Latest news with #McCloud
The Hill
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Top Washington state court upholds ban on high-capacity gun magazines
The Washington State Supreme Court upheld the state's ban on high-capacity magazine guns in a Thursday ruling, overturning a lower court order that labeled it unconstitutional. The 7-2 decision affirmed the constitutionality of a three-year old state law that prevents the sale, manufacture and import of ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds 'This regulation does not limit the number of bullets or magazines that may be purchased or possessed. By restricting only magazines of a capacity greater than 10, the statute effectively regulates the maximum capacity of magazines, leaving the weapon fully functional for its intended purpose,' Justice Charles Johnson wrote in the majority's opinion about the ban. 'Thus, we are not convinced that the restriction here renders the right to bear arms in self defense meaningless,' he continued. Gator's Custom Guns Inc., a Washington for-profit corporation and Walter Wentz initiated the lawsuit against the state law, arguing that the ban violated citizens' Second Amendment rights. Justices Sheryl Gordon McCloud and G. Helen Whitener dissented on Thursday in defense of the plaintiffs' dispute, alleging a magazine is not an optional accessory for a repeating firearm. 'It is a defining characteristic of a repeating firearm. As Gator's Custom Guns explains, 'Without a magazine inserted, a semiautomatic weapon will not function properly' and is 'essentially a single shot breech loader' like an old-fashioned musket,' Justice McCloud wrote in the dissent. 'And because the magazine functions as an ammunition feeding device, it is not just a passive receptacle for storing ammunition like a cartridge box.' McCloud, in the dissent, added that the Second Amendment does not just protect 'arms' but also 'arms-bearing conduct.' Washington Attorney General Nick Brown lauded the court's decision on Thursday, citing the threat of violent events. 'Today's decision is right on the law and will save lives,' Brown said in a prepared statement according to the Seattle Times. 'Large capacity magazines are used in the overwhelming majority of mass shootings, and reducing the toll of these senseless killings is vitally important.' Thirteen other states currently outlaw high capacity magazines.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Falcons Wide Receiver Ray-Ray McCloud Is Quite The Entrepreneur
There is more than meets the eye regarding Atlanta Falcons wide Receiver Ray-Ray McCloud. Although football is his first love, McCloud is passionate about many off-field activities. Some of his interests include music, film, reading, and entrepreneurship. His highly anticipated single "Stand On It" is set to be released this summer. McCloud is known on stage as "Runway". Advertisement Recently, McCloud sat down with Athlon Sports contributor Josh Petry, host of the Nerdz Enigma Podcast on YouTube, to discuss the upcoming season and his ventures off the field. When asked about the number of targets he received last season, and if he anticipates the Falcons utilizing him more he would say, "I only see it going up, and I know I could have did more, but we got so many great players in our room, and other rooms as well like the running back, the tight ends, obviously our receiving room." Ray-Ray McCloud is introduced before a game against the Carolina Panthers. Brett Davis-Imagn Images McCloud was also asked about how Atlanta can unlock another level of production and talent, given the number of weapons around them, and he stated, "I think it's all about opportunities, and I think that'll unlock itself once the time comes. For me, it's just like, show up every day and be me." McCloud also discussed his music and a feature film coming out soon, saying, "I'm excited about that. I'm very nervous, but excited at the same time. It's a different craft for me." Advertisement McCloud is gaining momentum as an artist to watch. As the CEO of Legend Tribe Entertainment, a growing record label and collective, he leads a roster of five emerging artists, shaping the future of music with bold vision and creative leadership. Legend Tribe Entertainment has already secured placements on several BET movie soundtracks, solidifying its presence in both the music and film industries. Beyond sports and music, Ray-Ray is also making moves in Hollywood. He recently secured a supporting role in a major studio film set for release in 2026, featuring a star-studded, A-list cast. I've included the interview in its entirety below. Related: Kirby Smart Congratulates Jalon Walker on NFL Draft: Georgia Football's Championship Legacy Shines Related: NFL World Reacts To Falcons' 15th Overall Pick
ABC News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
UK's first trans judge Victoria McCloud to take gender ruling to European rights court
