Sex Matters in the media – 2025 (January to June) archive

2025

27th June

In broadcast news, Maya Forstater was interviewed by BBC News on transactivists lobbying Parliament for the right to access opposite-sex facilities, Helen was interviewed by Ian Collins on Talk TV on new guidance allowing judges to reject “preferred pronouns” and Fiona McAnena and Maya were both interviewed on GB News about Stephen Fry’s assertion that JK Rowling has been “radicalised”.

The launch of Matilda Gosling’s report for Sex Matters and SEEN in Publishing was covered by Craig Simpson for The Telegraph. Poet and author Jenny Lindsay wrote a column for The Scotsman and appeared on Talk TV with Ian Collins, while Helen Joyce was interviewed on the report by Matt Goodwin on GB News.

Sam Merriman for the Daily Mail and Daniel Martin for The Telegraph broke the news that Sex Matters has written a letter before action to the City of London Corporation concerning its policy of allowing trans-identifying men to use Kenwood Ladies’ Pond.

The news that the MSP Michelle Thomson (SNP) challenged Scotland’s top civil servant about Sex Matters’ threat to take legal action against the Scottish Government over its delay in complying with the Supreme Court judgment was covered by Simon Johnson for The Telegraph, Daniel Sanderson for The Times and PA Media, whose story ran widely, including in The Herald.

Also in Scotland, Simon Johnson for The Telegraph and Aidan Radnedge for Mail Online quoted Fiona on the news that Police Scotland will allow trans-identifying suspects to be searched by both male and female officers. Meanwhile, Charlie Peters for GB News quoted Fiona in his report that Leicestershire Police – a former Stonewall Top 100 employer – will allow opposite sex strip-searching by “consent”.

Finally, Shaun Wooller for the Daily Mail quoted Fiona in the news that the doctor who led the BMA’s opposition to the Cass Review, Dr Tom Dolphin, has been elected as the union’s new chair. 

20th June

The news that Sex Matters has written a letter before action to the Scottish Government was broken by Dan Sanderson for The Times, BBC News and Dan Barker for the Daily Mail. This was followed by coverage for PA Media by Neil Pooran, and by Libby Brooks for The Guardian, Simon Johnson for The Telegraph, Andrew Learmonth for The Herald and Rachel Amery for The Scotsman, and by STV News, among others. 

Maya Forstater was interviewed on the story by Laura Maxwell for BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland and later by Laura Maciver as the top story on BBC Scotland’s evening news.

This was followed by coverage of Maya accompanying NHS Fife nurse Sandie Peggie to Holyrood to meet MSPs along with Sandie’s solicitor Margaret Gribbon. Justin Bowie for The Courier broke the news that the First Minister John Swinney and Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes had confirmed that they would not be meeting Sandie. Nick Forbes for PA Media, Andrew Learmonth for The Herald, Michael Blackley and Dan Barker for the Daily Mail, David Walker for the Scottish Daily Express and Mark Macaskill for The Telegraph also covered the story, which was also reported by STV on the evening news.

In other news, Joe Pinkstone for The Telegraph reported that BTP is one of several police forces that will now bring their searching policies in line with the FWS judgment following a legal challenge from Sex Matters, while his colleague Richard Percival broke the news that staff at the Financial Conduct Authority are rebelling after the regulator announced that it would align its policies with the judgment.

13th June

Sanchez Manning for The Times quoted Naomi Cunningham and Sex Matters board member Emma Hilton in an article on a National Education Union network event at which members were told that there is no legal definition for biological sex and that the Supreme Court judgment said that trans-identifying people can use “correct gendered facilities”. Helen Joyce was interviewed on the story by Julia Hartley-Brewer on Talk TV.

Writing for The Telegraph on Baroness Kishwer Falkner’s appearance before Westminster’s Women and Equalities Committee, Daniel Martin quoted Maya as saying that she was shocked by the overly hostile questioning of some of the members of the committee.

Daniel also quoted Fiona McAnena on the news that ITV censored a social-media comment from Martina Navratilova and dozens of others who referred to the boxer Imane Khelif as male. 

Helen was quoted by Aidan Radnedge for Mail Online on the news that Brighton Council’s plans to install a “gender neutral” changing village at a new £5.5-million swimming pool. Fiona was quoted by Michael Searles on the news that Prostate Cancer UK described trans-identifying men as “women with a trans history” on its website.

The House of Lords canteen came under fire in The Telegraph this week. Sex Matters was quoted in stories by Daniel Martin, who reported that Progress Pride flags had been removed after an intervention by Baroness Emma Nicholson, and Genevieve Holl-Allen, who reported that the canteen later served a “Pride crumble” in the blue and pink of the transgender-rights flag.

6th June

Activism within the NHS dominated headlines this week. Michael Searles quoted Helen Joyce in his article for The Telegraph which revealed that a staff network at NHS Sussex had proposed giving trans-identifying staff extra breaks to tuck their genitals and bind their breasts. Helen was also quoted by Eleanor Hayward for The Times on the news that NHS mental-health hospitals in London are allowing male criminals to be housed in women’s accommodation. Daniel Martin for The Telegraph quoted Maya Forstater on the news that the NHS Confederation has been forced to withdraw guidance which told hospitals that they should allow trans-identifying people to use the toilets and changing rooms of their choice.

Daniel also quoted Maya in coverage of a report by Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur for violence against women and girls, which raised concern that a third of British police forces still take into account “self-identified gender” in cases of violence against females. Maya also appeared on GB News’ Free Speech Nation with Josh Howie to discuss JK Rowling’s new fund to support women fighting gender-critical legal cases.

In a BBC News report by Emma Saunders on the launch of its new TV drama based on the autobiography of male trans-rights activist Paris Lees, Maya was quoted as saying that presenting the idea of an effeminate boy “becoming a girl” as an edgy coming-of-age story is presenting delusion as self-discovery.

Fiona McAnena was quoted by Suzanne Wrack for The Guardian on an “inclusive” football tournament held in defiance of the Supreme Court judgment, saying that for every trans-identifying male player who dislikes this policy, there are dozens of female players who are relieved that they won’t have to face male players on the pitch any more.

Helen’s latest column in The Critic was shared widely. She described how transactivists are stuck in the early stages of grief following the Supreme Court judgment, and proposed “five stages of victory” to help understand how sex-realistic campaigners will feel as the consequences continue to unfold. 

