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Trans person former Labour candidate Heather Herbert has been charged for disgusting comments about Ann Widdecombe

(150 Posts)
Primrose53 Thu 16-Jul-26 22:25:32

Thank goodness for that! At last someone has seen sense and done the right thing in getting him/her arrested and charged.

I hope he/she loses his/her job too.

LemonJam Fri 17-Jul-26 18:30:00

Headlines I've seen by newspapers either referred to HH by name ( e.g. Scottish Daily Express) or 'University of Aberdeen worker charged by police' - Sky News.

LemonJam Fri 17-Jul-26 18:33:05

Sky News went on its article to say " Herbert, a transgender woman, stood for Scottish Labour in 2021....and for the Scottish Greens for Aberdeen in 2022. local government election.

ViceVersa Fri 17-Jul-26 18:45:23

LemonJam

ViceVersa- you live in Scotland and I bow to your superior knowledge of what charge may be applied to HH.

I'm not claiming any kind of 'superior knowledge', but yes I do live in Scotland and having worked in journalism my entire life, I did have to keep up to date with the law as it applied to my profession. As for the particular circumstances relating to HH's charges, we will have to wait and see what transpires. I've seen various reports here in Scotland suggesting that may be the Act which applies in this case.

LemonJam Fri 17-Jul-26 18:47:51

I look forward with interest ViceVersa- always interesting to see how Scotland apples its laws in comparison. 😊

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Fri 17-Jul-26 20:30:22

Galaxy

Certainly in England I have seen examples of the press at beginning to move away from the pretence.

Me too Galaxy this pantomime is coming to an end I think.
Not before time.

Wyllow3 Fri 17-Jul-26 20:44:34

You've lost me - what pretence?

Oreo Fri 17-Jul-26 20:56:20

Wyllow3

You've lost me - what pretence?

The pretence that man can be a woman purely by wishing it.
A trans woman or a transman is exactly that, not a woman or a man but a transperson.
It’s fine to live your life that way if it makes you happier but not to have the world believe something different or believe it yourself.

Mollygo Fri 17-Jul-26 21:04:22

Oreo
The pretence that man can be a woman purely by wishing it.

Or the pretence that by any other means a man can be a woman.

LemonJam Fri 17-Jul-26 21:48:13

Which member of the press is guilty?

nanna8 Sat 18-Jul-26 02:33:57

There is a current court case here where a woman is being sued by a trans for declaring that men cannot breastfeed. Absolute waste of court time and money.

LemonJam Sat 18-Jul-26 09:22:24

The anatomical structures for milk production exist in people of all genders/ sexes.

A transgender woman who has not given birth can induce lactation by taking HRT thereby facilitating breast feeding.

There are also documented cases of transgender men (i.e. female at birth) who retained their reproductive organs, gave birth and then successfully chest fed their babies. I saw a documentary recently, think it was Channel 4 or 5, where a Scandinavian, transgender man gave birth then chest fed.

La Leche League international provides support to do so for transgender and non- binary parents.

Oreo Sat 18-Jul-26 09:48:41

Now I’ve heard it all!😂
Hard to breast feed when you don’t have breasts and have to fill yourself with drugs in order to leak some milk.Who on earth facilitates these people?
By the way, a man can’t give birth.
A transgender man is still biologically a woman.

LemonJam Sat 18-Jul-26 10:20:15

As I said Oreo- There are also documented cases of transgender men (i.e. female at birth) who retained their reproductive organs, gave birth and then successfully chest fed their babies.

AGAA4 Sat 18-Jul-26 10:38:00

Are there any cases where a trans woman has successfully breast fed a baby for at least six weeks? What quality is the milk produced when full of false hormones?
Women's bodies are designed to produce milk when they give birth. Men's bodies aren't. It's as simple as that.

MissAdventure Sat 18-Jul-26 10:55:22

I'm glad he's been charged.

LemonJam Sat 18-Jul-26 11:05:18

AGAA4

Are there any cases where a trans woman has successfully breast fed a baby for at least six weeks? What quality is the milk produced when full of false hormones?
Women's bodies are designed to produce milk when they give birth. Men's bodies aren't. It's as simple as that.

La Leche League International can answer such questions.

Lathyrus3 Sat 18-Jul-26 11:10:25

Actually there’s been a massive split in LaLeche with the founders members having to resign because they could not in good conscience support a policy that encouraged breastfeeding practices that involved feeding drugs and hormones in babies milk, with known negative side effects and no research into long term consequences.

They have set up an operate organisation that remains true to the philosophy of breast feeding being a natural process that benefits both mother and baby.

Galaxy Sat 18-Jul-26 11:12:31

I am not glad if he has been charged for the words he said, as I have said we need to protect the right to speech even if it is speech we hate. But as I say I do wonder if there is mire to come out. There is widely available footage of him with a friend and the friend is talking about using bullets. They are a charming group of men.

AGAA4 Sat 18-Jul-26 11:16:20

I have no issue with transwomen but they really aren't women and pumping a baby full of hormones so a man can chestfeed is totally wrong.

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Sat 18-Jul-26 11:18:41

“Chest fed”
Give me strength.

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Sat 18-Jul-26 11:19:39

In one Oreo

LemonJam Sat 18-Jul-26 11:29:03

Lathyrus3

Actually there’s been a massive split in LaLeche with the founders members having to resign because they could not in good conscience support a policy that encouraged breastfeeding practices that involved feeding drugs and hormones in babies milk, with known negative side effects and no research into long term consequences.

They have set up an operate organisation that remains true to the philosophy of breast feeding being a natural process that benefits both mother and baby.

Not surprising- we see transgender issues causing ideological splits globally. La Leche League continues as an organisation in support but some more traditional members have splintered off to form their own networks.

According to AI: The global organisation, La Leche League (LLL), mandated the acceptance of transgender women and the use of gender-neutral language (such as "chestfeeding"), prompting high-profile resignations and legal battles over single-sex spaces.

Key Drivers of the Conflict
Inclusion of Transgender Women: La Leche League International (LLLI) directed affiliates to welcome transgender women into their support groups and support induced lactation.
Language Changes Official literature shifted to use gender-inclusive terms like "chestfeed" instead of "breastfeed" and "parent" instead of "mother" to accommodate trans and non-binary individuals.
Rejection by Traditionalists Critics, including biological mothers and group leaders, argued that the charity lost its core focus of supporting biological women and that allowing biological men into female-only support groups compromises a safe, intimate environment for breastfeeding mothers.

Fallout and Developments
UK Board Suspension: In the UK, six trustees of LLL GB were suspended by the US-based international board after refusing to ditch their female-only policy. The suspended trustees appealed to the UK's Charity Commission, citing the Equality Act 2010 and the protection of single-sex spaces.
Formation of New Groups Due to the ideological split, some former LLL members established new, strictly women-only breastfeeding networks.

AGAA4 Sat 18-Jul-26 11:34:24

Where has a basic knowledge of biology and common sense gone.

Galaxy Sat 18-Jul-26 11:36:44

It was/ is all about manipulation of language and I think an attempt at control. If you can convince a society that men are women then you can convince them of anything. It has been astounding to watch.

FriedGreenTomatoes2 Sat 18-Jul-26 11:38:33

And to listen to. Toe curling at times to be honest.