The UK's first transgender judge said she plans to take the British government to the European Court of Human Rights for its policies on trans rights following a divisive Supreme Court ruling. Victoria McCloud, a retired High Court judge, said she would bring "one or more cases" against Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government, accusing it of breaching the European Convention on Human Rights. Photo shows Two women hold hands and celebrate The court upheld an appeal by a campaign group on whether transgender women are legally women under equality legislation. Earlier this month, Britain's top court handed down a landmark ruling that gender and sex were defined by a person's sex at birth in the country's anti-discrimination laws. The government has embraced the ruling and said trans women should use men's facilities and vice versa, with Britain's equality watchdog announcing interim guidance along the same lines. McCloud told AFP in a statement that the ruling and official response "is a serious infringement of the Convention Rights of EU and UK citizens, including in relation to sex, sexual orientation, and privacy". "I intend firmly to re-assert my convention rights and other rights under the convention," added the former judge, who now works as a litigation strategist. The UK Supreme Court ruling also threw into confusion the validity of gender recognition certificates, which allow trans people to gain legal recognition in their chosen gender. McCloud has a gender change certificate but according to the ruling she would be defined as a man under the Equality Act, leaving her with "two sexes at once", she alleged. Thousands of trans rights protesters came together in central London for what was billed as an "emergency demonstration". ( Reuters: Chris J Ratcliffe ) The court's decision was a victory for gender critical activists who brought the appeal to London after losing previous cases in Scottish courts. McCloud said she and one other trans applicant were not allowed to present arguments to the Supreme Court during its hearing last year. The UK apex court hears appeals on points of law "of the greatest public importance", and can choose to hear arguments from "interveners" at its discretion. "The court heard no members of the trans community and did not give reasons," said McCloud. The UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission said in interim guidance issued that trans women "should not be permitted to use the women's facilities" including in workplaces, shops and hospitals. Instead, it suggested the use of unisex toilets for trans people. However, McCloud argues there is no easy way to determine the biological sex of a person. AFP
New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
First UK trans judge to take gender ruling to European rights court
LONDON: The UK's first transgender judge on Monday said she plans to take the British government to the European Court of Human Rights for its policies on trans rights following a divisive Supreme Court ruling. Victoria McCloud, a retired High Court judge, said she would bring "one or more cases" against Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government, accusing it of breaching the European Convention on Human Rights. Earlier this month, Britain's top court handed down a landmark ruling that gender and sex were defined by a person's sex at birth in the country's anti-discrimination laws. The government has embraced the ruling and said trans women should use men's facilities and vice versa, with Britain's equality watchdog announcing interim guidance along the same lines. McCloud told AFP in a statement that the ruling and official response "is a serious infringement of the Convention Rights of EU and UK citizens, including in relation to sex, sexual orientation, and privacy". "I intend firmly to re-assert my convention rights and other rights under the convention," added the former judge, who now works as a litigation strategist. The UK Supreme Court ruling also threw into confusion the validity of gender recognition certificates, which allow trans people to gain legal recognition in their chosen gender. McCloud has a gender change certificate but according to the ruling she would be defined as a man under the Equality Act, leaving her with "two sexes at once", she alleged. The court's decision was a victory for gender critical activists who brought the appeal to London after losing previous cases in Scottish courts. McCloud said she and one other trans applicant were not allowed to present arguments to the Supreme Court during its hearing last year. The UK apex court hears appeals on points of law "of the greatest public importance", and can choose to hear arguments from "interveners" at its discretion. "The court heard no members of the trans community and did not give reasons," said McCloud. The UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission said in interim guidance issued that trans women "should not be permitted to use the women's facilities" including in workplaces, shops and hospitals. Instead, it suggested the use of unisex toilets for trans people. However, McCloud argues there is no easy way to determine the biological sex of a person.