30th May

Daniel Martin for The Telegraph reported that Helen Joyce has complained to the BBC about Woman’s Hour presenter Anita Rani’s misrepresentation of Helen’s views. Daniel also quoted Helen on news that the Quakers are the latest organisation to defy the Supreme Court judgment by refusing to provide separate toilets for women.

Gareth Roberts for The Spectator used a quote from a podcast interview with Helen in an article on the decline of the Pride movement.

Both Helen and Maya Forstater were quoted in coverage of developments in Sandie Peggie’s case. Georgia Edkins for the Scottish Daily Mail reported that Sandie is suing the Royal College of Nursing for failing to represent her; Andrew Learmonth for The Herald revealed that the Scottish Information Commissioner has reprimanded NHS Fife for failing to respond adequately to a freedom-of-information request about the costs relating to the tribunal; and Justin Bowie for The Courier reported that the maximum claim NHS Fife will have to pay if Sandie wins is £25K, with any further amount coming from a separate NHS fund.

In an exclusive by Jamie Hamilton for the legal news outlet Roll On Friday on a letter from leading law firms to the Prime Minister regarding the Supreme Court judgment, Naomi Cunningham said that it is embarrassing to see these firms making the legally illiterate claim that prior to the Supreme Court judgment the Equality Act had “codified” a right for trans people to use single-sex facilities provided for the opposite sex.

23rd May

Sex Matters’ poll by YouGov on views on the Supreme Court judgment was widely reported in the press. Aine Fox for PA Media, whose story ran widely across UK newspapers, wrote that almost two thirds (63%) of those surveyed said it was the right decision, while Geraldine Scott for The Times reported that 50% of Labour voters said the same.

Geraldine also reported on Labour’s plan to ban trans-identifying men from all-women shortlists and postpone its women’s conference to avoid controversy, which Maya Forstater warned would be direct discrimination against women in the Labour Party, while Daniel Martin for The Telegraph quoted Maya in the news that the Houses of Parliament are refusing to ban trans-identifying men from female facilities.

The EHRC’s new guidance was covered widely by the media. Maya was quoted as saying that there can be more excuses for organisations to follow the law in articles by Aine Fox for PA Media, whose piece ran in newspapers across the UK, Geraldine Scott for The Times, and Daniel Martin for The Telegraph.

Andrew Learmonth for The Herald reported that RCN Scotland is refusing to back Sandie Peggie, and it was widely reported later in the week that Sandie’s lawyer Margaret Gribbon has written to the union to ask it to intervene.

Janet Eastham for The Telegraph covered the news that the NPCC has issued new guidance that police searches should be done on the basis of biological sex, but Maya warned that a caveat allowing opposite sex strip-searches could see female officers pressured or coerced into searching men.

16th May

Ben Rumsby for The Telegraph had an exclusive interview with Cerys Vaughan, the girl who was banned by the FA for asking a male opponent in a female team if he was a man. Cerys and her mother thanked Fiona McAnena for her support.

Responding to the news reported by Genevieve Holl-Allen for The Telegraph that several major Pride events have banned politicians from attending, Helen Joyce said that hopefully now even politicians who have been sympathetic to trans demands, and ignored the harms done to the rights of women and gay people, are starting to wake up to the intolerant, anti-democratic nature of this movement.

In her first appearance on BBC R4’s Woman’s Hour, Helen gave a blistering interview with Nuala McGovern on the aftermath of the Supreme Court judgment.

Sanchez Manning for The Times quoted Fiona in her coverage of Gendered Intelligence charging more than £2,000 for “unlawful” inclusion training, including a £26,000 package for Sport England to deliver training to sports associations. 

Michael Searles for The Telegraph had a front-page story on NHS guidance that lowers the age of treatment for gender dysphoria to include toddlers. Helen said the question for NHS hubs is whether they perpetuate the failed “affirmation” model of the now-closed GIDS clinic or whether they offer genuinely holistic care based on evidence.

Writing for the Daily Mail, Martin Beckford quoted Helen in his coverage of the news that civil servants in the Public and Commercial Services Union are threatening legal action and strikes over what they claim is the “segregation” of transgender people in government toilets and changing rooms.

The BBC covered the news that Sandie Peggie is determined to continue with her legal claim against NHS Fife and called for the trust to immediately stop permitting any man who identifies as a woman access to female-only single-sex spaces.

9th May

Stonewall was accused of misleading the public over the Supreme Court ruling and warned that its charity status might be under threat. Geraldine Scott for The Times and Daniel Martin for The Telegraph reported on the letter that Sex Matters has written to Stonewall. 

Simon Johnson for The Telegraph covered the news that after years of Holyrood mistreating women trying to engage in the democratic process, the Scottish Parliament has revised its policy on toilets to ensure access is based on biological sex.

Daniel Martin for The Telegraph and Martin Beckford for the Daily Mail reported that Sex Matters has written to the NHS Confederation to warn that hospitals are breaking the law by continuing to allow trans women to use female facilities in defiance of the landmark Supreme Court ruling on single-sex spaces.

Helen Joyce joined Alex Phillips on Talk TV to discuss a committee that has written to the Equality and Human Rights Commission over concerns that it has taken an overly literal approach to the Supreme Court ruling.

Finally, George Chesterton for The Telegraph spoke to a number of experts who warned that the government’s data bill could ‘torpedo’ the Supreme Court ruling by bringing in self-ID through the back door. 

4th April

Tim Sigsworth, Ben Butcher and Matt Davis for The Telegraph broke the news that a toddler was suspended from nursery for transphobia/homophobia. Helen Joyce was quoted in the front-page story, which made headlines around the world, as saying teachers and school leaders should be ashamed for projecting adult concepts and beliefs onto such young children.

Also for The Telegraph, Simon Johnson broke the news that the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is considering enforcement action after recent correspondence with NHS Fife. However, NHS Fife’s chief executive, Carol Potter, said any changes would only occur after the conclusion of ongoing legal action and the publication of a national “gender transitioning guide” from NHS Scotland. Maya Forstater was quoted as saying that NHS Fife gives the impression of having calculated that it is safer to cling to legally shaky policies motivated by trans ideology than to admit and fix its failure to provide single-sex toilets and changing rooms.

