Latest news with #JoMaugham
The National
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The National
Westminster parliament bans trans women from female toilets
The website for the UK Parliament now tells visitors that they "should use facilities that correspond to their biological sex or the gender-neutral toilets". In May, a Commons spokesperson said they would await full EHRC guidance before reviewing any policies. It comes after a transgender barrister was accosted by gender critical activists outside of a women's bathroom on the parliamentary estate. The Scottish Parliament banned transwomen from using female facilities on May 9. It comes after the Supreme Court ruled that under the Equality Act 2010, women would be defined by "biological sex" and did not include transwomen with a gender recognition certificate. READ MORE: Scottish Labour MSPs missing more Holyrood votes than Tories and SNP Following the ruling, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued interim guidance that banned transgender people from using the bathroom of their acquired gender. The EHRC currently has a consultation running, with official guidance expected to come at a later, unconfirmed date. Jo Maugham, director of Good Law Project, said: 'The Supreme Court had a whole section of its judgment headed – and here I quote – 'Why this interpretation would not be disadvantageous to or remove protection from trans people with or without a GRC'. 'And you have to ask why the parliamentary estate has chosen to ignore what seems to be the law. It may be expedient in the short term to be dictated to by JK Rowling's billions – but it is going to prove very unwise in the longer term.' The House of Commons has been contacted for comment. (Image: UK Parliament) We previously told how barrister Robin Moira White was attending a meeting of the women and equalities committee in Westminster when she was accosted by gender critical campaigners. White said that Kate Harris, of LGB Alliance, and Heather Binning, Women's Rights Network, began 'shouting' at her and started to cross-examine her on her intentions. Harris has denied shouting at White. The Commons then issued an apology following the confrontation and said White should not have been directed to use the female facilities. It has now changed its policy following the incident. READ MORE: Ex-Labour frontbencher calls for UK Government to reject Rosebank In Holyrood, the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body (SPCB) recently defended its decision to ban transgender people from using certain toilets after being urged to drop the 'unfair' policy. On behalf of the SPCB, Scottish Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw insisted the governing body had 'legal responsibilities'. 'Our job, even though we are politicians, is not to debate the politics of an issue, but to ensure that we are implementing the law as the law is communicated to us,' he said.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
JK Rowling says she and Stephen Fry were NEVER friends after he said Harry Potter author was ‘radicalised by TERFs'
AUTHOR JK Rowling has hit back at Sir Stephen Fry amid the pair's public trans row. It comes after Fry, who has previously referred to the Harry Potter creator as a "friend of mine", called her out for her views on trans women. 4 4 The 67-year-old presenter, who narrates the popular Harry Potter audio books, turned his back on Rowling, 59, accusing her of being a "lost cause". The comedian said: "She has been radicalised I fear and it may be she has been radicalised by TERFs. "It is unhelpful and only hardens her and will only continue to harden her I am afraid. "I am sorry because I always liked her company. I found her charming, funny and interesting. "Then this thing happened and it completely altered the way she talks and engages with the world now. "I am not saying that she not be called out when she says things that are really cruel, wrong and mocking. "She seems to be a lost cause for us." His words were then reposted on social media by barrister Jo Maugham - prompting a brutal response from the author. But in response to the tweet, Rowling denied claims that the pair were close. Posting on X, she said: "It is a great mistake to assume that everyone who claims to have been a friend of mine was ever considered a friend by me." The author is no stranger to such comments and has long stood firm in the face of online pressure. Rowling has come under fire for comments made in the past towards trans people. PM backs JK Rowling in war with trans activists and says 'we should not criminalise people saying common sense things' In 2020, the esteemed author slammed the growing trend of replacing "biological sex" with "gender identity". Her stance, that declared "sex is real", led to death threats, but also moulded her into a figurehead for the "gender-critical" movement. Activists accused her of transphobia in 2020 when replying to an article with the headline: "Opinion: Creating a more equal post Covid-19 world for people who menstruate." She tweeted: "'People who menstruate'. I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. "Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" Her remarks led to criticism from Potter actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, who ignored the fact her books had made them famous to launch a string of attacks. It was Rowling's beloved group For Women Scotland which also launched a long-running legal battle with the Scottish government over how a "woman" was defined in Scottish law. The Scottish government had argued people with gender recognition certificates (GRCs) should be protected from sex-based discrimination, meaning a transwoman would be considered a woman. However, campaign group For Women Scotland claimed this only applied to people born as a female. In April, the Supreme Court 's landmark judgement ruled that it was unanimously determined "sex is binary" and that female-only spaces must be protected on the basis of biology. Hailing the landmark decision, Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch said: "Saying 'trans women are women' was never true in fact, and now isn't true in law either. "This is a victory for all of the women who faced personal abuse or lost their jobs for stating the obvious. "Women are women and men are men: you cannot change your biological sex." 4
Evening Standard
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Evening Standard
JK Rowling claims she was never friends with Stephen Fry after he accused her of being 'radicalised by TERFs'
Following Fry's comments, British barrister Jo Maugham wrote on X: 'Really creditable this, from Stephen Fry. I've spoken to so many of JKR's once friends who now despair at her privately but won't do so publicly, which is very much the British way and why nothing ever changes for the better. So well done Stephen.'
