It’s no coincidence that the Supreme Court’s decision allowing trans sports bans echoes the work of Reem Alsalem, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls.
As a therapist, I can see that she has a challenging relationship with herself. Instead of addressing it, working on it, nurture it, she is forcing this self hate and self doubt onto the world around her. It’s simultaneously tragic and sad.
In my book, you just pulled the rug out from under Alsalem. Your outstanding work here will help others push back against her misguided and harmful attacks on trans folk, even if, as you point out, she is effectively protected by her tangential status as a UN special rapporteur.
She is a bigger threat than JK Rawlings. She was brought in not only to attack trans and intersex people but to help walk back the rights of all women.
I can make shit up too - Cis women are 37% more likely to hand exploding cigars to their completion at events! Cis women have a biological advantage in that they can stuff their hoo-hah full of electrolyte gummies!!! it's a real thing!!! cis women have a biological advantage in that they're smaller and have less wind resistance!!!!!! Cis women are allowed to piss on the floor with impunity! Cis women can hear frequencies only bats can hear!
Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur, has repeatedly promoted narratives about the transgender community that many advocates, medical professionals, and human rights organizations have challenged as misleading, inaccurate, and harmful. Too often, transgender people are treated as a convenient political target because they represent a relatively small and vulnerable minority.
This is the same pattern we have seen from politicians, activists, and institutions that speak confidently about transgender lives while demonstrating little understanding of the realities, challenges, and medical needs of transgender people. Decisions affecting this community are too often made by individuals who have never listened to transgender people themselves or to the experts who provide their care.
Yet history continues to show that efforts to marginalize transgender people ultimately face resistance from those committed to equality, dignity, and human rights. The transgender community, its allies, and supporters must continue to challenge misinformation with facts, respond to prejudice with persistence, and refuse to be silenced.
The path forward is clear: organize, educate, advocate, and vote. Support leaders who defend equality rather than exploit fear. Every election matters, every voice matters, and every effort to protect the rights and dignity of transgender people matters.
But do not forget when supporting anyone make sure that we look for past statements of support and not just political statements during campains
Reem Alsalem is a Jordanian human rights expert and the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls. If she is really serious about preventing violence against women and girls, maybe she should concentrate her efforts within her own religion. "Honor" killings of women and girls for the most benign reasons is literally an epidemic within Islamic culture. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that around 5,000 women and girls are murdered globally each year in honor-related crimes. Transgender girls and women participating in sports has never caused anyone to lose their life.
According to Imara Jones' investigative series (The Anti-Trans Hate Machine), it's all driven by the religious right. They want to make the world a more godly place, like "Gilead." These fruit loops think everything bad that happens in the world is god's punishment to mankind for allowing our sort of wickedness to persist. These people are not well. However, unfortunately, they have a lot of passion and money.
While the religious right is a major player, especially in the US, I suspect there's more beyond that - figures/groups whose end goal is all about power (power-over) with little religious motivation.
Oh, I agree that there is a much bigger picture - many opportunistic interests that pile on to beat us up. However, the question was who is paying. And that's primarily (I admit, not entirely) the deep-pocketed religious right.
I admit there are some very influential ancillary players who have emptied their pockets for person reasons:
JK Rowling, the FORMER billionaire who spends much of her fortune trying to destroy us. She's a trans man who never had the guts to transition, so she doesn't think anyone else should either. Her self-loathing knows no bottom.
Elon Musk, who blames trans people for his daughter being trans and has entered politics BECAUSE of "the woke mind virus killing his son." For him, it's about vengeance.
All of that being said, the deepest pockets and most doggedly persistent political machine that are out to get us are from the religious right. And I can tell you that whenever I have gone lobbying, my ideological opponents also walking the halls and showing up in hearings have been from the religious right. That's just what I've seen.
This is not to say that other groups don't get involved. Obviously there is a very impassioned army of TERFs. But who funds them and enables them? The religious right. And there's the entire GOP who has made us their punching bag. But on whose behest are they attacking us? The religious right (e.g. Heritage Foundation - Project 2025). The GOP continues to attack us even when their naked displays of hatred turn off voters. Why? It's because of an army of evangelical voters who are hell-bent to turn up at every primary and knock off anyone who doesn't toe the line for the religious right. And it's because a lot of campaign funding comes from the religious right, because they have an agenda (Project 2025) they want carried out.
You are of course right that many of the players just want power (e.g. the GOP). But following the money that buys the power, all (or most) roads lead to the religious right.