Georgia Edkins for the Scottish Mail on Sunday reported that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland’s largest health board, had received 16 complaints between 2019 and 2024 regarding the use of single-sex facilities by trans-identifying people. Helen was quoted as saying that the onus shouldn’t be on members of the public to ensure that hospitals provide basic privacy and safeguarding measures.

Daniel Martin for The Telegraph reported that transactivists within the NHS are asking their colleagues to oppose plans for recording sex, rather than gender identity, as recommended by the Sullivan Review. Fiona McAnena was quoted as saying that said the comments showed why Health Secretary Wes Streeting needs to get gender ideology out of the health service.  

Daniel also broke the news that Advance HE, the professional membership body for lecturers, has written to all vice-chancellors urging them to check that their equality policies don’t discriminate against gender-critical people. Sussex University adopted guidance in 2018 by Advance HE’s predecessor which stated that “transphobic propaganda” would not be tolerated. Maya said she welcomed the move as Advance HE had previously promoted gender ideology through its guidance and the Athena Swan charter.

Helen’s appearance at the Oxford Literary Festival was covered by arts correspondents David Sanderson for The Times and Anita Singh for The Telegraph, who both selected the same quote for their headline – that Helen called for medics who have performed gender-related surgeries should be imprisoned. Helen was responding to Richard Dawkins, who asked during the Q&A when gender clinicians who had broken their Hippocratic oath would finally face consequences. 

Finally, Fiona appeared on Mike Graham’s TalkTV show with Sharron Davies to discuss the controversy surrounding Stephanie Turner, a female fencer who was expelled by USA Fencing for refusing to fight a male opponent.

28th March

Fiona Hamilton for The Times, Rob Moss for Personnel Today and Lara Bryant for HR Magazine reported that Peter Wilkins, a scientist working at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Porton Down, won his case for constructive dismissal. The articles reported that the harassment was triggered by Wilkins liking a post by Sex Matters on LinkedIn about preferred pronouns in the workplace.

Natasha Leake and Daniel Martin for The Telegraph, covered the news that The University of Sussex (UoS) has been fined £585,000 by the Office for Students (OfS) for failing to uphold free speech and governance standards. Its investigation was launched after Professor Kathleen Stock resigned in 2021 because of harassment by students and fellow staff. Helen Joyce was quoted as saying that for too long, many vice-chancellors have calculated that it is safer and easier to permit trans activists to dictate policies and hound their opponents, rather than standing up for evidence-based research and academic freedom. Maya appeared on Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 show to discuss the story alongside trans-rights activist Peter Tatchell.

Sam Merriman for the Daily Mail broke the news that officials at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have admitted that the number of trans-identifying people recorded in the 2021 census was incorrect but claimed that the data can be used with “high confidence”. A review last year removed the figures from the list of accredited official statistics. Fiona McAnena was quoted as saying that the ONS ignored expert input that would have avoided the debacle and instead listened to ideological activists.

Coverage of the Sullivan Review continued this week. Fiona discussed the story on GB News’ Free Speech Nation with Josh Howie and Jill Foster, writing for The Telegraph, quoted Maya as saying that the conflation of sex and gender identity is a damaging dereliction of duty. The review was cited in several related stories, including the news reported by Les Roopanarine for Mail Online that Surrey police referred to a male suspect as female.

21st March

Professor Alice Sullivan’s review on the problems with official data collection on sex, in areas including health, justice, education and the economy, was splashed on the front pages of three newspapers in stories by Geraldine Scott for The Times, Daniel Martin for The Telegraph and Sam Merriman for the Daily Mail. All quoted Maya as saying that the review is devastatingly clear about the harms caused by carelessness with sex data and a decade-long failure of the civil service to maintain impartiality and uphold data standards.

One of the case studies in the Sullivan Report concerned a three-week-old baby, whose records were altered at a parent’s request to change the sex recorded. In coverage by Geraldine Scott for The Times on Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s move to end the practice, Maya was quoted as saying that changing sex markers on children’s medical records should never have been allowed, and that it was not just misguided but reckless.

Georgia Edkins for the Scottish Mail on Sunday broke the story and quoted Helen Joyce as saying that the guidance is a terrifying failure of the state’s duty to protect some of Scotland’s most vulnerable young people. She added that the policy is grossly negligent and puts young people who deserve so much better at significant risk.

Sam Merriman for the Daily Mail broke the news that a new research paper claims that the term “midwife” is outdated and should be replaced with “lead perinatal practitioner” to be more inclusive. Helen was quoted as saying that maternity services are under enough pressure without ideological nonsense being foisted upon them. Critics condemned the proposal, arguing that it erases women from maternity care. One of the paper’s authors, Dr Sally Pezaro, is a fellow of the Royal College of Midwives and her work was cited by NHS England’s LGBT health lead Michael Brady in 2022 when launching a £100,000 training programme that recommended midwives use terms such as “chestfeeding” and “birthing parent”. The programme was paused and later cancelled following a campaign by gender-critical group With Woman. 

In a rare news story on gender-identity ideology in the financial-services sector, Financial Times journalist Aliya Shibli had an exclusive for The Banker on banks operating in the UK that may be breaking the law in their efforts to diversify their workforces. Deutsche Bank and NatWest are currently advertising programmes ringfenced for self-identified women, but the initiatives risk being challenged as unlawful. Helen was quoted as saying that people can believe in self-identification of gender if they want, but it’s not the position in UK law.

14th March

Naomi Cunningham was profiled by Mandy Rhodes for Holyrood magazine in a moving feature interview for International Women’s Day which focused on her personal story and career journey. The interview was later reported on by Sarah Ward for PA Media in a piece which ran in multiple outlets including The Times and The Independent (which appears to have since removed the article from its website).

St John Ambulance has been criticised for referring to women as “people with breasts” in CPR guidance. The charity has since updated its guidance to “women and people with breasts”. Fiona Parker for The Telegraph and Aidan Radnedge for the Daily Mail broke the story and quoted Maya as saying that sex-based language is particularly important in public health messaging, which needs to be clearly understood by people with learning difficulties or English as a second language. 

