Why put the tiny trans lobby above women’s rights?
IF the latest census is to be believed, the West Ham stands should have the highest proportion of transgender supporters in the Premier League.
As the club’s vice chairman, I wasn’t aware that there was a large influx of trans game-goers chanting “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.”
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But according to the latest statistics, our homeland, the London Borough of Newham, has the highest percentage of trans people in England and Wales.
If you thought that sounded rather unlikely in the heart of Cockney, then you wouldn’t be Pete Tong.
For this week, academics seriously questioned the findings of the Office for National Statistics, which produced the top-line figure that 262,000 people in England and Wales identify as transgender.
That might not sound like a huge number, but in reality it’s probably even lower thanks to the highly confusing nature of the question.
Instead of just asking people, “Are you transgender?
Not only would I bet that many just wouldn’t understand this question.
Michael Biggs, professor of sociology at Oxford University, said this could be why Newham, where a significant percentage of residents speak English as a second language, tops the rankings.
After this was pointed out, the ONS admitted it was “possible” that respondents misinterpreted the question and promised to investigate.
I can’t imagine how hard it is to feel like I was born in the wrong body and I have great empathy for the discrimination trans people experience.
But still, if the census is to be believed, just 0.4 per cent of the population – fewer than the number of people who work at Tesco – have a disproportionate impact on our national discourse.
In fact, Labor Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said last week that 99.9 per cent of women “don’t have a penis” – a clever twist that gives himself 0.1 per cent leeway.
If he stays on the fence any longer, he might end up impaling himself.
Thankfully, our Prime Minister has a more definitive answer.
Rishi Sunak said he took a “different view” from the Labor leader and on Thursday insisted that 100 per cent of women do not have male genitalia.
But the fact that the leaders of our country’s two largest political parties are involved in this debate proves how prominent the issue has become.
We tie ourselves in knots
Why? The trans lobby may be small – but she has a very loud voice.
Thanks to ongoing campaigns by organizations like Stonewall, it has pushed politics in our schools and hospitals and monitored our language.
How are trans groups making their voices heard above the disabled community of 10.5 million people in England and Wales?
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Many disabled people face a lack of adequate housing and schooling and struggle to access basic things that non-disabled people take for granted.
It may also feel that women’s rights are being wiped out by prioritizing the 0.4 percent over the rights of the 50 percent.
We are being asked to abandon the word “woman” to be more inclusive. Cancer Research UK tweeted last June that cervical cancer screening was “relevant to everyone aged 25-64 with a cervix”.
But the charity doesn’t use that “inclusive” language with male-specific woes.
His campaign messages on prostate and testicular cancer are aimed at “men” rather than “everyone with a prostate”.
The charity puts that tiny proportion of people ahead of naturally born women when breast cancer is the leading killer of women under 50 in the UK.
There are many reasons why the movement towards gender-neutral language is problematic, but the biggest is that gender inequality still exists.
Men still earn more than women, run most of the largest companies, dominate politics – and commit most violent crimes.
But when we’re all tied up over what words to use, it’s a lot harder to bring about change.
Harry’s game
AFTER weeks of uncertainty, Meghan Markle has finally confirmed that she will not be attending the coronation.
Based on the fact that you should never go where you are not wanted, I think this is the right decision.
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In fact, after the amount of damage she caused from her snipers from across the pond, Meghan would have had some gall to show up.
But Harry has also inflicted his fair share of injuries – perhaps the biggest hits in his book Spare.
Given their obvious disdain for his family, I’m quite amazed Harry is leaving.
Maybe he realized that blood is thicker than water.
Or maybe he knows he still needs his family connections to stay relevant.
Nurses lose to medics
JUNIOR doctors staged a four-day strike this week, insisting their wages have fallen in real terms while inflation has soared.
But so does the rest of us.
They argue that their pay has fallen by more than a quarter since 2008, which risks pushing medics out of the profession when we need them more than ever.
They want a 35 per cent pay rise, which Health Secretary Steve Barclay said is neither “fair nor reasonable”.
Doctors were left with no choice but to take industrial action, according to their union, the British Medical Association.
But it seems to me seriously cruel to withhold skills that could save someone’s life in a dispute over money.
And it’s ridiculous to ask for a 35 per cent increase when there’s a cost of living crisis for everyone, largely due to the war in Europe and Covid.
The truth is that a doctor’s salary is a gift that is given again and again, and the benefits of being a doctor last a lifetime.
Once you become a consultant you can earn more than £100,000 on average, putting you in the top 2% of earners. GP partners earn even more.
And that’s without the 35 percent raise they’re asking for.
They’re still on track to earn a retirement income equal to nearly 75 percent of their salary — guaranteed to rise with taxpayer inflation.
I understand they feel they have no choice but to go on strike, but the taxpayer is subsidizing them to even get an education and become a doctor at a cost of £163,000 per doctor. This will not be refunded.
Meanwhile, many nurses – arguably as necessary and invaluable as doctors – are lining up to get five per cent after union Unison accepted the salary offer.
What will it look like for them when doctors get 35 percent?
That’s the way it is
FOUR months ago, Lottie Moss had drunk the word “lover” written on her face.
Now the 25-year-old is getting laser tattoo removal to get rid of it.
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She hopes this will be the beginning of a new chapter in her life.
Lottie says she was drunk when she got the ink. At the time, she posted the warning: “Don’t drink alcohol, kids!”
Research says that 78 percent of people with tattoos regret at least one of them.
I suspect a face stain would be her biggest regret.
Thank you Mary for sparking the sixties
So say goodbye to Dame Mary Quant – a woman who can claim so much for inventing the sixties after introducing miniskirts to the world.
She died peacefully at home this week at the age of 93.
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Mary was responsible for an absolute fashion revolution.
She rescued young women who were being forced to dress like their mothers and gave them fashion choices for their generation.
She lifted the hem, turned women’s pants and tights into garments, and championed the bob haircut pioneered by her friend, hairstylist Vidal Sassoon.
The word is overused, but she truly was a fashion and makeup icon.
We may not have realized it until now, but it touched all of our lives.
Hanging offense by Joe?
JOE WICKS went from hero to zero this week when pictures emerged of him with his seven-month-old daughter Leni dangling from some monkey bars.
Holding onto the bars, she seemingly put on an impressive display of superhuman baby strength while the proud dad looked on.
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For some, it brought back memories of Michael Jackson, who 21 years ago dangled his little son Prince Michael II over a Berlin hotel balcony.
Jacko later admitted it was a terrible mistake, but Joe is defiant.
He has posted more snaps of more of his children doing the exact same thing.
I doubt Leni would ever fall, but I’m worried about her ligaments.
Maybe, on reflection, it wasn’t wise to do that.
Angela’s step back
It is very striking that Labor Deputy Leader Angela Rayner did not personally endorse the party’s controversial new ad campaign attacking Rishi Sunak.
One claimed Mr Sunak “don’t think” adults convicted of sexually assaulting children should go to jail, while Labor sought to highlight the Tories’ record of incarcerating offenders.
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The accusation is that the Prime Minister is a pedophile sympathiser, which is categorically untrue and a disgusting accusation.
But that’s all Labor impeachment politics, as they have no policies of their own to promote.
Angela may have claimed the Tories are scum, but she won’t go as far as putting her name in those ads, and who can blame her?