Let's go back to 2007

Has anyone read Christine Burns' recent book?

I imagine that Burns will be very open about the role she played in lobbying and proud of the efforts and strategies.
There are contributions from prominant TRAs
www.amazon.co.uk/Trans-Britain-Our-Journey-Shadows/dp/1783524715?tag=mumsnetforum-21

Now who knew that GIRES was set up as the charitable arm of Press for Change?

Me!

Who knew PfC and GIRES parted ways in 2000, in large part because of the way GIRES treated intersex people and support groups?

<a class="break-all" href="https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20061116120000/www.pfc.org.uk/pfclists/news-arc/2000q2/msg00084.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Relationship of PFC and Gires

Dear Colleagues

With great regret the Press for Change Vice Presidents publish the statement below. We are aware that some people will wish we had taken this decision sooner whilst others will wish we had not taken it at all. It is not a hasty decision, and the publication of this statement has been delayed further because of our efforts to obtain all the facts and to listen to as many points of view as possible. We are grateful for the patience of those who would have liked an earlier decision. In the event it has still not been physically possible to speak to all those affected, but in the circumstances we feel that we have no choice now but to publish first and talk about it afterwards. We would be grateful if everyone would read the statement in full, and we will gladly answer any questions you have. We would like to stress that this decision is intended as a constructive action in a difficult situation and that we do not wish to attach blame to any individual involved.

STATEMENT BY THE PRESS FOR CHANGE VICE PRESIDENTS: 18th May 2000
THE RELATIONSHIP OF PRESS FOR CHANGE AND THE GENDER IDENTITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION SOCIETY

At the 1996 Press for Change Planning Meeting it was decided to look into setting up a subsidiary charity which would have the mandate of providing education and information about trans issues. As a charity it would be enabled to obtain tax refunds on subscriptions and donations and raise money from sources not accessible to Press for Change (which as an overtly political organisation cannot apply for charitable status in its own right) and it was hoped it could eventually take on - and expand - the.work of Press for Change in the areas of publication of information, education and training, research and support for students.

It was later agreed to establish the Gender Identity Research and Education Society (Gires). Gires was registered as an independent charity in February 1998 with no formal relationship to Press for Change. A separate entity was required under charity law and was thus the easiest arrangement. However almost all the Gires trustees were (and are) also members of Press for Change, and the Charity Commisssion agreed that it would be acceptable for Gires to use the strapline "Working alongside Press for Change ". Later a "contractual service agreement" was agreed between Press for Change and Gires which cemented a close relationship.

In January 1999, GIRES' charitable objects were agreed by its founding members to be:
To advance education into gender identity and intersex Issues, and in particular:
a. To initiate, promote and support research particularly to address the needs of those in whom there is a strong and ongoing desire to live and be accepted as a member of the sex opposite from that assigned at birth;
b. To publish the outcomes of such research and other relevant information in order to inform interested parties and the general public;
c. To enable the public to achieve a wider understanding of these issues and thereby equal treatment within society of those whom they affect.

For many reasons, things have not turned out as originally envisioned.

Gires has never been in any practical sense a "subsidiary" of Press for Change, nor has it restricted its activities to raising money for the educational work of Press for Change. Rather, it has developed into an organisation in its own right with a clear direction of its own.

Because of a policy of trying to draw funds from new sources, rather than from existing supporters of Press for Change (who can and do donate directly to Press for Change), Gires has raised most of its funds from outside the trans community and more than half of its membership consists of non trans people. It has to date been unsuccessful in securing much funding which could be used directly to subsidise the educational work of Press for Change, and responsibility for this must be shared by Gires and by Press for Change, which because of pressure of work has been unable to invest the necessary time into providing Gires' trustees with the direction and information they required. Instead however Gires has set up medical and social "research panels" consisting overwhelmingly professionals who are not trans people. It has also become increasingly involved with policy making rather than straightforward education and research. The nature of the research panels has damaged Gires' credibility as a supporter of the trans community and its involvement with policy has created difficulties as it has strayed into areas in which Press for Change and other groups representing trans people are already working.