The founder of a new gym in London has faced online attacks after announcing that it would be for women only. Reporting in The Telegraph, Janet Eastham quoted Fiona McAnena as saying that Natalee Barnett was well within her legal rights to admit only biological women to her gym, and this type of situation is exactly what the single-sex exceptions ni the Equality Act are for.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has withdrawn its proposal to collect data based on gender identity rather than biological sex, following a years’-long campaign by Conservatives for Women and SEEN in the City, a network advocating for sex-based rights in financial services. 

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust has a new policy which tells staff who identify as transgender that they can use the toilets and changing rooms of their choice, and that all employees must refer to peers with the pronoun of their choice, even if they do not believe in gender ideology. Daniel Martin for The Telegraph broke the story and quoted Fiona as saying that the policy is inexplicable given the Darlington nurses and Sandie Peggie cases under way, and that the trust’s leaders need to get a grip and pull this new policy.

Dan Barker for the Daily Mail and Andrew Learmonth for The Herald broke the news that Edinburgh University also has a new policy which says that male staff (and students) who identify as female can use the women’s toilets. Fiona was quoted as saying that the university is putting itself at risk by ignoring the 1992 regulations which make it perfectly clear that single-sex facilities must be provided in workplaces and there was nothing in the Equality Act which changes that fact.Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement that she would be standing down as an MSP attracted widespread criticism of her role in the erosion of women’s rights in Scotland and her zealous pursuit of gender self-ID.

7th March

This week’s coverage was dominated by news relating to the NHS. First, Shaun Wooller and Billy Bowkett for the Mail on Sunday breaking the news that the NHS has spent £250 million in the past five years on mastectomies and genital surgeries for people who identify as transgender. Fiona McAnena said that this is an obscene amount for the NHS to spend on experimental and often dangerous surgeries for people who want to look more like the opposite sex.

Next, Tim Sigsworth for The Telegraph broke the story that NHS England is ignoring health secretary Wes Streeting’s crackdown on language linked to gender-identity ideology by advertising dozens of midwifery jobs which refer to “birthing people” rather than mothers. Helen Joyce said that this sort of dehumanising language has no place in healthcare, and that it’s particularly ironic given that the origin of the word “midwife” means “with woman”.

Justin Bowie for the Press and Journal followed with the news that NHS Grampian, like NHS Fife, has no policy in place on which facilities should be used by trans-identifying staff. Helen said that any NHS board which fails to have a policy is risking the same kind of legal action as NHS Fife, and that the law is clear so there’s no need to look for further guidance from the equalities regulator or anyone else. Fiona was interviewed on the story by That’s TV Scotland.

David Walker for the Scottish Daily Express covered the news that claims against Sandie Peggie were deemed “unlikely” by an NHS Fife officer as part of an internal investigation. Naomi Cunningham was quoted in her role as Sandie Peggie’s barrister, when she put to the court that it was a “lie” that Sandie had walked away from a patient because respondent Dr Beth Upton had been treating them.

In other news, Geraldine Scott for The Times broke the news that Lord Arbuthnot has warned the government that its introduction of digital identities risks becoming a problem on the scale of the Post Office’s IT scandal if public bodies are not forced to record a person’s biological sex. The article mentioned that Arbuthnot’s comments appeared in a foreword to a new report by Sex Matters. The news was also covered by Masha Borak for Biometric Update.

Helen wrote for The Critic on how critics of Donald Trump were engaging in the practice of “bullshitting” when they asserted that his executive order which defined male and female as relating to biological sex “accidentally” abolished the male sex since it alleged that all of us are conceived female.

Susan Kelly for Solicitors Journal mentioned Sex Matters’ intervention in an article on the significance of the ruling in Higgs v Farmor’s School.

Finally, James Saunders for GB News covered the news that the BBC has added two childless male drag queens as “inspirational mums” on the CBeebies website to mark International Women’s Day. Helen was quoted as saying that this endless promotion of men under the banner of women and motherhood is a long way from the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain, and that it is tragic to see a once-trusted organisation replacing accurate information with transgender propaganda.

28th February

This week’s coverage opened with John Boothman for The Times and Simon Johnson for The Telegraph on the EHRC’s intervention to “remind” NHS Fife and Scottish ministers of their duty to have an accurate understanding of the Equality Act. Helen Joyce said that Sex Matters other groups had warned the Scottish government on Tuesday that new NHS Scotland guidance was legally flawed, and that by defending it, First Minister John Swinney is committing as serious an error of judgment as when his health minister, Neil Gray, said that the leadership of NHS Fife had his ‘full confidence’.

Richard Mardsen for the Daily Mail covered the news that yachtswoman Tracy Edwards had called out her childhood sailing club in Wales for allowing a male member who identifies as a woman to use the women’s changing facilities. Fiona McAnena said that the Royal Yachting Association’s guidance is simply wrong, and that it is both a safeguarding failure and intrusion on privacy.

Sam Merriman for the Daily Mail and Daniel Martin for The Telegraph broke the news that the National Police Chiefs’ Council has tabled guidance that would allow male officers who identify as woman and hold a gender-recognition certificate to search female detainees, similar to the British Transport Police. Maya Forstater said that paying £5 for a piece of paper from the government doesn’t turn a male police officer into a female one, any more than wearing a dress or putting on lipstick would. The news was also covered by Eliana Silver and Gabrielle Wilde for GB News. 

Next, Katie Harris for the Daily Express and Scottish Daily Express broke the news that Sex Matters has written to the Health and Safety Executive to urge it to do its job in enforcing the 1992 regulations that mandate separate-sex facilities in workplaces. Maya said that it is scandalous that women such as Sandie Peggie and Eleanor Frances have had to put everything on the line because regulators have failed to uphold laws that have been in place for decades, and that fighting these cases has been an inexcusable waste of scarce public funds.

Justin Bowie for The Courier wrote that NHS Fife is understood to have made no attempts to settle with nurse Sandie Peggie, and quoted Maya from a previous interview as saying that this will be a landmark case across the UK.

Finally, Eleanor Hayward for The Times and Michael Searles for The Telegraph covered the news that the NHS trial of puberty blockers will cost £10.7 million and the children involved will only be monitored for two years. Helen said that it’s as if the NHS was planning a trial of lobotomies long after concerns first started to be raised – in fact, even worse because the test subjects are children.

21st February

This week’s coverage was dominated by news relating to the employment tribunal of NHS Fife nurse Sandie Peggie.

