Scotland – at war over the safety of women

There’s a battle royal going on in Scotland in a bitter gender war as Nicola Sturgeon faces up to J.K.Rowling over changes in legislation. It will allow self-identification for anyone who wishes to change gender without a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria. They won’t have to live in their new sex for two years as was stipulated before, with the threshold dropped to 16 years old. They will now be entitled to become legally a man or a woman simply by declaring that this is who they are.

  Former First Minister Jack McConnell said: “we could now see an incentive for predatory male sex offenders to come to Scotland, identify as female, and have access to women’s hospital wards, rape crisis centres and prisons.”

  J.K. Rowling is funding a new crisis centre for women in in Edinburgh to provide counselling and support for women in need. “We believe that women deserve to have certainty that, in using our services, they will not encounter anyone who is male.” This project was sparked off by the chief executive of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, a trans woman, arguing that women who objected to being counselled by someone who was born a man should “expect to be challenged on your prejudices” as part of their journey towards building “a new relationship with your trauma”.

  The bill is likely to pass in the Scottish Parliament but a recent poll suggested that 68 per cent of voters believe the changes pose a safety risk in women-only spaces.

   Both Sturgeon have Venus in Virgo so share some similar emotional reactions but Rowling’s Leo Sun clashes with Sturgeon’s flamboyant and opinionated Mercury Mars in Leo for an argumentative and competitive interface.  Rowling’s focal point Jupiter also squares Sturgeon’s Pluto for a oneupmanship tussle.

  Their relationship chart has a challenging and fated Yod of Pluto sextile Neptune inconjunct Saturn North Node, which does suggest they are irrevocably tied together for good or for ill. They’ll continue to wrangle through 2023.

  Quite why Sturgeon has launched out to push forward with electorally-unpopular legislation when she is facing mounting problems with harsh criticism of her government’s education record amongst others. Recent polls suggest there is a marginal uptick in support for independence but Sturgeon, although bullish this month, is heading into two years of blockages and setbacks with tr Pluto opposition her Sun/Mars midpoint, then Mars till late 2024. That will be frustrating, trapped and scary.

  J.K. Rowling’s counselling and support centre will be known as Beira’s Place — named after the ancient Scottish goddess of winter — the divine hag.

64 thoughts on “Scotland – at war over the safety of women”

  1. Well it’s worked. The Westminster government are considering blocking the gender reassignment bill, giving Ms Sturgeon the opportunity to shout about the iniquities of outside interference in Scottish affairs.

  2. *sigh* This is one of those things we have these days like Brexit, where there is just no point arguing. You can present people with all the logical arguments in the world, but instead of adjusting they’ll just lean in. I think we discussed Festinger’s study of cognitive dissonance here not too long ago, and the followers of Dorothy Martin’s alien cult way back in the 50’s.

    What I find interesting is the false dichotomies that seem to get attached to this. How it’s presented as a right wing belief to be against self ID or it’s a “ republican” thing, or whatever, pulling it into that polarity. I’ve never voted Tory in my life, it’s not a political thing to protect female spaces, it’s a common sense thing.

    I find it interesting too that it’s Scotland and Canada being discussed here, countries with very polarised politics to the countries immediately south of it. The drive to be more “progressive” and do things differently tying into some need to have a very distinct identity

  3. @ nicole

    There is no intolerance and hatred in the comments. We defend the views of J.K. Rowlings, remember ?
    The trans and gays and whatever are free to do as they please. No one contest their desire of changing their natural sex. Only, a trans with a penis is not a woman, even if he says so. And even castrated, he is not a woman. That is a fact of nature .
    There is no hatred or intolerance in the comments. Only in your mind

  4. My feeling is that Chiron’s transit through Aries (2018-2027) is putting a lot of focus on identity crises. I think we will see this shift when Chiron moves into Taurus; issues like food insecurity, energy prices, the costs of war, and the like will come into much sharper focus (not that this isn’t happening now as Uranus transits through Taurus, but I think it will escalate further) and gender issues will recede. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs comes to mind–far fewer people on all sides of the trans issue will be arguing about pronouns and bathrooms and sports and such when survival issues come more strongly to the forefont.