Gires' position as an organisation of mostly non trans people could be and at times has been a strength, in that having non trans people support or speak in favour of equality and respect for trans people adds weight to our case. Unfortunately it can also be a weakness if it appears that Gires is exceeding its mandate or is failing adequately to represent or consult with the client group it exists to serve.

In particular we have been alarmed by the recent involvement of Gires in intersex issues, which has caused widespread offence amongst intersex people and the existing groups which represent them. Press for Change regrets this very much. We fully support their right to represent themselves, or not, as they see fit, and have advised Gires to proceed with great caution with any further work in this field.

We have also advised Gires to ensure that any further work they do in representing the interests of trans people to others, especially to public authorities and decision making bodies, is only carried out in full collaboration with other existing groups such as GenTrust, the FTM Network, Mermaids, Change, G & SA and Press for Change, and that we consider it at all times inappropriate for Gires to appear to be negotiating on behalf of the wider trans community, which is in itself already diverse.

The Press for Change Vice Presidents have decided that it is wise at this point to end the current semi-formal link between the two organisations. We believe that this link is no longer of any great benefit to either organisation and has the potential to lead to a serious conflict of interest. We feel Gires needs to be free to pursue its own agenda without formal reference to Press for Change and that our attempts to direct and advise Gires are increasingly leading to friction which is damaging personal relationships and taking time and energy away from the campaign itself. Press for Change, for its part, will no longer be in any way accountable for the actions of Gires. However if current differences of approach can be resolved, we very much hope it will be possible to collaborate with Gires in future, most especially in the areas of research and education where Gires is well placed to undertake some good work.

We hope very much that the separation of the two organisations will free both of them to concentrate on their primary objectives - the achievement of equality and respect for all trans people through education, legislation and social change.

Christine Burns
Claire McNab
Mark Rees
Sarah Rutherford
Alex Whinnom
Stephen Whittle

Amazing thread

This is a Whittle paper - www.socresonline.org.uk/12/1/whittle.html Lots of intersex appropration.

For an unravelling of the intersex and trans activism in the USA, Alice Dreger Ph D is really helpful. She actually is one of the key palyers behing changin the medical abuse of children with disorders of sex development.

www.amazon.co.uk/Galileos-Middle-Finger-Heretics-Activists/dp/0143108115?tag=mumsnetforum-21
On trans she explains a lot about Blanchard and Bailey and the work they did .

Bailey's book (The man who would be Queen) caused a trans meltdown and huge amounts of abuse to him and his family, it's all in Alice's book.

Helen Boyd (author of My Husband Betty) explained what might have motivated some to object to the book:

In the crossdressing community, the man who admits he is turned on by his dressing is still considered a pervert. The autogynephilic transsexual will not receive the same sympathy for her transsexualism as the non-autogynephilic transsexual. That's exactly what makes Bailey's book so dangerous: it allows transsexual women to be condemned by our society for having "perverse" sexual arousal patterns.

In response to such criticisms, Bailey reiterated a line from his book: "True acceptance of the transgendered requires that we truly understand who they are."

If that's the case why are they still lying to everyone?

Cabinet ministers? Lords? All quite likely candidates.

Cross-dressing has historically been a rich man’s fetish and very much kept under wraps. It’s not uncommon

& Freemasons?
www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/04/two-freemasons-lodges-operating-secretly-at-westminster

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3323475-Surprise-The-Masons-now-welcome-Transwomen-but-not-women

Edward Lord City of London Corporation, trans rights & freemasonry
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/30/gender-equality-campaigner-defends-freemason-membership/

reclaimec1.wordpress.com/2018/06/14/edward-lord-the-city-of-london-and-freemasonry/

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3317922-City-of-London-Corporation-consultation-is-out-this-covers-Hampstead-Ponds

(pictured)
Edward Lord and their 'old friend' the Speaker of The House of Commons, John Bercow.
(Lord is non-binary and preferred pronouns are they/their)

I'm curious about 'special nomination'

'Freedom by Nomination – Persons of any nationality may apply for the Freedom by nomination. Forms are available from the Chamberlain’s Court and the applicant must be nominated by two sponsors who will be Common Councilmen of the City of London, Aldermen or Liverymen.'
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-the-city/history/Pages/how-to-apply.aspx