Naomi Cunningham’s remarks as barrister in the final day of the tribunal – which focused on evidence given by nurse manager Esther Davidson – were reported by Mark Macaskill for The Telegraph and Sarah Ward for PA Media, whose story ran in the Daily Mail, The Scotsman and The Standard, and in The Mirror in a piece co-authored by Ruth Suter and Tim Hanlon. Sally Hind for the Daily Record reported that Sandie’s legal team have called for a forensic examination of Dr Upton’s phone.

Features on the case at the weekend which mentioned Naomi included a comprehensive write-up on the background of the case by Ed Cumming for The Telegraph, followed by an article by Stephen McGinty for The Times, which took some licence in describing the events of the past fortnight.

On Sunday, Andrew Learmonth for The Herald broke the news that Scotland’s health secretary Neil Gray was contacted in June 2024 by Sandie’s solicitor, who warned him that NHS Fife was acting illegally in the matter. Gray asked a Scottish government official to respond, who said that individual NHS Scotland boards were responsible for such matters and signposted Sandie and her solicitor to a whistleblowing hotline. Maya Forstater was quoted as saying that Neil Gray’s reticence contrasted with Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s willingness to voice support for the Darlington nurses in a similar case in England, and Health Minister Karin Smyth’s one-word answer – “No” – to whether female NHS employees should be expected to put up with male colleagues in their changing rooms. The news was also covered by Chris McCall for the Daily Record and Sarah Ward for PA Media, whose article was published by a number of news outlets including the Daily Mail and The Times in a piece co-authored by Lottie Hayton.

Next, Justin Bowie for The Courier broke the news that Sex Matters, Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, For Women Scotland and Fair Play For Women have written to Neil Gray to express dismay in his lack of intervention in the case, in a piece which also reported that the SNP presiding officer moved to block parliamentary questions on the subject.

Further coverage of the letter, along with our warnings about new NHS Scotland guidance that encourages NHS boards to flout the law on single-sex facilities, was further covered by Simon Johnson and Daniel Sanderson for The Telegraph, and in a second article by Daniel which referenced the news he broke at the weekend that Sandie has been called in for a disciplinary hearing in parallel to the tribunal. Michael Blackley for the Daily Mail, David Walker for the Scottish Daily Express, John Boothman for The Times, and Sarah Ward for PA Media; her article was published by several newspapers including The National, and also covered our letter to Neil Gray and scrutiny of the draft NHS Scotland guidance.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay challenged First Minister John Swinney about the guidance at First Minister’s Questions in Holyrood on Thursday, which Swinney defended by misrepresenting the Equality Act. Simon Johnson for The Telegraph, John Boothman for The Times and Michael Blackley for the Daily Mail (print only) reported Maya as saying that John Swinney and NHS Scotland are simply wrong about the Equality Act, and that employers are required by the 1992 workplace regulations to provide separate-sex facilities for toilets, washing and changing. She went on to say that Swinney appears to be following “Stonewall law” rather than the rule of law.

After silence from the nursing sector press during the tribunal, Ella Devereux for the Nursing Times wrote a comprehensive report on the case so far.

Shaun Wooller for the Daily Mail broke the news that the Royal College of Nursing failed to support Sandie in an article which quoted the Darlington Nurses. Maya said that Sandie had been let down unforgivably by the RCN, which refused her request for legal assistance.

Finally, in a front-page story for The Telegraph, George Chesterton revealed that the General Medical Council has provided 62 new records to doctors who identify as the opposite sex, such as Dr Upton, which effectively obfuscates aspects of their career history, including suspension. Helen Joyce was quoted as saying that there shouldn’t be any changes of GMC numbers and that there needs to be clear sex data of the doctor for the patient. She added that there always seems to be a desire to centre everything around a person who wants to do the impossible and that patients have the right to know this information. The news was further covered by Kamal Sultan for the Daily Mail, and Helen was interviewed on the story by Mike Ferrari on LBC.

In other news, there was further coverage of the disruption of Helen’s talk at Oxford University’s Balliol College by Tom McArdle for The Telegraph. Helen wrote about the experience for The Critic, and her host at the event, John Maier, wrote about it for UnHerd.

Katie Hind for the Daily Mail wrote about a storyline in BBC’s Waterloo Road which depicted an elderly character with dementia as “transphobic”. Maya said that the storyline is a new low for the BBC and is incredibly insensitive to dementia sufferers and their families. The storyline and Maya’s quote were also referenced in a follow-up piece by Tom Midlane for Mail Online.

Writing for The Telegraph, Sanchez Manning wrote an investigative article on the influence of activist group Gendered Intelligence on the English Cricket Board. Fiona McAnena was quoted as asking why a sporting body is listening to an activist organisation that recommends letting men access women’s changing rooms and play in women’s teams. The news was also covered by Callum Vurley for GB News.

Finally, Fiona was interviewed by Mike Graham on TalkTV to discuss inclusive language in folk dancing.

14th February

This week’s news began with Laurence Sleator for The Times in further coverage of the Science Museum exhibition that refers to Lego being “heteronormative” and “anti-LGBT” because blocks are often referred to as “male” and “female”, which quoted Fiona McAnena. 

Then Sanchez Manning for the Sunday Telegraph wrote that new guidance from the Judicial Office has warned judges that it is “extremely inappropriate” to refer to male rapists who identify as female as women. The guidance was issued in response to a recent ruling on pronoun use in relation to NHS Fife nurse Sandie Peggie’s employment tribunal in Scotland, which outlined that Sandie was allowed to refer to Dr Beth Upton as a man. Maya Forstater welcomed the news and said that for too long, victims of these crimes have not only had to hear male perpetrators being referred to as women in court, but have themselves been pressured to address perpetrators as women. The news was also covered by Noor Qurashi for Mail Online. 

Also writing for the Sunday Telegraph, Tim Sigsworth revealed that the NHS is allowing women who identify as men the opportunity to freeze their eggs for free, despite denying the treatment to millions of women. Helen Joyce said that testosterone is so harmful to a woman’s reproductive system that it may stop her from being able to sustain a pregnancy, and may even require her to have a hysterectomy. Most trans-identifying women sold this fantasy of ‘fertility preservation’ will never be able to use their frozen eggs to become pregnant.