  5. Hats off to Aline, PC, and others who are pushing back on the false equivalences, bigotry, and simple-minded reductionist “logic” promulgated by the reflexively pro-trans crowd. Roderick et al.: it’s not just about self-determination and self-identification here. Contrary to what your well-developed sense of victimhood tells you, the most oppressed people on the planet, and in the largest numbers–not just historically, but actually, currently–are not gay men or transgender people; they are cis-women and girls, who have been, and mostly still are, second-class citizens worldwide (unless they happen to live in one of the many benighted societies where they are merely chattel–or even just cattle). Everywhere in the world, men–gay and straight both–suck up a wildly disproportionate amount of society’s goods, make and enforce a wildly disproportionate number of laws that advantage themselves and disadvantage cis-women/girls, and enjoy wildly disproportionate autonomy and elevated social and economic status. (Yes, this applies to gay men as well; gay men are one of the wealthiest demographics, at least in U.S. society, and unlike cis-females, can successfully masquerade as what they are not if it provides an advantage in business or social life.)

    Women and girls, on the other hand, must contend with the daily threat of not only economic, political, and social discrimination, but the constant specter of rape and sexual assault, as well as femicide. And now, with the transgender revolution, they have to deal with a) men pretending to be women to gain some perceived advantage, or b) the bullying and condescension of the genuinely transgender, who want to claim whatever “advantages” they think femininity confers, but who have nevertheless never experienced most of the defining biological and formative social experiences of femininity AND who still (if they transitioned post-puberty, as is most common) retain a great deal of the superior strength, heavier bone structure, and greater muscular development of the male gender. It’s basically the same male oppression b.s.,oppIt’s bad bullying and accusing them of “bigotry” at the lowest points of their lives. It’s basically the same maleression b.s., only done by guys in drag who expect to be treated with some sort of Victorian version of special consideration as the “weaker sex.”

    This would be merely laughable and annoying in ordinary circumstances, but when a trans “woman” has the audacity to preach to actual female victims of rape and sexual assault about their “bigotry” when they seek a safe harbor after being violently violated by men during the most traumatic experiencs of their lives, it’s obscene. It should also be a crime, frankly.

    (Interestingly, one only ever hears of these sorts of outrages perpetrated by males who transition to females; female-to-male transitioners generally seem to be much more inclined to live and let live, and less inclined to preach and malign. Gender reassignment surgery doesn’t seem to have any effect on the male sense of entitlement, in other words.)

    Becoming transgender and getting support for it is a human right, I believe. However, becoming trans does not–or at least, should not–give those who so identify carte blanche to further traumatize, denigrate, and demean cis-women, and it especially should not automatically confer the benefit of the doubt and entry into cis-women’s safe spaces. Cis-females–biological females–who, I might point out, constitute the majority of humanity–have enough to deal with without such nonsense.

    Also, I had been aware of the ridiculousness going on in the UK around this issue in recent years–at least once a generation, the Brits seem to go through periods of damaging and misplaced political correctness (mixed heavily with euphemism), without addressing the real needs of the majority. However, I had no idea that this was such an issue in commonsense Canada as well. The idea of defunding desperately needed women’s crisis centers to cater to the tiny trans minority’s pet bigotries is chilling; the idea of permitting violent male criminals to declare themselves female so they can prey on the inmates of women’s prisons is beyond abhorent. This is one of the rare times in recent years that I’m relieved to be living in backwards, benighted America.

    Live and let live–but enough of this Orwellian sophistry around gender. It leads to genuine oppression of cis-gender women and girls.

