Gender
Oli London and the trickiness of being ‘trans-racial’
Not everyone will have heard of Oli London, a British social media influencer who made news for two reasons last…
The art of Dolly Parton’s bra
New York I hope this is my last week in the Bagel. I plan to fly first to Switzerland and…
Laurel Hubbard is the beginning of the end of women’s sports
When women’s professional soccer was deemed good enough for our TV screens a couple of years ago, I was watching…
Critical issue: the complex language of gender
Seeing my husband in his armchair snoozing, as his unacknowledged habit is, head back, mouth open, stertorous and blotchy, it…
Stonewall’s dystopian attacks on gendered language
Today brings yet more proof that Liz Truss is dead right to want to withdraw government departments from Stonewall’s Diversity…
Are 'controversial stickers' really a matter for the police?
Has Police Scotland misunderstood the purpose of policing? A recent crackdown on ‘controversial stickers’ appears to suggest as much. ‘On Monday…
Trans offenders are skewing crime statistics
Tonia Antoniazzi’s speech in the House of Commons this week was remarkable, not because of what she said – the…
What's the problem, ladies and gentlemen?
Picture the scene. You’re on a train when the following message comes over the tannoy: ‘Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,…
In praise of the LGB Alliance
Once upon a time an organisation was established to campaign for gay and lesbian rights. They faced opposition from the…
What happened when the trans mob came for Robert Webb?
Robert Webb is best known for making people laugh, but he conducted himself with poise and grace when he was…
Teaching unions shouldn't be defining 'transphobia'
A year of disrupted schooling means there are plenty of issues facing our schools right now. But delegates at last week’s…
Brexit and gender are off limits for aspiring authors
When a small US publisher accepted my first book for young adults, ‘Crosstrack’, it wasn’t long before things went pear…
Beware the linguistic Trojan horse
It’s the bane of many an author these days: those newspaper-filler Q&As. One I recently filled out included the question:…
Mr Potato Head and the cult of gender neutrality
Another pillar of the patriarchy has fallen. His name is Mr Potato Head – or rather, it was Mr Potato…
The SNP's transphobia muddle
For a party so devoted to trans rights, it seems strange that the SNP is less than forthcoming over its…
Do gender studies departments have a gender problem?
Target practice The government hit its target of giving a first Covid vaccine to 15 million of the most vulnerable…
A warning from Australia on the transgender debate
It’s great that Britain’s high court has ruled that children can’t give informed consent to receive puberty blockers. I only wish…
Why do Innocent drinks think this pensioner is guilty of 'transphobia'?
The trans debate can be a nasty one. And when women (and it usually is women) have the courage to speak…
Spain's transgender wars are turning nasty
Lidia Falcón O’Neill is a legendary figure in Spanish politics. Half a century ago, she stood up to Franco as head of…
2020 was the year the tide turned in the trans wars
2020 will, of course, be remembered as the year in which Covid-19 was unleashed on the world. But it is…
Eddie Izzard and the denigration of women
I’m done with being white. It’s boring. From now on I choose to identify as black and I insist that…
It’s completely rational for girls to want to be boys
I’ve always been perplexed why anyone lucky enough to be born male would want to swap sexes. But it seems…
What French women want
Considering the subject of compatibility, experienced British expats in France maintain that a French man and an English woman might…
The Tavistock is a national scandal
How noble of the British Library to have apologised to the family of the late Poet Laureate Ted Hughes for…
Let men have their boys’ clubs
There’s nothing wrong with men-only clubs