Nice response from Florence Nightingale described in the explanatory video :
www.youtube.com/embed/YkQNQhm_geM

John Bercow & trans rights bias:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3396169-John-Bercow-sex-pest-ridicules-GC-Women-friend-of-Pink-News-Edward-Lord-who-refused-UQ-about-prison-policy-following-Karen-White-Case-Unconnected

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3298016-John-Bercows-rant-about-Gender-Critical-women

OP, OrchidInTheSun wrote:
"As we thought, Bercow does indeed have connections with LGBT lobbying groups - he is president of the Kaleidoscope Trust'

blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/09/the-state-has-failed-karen-whites-victims/
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3365319-new-kirkup-article-about-bercow-s-refusal-to-let-mps-discuss-karen-white

The old Northern Concord site is still online. Whittle gets the odd mention (being one of the original, unnamed Manchester Trans group organisers):

www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/history/stephenwhittle.htm

www.northernconcord.org.uk/moreinfo.htm\

As far as I am aware, there was an original MCR based TV/TS social/support group from the mid 70s, co founded by Whittle.

That became Northern Concord in the mid 80s, then there was some kind of community split and Northern Concord stopped running the weekly meeting (although it continued it’s mailing list/members magazine/weekend residential events). The weekly Wednesday meeting was taken over by the new ‘Manchester Concord’ circa 2009.

Manchester Concord’s long term cross dressing ‘hostess’’, Mary, passed away last year and the group decided to stop running in a formal way, mostly because the current trans accepting climate rendered it largely unnecessary, and because it was Mary who had kept it going.

There is around 10 years worth of Mary’s blog archived online: manchesterconcord.wordpress.com/category/mblog/

from the previous link:
(concludes)
"Stephen’s contribution and place as a leader in this field of social activism is so great that it is hard to list all of his contributions, especially over the last few years. As the pace of advancement for transsexual people in the UK has accelerated, however, it is relevant to focus particular attention upon his involvement in the change process:

In 1999 Stephen co-authored the trans community’s submission to the Interdepartmental Working Group, “Recognising the Identity and Rights of Transsexual and Transgender People in the United Kingdom”

In 2000 he led the trans community’s presentation to the Interdepartmental Working Group. Since then he has contributed extensively to further research by the Lord Chancellor’s Department and the Interdepartmental Working Group. Stephen is one of the four leading activists who liased extensively on matters leading to the successful passage of the Gender Recognition Act in 2004."

Cabinet ministers? Lords? All quite likely candidates.

Cross-dressing has historically been a rich man’s fetish and very much kept under wraps. It’s not uncommon. Thanks Rowantrees.

I am interested to hear of the connections between S Whittle and the Beaumont.

LGBT HIstory Month article:
Stephen Whittle
pub March 14, 2011
(extract)
"A leading community organiser for almost 30 years
Stephen’s campaign CV can be traced back to 1973 when he joined the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (still attempting to identify as a Lesbian at that time). In 1974, he co-founded the Manchester Lesbian Collective – a radical group which was involved in setting up the first Manchester Women’s Refuge. He announced that he was a man shortly afterwards and, with the group’s support, contacted other trans people in and around Manchester. Along with others he started the very first support group in the UK for transsexuals and transvestites. The group was to be instrumental in the setting up of the Manchester Gay Switchboard.

In 1975 Stephen joined the Beaumont Society, as a trans man and became co-editor of the Beaumont News, a magazine for what was ostensibly a heterosexual male transvestite organisation at that time. In 1979 he was a founder member of the first UK self help group for transsexual people and has remained involved in all the self-help groups that have come into existence since then In 1990 he founded the FTM Network, a self-help group for trans men which now has over 700 members in the UK, and members from another 20 countries." (continues)
lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/stephen-whittle/

From back at the beginning of this discussion. Apologies I missed this thread before.

The trans rights movement started with the Beaumont Society

I am interested to hear of the connections between S Whittle and the Beaumont. I have a distant memory from years ago. No idea where from, nor have I been able to find anything other than the recent whitewash. But I have a feeling that in earlier times, the BS was very much a place where well connected /powerful men, who liked cross-dressing liked to congregate.