    • @AI22
      Thank you for your support . I don t have the vocabulary to express myself as well asyou. You resume very well what is going on. And it is not only an anglo- saxon problem coming from the usa. All europe is being contaminated with this new ” religion”. Children are the most vulnerable for this non sense, as schools also have to be ” open” to ” different” new “gender fashion” . Most common sense parents diagree. Primary school should not be infected by those people and their disturbed mind.
      This week end in Bruxelles, French paedo- psychiatrists giving a conference about the danger of propaganda of this new ” religion” (at a private venue) have been molested by masked and hooded trans people. I am upset and angry at the same time. And so are many ordinary people

  6. Pluto sextile Neptune seems to say be more observant than usual, but we may not like what we see. Not sure what that means for how that aspect aspects others? So it would be interesting to know this aspect astrologically plays/interacts with the charts in question and the times we are in? For me anyway.

    I will add that I do get it about the trans issue, their story and nation’s wishing to accommodate, in terms of inclusion and righting wrongs, etc. (I think.. I know what I know and I will not rain on another man and woman’s parade)

    The thing about this whole thing is it feels very one sided and women are bearing the brunt because what I don’t get is;

    – What is the dynamic for the reverse of women identifying as men and going into the man environment?
    – How many tournaments in sports have men competing against women?
    – Yet the ask is, if you are transgender and define yourself as woman then you are allowed to compete in women’s sports with women regardless of your physiological make up? Make it make sense.

    Then there seems to be a redefinition of what a woman is? Well, i can tell you who needs to know it’s not just about pretty looks, makeup and nice dolly clothes. Puberty? Women go through that too. Period pains, menstrual cycle each month and the rest. Ask some about the pain of their rite of passage and the rest. Then childbirth … ! Do men who want to transition as women realise and understand all this all this? They seem to think we all get up and play pretty dolly girls everyday? Well not the reality.

    I asked the question why at 16 and response was how difficult it was for the male not wanting to be a male. Nothing has been said about us as females who also have had or have difficult transitions in puberty in our own female right. This is a real thing.

    I respond to the comment from Roderick about we as women feel like we are competing. No, I don’t think most if not all women feel this way, but just like we have a segregation of women and men in society about certain things, we are asking for that same segregation between women and trans women but that seems to be a problem. We are being asked to welcome trans women into our domain and not have a problem with it regardless. We do have a problem. Physiologically, psychologically and the rest and I guess we will not be bullied into thinking differently. Many have tried and failed over centuries.

    Where in sports does a man compete against a woman directly? Woman versus woman, man versus man etc. So why should it be ok for a man (designed by preference as a woman because of drugs or whatever but still a man physiologically) to be in a race with and competing with a woman, as a woman against man?

    Roderick said it right in so many words… Give them their own space/category and let’s go. Yes, Trans need their own space and category because I can’t see how it going to work in our lifetime. Caan convince me about that but live and let live!

  7. There you have it, your comment suggests that misogyny is rampant and it’s okay to erase women. We simply don’t matter. Having been subject to sexual abuse as a child I feel very intimidated at sharing a toilet with someone who still has a penis and if you look at the whole sport fiasco, it’s clearly wrong.

    • Its not ok to erase women and that’s why women like myself or JK Rowling raise Hell whenever their is an opportunity. Its a debate currently in the U.S. but because of social media and the media in general, the absurdity of the situation has been brought out into the light for the masses to witness and make their conclusions and I believe they are coming to the conclusion that “inclusion” has its limits.

    • I don’t know which particular aspect might be responsible, but Neptune, Jupiter, and Juno have all been transiting Pisces. Neptune rules Pisces, and Jupiter is about expansion, so not surprising that we’re seeing more of everything Pisces, including illusions, deception, dualities, blurred boundaries, along with the chaos which accompanies these features. Juno is most familiar as the goddess of marriage, however she was also the goddess of childbirth. Regarding the latter role, Juno was called “Juno Lucina” which means “Juno who brings to light”….So with respect to this subject, put it all together, and children who are / were confused by the feeling of being born in the wrong body ( along with everything that entails) are now coming to light. Otherwise chaos, and deception are in full swing around the globe. Hopefully, Jupiter moving into Aries will provide some relief.

