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Jess O'Thomson @jessothomson.co.uk · 03/07/2026

Over 6000 signatories in just a few hours. I am hoping we could make a massive statement with this. This is the kind of thing you need to get your mum to sign 👇

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Abigail Thorn @theabigailthorn.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

As I’ve said before, any serious attempt to ban conversion practices in Britain has to confront the fact that the NHS never stopped doing it. This draft bill not only fails, it explicitly gives “healthcare providers” permission to continue.

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

This was the @prismsurgery.bsky.social statement on conversion practices. No exemptions for consent, adults, or religion. But I'd add no exemption for applying conversion practice torture on the NHS. That was done historically, and will be done more and more in the present following Cass.

PRiSM statement about Conversion therapy:
"The Royal College of Surgeons of England's Pride in Surgery Forum (PRiSM) considers Conversion therapy to be a harmful practice with zero efficacy which we believe should be banned by law in the UK. A ban should not be delayed further by claims that a debate is needed or that the matter is too complex given the implications of it continuing and any ban must protect all LGBTQ+ individuals from attempts to change their gender identity and/or sexuality. We consider that a ban must apply in all cases, with no exemptions for informed consent, for adults or for religious organisations. PRiSM also advocates that the Royal College of Surgeons of England recommends to qualified practitioners, fellows and members that they should not undertake or facilitate conversion therapy. In addition, we recommend that undergraduate and postgraduate curricula should not include or allow participation in conversion therapy and should instead promote a positive and inclusive view of LGBTQ+ individuals and culture while highlighting the historical stigmatisation of LGBTQ+ individuals."

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

We now know that research on trans patients in Norway has involved ethical violations and that Cass is saying the harms of puberty blockers are overstated, yet trans kids are being forced into a research trial to access them. How about treating trans people as humans, not involuntary test subjects?

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Olly Glover, MP 🔶 @ollyglover.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

I don't think that. I wanted to take some time to properly understand what the EDM is asking for and what it would mean in practice, before deciding whether or not to sign. Having done that this week, I will be signing, and my name will appear as a signatory shortly.

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Can't see that @ollyglover.bsky.social has signed EDM 240, presumably he thinks it's good for businesses to have to spend money on extra facilities and be sued over who gets segregated from their toilets?

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CN Lester 🏳️‍⚧️ @cnlester.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

88 signatures so far - if you live in the UK PLEASE email your MP about adding their name - it will take you less than 5 minutes with the form below. Yes, even if your MP is a transphobe - it's good for them to know how many of their constituents disagree with them.

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

@ollyglover.bsky.social please sign this EDM to reject the EHRC Code of Practice. Have emailed you to explain how damaging the Code is, both to trans people and to anyone who doesn't match the ideals associated with their gender.

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Pride in Surgery Forum @prismsurgery.bsky.social · 30/05/2026

Join LGBTQ+ surgeons and allies for an evening with people who understand working in surgery, with space to share experiences, build your network and learn about our work supporting the LGBTQ+ community ❤️ 📍 Rondo Bar, Holborn 📅 Fri 3 July, 6pm Book your free ticket now: ow.ly/cFJe50Z5y4n

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Ok, so here's the real headlines from the newly-published BMA critique of Cass: 1) the evidence being weak means it does not clearly support treatment withdrawal either; 2) the policy decisions by NHS and government went beyond what Cass recommended;

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

DHSC and Streeting strongly oppose trans kids accessing puberty blockers, but: - the evidence doesn't support a ban - Cass Report didn't support a ban - BMA critique depicts it as political overreach - non-trans kids are still receiving blockers DHSC is discriminating against trans kids.

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

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Natacha @natacha.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Reposting this THREAD 🧵 by @alexashman.bsky.social as an image because it is probably the most accurate summary of the BMA findings; includes alt text so use that if you want a tidied-up text version. This is what it REALLY said without all the editorialising.

