In a new book, 'Time to Think', it is claimed that the Tavistock Clinic ignored evidence that 97.5% of children seeking sex changes had autism, depression or other emotional issues.
With little consideration, many children were set by the clinic on an irreversible route to transition through puberty blockers, hormone treatment and surgery.
The author of the book Hannah Barnes, a former Newsnight reporter, found that none of the large publishing houses would publish it because junior staff complained the book was transphobic. Eventually Swift Press published the influential book about the Tavistock (which was forced to close last year by the NHS following a High Court challenging its practice on under 16s). A victory for free speech.
J.K. Rowling has been targeted by trans-activists who accuse her of being trans-phobic by virtue of her holding the recognised view that gender is determined by sex at birth. It is appalling that actors in her Harry Potter films have turned on her to demonstrate their woke credentials. As she said recently ‘Deeply amused by those telling me I’ve lost their admiration due to the disrespect I show violent, duplicitous rapists’ – referring to those who Nicola Sturgeon wanted to put in women’s prisons. Note that Hogwarts is co-ed!
What would Ronald Dahl have said about the recent ‘woke’ rewrite of his classic works? He, like Rowling, encouraged millions of children to take up reading. Following a review by the Roald Dahl Company and publishers Puffin the books are being rewritten so that they can be ‘enjoyed by all children’.
The word ‘fat’ has been removed from every book. Augustus Gloop is now described as ‘enormous’. The Oompa Loompas are now gender neutral and no longer tiny. The words ‘black’ and ‘white’ have been removed; and Matilda now reads Jane Austen and not Rudyard Kipling.The edits include removal of references to gender, mental health, weight, race and violence. Perhaps in Dahl’s case rewriting is justified bearing in mind the evidence that he was a racist , misogynist antisemitic bully.
However, it is unfortunate if we stop reading children’s books because of the character or views of the authors.
Is this behind the withdrawal of Enid Blyton’s books? In fact she was ahead of her time. Georgina Kirin in the Famous Five stories was a tomboy and insisted on being called George. She said ‘I hate being a girl. I like doing things that boys do’. It’s just as well the Tavistock Clinic was not around then.
Perhaps time to buy up unadulterated first editions of Dahl classics before the wokeists succeed in getting legislation to make it a crime to be in unlawful possession of a Glass Lift or a Chocolate Factory.
The sudden departure of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon caught many by surprise. It comes as a late Christmas present for Labour who look to regain seats in Scotland and for the Government in whose side Sturgeon has been a constant thorn. Whilst a successful leader as a communicator, she failed in her primary aim of securing a further referendum. Was this her reason to go or her disastrous set of reforms to transgender legislation which divided her party and split the electorate?
Her legacy is also of NHS in crisis in Scotland, falling life expectancy and increasing drug deaths and its education system, once the envy of Britain, declining precipitously. The green Agenda sits uneasily with Scotland’s reliance on so many jobs in oil and gas.
At least there are still more that 22 million casks of liquid gold rare scotch whisky maturing in warehouses across the Scottish countryside.
It may be put down as typical Newcastle United. Is the new golden age a mirage or a reality? The celebratory game against Liverpool one week before the much awaited Carabao Cup Final at Wembley, a 2-0 defeat, left many fans stunnedbut surely not surprised in the case of those of us with long memories.
Will I be able to repeat the pictured scenes from 1969 at St James’Park? The Geordies are ever optimistic. But the unbelievable sending off of our season’s frequent saviour goalkeeper Nick Pope and his consequent ineligibility to play in the final was the real blow. A case of Papal fallibility?
I greatly recommend the film Tàr starring Cate Blanchett. She has already won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, her performance here is deserving of an Oscar even if the film, rather long, is in the rarified atmosphere of the enormous egos in the world of female (is that word allowed?) classical music conductors.