  9. I don’t know what it’s like in other countries outside the U.S. but high school and college sports are a big deal in America because students compete in sports for scholarships. College is very pricey in the U.S. Sports scholarships are very competitive. Should biological males be allowed to play on female teams and out perform them, which then results in those males being awarded the scholarships set aside for girls? It’s happening and it’s absolute madness.

    So far, we have yet to witness a black biological male attempt to compete against white females in a contact sport, but once that happens, it’s game over for the trans debate.

    • Whew! I’ve always been a bit neutral about reincarnation, but if ever there was an ongoing war, in whatever era, this is it! Interesting in the extreme…….JK’s Jupiter protects her, shows vision, and important is also her vocational indicator (the planet rising in front of the Sun) so she has the light of her sun on her back. I have found that to be so reliable in all charts – like a light shining on the life mission, the message.
      Nicola is competitive, combative with the Merc /Mars/ Sun opposing JK’s N Node. Feels a bit karmic and I’ve never seen that before so clearly – JK’s Mercury opposes Nicola’s south node so she experiences that as criticism…whew! not just an opinion but an attack…I think Nicola chose her match in looking for glory instinctively but JK had young success, a one off talent, and rather local to N….what gets me is why such hate is let loose on an opinion which is a law of nature? There are two sexes and anyone can become what they will, mostly nobody makes a fuss these days, they have other things to worry about…. Perhaps Nicola’s south node opposite all that late Leo stuff over the MC (glory) opposing N’s node in Pisces! she perceives herself somehow as a victim……and unseen. She needs to look within instead of firing cannons at JK – I feel it is utter jealousy, thinly disguised…..

  10. Well looks like women are going to re- set up the private refuges and crisis centres they created in the late seventies and early eighties. Hope Biera is a success. Someone here ask, why are we obsessed with bodies, well we give birth, which does make women aware of our bodies, whether we want to be or not.

  11. Just a thought on J.K. Rowling, who, for some reason could not write under gender identifying Joanna: My assessment is that she is now loosing her Harry Potter fandom, children between 8 and 12. I have a child in that age group who reads. We bought the first three Harry Potters to her, and she doesn’t get it. She is more into comic content, such as “Dork Diarees” and “Diary of a Whimpy Kid”. Friends seem to also love “Warrior Cats”. But based on my sample, Joanna is much less important for my daughter’s generation than Enid was for me.

    • @ solaia
      J K Rowlings losing her fandom ? ” Harry Potter’ has become a “classic”. Just like ” Alice in wonderland” that is still read. And so many others….

    • I’m not sure, the Dork Diaries have been around for ages too. My 17 year old niece was a big fan of both the Dork Diaries and Harry Potter. She eventually passed on the Dork Diaries she’d amassed to my daughters (interestingly she kept the Harry Potters).

      My kids didn’t like the Dork Diaries, they sat there mostly untouched. They said they found them a bit “fake”, too “girly American” for them; I suppose we cursed them with the weird British sense of humour. But my niece really liked them for a while aged about 9-12. My eldest really liked the “Murder Most Unladylike” series at that age then moved to the “Mortal Engines” series for a while.

      All children are different and I think the Harry Potter series did great things to rejuvenate that crucial 9-12 sector of children’s literature. The most important thing is that they learn a love of reading.

      I’m not sure what your point is about her name? In academic publishing, initials are almost always used and it’s very common in literature too. Maybe she didn’t think it was relevant? Or maybe she wanted to use a professional name and keep her own for private use? Teachers and other professions do that all the time, as do authors.

  12. @Roderick, fully agree here. This is not a “minority minority” issue, since gender isn’t THAT uncommon. We have procedures for much less uncommon conditions.