Next, Geraldine Scott for The Times broke the news that the Labour government has shelved plans to relax the requirements for obtaining gender-recognition certificates in a step to counter the Reform Party in the polls. Helen welcomed the news with great relief and said that we’ve long argued that any change that makes it easier to obtain gender-recognition certificates risks introducing self-ID through the back door. The news was further covered by Kumail Jaffer for the Daily Mail and The Australian. David Wilcock and Kumail for Mail Online referenced Helen’s quote in further coverage of the story which brought in comments from JK Rowling. 

Noa Hoffman and Harry Cole for The Sun covered the news that the Labour government’s new health minister Ashley Dalton made “absurd” comments about gender in 2016, including the claim that people can identify as a llama. Helen said that these comments were made at the height of gender-identity insanity, and that what matters is whether Ashley Dalton now realises they were absurd. David Churchill for the Daily Mail also reported on the story and quoted Maya as saying that we hope Dalton quickly clarifies that she has rethought since then, and now accepts her party’s position that single-sex spaces are important and must be protected.

Also writing for The Sun, Sam Blanchard revealed that Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS trust has spent £5,000 on the production of a new rainbow Pride badge for LGBT+ history month, despite comments from Health Secretary Wes Streeting that the NHS “can’t afford to be distracted by ideologues”.    

Rob Moss for Personnel Today covered the news that school assistant Kristie Higgs won in the Court of Appeal following her dismissal from Farmor’s School over “transphobic” social-media activity. Sex Matters was quoted as saying that employers facing complaints about personal social-media posts concerning contentious topics should take this judgment as a signal to think twice before taking action.

John Boothman for The Times covered the news that the SNP has announced plans to “refresh and modernise” a law from 1967 which mandates single-sex toilets in Scottish schools. Maya said that so-called gender-neutral toilets rob schoolgirls of their right to privacy, dignity and safety, and so does a policy of allowing boys who wish they were girls into girls’ toilets, and vice-versa for girls who wish they were boys.

Also writing for The Times, Georgia Lambert and Arina Makarina covered the news that protesters disrupted a talk given by Helen at Balliol College, Oxford University last night.  

The remainder of this week’s coverage was dominated by the employment tribunal of NHS Fife nurse Sandie Peggie.

Justin Bowie for The Courier interviewed Maya on the wider implications of Sandie’s case. Maya said that the case is likely to be very significant as all kinds of employers are running the same sorts of policies as NHS Fife, and that if policies are found to be unlawful in this case, they will be unlawful across the NHS and other employers.

Writing for The Observer, Sonia Sodha referenced Sex Matters’ resources on the principles and evidence around women’s privacy, dignity and safety in a piece arguing that no woman should be forced to change her clothes in front of a male colleague. 

Sex Matters advisory group member Michael Foran wrote articles on the case for The Critic and UnHerd, and was interviewed by Dominic O’Connell on Times Radio. 

Maya wrote about the case for the Daily Express, in an article that was previewed on the front page, arguing that it can no longer be left to brave women to single-handedly fight massive battles to secure single-sex spaces and services.

Sandie’s statement thanking Maya and Sex Matters for their support was covered by The Courier and David Walker for the Scottish Daily Express.

Naomi Cunningham’s role as barrister for Sandie Peggie was referenced widely in coverage this week.

Coverage of Friday’s proceedings on the withholding of documents by NHS Fife included David Walker for the Scottish Daily Express and Sarah Ward for PA Media, whose article was published widely, including in The Independent.

At the weekend, David also wrote that radio presenter Jeremy Vine backed Dr Upton in his use of the female changing room. 

Monday’s coverage of the tribunal on the first day of Dr Upton’s evidence included articles by Sarah Ward for PA Media, whose piece was published widely including in The Independent and in a piece co-authored by Ben Borland for the Scottish Daily Express, Justin Bowie for The Courier, and Katy Scott for BBC News.

Coverage of Tuesday’s proceedings on the second day of Dr Upton’s evidence included articles by Daniel Sanderson for The Telegraph, BBC News, Sky News, Dan Barker for the Daily Mail, David Walker for the Scottish Daily Express, and Sarah Ward for PA Media, whose piece ran widely, including The Scotsman and an article co-written by Ben Borland for the Scottish Daily Express. Justin Bowie from The Courier reported on further delays to court due ot NHS Fife’s failure to disclose documents.

Wednesday’s coverage of the third day of Dr Upton’s evidence included Dan Barker for the Daily Mail, BBC News, Daniel Sanderson for The Telegraph, Justin Bowie and Alasdair Clark for The Courier, Lucy Garcia for The National, David Walker for the Scottish Daily Express, and Sarah Ward for PA Media: her article was published widely including in The Herald and a piece co-authored by Ryan Thom in the Daily Record. 

Mentions of Naomi in coverage of Thursday’s proceedings on nurse manager Esther Davidson’s evidence included articles by Mark Macaskill for The Telegraph, BBC News, Sean O’Neil for The Courier, David Walker for the Scottish Daily Express, and Sarah Ward for PA Media whose article was published widely including in The Scotsman and The Standard.

In commentary in the Daily Mail, Euan McColm referenced the Forstater case and Jan Moir was full of praise for Naomi Cunningham. 

7th February

This week’s coverage opened with Martin Beckford for the Daily Mail who broke the news of a poll showing that “gender neutral” toilets have fallen out of favour with the public and that fewer people feel comfortable using such facilities. Helen Joyce said that pressure has built in recent years for women to ignore their own needs and preferences in order to demonstrate “inclusivity”, but increasingly more women – and men – are rejecting emotional blackmail and voicing their sincere concerns about the loss of single-sex spaces.

Henry Mance for the Financial Times referred to Maya Forstater’s case in a lengthy feature on the global phenomenon of “wokeness” and where it went wrong.

Noor Qurashi for Mail Online wrote that children as young as 11 at a Merseyside school, as part of LGBTQ+ History Month, will be shown a film featuring a child who uses cross-sex hormones and chest binders. A previous comment from Naomi Cunningham on the banning of puberty blockers was included in the article.

Craig Simpson for The Telegraph covered the news that a self-guided tour at the Science Museum states that Lego can be anti-LGBT, given that parts are sometimes referred to as “male” and “female”, and the process of putting them together is called “mating”. Fiona McAnena said that people expect to be informed, educated and inspired when visiting the Science Museum, not to have dubious claims rooted in gender ideology forced on them. Fiona was interviewed by Nana Akua and Ben Leo on GB News on the story. 

