trans" is unfair, pejorative language. Rowling says it is simply a "feminist campaigning group". Is that the case? Sex Matters is an organisation which spends most of its time trying to keep trans women out of all women's spaces. Its recent campaigning includes attacking Westminster Council for displaying Pride flags during Pride Month, and arguing that schools should not teach children that people can transition. In its advice for parents on sex and gender in schools, it also states clearly: "Schools should not celebrate festivals such as Transgender Day of Remembrance." It is very difficult to find examples of Sex Matters campaigning on issues which do not relate to gender identity or matters related to the so-called trans "debate". To describe Sex Matters as simply a "feminist campaigning group" would be misleading, and fail to take into account its primary function. The National – an "anti-woman newspaper"? Myself and the reporters on staff at The National would have once been horrified to learn that JK Rowling had described us as "anti-woman". Today, it reads simply as another Twitter insult dispensed without any grounding in reality. So, here are the facts. The National is led by a woman, with a female assistant editor. On staff, we have more women working as reporters than men. An equal number of men and women write columns for us. We are part of the Pass the Mic programme, mentoring a number of women of colour in Scotland every year and helping them break into the media. We have campaigned on issues like buffer zones, pushing the Scottish Government to bring in legislation to protect women from abuse. For the 2024 International Women's Day, an all-women team produced the newspaper. Everything from the front page to the sports section was written and edited by women. It was the first time this had been done in the Scottish media in my own lifetime. Some of the team in the office for the International Women's Day edition in 2024 (Image: Colin Mearns) That edition looked at a range of issues affecting women in Scotland and around the world. Those challenges included women in Gaza being forced to have C-sections without anaesthetic, thanks to Israel's systematic destruction of the health service. This is an extremely urgent feminist campaigning issue which I have not heard Rowling or her friends at Sex Matters raise concerns over. Rowling has chosen to respond to language she did not like (due to its perceived sympathy towards trans people) by launching an intellectually lazy attack on a newspaper, primarily staffed by women, with a strong track record on reporting on feminist issues. Ultimately, I question the feminist credentials of those who brand the women working at The National "handmaidens" or accuse us of internalised misogyny because the coverage doesn't align neatly with their specific views. It is also not for JK Rowling to determine what all women think or feel. Nobody, no matter how wealthy or influential, can speak for all of us. Thankfully, arguments like Rowling's will not convince many people who are not already deep down the anti-trans rabbit hole. But her attempts to control our language are not welcome and should be called out by those who claim to value free speech. At The National we deal in truth, and will not be cowed by a billionaire trying to control media output to fit her own worldview.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'We do exist': Transgender rights activists fight back amid Trump orders
Executive orders and Trump administration policies suggest otherwise, but on Monday in a park in Midtown Detroit, a metro Detroiter named Adrian Lupkiewich sought to make one thing clear about his identity as a transgender person: 'We do exist.' On the Transgender Day of Visibility — an annual recognition on March 31 that a Michigan psychotherapist is credited with founding — about 30 people gathered at the Woodward | Warren Park at Wayne State University for a rally and march organized by the activist group known as BAMN. The shortened name of the group is derived from the last four words of its fuller title, Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration, and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary. The gathering sought to bring visibility to community members and other areas of concern at a key time. Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has taken swift action on immigration and diversity efforts but has also keenly targeted the transgender community. He has declared that there are only two sexes — male and female — and reinstated a ban on transgender troops joining the military. He has also taken action to keep entities with federal funding from allowing transgender athletes in women's and girls sports. He has also sought to stop youth gender-affirming care. Lupkiewich, 23, of Fraser, was among those who fought back on Monday, saying not only do transgender people exist, but 'we always have and we always will.' Being transgender saved Lupkiewich's life and gave him life and purpose, he said. Women and men obviously still exist, but there needs to be room for more, he told the Free Press. He added that the only other key day recognizing transgender people is the day that remembers all those killed by anti-transgender violence, the Transgender Day of Remembrance in the fall. He also said that attacks on the transgender community will have ripple effects on other groups of people. More: Judge blocks Trump-ordered transfer of transgender women inmates to male prisons More: LGBTQ+ advocates call 8 Democratic votes on transgender sports a betrayal More: Hundreds of migrant kids in Michigan may lose legal help after Trump ends program Lupkiewich's partner, Oliver Webb, 21, of Fraser, said the visibility is important, as it speaks to other people's self-expression, too. 'To prove the fact that other people can be visible, too,' Webb said. Webb wanted people to know that they aren't alone. Even at the small gathering, group members found themselves up against someone calling them 'crazy' while videotaping them. Anton Daniels, 42, of Detroit, had a back-and-forth with several members of the group, who questioned why he had even come to the gathering. Neal and Kay Brannan, 51, and 38, of Bloomfield Hills, came with their 5-year-old daughter, Lydia, who ran a little ahead as the rally turned into a march down the sidewalks of Woodward Avenue. Kay Brannan identifies as nonbinary but said that doesn't affect their family much as they married a man. Still, their daughter needs to be exposed to the issues they are fighting for, said Kay Brannan, wearing a keffiyeh, a scarf that has become a symbol of Palestinians. 'The world isn't a fair place and sometimes you have to go out and spend a day doing something to make sure that the people whose voices need to be heard are heard,' Kay Brannan said. Speakers at the rally also raised concerns regarding the humanitarian issues in Gaza and the actions of Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war. They also touched on concerns with capitalism, attacks on immigrants, and more. The march continued down Woodward and eventually made its way back to the park with smaller numbers in the end. Members shouted chants along the way, including that Detroit welcomes transgender youths. The Brannan family peeled off early, but still about 20 minutes from their initial starting spot and around a boulevard named for one of the most prolific activists of all time, Martin Luther King Jr. 'This is why we should be proud of having a democracy because we get to show up and say stuff and defend people who aren't us,' Kay Brannan said. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Transgender rights activists rally in Detroit amid Trump orders
CBC
20-11-2024
- General
- CBC
What is Transgender Day of Remembrance?
Transgender Day of Remembrance is Nov. 20 every year. We break down how it started, how it's observed and its significance.
