Ooo, Jo Maugham isn't happy...

[Xanthangum]

Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) Tweeted:
"We waited some weeks for the BBC to be ready to cover our legal action to protect the legal rights of trans children. And the piece is up and is quite extraordinary. I'm not going to link to it because it is inaccurate and gives space to a transphobic hate group." twitter.com/JolyonMaugham/status/1330758709140729856?s=20

Which I assume refers to this piece:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55015959

And he says this about LGB Alliance, which feels stupidly for a lawyer libellous: The third point is they have quoted the so-called LGB Alliance - a dark money funded astro-turfed hate group - on the healthcare of trans teenagers. What next? Will the BBC be quoting white supremacists on whether sickle cell anaemia should be treated on the NHS?

Had a quick squizz at the Good Law Project website, as was curious to know more. These are their criteria for cases.

Good Law Project uses the criteria below to assess potential litigation:
1. Does the case fall within our priority thematic areas, such as tackling poverty, upholding democracy or protecting the environment?
2. Would the litigation address significant issues of disadvantage, unfairness or discrimination, preferably for a relatively large cohort of people?
3. Would the litigation have strategic impact, with systemic implications beyond the specifics of the case?
4. Is the litigation consistent with our values?

Their priority thematic areas are: COVID-19, Tax, Protecting Democracy, Environment, Poverty, Migration and Workers Rights. So this is a bit off piste from those, suggesting this is more of a passion project. So I don’t think it meets criteria 1. Not sure about criteria 2, as the numbers of trans identified people varies depending on which criteria you use to define the population. Definitely meets criteria 3, given what we know about the pursuit of strategic litigation on this theme from all sorts of angles. And probably meets criteria 4, given how enthusiastically Maugham is throwing himself into this cause.

Interesting.

OldCrone

I suspect that one reason TRAs are so keen to stop trans identified children going through puberty is because they know that if those children have no physical treatment 80%+ will desist after puberty, and they want to keep the numbers up. No idea what Maugham's motivation is though. Those tweets make him sound unhinged.

You say "I suspect". I say: you are absolutely correct.

What does astro-turfed mean

Hero. Trans exclusionary radical feminists who also shine bright like a star. Ie, LGB Alliance.

wellthatsunusual

This 'it takes too long to see a specialist, we're being discriminated against' thing really pisses me off.

People are waiting years in my area for hip replacements, gynae appointments, ent appointments, rheumatology appointments, mental health help. There's nothing special about gender clinics.

Yes.

Normal waiting times. Plus...

a deadly pandemic - anti-reality/genderologist people.

Astro-turfed is a faked grass-roots movement

I see LGB Alliance is trending on Twitter now, and being called a hate group by TRAs.

Astro turfing is when something is disguised as a grass roots movement when actually it is being funded top down.

See for example the accusation that all of the pro women groups that have been crowdfunded are actually funded by far right evangelical orgs.

What does astro-turfed mean?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astroturfing

I saw that on Twitter this morning and was taken aback- most intemperate and odd for a lawyer, I thought.

What’s his personal connection?

I can't see how a judge could rule on this without it setting a general principal that waits for pretty much any treatment is unlawful. As pointed out cancer can have much more dire outcomes due to waits (including those as a result of covid). But even things like speech and language therapy can impact on a young child's ability to take part in community life/education, or some orthodontic treatments if not treated young require much more drastic surgery. And what about people waiting months for a covid vaccine? This is really a political matter as it requires balancing of costs.

That is without considering the matter of consent and whether transition is even appropriately given it leads to poorer outcomes.

SophocIestheFox

Interesting.

Aah. Thank you! I thought it mught be something to do with pubic hair.

Well he needs to prove that claim

I cant see how people can talk about stopping the body developing without acknowledging brain development. All very strange.

ArcheryAnnie

I've never been able to take Jolyon seriously since he beat a fox to death with a baseball bat, while wearing a kimono. I'd happily bung in a fiver to help pay m'learned friends if the LGB Alliance want to send him a stiff letter about his libellous tweets.

I'm sure many here will agree.

Grass roots action.

@sophoclestheFox Had a quick squizz at the Good Law Project website

They have been doing great work holdingbthe government to account over the PPE procurement scandal.

I'm really worried that this sort of off piste, off-key campaign will damage their reputation and their other work. Oi Jo. Leave it out!

Astro turfing is when something is disguised as a grass roots movement when actually it is being funded top down.

I assume he's got some evidence for this claim against LGB Alliance?

I've never been able to take Jolyon seriously since he beat a fox to death with a baseball bat, while wearing a kimono

I don't think anyone else in the country has.

the person he is talking about is 14!! They have been gaslit for years by trusted adults and friends that they are 'really' male and must therefore fix their body to match. I remember being 14 quite clearly and there was absolutely no way that I should ever have been allowed to make life changing decisions at that age (nor most of my peers) - that's why 14 year olds are children and the age of majority is not 14.

It must be luck of the draw on waiting times. Many cancer treatments and treatments for life limiting or altering conditions have huge waiting times so as wellthats points out there is no difference there.

The person I know who realised they were non binary seemed to get an appointment with the gender clinic during lockdown pretty much straightaway (either that or they realised they were nb after the gender clinic appt, I'm not sure) but they started taking testosterone 3 months later so hardly a significant amount of time considering the life changing impact of the treatment (which is already causing changes).

Bev Jackson makes such reasonable points about self-diagnosis and it is nice to see a non-derogatory reference to LGB Alliance (is this new DG Tim's influence?)

@NotTerfNorCis

I see LGB Alliance is trending on Twitter now, and being called a hate group by TRAs.

The propaganda unit has been activated 🙄

Eresh

No. He won't have any evidence against LGBAlliance. Absolutely none.

Bit strange for someone apparently practicing Law.

I can't see how a judge could rule on this without it setting a general principal that waits for pretty much any treatment is unlawful

I see one possible result as forcing the NHS to have to go into the court and discuss the desirability and the outcomes of the treatments requested. Particularly to have to discuss that the outcomes are actually largely unknown because it involves untested experimentation on children.

That was a joke btw, I don't really think there's a propaganda unit, just swathes of useful idiots happy to chant slogans when triggered

@SophocIestheFox

What is Maugham’s angle on this?

He’s completely intemperate on this topic, there’s no balance at all, no carefully considered, lawyerly language you’d expect.

I also note that his point on puberty blockers is to prevent the voice from dropping, or the Adam’s apple developing. Which is a bit weird given that we know the numbers of girls vs boys identifying as trans at/around puberty.also, he seems to have missed the memo that the NHS is now shying away from describing GnRH treatment as “fully reversible”.

Hmmm.

As I understand it, the court will be considering the child in front of them rather than hypothetical other children so voice dropping etc is not relevant.

Can transgendertrend be an interested party again?

My 14yo had to wait 2 weeks before I’d let her bleach her hair, ffs. Bollocks would I let her make life altering permanent medical decisions at that age!
Why aren’t the parents advocating caution for their child?

With JM, do you think his garment choice when fox-bashing is why he’s so keen on this?

Kipo

Re: His choice of apparel. I think we all here know what he is about. From many an angle.