    • I don’t even understand the concept of trans women replacing biological females.
      That just sounds a lot like the mentality of American conservatives who believe life is a zero-sum game.
      As for JK Rowling I have no idea what her issues are.
      She should consider therapy.

      • @roderick
        J. k. Rowling : she should consider therapie ?? really ??
        She is a woman, is born a woman and knows what she is talking about. Furthermore she represent the ” norm” of humanity. “Norm” being the normal biological procreation process.
        It is not with all the new ” sexual alphabet ” that we will make babies who will become a healthy society, that will look after YOU.

      • I’m with you, Roderick. I don’t understand such hatred and intolerance towards an extremely marginalized small population who has suffered greatly. But now I’m seeing DeSantis’ natural constituency.

        • How does safeguarding vulnerable women in prisons or shelters equate to intolerance?

          Self ID is the focus. It is easily abused. #notourcrimes on twitter is rather illuminating in that respect.

          Support the tomboys and effeminate boys. Medicalizing them due to intolerant, regressive stereotypes is insupportable.

          There are 42,600 members of the detrans reddit. They are suffering greatly. It is not a kindness to transform children into lifelong patients, using experiment treatments.

          Lupron is used off-label for gender dysphoria. That means not approved for gender dysphoria. Children are incapable of informed consent.

          Gender dysphoria in children, desists once they complete puberty in 89% of the cases. Simply by completing their natural puberty, it is referred to as watchful waiting.

          • @PC, I absolutely support protecting vulnerable women in dangerous situations, especially those already traumatized.

            What I’m appalled by is the apparent hatred and intolerance directed here against ALL trans people. It reminds me of the old assumption that all gay people are predators, long ago discredited.

            I look at the trans people I know, the adults all contributing members of society, and my friends ‘ children, who just want the opportunity to live safe, reasonably happy lives, and don’t under why people hate them so much. They don’t have a choice how they were born. They ‘re good, decent people, the farthest thing from predators, yet people do make that assumption.

            I think Roderick ‘s proposal of separate sections for male to female trans people in prisons would be the safest set-up all around, since prisons by their nature are inherently dangerous places for the vulnerable.

          • Thank you for your thoughtful response Nicole.

            Speaking freely is important for complex matters such as this.

            As the Canadian situation shows, the difficulty is in self ID itself, which Scotland is attempting to implement.

            Starting in 2015, the Canadian human rights codes were rewritten, provincially and federally, to conflate sex with gender.

            A separate third space that @Roderick wrote of, is unwanted by the trans activists. The only space is suitable is the existing women’s space, which is supported by the codes.

            Anyone who says they are a woman, is a woman. No surgeries, no hormones, no time having “lived as a woman”. The motto TWAW – trans women are women, sums things up.

            Single sex spaces no longer function as such. Shelters and prisons are two horrifying examples.
            Crimes and court proceedings included.
            –
            Gender non-conforming – what used to be referred to as tomboys or effeminate boys – are often now seen as being born in the wrong bodies.

            The overwhelming majority of children who “socially transition” take further steps along the medical path.

            Most of those kids would have grown up to be same sex attracted.

            Sonia Appleby, at the Tavistock clinic in the UK, reported that staff rather darkly observed there would soon be no more gays because of how popular the clinic was for a certain kind of child.

            The majority of minors pursuing this, have co-morbidities such as: depression, self-harm, history of abuse or eating disorders.

            Medicalizing vulnerable children, rather than treating their co-morbidities goes agains the policy of “first do no harm.

            Watchful waiting, which was the standard of care until relatively recently, has a desist rate of 89% in minors with gender dysphoria.

            Keira Bell was one of the first de-transitioners to win her lawsuit against the Tavistock clinic.

            Many more lawsuits are underway.

            Chloe Cole speaks out on this topic, she started hormone therapy at 13. Double mastectomy at 15. De-transed at 16.

            Children are incapable of informed consent.