Ok, so here's the real headlines from the newly-published BMA critique of Cass:

1) the evidence being weak means it does not clearly support treatment withdrawal either;

2) the policy decisions by NHS and government went beyond what Cass recommended;

3) the Report did not undertake timely engagement with patient groups and failed to use co-production;

4) some recommendations (46% of those examined) in the Review were only partially supported or not supported by the cited evidence;

5) there is potential for patient harm given the lack of established replacement provision following the closure of GIDS.

‪
The BMA critique is a compromise between 'viewpoints' (you know the ones) but these themes shine through. The key thing is that a ban on affirming treatment was not supported and represents a policy creep/extension by government.

Just waiting on a link to share the full report, but don't believe what The Times or BMJ say, it's not that simple.

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Emmy D @emmydee50.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

I'll just put it out there - For the BMA to critique and negatively criticise a government-commissioned review and its implementation in this way and to this extent is quite something in itself.

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Dreamliner Ontario @mostlyharmless.northsky.social · 07/05/2026

The BMA: Cass is flawed in various ways The U.K. media: BMA vindicates Cass Review 🙄

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Right, here we go: BMA Cass critique document cdn.intelligencebank.com/eu/share/qMb...

Key Findings
1. The evidence base for puberty suppression and gender affirming hormones
is limited, predominantly observational, and characterised by substantial
uncertainty. Importantly, this uncertainty is symmetrical: with signals of
moderate level of certainty for the risk of osteoporosis and fertility issues in
those treated, and less certain evidence for the more higher stakes outcome
of significant mental health issues, but neither can be quantified with high
confidence.
2. Many of the statements in the Cass Review were supported by the cited
literature, but a proportion were only partially substantiated or not
substantiated.
3. In several cases, there was a tendency for statements to simplify complex
findings or to emphasise potential risks without equivalent contextualisation of
potential benefits.
4. The BMA Task and Finish Group identified clear agreement on the need for
improved research, better data, and more robust multidisciplinary services.
5. Lived experience stakeholder groups who were consulted as part of the
Cass Review felt that their contributions were nuanced at source but often
experienced as condensed or reframed in the final outputs, and engagement
was perceived as late and insufficiently influential on conclusions. Stakeholders
also reported tangible impacts following implementation, including reduced
access, longer waits, and disrupted continuity of care.
6. There was substantive disagreement between Task and Finish Group members
on whether the restriction of access to puberty blockers represents a
proportionate response to the evidence.
7. While service redesign broadly aligns with the Review’s recommendations,
restrictions on prescribing and the extension into statutory regulation represent
policy decisions that go beyond the explicit recommendations.

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Dreamliner Ontario @mostlyharmless.northsky.social · 07/05/2026

You’ll be hearing a lot about Cass being vindicated by the BMA. It’s not that simple 👇🏻

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Lisa Severn @lisasevern.uk · 07/05/2026

The BMA report on Cass is out imminently and, as Alex says, do be cognisant of the fact that the BMJ is not the same as the BMA The media is going to cherry pick the report findings to support Labour cruelty towards trans children regardless. We have to wait and see what it actually says

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

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Gourdo! 🎃 @posting.fan · 02/04/2026

good move here by Labour, people love it when you look really petty and spiteful to NHS doctors because they didn’t do what you wanted

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Amanda R. Woomer @spookeats.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

And this is coming from someone whose entire personality in middle school was based on those books.

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robin @poconoduc.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

It’s never been about ‘protecting women’s sports’ or ‘protecting kids’ or whatever other nonsense anyone tells you. It’s about misogyny, control, and the patriarchal hold on the country.

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Nicole DeWitt @catastro-v.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

i read the policy document and it is baaaaaaaaaad. like, *bad* bad. as in ‘theyre defining “Biological Male” as “has an SRY gene and not *Complete* Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome”’ bad

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Annie Kelly @annieknk.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Great article. I particularly liked(?) this part, about the way manosphere talking points were used to justify the shooting of Renée Good at the very highest levels of the US gov. Reactions that say "duh, the right was always misogynist!" while not untrue, miss the point. This is escalating

To explain Good's death to enlist the MAGA faithful in justifying or even relishing it - the New Right, including the White House and its propagandists, treated her as a synecdoche for everything they believe to be wrong with modern women: that they are dismissive of male authority, liberal and smug, delinquent as mothers, and, as a corollary, mentally unstable.