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
UK's first trans judge plans human rights challenge to Supreme Court gender ruling that the definition of woman is biological
Britain's first transgender judge is planning to take the Government to the European Court of Human Rights over the Supreme Court 's landmark biological sex ruling. Victoria McCloud - who stepped down last year after making a series of controversial statements - claimed the judgement violated her human rights and left her feeling 'contained and segregated'. It comes after a unanimous Supreme Court ruling earlier this month that 'woman' and 'man' refer to biological women and men and that 'the concept of sex is binary'. Ms McCloud said she intends to apply to the ECHR to bring action against the UK for infringement of her Article 6 rights, which guarantee the right to a fair trial in both criminal and civil matters. She said: 'Trans people were wholly excluded from this court case. I applied to be heard. Two of us did. We were refused. '[The court] heard no material going to the question of the proportionality and the impact on trans people. It didn't hear evidence from us. 'The Supreme Court failed in my view, adequately, to think about human rights points.' The Supreme Court can consider outside arguments from 'interveners' at its discretion but rarely allows individuals to intervene and often rejects them if it will hear the same arguments from other groups. In the biological sex case, the Supreme Court did consider arguments on trans issues from the human rights campaign group Amnesty International. Ms McCloud, a former High Court Master, said that her Gender Recognition Certificate [GRC], which she obtained after she legally transitioned, should mean she is defined as a woman in law. This would run counter to the Supreme Court judgement, which clarified that under the Equality Act sex is defined by biology and not a £6 certificate for the purposes of the Act. Ms McCloud told the BBC: 'Just as the prime minister didn't know what a woman was, actually the Supreme Court don't know because they haven't defined biological sex. 'The answer [in my view] is that a woman in law is someone with the letter F on her birth certificate.' However women's rights campaigners said the Supreme Court judgement is clear that sex is biological. Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at human rights charity Sex Matters which provided evidence in the case, said Ms McCloud's attempt to intervene 'was always misguided because the Supreme Court rarely allows individuals to intervene'. She added: 'The Scottish Government, the respondent in the Supreme Court case, has already said it accepts the ruling. The case is over and there is no obvious route for [Ms McCloud] to take the UK government to the ECHR.' Following the ruling the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has issued new guidance stating unequivocally that in workplaces and places open to the public 'trans women (biological men) should not be permitted to use the women's facilities'. Ms McCloud claimed that, far from providing clarity, the judgment and subsequent guidance has 'brought chaos'. '[This judgement] has left me two sexes at once, which is a nonsense and ironic, because the Supreme Court said that sex was binary,' she told the BBC. 'I am a woman for all purposes in law, but [now under this judgement] I'm a man for the Equality Act 2010. So I have to probably guess on any given occasion which sex I am.' Ms McCloud will have six months to apply to the ECHR and will have to prove that she has suffered been the victim of an alleged violation of the Convention and suffered 'significant disadvantage' as a result. If she is successful then this would likely provide significant ammunition to Tory calls to leave the ECHR following frustrations at a series of its findings. Ms McCloud transitioned in the 1990s and became the first transgender barrister and judge in the UK. She stood down a year ago, saying she could not continue her work amid the increasingly fraught public debate. In her resignation letter last year, she likened herself to civil rights activist Rosa Parks, writing: 'Rosa Parks's choice of seat was political because of the colour of her skin. 'More prosaically, for me, I am now political every time I choose where to pee. Less prosaically, the judiciary, by continuing to let me be a judge, is now at risk of being political.' It comes as junior doctors at a British Medical Association (BMA) conference today 'condemned' Supreme Court's ruling that sex is biological. The union's junior doctors, now known as resident doctors, passed a motion which states: 'This meeting condemns the Supreme Court ruling defining the term 'woman'.' The motion adds: 'We recognise as doctors that sex and gender are complex and multifaceted aspects of the human condition and attempting to impose a rigid binary has no basis in science or medicine while being actively harmful to transgender and gender-diverse people.' While the motion was passed by the conference it will not become BMA policy unless it is approved by all members at the union's annual meeting later this year. A BMA spokesman said: 'The BMA respects trans patients' dignity, autonomy and human rights and continues to believe that trans doctors, NHS workers and patients deserve dignity, safety, and equitable access to healthcare and healthcare facilities.'