Commenting on the new executive order by US president Donald Trump banning men from women’s sport, Fiona wrote an op-ed for the Daily Express which called on the UK government to protect women’s and girl’s sport. She was also quoted in a news article on the story by Sam Merriman and Taryn Pedler for the Daily Mail as saying that we would love to see the Labour government step up and demand this on behalf of sportswomen.

The rest of the week was dominated by coverage of nurse Sandie Peggie’s employment tribunal against her employer NHS Fife and Dr Beth Upton, a male doctor who used the female changing rooms at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. 

Naomi’s role as barrister for Sandie was referred to in opening coverage by Dan Barker for the Daily Mail, and Sarah Ward for PA Scotland, whose article ran in The Standard, The Herald and Ireland Live. Further coverage quoting Naomi at the tribunal ran later in the week in articles by Sarah, including the Daily Record in a piece co-authored by Ryan Carroll, The Independent, Mail Online, and eight regional newspapers.

Maya’s evidence at the tribunal was also covered by Sarah, in an article that ran in The Independent, The National, STV News and 150 regional newspapers around the UK. Maya was quoted from the proceedings as saying that Sex Matters’ position is not that men are dangerous predators, but that men as a group are a risk, and men who identify as transwomen continue to form part of that group.

31st January

This week’s coverage began with Fiona Hamilton’s article for The Times on the news that every major UK government department has now left Stonewall’s Diversity Champions scheme. The Times contacted 15 ministerial departments and all confirmed that they were no longer part of the programme. Maya Forstater was quoted as saying that this is just the first step, as gender-identity ideology is now deeply entrenched in the UK civil service.

This was followed by Noah Eastwood and Sanchez Manning for the Sunday Telegraph on HMRC’s advertisement for a new deputy chair of its LGBT+ staff network, which would permit the successful candidate to dedicate 20% of their working week to activism. HMRC should be focused on service delivery rather than selecting an employee who will dedicate a fifth of their working hours to promoting transgender rights to other HMRC employees.

Next, Sanchez and Mark Hookham wrote for the Mail on Sunday on the accusation that the Women and Equalities Committee held a biased and partial hearing into the safety and effectiveness of puberty blockers. Maya said that the committee has no mandate to hold any sort of hearing on medical evidence and that two hours of inexpert questioning by non-specialists who appeared to have a trans-activist agenda can’t begin to compare to the Cass Review.

Dan Sanderson for The Telegraph covered the news that nurse Sandie Peggie has been granted permission to use male pronouns for Dr Beth Upton, the male doctor who has been using female changing facilities at an NHS Fife hospital, at her upcoming employment tribunal. Fiona McAnena was quoted as saying that the whole case is centred on the fact that Upton is a male who uses a female changing room, and that the use of a female name does not make him female.

The news that a second teenage footballer has been banned by the Football Association for asking if a transgender opponent was a man was covered by Ben Rumbsy at The Telegraph. Fiona was quoted as saying that many sports have waited until a man is about to hit the big time in the women’s game before acting to protect the female category, and that a cynic might speculate that we won’t see fairness in football until a male player demands his place in the Lionesses. The news was also covered by Francine Wolfisz for Mail Online, Georgia Pearce for GB News and Chris Rosvoglou for The Spun. Fiona was interviewed on the story by Patrick Christys for GB News.

Michael Searles for The Telegraph covered the news that the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) has warned NHS England to stop conflating sex and gender in official data. A complaint had been made by the SEEN in Health network that NHS England had conflated the two terms in its staff survey, which asked about “gender discrimination” and whether a person’s gender had an impact on career progression, rather than their sex. Fiona said that when data about sex is needed, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask a straight question and expect an honest answer.

Helen did two broadcast interviews this week. One was with Miriam Cates on GB News on school guidelines regarding sex and gender, and the other was with Julia Hartley-Brewer for TalkTV on US president Donald Trump’s new executive orders on trans-identifying people in sport and the military.

Finally, Helen wrote for The Critic on the slippery-slope fallacy in policy making and argued that there is little evidence for the idea that successive steps can be objectively accepted or rejected independently in contentious policy areas such “gender recognition” and assisted dying. She said there are three reasons slopes can be slippery in policy making relating to assisted dying: people are less high-minded than legislators imagine, safeguards can turn out to be mere rubber stamps, and human-rights law can be misused.

24th January

One story missed from last week’s round-up was Craig Simpson’s coverage for The Telegraph of the news that Spanish actor Karla Sofía Gascón has been nominated for best actress at the Baftas. The article quoted Fiona McAnena’s comments when Gascón won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024, that this was yet another illustration of the way trans ideology takes from women and gives to men.

Next, Janice Turner for The Times referenced Maya Forstater’s case in an article on Eleanor Frances’ settlement with DCMS and DSIT related to ideological capture and intolerance. Janice argued that the case could have been prevented if the departments had not adopted “Stonewall law”. Also writing about the case, Eliana Silver for GB News wrote that Eleanor was grateful for the support of figures such as Maya.

Daniel Sanderson for The Telegraph covered the news that NHS Fife is attempting to ban nurse Sandie Peggie from referring to Dr Beth Upton – a male doctor who identifies as a woman – as male at her upcoming employment tribunal. Naomi Cunningham, who is representing Sandie, was quoted as saying that the question of whether Dr Upton is a woman is right at the heart of the claimant’s case and that the claimant can’t put her case, clearly and forcefully, without using correct-sex pronouns. The news was also covered by Reduxx and Eliana at GB News.

Finally, in an article outlining employment law cases to watch this year, Dentons referred to Sex Matters’ intervention in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers in the Supreme Court, which is currently awaiting decision. 

17th January

This week’s coverage opened with the news that NHS Fife nurse Sandie Peggie successfully blocked an attempt to anonymise reporting of her employment tribunal regarding her suspension after a complaint she made about a male doctor who identifies as a woman using female changing facilities. Sex Matters’ intervention in the case was referenced by Lottie Hayton for The Times, who also reported that Peggie has requested that the court does not refer to the doctor using she/her pronouns, as well as Jennifer Hyland for the Sunday Mail. Justin Bowie from The Courier quoted Peggie’s comments published on the Sex Matters website. Clare Buchanan from Dunfermline Press cited our submission and quoted Sex Matters in saying that the decision to have the case heard in private would have turned open justice on its head.