Depressing is how easy it is for someone with quasi-credibility (owing to her title, not her accomplishments) to use false data to push a discriminatory argument. It would appear that no one (on the supreme court) challenged her data. Thus, her false data becomes one of those lies that told often enough becomes not only believable, but dogma. Remember, we're fighting what has always been a "holy war", in that facts are ignored if they contradict dogma. We saw it in the Spanish Inquisition, we saw it during the crusades, we saw it in 1800's America's south, and we've seen it multiple times in recent history. If we would ever actually LEARN from history, we could defeat such tactics. Sadly, there seem to always be enough people willing to blindly follow a preconceived prejudice if it allows them to paint themselves as victims of an imagined threat by some minority group. The smaller, and weaker, the minority the better.
The irony of a human rights "expert" dehumanizing a tiny, vulnerable group of humans is astounding. Your contributions to the Fourth Reich, my dear Reem, will not go appreciated by those seeking to subjugate all women, cis and trans alike.
Let's not forget Alsalem's efforts to explicitly allow conversion therapy for trans folks while still banning it for non-het people.
Also, apparently millennial, gen Z, and gen Alpha woke trans will destroy not just diamonds, Applebee's, marriage, *and* divorce (I thought fascists would love that?), we're also going to destroy humanity itself by [checks notes] having "dechilded" (WTF is that? Is that even a word?) an entire generation. Yes, less than one percent of the population -- many of whom can, still will, or have already had children -- are going to breed so sparsely as to cripple humanity as a species.
I'm going to have a fucking stroke trying to twist my mind through these people's convoluted mental gymnastic nihilistic hallucinations.
Yep, dollars to donuts, she goes to an LGBTQ concentration camp, just like the rest of us. Or it might be a camp for Muslims. Either way, a leopard will be eating her face.
Maybe we need to start lobbying the UN. The UN can be lobbied just like Congress. In other words, considering that we're not formally invited like this TERF woman, we should just fucking pound on the door (politely).
There are many issues we could/should address, not the least of which is the status of the US as a "safe country" for LGBTQ people. This "safe country" status is the primary impediment to LGBTQ (particularly trans) people who would formally seek asylum in other countries. The US needs to be recognized as UNsafe for us.
1. Many of our veteran activists have emigrated, because they have essentially painted targets on their backs. (I'm among them.) So, the baton would need to be picked up by a rising generation of activists. (It is not really feasible/safe for us to return for the purpose of lobbying.)
2. There may be a new learning curve with regard to how the UN works and how to lobby diplomats there.
3. NSPM-7 says that any organization spreading "radical gender ideology" is a terrorist organization, and its members are terrorists. So, finesse and creativity would need to be used to circumvent that narrative. For instance with regard to this 900 stolen medals issue, perhaps we could break out the list by sports and highlight things we have "questions" about. Like, is chess really a sport? And do trans women have a competitive advantage over cis women in chess? And if this database has so many errors in it, is the UN rapporteur a reliable, truthful, unbiased source of information? We could also show transphobic posts and re-posts from the rapporteur and ask whether they might reflect any animus towards transgender people - and then ask whether someone who hates transgender person is a neutral enough party to function as a UN rapporteur. We just ask questions, not give our points of view. The organization could be called something deliberately ridiculous like, "National Association of Completely Peaceful, Non-Radical Transgender Socratic Questioners." The organization should have an official tee shirt that says, "I am NOT a terrorist! I'm just asking questions." Lobbyists would introduce themselves by informing people that in the US, spreading radical transgender ideology is deemed an act of terrorism. So, instead, the NACPNRTSQ ("Trans Socratic Questioners" for short) presents materials of non-transgender origin and guides other people through those materials via the Socratic questioning method. And our "ask" should always be posed as a question, not a request: "Do you think the UN should reconsider whether whatshername should remain in her position as a rapporteur?" If asked a direct question, we should decline to answer, on the basis that doing so would be deemed a terrorist act, as designated under NSDM-7. Whether this questioning method would keep the organization safe from a terrorist designation would be anyone's guess, but the very noticeably weird format of a meeting would certainly draw attention to the shadow of NSPM-7 under which we live.
4. Current-generation American trans activists would be taking greater personal risks than any of their forebears had to. At this time, those risks are unknown. Activists could explore whether there are ways to conduct their lobbying activities anonymously, including using methods that evade biometric identification (including facial recognition). Etc., etc., etc.
“Ban social transitioning” says woman with short hair wearing a suit
As a therapist, I can see that she has a challenging relationship with herself. Instead of addressing it, working on it, nurture it, she is forcing this self hate and self doubt onto the world around her. It’s simultaneously tragic and sad.
Thank you for this ecellent report, S. Baum.
In my book, you just pulled the rug out from under Alsalem. Your outstanding work here will help others push back against her misguided and harmful attacks on trans folk, even if, as you point out, she is effectively protected by her tangential status as a UN special rapporteur.