Oddly enough, the only serious and credible threat that I’ve ever received on Twitter was when I mentioned that fact. I hadn’t put two and two together at that point and of course, the threat had what was perhaps its desired effect - in that it didn’t stop me speaking out, but it did distract me from this particular topic.

www.gires.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/GIRES-AGM-Minutes-September-2016.pdf
2016 GIRES AGM
'The Chair Celia Macleod welcomed members and guests
including Baroness Elizabeth Barker and Dr Helen Webberley to the 18th AGM of the Society'

1. Any Other Business

2017 GIRES AGM
attended by Baroness Barker (LibDem & Chair of recent Westminster Policy Forum Next Steps for Transgender Equality

(extract)
'5. Any Other Business
Ben Vincent invited engagement from attendees in the development of their transgender
healthcare book. The meeting closed at 3.33 pm.
Afterwards members discussed three ways to influence government policy. First, NHS England is seeking views, by 16 October, about its proposals regarding gender identity services for adults. Secondly, the Government Equalities Office (GEO) has launched a survey, which runs until 15 October, among LGBT people about their experiences and the improvements they seek in public servicers. Thirdly, the GEO plans a consultation in the autumn on reducing the bureaucratic and medical burdens in obtaining gender recognition.
There was also a concurrent workshop for families of gender diverse people.'

www.gires.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/GIRES-Accounts-2014.pdf
2014 Annual report & accounts
GENDER IDENTITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION SOCIETY (GIRES)
Registered Charity No: 1068137

(extract)
c. In the UK, GIRES has sought the adoption of those standards by serving on the intercollegiate committee, which has published the Good Practice Guidelines, and on the NHS England (NHSE) Clinical Reference Group, which is developing the specifications for gender identity services for adults. GIRES is also currently contributing to the improvement of the service specification for children and adolescents. However, even as standards are improving, capacity within the NHSE specialist gender services for adults has not, overall, kept pace with the continuing growth in numbers. Waiting lists are often much more than a year and worsening. Financial pressures on NHSE are likely to restrict funding for additional capacity. In order to augment capacity and provide the required equity of access to services for gender nonconforming individuals who need treatment, NHSE may consider upskilling GPs so that the less specialist elements of care can be offered locally and more promptly in tandem with the specialist clinics. This would improve the mental health of the individuals who would otherwise be waiting for care and address the risks associated with their obtaining unsupervised hormone medication via the internet. Gender treatments are not part of standard medical training in the UK. GIRES has therefore been working with professionals, trans service users and families to develop e-learning resources for:
 GPs, in collaboration with the Royal College of GPs (funded by GIRES): gires.org.uk/gender-variance
 School nurses, health visitors, Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, teachers and other providers of care, , as well as families, in collaboration with the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (funded by Health Education England): gires.org.uk/caring-for-gender-nonconforming-young-people
Through its membership of the National LGB&T Partnership, GIRES is leading a project to develop a series of factsheets that will inform gender conforming people about practical ways to improve their own health and wellbeing.
The Partnership has published the first seven factsheets and a further series is now being developed:
gires.org.uk/health/trans-health-factsheets

GIRES 2014 Accounts

extract shown in picture makes explicit GIRES and Mermaids joint campaign for medical interventions for 'gender non-conforming' children in UK since 2000 and their focus to make cross-sex hormone prescription possible:
www.gires.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/GIRES-Accounts-2014.pdf

PFC itself cannot be a charity, being of its nature political, but it makes sense to siphon off some of our activities into a charity

Its worth on that basis looking at the political/lobbying work that GIRES has been involved with.

Datun wrote Wed 07-Mar-18
"GIRES seem to be very heavily invested in promoting treatment to children.

Like all the trans-pressure groups, they are evangelical about transgenderism.

Lily Maynard, whose child detransitioned, says:.