            The warm embrace of an inclusive community disappears for the de-transitioners. It is a taboo topic.

            The detrans reddit with its 42,600 members will provide far more on the lack of support and care of anyone who leaves the fold.

            I wish it was a straight forward as having a compassionate third space.

  13. The SNP doesn’t have a majority in the Scottish Parliament.

    The only reason this is going through is because the Greens, Labour and LibDems support it.

    Only the Tories whipped their MSPs to vote No.

    Given that Jack McConnell was Labour, I wonder what he thinks about Labour supporting this. I’d be interested in seeing a chart for Scottish Labour, but I don’t know when they were founded.

  14. I’m mire confused than they are. Non binary students at schools, I work in an office full of m2f trans and two ftm trans. What is the world coming to! Is this about population control?

    • @ Jackie, I agree.
      Gender and gender roles are remnants of the patriarchy.
      Hopefully Pluto in Aquarius will rid of those old outdated ideas.

        • Your sarcasm is duly noted, but that wasn’t what I meant.
          I’m a cis-gay black man who has been told by my community that I am not a real man because I am attracted to other men.
          I’ve asked a lot of people who believe that to define what a man is and all I hear is crickets.

          I hope you’re not a woman who thinks a woman’s is defined by whether she can give birth or not.
          I guess women who choose not to have children aren’t real women either.

          • I’m sorry you feel unsupported by your community, they sound homophobic and a waste of space.

            You are a man by virtue of being born male. What other definition is it that you seek? I’m a woman by virtue of being born female, having kids or not has nothing to do with how womanhood is defined, only being female matters. There are a small proportion of transgender people who are different, but that’s it.

            Anyone who still thinks this “transgender industrial complex” has anything to do with Trans people needs to WAKE UP.

            This is a political lobbying group. Within its remit, it wants to medicalize healthy people for life for profit. The idea that you are born in the wrong body has worked its way into nurseries, kindergartens, schools, and universities, and is used to convince people that a medical pathway will make them happy.

            This evil is perpetuated by well-meaning acolytes who have been groomed online to believe this is the most worthy social justice cause since gay rights. You get brownie points for virtual signaling and you are booted out of the game and canceled if you ask questions or show dissent.

            We are being played, folks. WAKE UP.

            This lobby group wants people like Roderick to be confused and angry, it’s even better (he gets more points!) if he is angry and targets the women,like JKR who can see this disaster for what it is.

            Pluto in Aquarius will be interesting.

          • Roderick – I agree there are too many people putting labels on themselves and others. It’s not helpful and I’m sorry your community (or vocal members of your community) is not supportive.
            That said, I don’t think women have ever been defined as women by whether or not they can give birth. Historically the ability to give birth was linked to social status and value, especially in cultures and religions where a female’s status was legally, morally and socially subordinate to males, and one of their primary function was giving birth.
            It is worth noting that globally not so many women have a choice in whether or not they give birth even today, mostly confined to those in western liberal democracies, excluding quite a few states in America. The one thing T-G women don’t face is physically, culturally and legally sanctioned forced impregnation and forced birthing.

        • I agree Sounh. Let’s beat the patriarchy at its own game by allowing men to become women.

          Some women will get to do all the reproductive labour, will be excluded from education, will be selectively aborted, and will still suffer 97% of all sexual abuse. But no matter, the other “women” will eventually distort all meaningful statistics on sex, crime, and health and erase the abuse of women from our memory forever.

          Fabulous.

  16. @ ava
    you could contact j.k. Rowlings lawyer or representative and ask how to participate in her project.
    I am sure her editor also knows how to contact her. Donation could be anonymous. Where there is a will, there i s a way

  17. I had a quick look at Lilith in both NS and JKR’s charts. NS has Lilith in a close conjunction to her Mercury in Leo, Lilith in Leo apparently can give a superstrong ego and be wayward, conjunct Mercury it may feel it has a lot to say. JKR’s Lilith is in a close trine from 12th house Capricorn to her Virgo Moon. Lilith in Capricorn has issues with authority and perhaps from the 12th is keen to bring traditional women’s issues to light? Lilith’s journey through Cancer since May has been interesting. No idea what the timeline of these proposed changes is but Sturgeon will get a Lilith return sometime in Spring 2023.