Next, Matthew Field for The Telegraph reported that Meta has updated its “hateful conduct” policy and will allow users to say that trans-identifying people are “mentally ill”. The article quoted past comments from Sex Matters, at the time of our suspension from Instagram, that Meta’s former rules had led to a chilling effect which left our social-media accounts vulnerable to vexatious complaints.

Writing for the Sunday Telegraph, Ethan Croft reported that two Whitehall departments have pledged to revise their policies on sex and gender following a settlement with civil servant Eleanor Frances, who said she had no choice but to resign after facing backlash for her gender-critical views. Maya Forstater said that if the civil service is to avoid wasting more public money on payouts, it needs to stop taking direction from extreme transactivist organisations and that it is way past time departments found their courage and tore up policies that adhere to gender-identity ideology. Helen Joyce was interviewed on the story alongside lawyer Peter Daly by Josh Howie for GB News’ Free Speech Nation.

Adam Kula from Belfast’s News Letter reported that Alliance Party leader and justice minister Naomi Long has come under fire after saying that male-born prisoners could be housed in Northern Ireland’s female jail. Fiona McAnena was quoted as saying that studies show that the majority of women in prison have already been victims of male violence, and that locking them up with a violent male is further abuse, this time by the state.

In commentary, writing for UnHerd, Joan Smith reported that the Oxford Literary Festival is facing growing backlash for platforming Helen and Julie Bindel at this year’s event, while Jenny Lindsay for The Spectator referenced Helen in an article on the “self-cancellation” trend that is taking over the literary world. Writing for the Daily Express, Sam Lister referenced Maya’s case in a piece arguing that Britain has a new class system in which people are defined by what they think about social issues.

10th January

Coverage in the lead-up to Christmas began with articles on the five-year anniversary of JK Rowling’s tweet in support of Maya Forstater, which was Rowling’s first public comment on sex and gender. Lauren Smith for Spiked, Jacob Stolworthy for The Independent, Amanda Harding for the US Daily Wire, and Amy Hamm for Canada’s National Post all mentioned Maya in their coverage of the anniversary, as well as Rowling’s influence on debates surrounding sex and gender.

Jo Bartosch also mentioned Maya’s case in a round-up for Spiked of the events of 2024 on sex and gender, which argued that the Cass Review was a game-changer and predicted that 2025 will be the year that the “trans trend” crashes. Former SNP leadership candidate Chris McEleny quoted Maya’s case in an article for The National on his suspension from the Ministry of Defence in 2016 for allegations of misconduct linked to his social-media activity.

Helen Joyce was interviewed by Alex Phillips on TalkTV on a court judgment that extends protection for all under-18s when parents are in dispute about their child’s treatment with cross-sex hormones.  

Michael Searles for The Telegraph revealed that the NHS England will recognise events such as “gender-fluid visibility week” and “transgender parent day” in 2025. Helen said that endless tripe about special identities is not only tiresome, it’s a distraction from what medical professionals should be doing and over time that’s bound to erode patients’ trust.

Michael also wrote that the NHS Blood and Transplant website offers advice for men going through the male “menopause”, despite the condition not being clinically recognised, on a page dedicated to menopause that makes reference to “people” several times but does not use the word “woman” once. Helen said that the historical overlooking of women’s health issues won’t be fixed as long as NHS leaders are too squeamish to name the sex that experiences menopause.   

Maya was interviewed by Josh Howie on GB News’s Free Speech Nation on the Labour government’s position on single-sex services, in which she called on the government to clarify its understanding of the issues.

Martin Beckford for the Daily Mail and Daniel Martin for The Telegraph broke the news that new guidance from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) allows people to lawfully hide their biological sex from their romantic partners. While the guidance says that rape or sexual assault charges may be brought if a victim was not aware of the suspect’s birth sex, it sets out a long list of reasons why people may choose to keep their birth sex hidden, which could be exploited by predators. Maya said that the CPS guidance offers suspects a get-out-of-jail-free card, and that the approach is not grounded in law and shows no recognition of ordinary standards of consent to intimate contact or sexual relations. The news was also covered by Jonathan Ames for The Times and Maya was again interviewed by Josh on Free Speech Nation on the story.

Connor Stringer for The Telegraph broke the news that Sex Matters is suing the British Transport Police (BTP) over guidance that allows male officers who identify as women to strip-search women. Connor reported that we have made the move following BTP’s response to our letter calling for the removal of the advice on the basis that it breaches human rights, which BTP refused to do. Maya was quoted as saying that Sex Matters is bringing this case to ensure that no woman in the UK has to suffer this degrading treatment, and to protect female officers from being forced to search male suspects who decide to declare themselves “women”. The news was also covered by Genevieve Gluck for Reduxx and Holly Bishop for GB News; Joan Smith argued in UnHerd that BTP deserves to lose the court challenge. 

David Thompson for the News Letter mentioned Sex Matters’ BTP case in an article on a Police Service of Northern Ireland policy which enables male officers who possess a gender-recognition certificate to strip-search females.

In the New Year, Andrew Levy for Mail Online broke the news that a quarter of UK police forces let officers carry multiple warrant cards to reflect their biological sex and the gender they identify as, while dozens of forces allow male police officers who identify as female to use female showers, toilets and changing rooms. Maya said that female police officers, suspects and victims should be given respect and protected from abuse, but instead police forces are using them as props to validate trans-identifying male officers: police forces carrying out these policies are engaging in state-sponsored harassment and sexual assault. The news was also covered by James Beal for The Times, Steve Bird for The Telegraph and James Saunders for GB News, and Maya was interviewed on the story by Matt Goodwin on GB News.

Martin Beckford wrote for the Daily Mail about Stonewall’s increasing reliance on taxpayers’ money as its income declines. Maya was quoted saying that the charity made a huge mistake in 2018 when it ignored a petition asking for respectful debate on sex, gender and transgender politics signed by 10,000 people. By taking a hardline approach to trans rights, the charity had drifted away from its founding principles and charitable objects, she said. “It’s no wonder that companies and many public bodies that used to pay for its guidance have walked away.”