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
JK Rowling hits back at Stephen Fry and says she and the Harry Potter narrator were NEVER even friends
JK Rowling has hit back at Sir Stephen Fry after the Harry Potter narrator accused her of being 'radicalised by TERFs' - claiming the two were never even friends. Fry, 67, previously branded the author a 'friend of mine', adding he did not plan to 'abandon' friendships despite his trans pals being 'deeply upset' by Rowling. But this month Fry turned on the Harry Potter creator as he branded her a 'lost cause' and accused her of being 'radicalised by TERFs' while recording podcast The Show People. Following the remarks, British barrister Jo Maugham echoed Fry's claim that he and Rowling were friends as he wrote on X: 'Really creditable this, from Stephen Fry. I've spoken to so many of JKR's once friends who now despair at her privately but won't do so publicly, which is very much the British way and why nothing ever changes for the better. So well done Stephen.' But in response to the post, Rowling savagely shut down any suggestion that she and Fry were ever close, even if he thought they were. 'It is a great mistake to assume that everyone who claims to have been a friend of mine was ever considered a friend by me,' she replied on X. Comedian and TV presenter Fry previously told how he used to have dinner regularly with the author and described her views towards the trans community as 'strange'. During The Show People this month Fry, who is himself gay, said: 'She has been radicalised I fear and it may be she has been radicalised by TERFs, but also by the vitriol that is thrown at her. 'It is unhelpful and only hardens her and will only continue to harden her I am afraid. I am not saying that she not be called out when she says things that are really cruel, wrong and mocking. She seems to be a lost cause for us.' Fry recorded audio books for all seven of the Harry Potter series, but has now turned his back on the author, accusing her of 'mocking' LGBT+ people and insisting he supports the trans community. He said: 'She started to make these peculiar statements and had very strong difficult views. She seemed to wake up or kick a hornet's nest of transphobia which has been entirely destructive. 'I disagree profoundly with her on this subject. I am angry she does not disavow some of the more revolting and truly horrible, destructive violently destructive things that people say. She does not attack those at all. Fry said he was sad to speak out against her, adding: 'I am sorry because I always liked her company. I found her charming, funny and interesting' 'She says things that are inflammatory and contemptuous, mocking and add to a terribly distressing time for trans people. 'She has crowed at the success of legislation in Scotland and elsewhere declaring things about gender. 'So I am very happy to go on the record to say that I am really angry about that. My view about all things of sharp and difficult nature is that is is much more important to be effective than to be right.' Fry, who has until recently not spoken openly about the row, explained that he had previously got on well with the author. 'I am sorry because I always liked her company. I found her charming, funny and interesting and then this thing happened and it completely altered the way she talks and engages with the world now,' he said.
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
NHS body revokes guidance advising hospitals to allow trans people to use chosen bathrooms
An NHS body has been criticised after it quietly withdrew guidance advising hospitals to allow trans people to use bathrooms and changing rooms of their choice. The NHS Confederation - which represents NHS trusts across the UK - confirmed to The Independent that it had removed the guidance from its website as it became 'dated' after April's Supreme Court ruling. The judgment found that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex, sparking disputes on how Britain should treat its equality policy. In the weeks after the ruling, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued interim guidance which stated that trans women 'should not be permitted to use the women's facilities' in workplaces or public-facing services such as shops and hospitals'. The guidance is being legally challenged by trans-rights groups. The NHS Confederation said it had withdrawn its previously trans-inclusive advice and will issue new guidance when the EHRC updates its official Code of Practice. But trans rights groups have warned guidance on access to single-sex spaces is currently a legal 'minefield'. "The Supreme Court decision about the Equality Act doesn't mention toilets - not even once - and their provision is governed by separate legislation,' founder and executive director of Good Law Project, Jo Maugham KC, told The Independent. 'What the Supreme Court was very careful to say is that its judgment about the meaning of "woman" was solely about that word in the Equality Act. The 'toilets question' will be determined in judicial review proceedings that Good Law Project is filing today. 'For the NHS (or any other service provider) to take a position before the outcome is known is to invite lawsuits against it and risk wasting money that ought to be spent on patient care in the pursuit of ill-advised culture wars." TransActual, an organisation that supports the rights of trans people, said the development highlights the confusing implications of the ruling. "This decision may - or may not - be required as a result of the recent Supreme Court ruling,' a spokesperson said. 'However, what appears abundantly clear, based on advice from multiple lawyers and experts in this field, is that the supposed 'clarity' welcomed by the prime minister shortly after the ruling is, itself, in need of some clarification. "The law, based on a narrow interpretation of the Equality Act, may support this action. Equally, any future challenges on human rights grounds, which were not considered by the Supreme Court, may lead to a different outcome. It is a minefield. Organisations are damned if they act; damned if they do not. "We sympathise with the NHS Confederation and the position they find themselves in. Nonetheless, we believe they have reached the wrong conclusion - and that will, in turn, lead to significant harm to trans people needing medical care, as they now put off, or refuse treatment that may require a hospital stay." The NHS Confederation - which does not set official NHS policy - said its intention remains to provide its members with 'information that helps them best support their staff and patients', as it confirmed it had taken its previous guidance down. A spokesperson said: 'We will update and reinstate our guide as soon as the EHRC has updated its Code of Practice, which will need to be approved by the UK government, and when NHS England has then updated its guidance for what the changes mean for NHS organisations. 'The withdrawal of our guide does not change our explicit commitment to support our members to reduce the unacceptably high levels of bullying, abuse and discrimination at work that trans and non-binary staff and patients face.' On Monday, a hearing in a case against the EHRC over its consultation period for guidance in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling is set to go ahead. Human rights group Liberty is arguing the equalities watchdog had breached its statutory duties by implementing a six-week consultation period rather than a 12-week one. The EHRC will issue official post-ruling guidance after the consultation period.