She’s a well known liar and disinformant. What is her particular allergy to the truth and personality issue?
This is the one who put out the claim 900+ MtF athletes had beaten cisgender female records, if I recall.
https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/fact-check-lists-claiming-hundreds
She is a bigger threat than JK Rawlings. She was brought in not only to attack trans and intersex people but to help walk back the rights of all women.
I can make shit up too - Cis women are 37% more likely to hand exploding cigars to their completion at events! Cis women have a biological advantage in that they can stuff their hoo-hah full of electrolyte gummies!!! it's a real thing!!! cis women have a biological advantage in that they're smaller and have less wind resistance!!!!!! Cis women are allowed to piss on the floor with impunity! Cis women can hear frequencies only bats can hear!
I am dumbfounded by the willful ignorance of TERFs. We deserve better than those who would chastise trans people. Revolution.
Reem Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur, has repeatedly promoted narratives about the transgender community that many advocates, medical professionals, and human rights organizations have challenged as misleading, inaccurate, and harmful. Too often, transgender people are treated as a convenient political target because they represent a relatively small and vulnerable minority.
This is the same pattern we have seen from politicians, activists, and institutions that speak confidently about transgender lives while demonstrating little understanding of the realities, challenges, and medical needs of transgender people. Decisions affecting this community are too often made by individuals who have never listened to transgender people themselves or to the experts who provide their care.
Yet history continues to show that efforts to marginalize transgender people ultimately face resistance from those committed to equality, dignity, and human rights. The transgender community, its allies, and supporters must continue to challenge misinformation with facts, respond to prejudice with persistence, and refuse to be silenced.
The path forward is clear: organize, educate, advocate, and vote. Support leaders who defend equality rather than exploit fear. Every election matters, every voice matters, and every effort to protect the rights and dignity of transgender people matters.
But do not forget when supporting anyone make sure that we look for past statements of support and not just political statements during campains
Reem Alsalem is a Jordanian human rights expert and the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls. If she is really serious about preventing violence against women and girls, maybe she should concentrate her efforts within her own religion. "Honor" killings of women and girls for the most benign reasons is literally an epidemic within Islamic culture. The United Nations Population Fund estimates that around 5,000 women and girls are murdered globally each year in honor-related crimes. Transgender girls and women participating in sports has never caused anyone to lose their life.
I find it concerning that this seems to be a global phenomenon.
Who is paying? What do they hope to benefit from?
According to Imara Jones' investigative series (The Anti-Trans Hate Machine), it's all driven by the religious right. They want to make the world a more godly place, like "Gilead." These fruit loops think everything bad that happens in the world is god's punishment to mankind for allowing our sort of wickedness to persist. These people are not well. However, unfortunately, they have a lot of passion and money.
While the religious right is a major player, especially in the US, I suspect there's more beyond that - figures/groups whose end goal is all about power (power-over) with little religious motivation.
Oh, I agree that there is a much bigger picture - many opportunistic interests that pile on to beat us up. However, the question was who is paying. And that's primarily (I admit, not entirely) the deep-pocketed religious right.
I admit there are some very influential ancillary players who have emptied their pockets for person reasons:
JK Rowling, the FORMER billionaire who spends much of her fortune trying to destroy us. She's a trans man who never had the guts to transition, so she doesn't think anyone else should either. Her self-loathing knows no bottom.
Elon Musk, who blames trans people for his daughter being trans and has entered politics BECAUSE of "the woke mind virus killing his son." For him, it's about vengeance.
All of that being said, the deepest pockets and most doggedly persistent political machine that are out to get us are from the religious right. And I can tell you that whenever I have gone lobbying, my ideological opponents also walking the halls and showing up in hearings have been from the religious right. That's just what I've seen.
This is not to say that other groups don't get involved. Obviously there is a very impassioned army of TERFs. But who funds them and enables them? The religious right. And there's the entire GOP who has made us their punching bag. But on whose behest are they attacking us? The religious right (e.g. Heritage Foundation - Project 2025). The GOP continues to attack us even when their naked displays of hatred turn off voters. Why? It's because of an army of evangelical voters who are hell-bent to turn up at every primary and knock off anyone who doesn't toe the line for the religious right. And it's because a lot of campaign funding comes from the religious right, because they have an agenda (Project 2025) they want carried out.
You are of course right that many of the players just want power (e.g. the GOP). But following the money that buys the power, all (or most) roads lead to the religious right.
Just saying.
