"I was supposed to be an object lesson to other women. I've seen more than one person say on X, 'do' you want what happened to JK Rowling to happen to you? This is a movement that relies on intimidation. The only possible response is to refuse to be intimidated. That said, I've always acknowledged that standing my ground was far easier for me than for women who risked losing their livelihoods. I have nothing but sympathy for those who can't speak out because they face job loss if they do. The people I despise are those who turned ostrich even though they had the financial means and standing to speak up. There are a lot of people in the arts and academia who believe exactly what I believe (and I know this because they've told me so), but chose comfort over conscience. In doing so, they condemned vulnerable youth, and women and girls without their privileges, to suffer what they themselves will never need to endure."
"The Women’s Institute (WI) has banned transgender women from becoming members.
The National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI), the WI’s umbrella organisation, revealed on Wednesday that, in light of a Supreme Court judgment on gender, it could not legally offer formal membership to biological males from April 2026.
The Supreme Court ruled in April this year that the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act was based on biological sex, not preferred gender identity.
Melissa Green, the chief executive of the NFWI, said: “It is with the utmost regret and sadness that we must announce that, from April 2026, we can no longer offer formal membership to transgender women. We will bring forward programmes to continue to extend fellowship, sisterhood and support to transgender women.”
The announcement by the WI – the UK’s largest women’s membership organisation – has prompted calls for public bodies to also comply with the Supreme Court ruling. Many have refused to change their policies and prevent trans women from using women’s facilities, such as toilets and changing rooms.
They have said they are waiting for Bridget Phillipson, the Minister for Women and Equalities, to publish updated guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the UK’s equality watchdog.
Susan smith (left) and Marion Calder (right) celebrating the Supreme Court judgment on the Supreme Court's ruling The Supreme Court ruled in April that the legal definition of a woman under the Equality Act was based on biological sex Credit: Lucy North/PA Ms Phillipson has been accused of deliberately delaying guidance by the EHRC, which would reportedly mean trans people could be asked whether they should be accessing single-sex services based on their physical appearance.
The EHRC has said public bodies should be complying with the Supreme Court judgment in the meantime. A spokesman said: “Since the Supreme Court judgment on the definition of ‘sex’ we have consistently said that those with duties under the Equality Act 2010 should be following the law, updating their policies and seeking independent legal advice where necessary.”
Rosie Duffield MP, who sits on the Commons women and equalities select committee, said: “I am really glad that finally the Women’s Institute has seen sense and realised that they exist primarily as a women’s organisation. It’s time other bodies, such as the NHS, the Civil Service and gym groups, followed their lead, and the law.”
Transgender WI members will not have their memberships cancelled, but they will not be renewed in April. The WI said it would be working with them “to support them and to clarify the details of our new membership policy”.
Ms Green, of the NFWI, said the future of the charity relied on acting on the Supreme Court’s judgment.
‘Ultimately the WI is a women’s organisation’ She said: “As an organisation that has proudly welcomed transgender women into our membership for more than 40 years, this is not something we would do unless we felt that we had no other choice.
“To be able to continue operating as the Women’s Institute – a legally recognised women’s organisation and charity – we must act in accordance with the Supreme Court’s judgment and restrict formal membership to biological women only. However, this change is only in respect to our membership policy and does not change our firm belief that transgender women are women.”
She told Woman’s Hour: “It’s a difficult decision because there’s legal aspects, there’s social aspects, but ultimately the WI is a women’s organisation. We’re a campaigning organisation, we’re an educational organisation.
“But it’s based on friendship and deeply rooted connections, and some of our transgender members have been with us for four decades, they’ve been part of the family.”
A WI statement said that since the Supreme Court ruling, the organisation had been working with legal advisers to understand how it needed to respond to “maintain our sisterhood with transgender women”. It said it had “explored all options available to us before making any changes”.
It added: “We also owe it to our members to be upfront and honest with them about the issues that might affect them, so we wanted to inform them as soon as we could. We also want to ensure that while our legal change is clear, our intention to maintain our sisterhood with transgender women is equally clear.”
"James Esses is a psychotherapist and former Childline volunteer who was expelled from his degree and blacklisted by his profession for opposing gender ideology.
He now works with young people suffering from gender dysphoria and is one of the UK’s most articulate defenders of reality, safeguarding and children’s rights."
WHY IS THE TERM "SEX WORK" PROBLEMATIC WHEN REFERING TO PROSTITUTION?
The sex industry is invested in the use of such terms as "sex work" and "sex worker" when referring to prostitution. Prostitution is not "work." It is violence against women and girls and a human rights violation. The term "sex work" completely masks the physical, psychological and sexual violence inflicted on prostituted persons. A study done in Canada documented that prostituted women and girls have a mortality rate 40 times higher than the national average.
WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF VIEWING PROSTITUTION AS "SEX WORK"?
Referring to prostitution as "work" ignores the fact that so many women are trafficked into prostitution. In fact, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons reports that "...for the most part, prostitution as actually practiced in the world usually does satisfy the elements of trafficking." Promoting prostitution as a "job" normalizes and legitimizes it as an employment option. It allows for enormous "legal" profits for the sex industry and tax revenues for governments generated from the exploitation of poor women. Increased tax revenue encourages governments to turn a blind eye to the harms of prostitution and the need to provide exit programs and alternatives. For the sex industry, higher profits are an incentive to expand. Moreover, legalization of prostitution increases demand by promoting the social acceptance of sexual exploitation.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PROSTITUTION IS TREATED AS "SEX WORK" RATHER THAN AS A FORM OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION?
Promoting prostitution as a "job" normalizes and legitimizes it as an employment option. It allows for enormous "legal" profits for the sex industry and tax revenues for governments generated from the exploitation of poor women. Increased tax revenue encourages governments to turn a blind eye to the harms of prostitution and the need to provide exit programs and alternatives. For the sex industry, higher profits are an incentive to expand. Moreover, legalization of prostitution increases demand by promoting the social acceptance of sexual exploitation.
ISN'T "SEX WORK" A TERM THAT WOMEN IN PROSTITUTION THEMSELVES USE AND PREFER?
While there are a small number of women who say they choose to be in prostitution, studies show that the majority of women in prostitution have been pushed into it through poverty, gender inequality and a lack of alternatives. Given that the average age of entry into prostitution is 12 to 13 years of age, many of these women are first exploited as children. Early sexual abuse compromises adult self-determination and is a human rights violation.
Legitimizing prostitution as work sanctions violence against women and girls as well as the inequality of women and girls.
Anishinaabekwe (Ojibwe woman) Waabizheski Indoodem born on sovereign Indigenous land surrounded by what is now called the state of Michigan. Cultural and environmental activist, retired teacher, artist, trouble-maker. Loved by some, hated by a few, but rarely ignored