  18. See Canada as your cautionary tale.

    Eva Kurilova writes “How Justin Trudeau Put Male Rapists in Women’s Prisons” Yes that’s a thing he did.

    The city of Vancouver refuses to fund a rape shelter because it offers women-only services.

    A restaurant in Gibsons British Columbia, had to pay out $30,000 for mis gendering an employee.

    There’s precious little about most of these of cases in the media.

    Up until a few weeks ago you could face being banned by twitter for writing about the biologically reality of these things.

    • @PC, wow are you serious?
      Unfortunately, women are already being raped by prison guards and the like so there’s no need to create some scary fantasy about trans men raping women.

      What are you doing about the women in prison being violated or do you really care as long as the perp isn’t trans?

      • The convoluted response indicates you are confused about my original post.

        Please conduct your own research re: rapists transferred to women’s prisons. You will find it is no fantasy, but a living nightmare.

        Self ID permits a man who merely says he’s a woman access to what were women’s only spaces. That is the law of the land in Canada.

        It is challenging to decipher news reports because they are compelled to use preferred pronouns.

          • I agree that there should be not just a special section for Trans ppl in prisons, but a special prison for trans ppl. I also think that there should be special rape crisis centres for trans victims – women should NOT be re-victimized with trans counsellors, period. In Vancouver, when the Rape Crisis Centre demanded as much, they lost their funding. Everything that PC has mentioned is true in Canada. Furthermore, in Canada, a woman is allowed to give birth and raise her child in prison to ensure that they have time to bond. Meanwhile, a M2F person currently named Matthew Harks (previously Madilyn Harks) who was a paedophile with more than 60 child victims, was sent to a women’s prison with young children. When Harks was released and sent to a halfway house, again, they were amongst women & children. So instead of just special prisons or rape crisis centres, let’s just create a special wonder-world for trans people where they can play on whatever sports team they like, pretend that gender doesn’t exist, wear what they want, and can self-ID as reptilian Jesus toes for all I care. But back here on earth – there needs to be far more respect from the Trans community towards women. Biological women, of course.

      • Roderick. I disagree with everything you spout. From a real woman. What a chip on your shoulder! Lol. JK is so important to adult human females. She is our voice & we know she won’t back down! Sadly, I cannot be as vocal as JK. I would loose my job. Fact.

  19. I read another article on Beira’s place (apparently pronounced By-ra) where JK Rowling said her inspiration for it came after the CEO of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre – which also caters the trans community – referred to women who may be uncomfortable in the presence of trans women, when being counselled or in therapy, as “bigots” who may need to “reframe their trauma”. JK Rowling was having none of it, thank God.

    Furthermore, the premises were purchased, so that there is no landlord for activists to pressure. It is not a charity, so there can be no legal challenge to the Charity Commission to stop it operating. Apparently, this became an issue since the charity Mermaids which provides support for transgender youth sued the Charity Commission over it’s decision to grant charity status to The LGB Alliance which provides advocacy for Lesbian, Gay and Bi-sexual people, over it’s decision not to advocate for transgender people. This has resulted in both charities being swamped in months of litigation and vast expense. As Beira’s Place is not a charity they cannot seek donations and all expenses will have to be covered by Rowling herself. A commitment that very few would be able to cover, and still fewer would choose to. Bravo, JK Rowling! If I could donate, I absolutely would.