Depressing is how easy it is for someone with quasi-credibility (owing to her title, not her accomplishments) to use false data to push a discriminatory argument. It would appear that no one (on the supreme court) challenged her data. Thus, her false data becomes one of those lies that told often enough becomes not only believable, but dogma. Remember, we're fighting what has always been a "holy war", in that facts are ignored if they contradict dogma. We saw it in the Spanish Inquisition, we saw it during the crusades, we saw it in 1800's America's south, and we've seen it multiple times in recent history. If we would ever actually LEARN from history, we could defeat such tactics. Sadly, there seem to always be enough people willing to blindly follow a preconceived prejudice if it allows them to paint themselves as victims of an imagined threat by some minority group. The smaller, and weaker, the minority the better.
The irony of a human rights "expert" dehumanizing a tiny, vulnerable group of humans is astounding. Your contributions to the Fourth Reich, my dear Reem, will not go appreciated by those seeking to subjugate all women, cis and trans alike.
Let's not forget Alsalem's efforts to explicitly allow conversion therapy for trans folks while still banning it for non-het people.
Also, apparently millennial, gen Z, and gen Alpha woke trans will destroy not just diamonds, Applebee's, marriage, *and* divorce (I thought fascists would love that?), we're also going to destroy humanity itself by [checks notes] having "dechilded" (WTF is that? Is that even a word?) an entire generation. Yes, less than one percent of the population -- many of whom can, still will, or have already had children -- are going to breed so sparsely as to cripple humanity as a species.
I'm going to have a fucking stroke trying to twist my mind through these people's convoluted mental gymnastic nihilistic hallucinations.
Thank you for your reporting, Baum.
Getting a look at her hard drive, and her in the dock at the Hague is one goal we should have.
If trans and women’s rights are made zero sum then both will lose.
The very first thing I thought of when I saw her was she’s another one of those trans hating lesbians😡🤬
Yep, dollars to donuts, she goes to an LGBTQ concentration camp, just like the rest of us. Or it might be a camp for Muslims. Either way, a leopard will be eating her face.
Where are the experts, advocates and rapporteurs for us?
We desperately need legitimate national voices for us in this fight because we are getting killed
^^^^ THIS ^^^^
Maybe we need to start lobbying the UN. The UN can be lobbied just like Congress. In other words, considering that we're not formally invited like this TERF woman, we should just fucking pound on the door (politely).
There are many issues we could/should address, not the least of which is the status of the US as a "safe country" for LGBTQ people. This "safe country" status is the primary impediment to LGBTQ (particularly trans) people who would formally seek asylum in other countries. The US needs to be recognized as UNsafe for us.
YES!
A few complications come to mind:
1. Many of our veteran activists have emigrated, because they have essentially painted targets on their backs. (I'm among them.) So, the baton would need to be picked up by a rising generation of activists. (It is not really feasible/safe for us to return for the purpose of lobbying.)
2. There may be a new learning curve with regard to how the UN works and how to lobby diplomats there.
3. NSPM-7 says that any organization spreading "radical gender ideology" is a terrorist organization, and its members are terrorists. So, finesse and creativity would need to be used to circumvent that narrative. For instance with regard to this 900 stolen medals issue, perhaps we could break out the list by sports and highlight things we have "questions" about. Like, is chess really a sport? And do trans women have a competitive advantage over cis women in chess? And if this database has so many errors in it, is the UN rapporteur a reliable, truthful, unbiased source of information? We could also show transphobic posts and re-posts from the rapporteur and ask whether they might reflect any animus towards transgender people - and then ask whether someone who hates transgender person is a neutral enough party to function as a UN rapporteur. We just ask questions, not give our points of view. The organization could be called something deliberately ridiculous like, "National Association of Completely Peaceful, Non-Radical Transgender Socratic Questioners." The organization should have an official tee shirt that says, "I am NOT a terrorist! I'm just asking questions." Lobbyists would introduce themselves by informing people that in the US, spreading radical transgender ideology is deemed an act of terrorism. So, instead, the NACPNRTSQ ("Trans Socratic Questioners" for short) presents materials of non-transgender origin and guides other people through those materials via the Socratic questioning method. And our "ask" should always be posed as a question, not a request: "Do you think the UN should reconsider whether whatshername should remain in her position as a rapporteur?" If asked a direct question, we should decline to answer, on the basis that doing so would be deemed a terrorist act, as designated under NSDM-7. Whether this questioning method would keep the organization safe from a terrorist designation would be anyone's guess, but the very noticeably weird format of a meeting would certainly draw attention to the shadow of NSPM-7 under which we live.
4. Current-generation American trans activists would be taking greater personal risks than any of their forebears had to. At this time, those risks are unknown. Activists could explore whether there are ways to conduct their lobbying activities anonymously, including using methods that evade biometric identification (including facial recognition). Etc., etc., etc.