It's made it to The Guardian at last!.... oh hang on

[Birdsweepsin]

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/nov/02/gender-identity-specialists-accuse-psychology-body-of-contributing-to-fear

The statement suggests that “GIDS took an approach that was predominantly affirmative, rather than exploratory”. But the letter writers argue: “Being ‘affirmative’ is often misrepresented as meaning that a trans identity is encouraged, or treated as a preferred outcome, when an alternative understanding is that this practice is a stance whereby no particular path or identity is privileged over any other.”

We have changed the meaning of the word 'affirmative', in other words.🙄

I admire your perseverance in continuing to read the Guardian. I won't be going back to read it any time soon...

This is the bit i realllly dont get. If one path means life long medication, likely removal of healthy body parts, likely sterilisation and issues with sexual function, and the other path is no medication, body remains in tact, reproductive capacity in tact, sexual function in tact. WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU NOT GIVE PREFERENCE TO ONE PATH OVER ANOTHER????

The refrain of "Four legs good, two legs bad" has truly become "four legs good, two legs better."

I see Polly Carmichael signed the letter. More defensiveness in the face of Cass?

The open letter is here if anyone wants to read it.

Pram. Toys. Thrown out.

medium.com/@genderopenletter/open-letter-to-the-acp-uk-e668378d95f4

The Guardian is like Macbeth now, in too deep to go back.

The penultimate paragraph, which was a riposte to the allegation of 'diagnostic overshadowing'

The letter suggests: “An alternative interpretation is that it is possible to provide support for distress related to gender identity where mental health needs and neurodiversity are also present, and remain cognisant of all factors within formulation-based practice”.

The experience of detransitioners seems to be, while this is possible, it often wasn't what happened. The gender dysphoria was put front and centre and comorbidities completely ignored.

I'm glad the signatories of the letter weren't given the last word. It was pretty strongly refuted by Mike Wang, the chair of ACP-UK.

Woo hoo, go Hadley! In this weeks Private Eye:

Well, well. I always wondered why Adrian Chiles's sad little articles about fuck all were published in the Graun so regularly.

“Being ‘affirmative’ is often misrepresented as meaning that a trans identity is encouraged, or treated as a preferred outcome, when an alternative understanding is that this practice is a stance whereby no particular path or identity is privileged over any other.”

The ACP-UK also refers to findings of “diagnostic overshadowing” in the Cass review, a term used to describe situations in which a person’s multiple difficulties are not given equal weight because they are viewed through a single lens.

The letter suggests: “An alternative interpretation is that it is possible to provide support for distress related to gender identity where mental health needs and neurodiversity are also present, and remain cognisant of all factors within formulation-based practice”.

Keen on their 'alternative interpretations', aren't they?

Hadley was "warned off" writing about Corbyn-era Labour from a Jewish perspective? And the Left think they have the moral high ground?

Write about her children!?

I just......no words.

I'm very pleased that Hadley's letter was shared with Ian Hislop. I've got a lot of respect for him.

One of the recommendations
8. Create spaces where gender diversity is embraced.

What does that mean? If we get rid of the idea of transgender then surely everyone can be celebrated for who they are?

This. I want to say more but can’t find the words…

I read an article about the Tavistock along these lines (including arguing that affirmation doesn't always mean what you think it means) in the London Review of books a few months ago, written by someone from the Tavistock . I didn't keep my copy and i don't remember who wrote it. No-one challenged it on the letters page.

Bernadette Wren @Amaryllis?

David Bell took her piece apart, and she took it badly, as I recall.

I think this is the link but you may need a subscription

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v43/n24/letters

Here's an archived copy of David Bell's letter to the LRB: archive.ph/UnA0M

Thank you @Birdsweepsin I somehow missed those letters though I did look out for responses in my print copy! I am pleased to see they were there after all.

This is the only confusing part. Why Hadley? After all the rest of the Graun hacks put the boot into Corbyn at every opportunity. Even now more than 2 years since his departure he is routinely blamed for anything and everything.

There's a YouTube of Owen Jones trying to tell Alexei Sayle that Corbyn's Labour was Antisemitic. Talk about cognitive dissonance. And of course OJ is the Chief Censor. Is he playing both sides I wonder.

Is Adrian Chiles the new Peter Mackay aka the ' Worlds Worst Columnist ' of Private Eye's past?

Be fair, The Graun does still have some good stuff ... there was an interesting piece about the importance of balance today 😂

This is the only confusing part. Why Hadley? After all the rest of the Graun hacks put the boot into Corbyn at every opportunity.

Criticising Corbyn is a good thing in guardian world. Pointing out anti-Semitism is a bad thing.

I read the diaries of former Tory trade minister Alan Clark. Very witty and gossipy - but the Antisemitsm in the Tory Party was off the scale. Funny we don't hear about it ever.

I'm still seething that the Guardian have seen fit to suppress this massive story for years.

The letters , particularly Kirsty Entwistle, are very disturbing indeed. The story needs to be in the mainstream for sure.