  20. i would say a woman is a woman. A man is a man. The ” in between ” are a minority and should be treated as such. What’ s next ? My dog should also be treated as human because he loves me ? The world has gone mad. Politicians no lesser. Good for you J.K. Rowlings

    • It just makes no sense at all. Why the hurry too? So that person can make such a life changing decision at 16 but can’t get a full driver’s licence, vote, go to a bar or play the national lottery in Scotland. Why do us ‘men with a womb’, women, always have to feel compromised and fight for or to keep our right to feel safe. It’s shocking.

      • Why the hurry too? So that person can make such a life changing decision at 16
        It is called going through puberty.
        Listen to some of the stories of trans people and how horrible going through puberty was when they felt as if they were in the wrong bodies.

        • Watchful waiting, completing a natural puberty, results in gender dysphoria desisting in 89% of the cases.

          The Detransition reddit is rather sobering and heartbreaking reading. Minors are incapable of understanding the long term repercussions.

          • Amen re: long-term repercussions. A person’s brain doesn’t even fully develop until early 20’s. Doctor’s almost always refuse to give a man a vasectomy or a woman T&C if they’re under 30, but we’re giving teenagers hormones and body-transitioning surgery?!!!

    • @Aline, have you never met a trans person? Listened to what they’re dealing with? Heard how they’ve been shunned by family and friends and, once they’ve transitioned, found some semblance of inner peace and belonging in their own bodies for the first time?

      Based on my experience I can tell you that no one I’ve known would willingly choose to be trans, born into and living in the wrong body. Body dysphoria isn’t a “choice,” nor is being any variation of LGBTQ — and I say this as an older straight woman.

      I have three friends with trans children and know a number of trans adults who have created happier, successful lives for themselves post-transition. This isn’t made up. Please have some sympathy for people born into the wrong bodies.

      I don’t have an answer for this battle, but I do think if people would just calm down, stop screaming at each other and just listen without first hardening their positions they might be able to develop some mutual compassion and forge workable solutions.

      And yes, I do believe women, especially those who ‘ve suffered trauma, deserve protection, too.

      Kind of the story of our polarized era, isn’t it?

      I’ll happily get off my soapbox.

      • yes i met at least 30 years ago a man who changed his birth sex into a woman. He was pathetic. Further i know quite a few homosexual people, men and women . And some of them are very nice individuals. But
        I am not interested in other people sexuality. I think sexuality is something very private. If a person is gay or want to change sex, it is ok by me. And spare me all the ” sob stories”.
        We as human all have our own problems to resolve. Being interested in astro, you should know that.
        The world has more pressing problems to resolve than the new ” gender fashion” comming from the USA. Boring !!
        Call me callous if you wish. I don t care

      • It’s really not polarizing at all. Explore a bit about what goes on in your own region and how the most vulnerable women are treated.

        Heather Mason advocates to keep prisons single sex in Canada.

        report from True North:

        “According to Mason, the former CSC deputy commissioner for women said in 2019 that 50% of the males who request to be transferred to a female prison are sex offenders. Mason says that many correctional guards she has spoken to are not a fan of the transfer policy, but they are not allowed to speak out.

        “[Corrections Canada] let men basically rule the prison … women are scared to speak up because they think their paroles are going to get denied,” former Fraser Valley Institution inmate Alia Pierini told the crowd. “I’m sick and tired of the men, the rapists getting support over the women.”

        Similarly, women in homeless shelters and halfway houses fear speaking out against the presence of biological males because they don’t want to be banned from the services they rely on.”

        Fort their own safety, females who identify as male are ineligible for transfers to men’s prisons…

          • The trans community would never go for it, that’s the issue. And because they’re so virulent in their activism, ppl are afraid to take them on. In the Nordic countries where women have equal power to men, especially in government where they’ve even been PM’s or President’s, there’s much more pushback against the Trans community.

    • Agreed. A cinnamon roll is not a squirrel and a pine tree is not a taco.
      If you were born with a penis but feel like a woman inside, you’re not a woman, you’re a downstairs mix up. I’m fully supportive of people with this affliction but if you were born with a penis, you best get out of my bathroom.

Leave a Comment