*GIRES (the Gender Identity and Research Society) has a very impressive sounding name but is neither a professional organisation, nor one with an academic foundation. Like others, it was set up by the parents of a transgender child. GIRES wants to teach ‘gender theory’ to children as young as two, and it seems that the teachers’ union is on board with this. Never has the acronym ‘NUT’ seemed so appropriate. GIRES is sending ‘gender experts’ into schools to fill the heads of kids with the notion that being ‘trans’ makes you a ‘special penguin’ (See the booklets here and spot the bad grammar.)

GIRES tells teachers that that such snowflakery should be rewarded with a cake or a party. This can only serve to confuse kids young enough to believe in the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. GIRES is quite candid about its desire to teach small children about transgender ideology “before children’s views become influenced by the prejudices of the adults around them”. This is an astonishing admission of the wish to influence very small children’s thinking about issues they can’t possibly understand. The result of one such talk in a primary school was discussed on another mumsnet thread, where a parent – who had not been told the talk was going to take place- reported on her children’s response. Her eldest told her “you can choose whether to be a girl or a boy and you can take hormones to change…” whilst her youngest told her they “couldn’t decide whether to be a boy or a girl… and wanted to know what medicine to take.”*

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/lilymaynard.wordpress.com/2017/11/08/when-is-a-girl-not-a-girl/amp/

Gendertrender has analysed quite a bit of what they have said. Amongst other things, the outrageous claim that transitioning can cure autism:

^"Anecdotally, young people who have been successfully treated, are often described as having no residual ASD [Autism Spectrum Disorder]. The symptoms have disappeared once the dysphoria has been treated."

gendertrender.wordpress.com/?s=GIREs&submit=Search

I've seen some of their promotional material, and it's incredibly cult like. I would avoid at all costs. If you want to learn about how to address this issue for children, Transgendertrend has their own schools guide, which is balanced, rational, and most of all calm."
from thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3188145-anyone-know-the-gender-identity-research-education-society-gires

also:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3389255-Could-any-one-tell-me-about-Gires

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3322310-gires-school-resources

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3160730-GIRES-Dsyphoria-Training-for-GPs

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3497770-RC-for-GPs-scraps-GIRES-developed-course

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3497770-RC-for-GPs-scraps-GIRES-developed-course

Here's Christine Burns in 1996, in that piece on allying with the "GLB"

My head hurts reading that.

cf '50 Shades Of Gaslighting: Disturbing Signs An Abuser Is Twisting Your Reality'
by Shahida Arabi
(extract)
How Does Gaslighting Unfold?
As Dr. Robin Stern notes in her book, The Gaslight Effect:

“The Gaslight Effect results from a relationship between two people: a gaslighter, who needs to be right in order to preserve his own sense of self, and his sense of having power in the world; and a gaslightee, who allows the gaslighter to define {his or} her sense of reality because she idealizes him and seeks his approval.”

It is in the victim seeking validation and approval from the gaslighter that the danger begins to unfold. Gaslighting is essentially psychological warfare, causing a victim to habitually question himself or herself. It is employed as a power play to regain control over the victim’s psyche, sense of stability and sense of self.

By playing puppeteer to the survivor’s perceptions, the manipulator is able to pull the strings in every context where his or her target feels powerless, confused, disoriented and on edge, perpetually walking on eggshells to keep the peace." (continues)
thoughtcatalog.com/shahida-arabi/2017/11/50-shades-of-gaslighting-the-disturbing-signs-an-abuser-is-twisting-your-reality/

The ‘Feminist’ section of Mumsnet became the unofficial base for radicalising ordinary women who knew no more than what the leading figures were telling them.

Oooh, I feel addressed!!!
The thing is: I was "radicalised" long before I found Mumsnet in December 2018. I'd long been uncomfortable among my many liberal US feminist friends who called themselves cis without a second thought - I found the word abhorrent. It as if being trans is some random thing that could happen to anyone, and it was just pick of the draw if we were that or not.
Then one thing after another upset me. Every new level of nonsense and outrage drove me more and more in this direction. I ended up here, after a tip from a like-minded friend. How wonderful, to find my tribe.

Sheila Jeffries describes transgenderism as part of the 'men's sexual rights movement'

The more I read, the more I agree with this.

Thanks - that is an awesome clip R0wan.