The message, Anna says, was this: "She deserved it. She deserved it. She deserved it."

For the movement, says Kaschuta, Good's transgression was her failure to know her place. From their perspective, she says, "she was foolishly trying to embody masculinity" by engaging in politics, being assertive.

Pedro Gonzalez, another recent apostate from the New Right, who in 2021 received the prestigious Lincoln Fellowship from the Claremont Institute in the same class as Charlie Kirk, agrees with Anna and Kaschuta that, as he puts it, "misogyny is baked into the movement itself." He went on: "They've adopted a caricature of traditional values where, if women don't stay at home, if women don't stay out of politics, well, they might get shot."

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Arthur Webber 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 @bernietranders.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

I don’t know, if I spent all my time online claiming that a group of people were so terrifying and dangerous that they should be excluded from public life and any space I am in, I wouldn’t spend money to willingly go to a concert with up to 10,000 of them

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She Guevara @sheg7.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Meanwhile, if you are cis...

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Cal Horton (they/them) @fiercemum.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Yesterday the NHS banned all under 18 prescriptions of HRT for trans young people. This ban was justified by 10 new studies that largely stated NO EVIDENCE for under 18s HRT exists. The study underpinning this played one particular trick. Let's briefly look at how the NHS rigged the game 1/5

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Talia "ATTACK DOGS is out now!" Bhatt ⚢ @taliabhatt.itch.io · 27/02/2026

Yeah the surprising part about this story is that something was done about it

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Ashleeee 🌊🪭 @reactiveashley.cat · 27/02/2026

I just think that any trans person who understands what a pmol is is automatically more competent than those cis cranks.

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Funny how the puberty blockers trial gets paused, and then we find out there's a transphobe pulling the strings once again. Trans research needs to be trans led. Putting transphobes like Cass and this MHRA weirdo in charge is deeply unethical.

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Aidan Comerford @aidancomerford.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

BREAKING: it appears that the MHRA, in control of the UK puberty blocker trial, appointed a senior officer who had previously mocked supporters of trans rights online. Recusal is not enough here. He and those responsible for appointing him should resign. How can trans people trust them now?

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

So I'm going to be on the panel for this, alongside Dr Michael Brady, who will be discussing relevant findings from his National LGBT+ Health Report, and our anaesthetic colleague Dr Medlock who will be talking about the potential impacts on inclusive peri-op care.

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Pride in Surgery Forum @prismsurgery.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Only four days to go until our free webinar! A look into NHS England’s LGBT+ Health Evidence Review A fantastic line up of speakers covering important topics Sign up below: www.rcseng.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

rcseng.ac.uk

Webinar: LGBT+ History Month - a look into NHS England's LGBT+ Health Evidence Review — Royal College of Surgeons of England

Explore the findings of the National LGBT+ Health Report, led by Dr Michael Brady, National Advisor for LGBT+ Health at NHS England.

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Deth Veggie @dethveggie.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Strongly reminiscent of this infamous diagram of a slaver ship. We are repeating our evils.

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

The concept of gender identity is useful and should not be discarded. The mistake was to allow the reification of "sex" as some separate, concrete thing that aligns with, and reifies, cisgender gender identities. 1/

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

This is very detailed and worth reading as it clearly describes the harms associated with trans toilet bans. Obviously content warnings for discussion of degendering/third sexing, psychological trauma, apartheid, etc.

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

So I'm now blocked by @assignedmedia.org's journalist, for providing much needed feminist criticism of the piece (and, perhaps more pertinently, for saying I had no idea who the journalist was).

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Mallory Moore @sexabolition.blog · 17/02/2026

People talk about this stuff in terms of how much it'll suck for gaming and I hate to inform you how many MRI machines, X-Rays, all sorts of other vital machinery are just a Windows IoT Edition PC in a beige plastic box with a big magnet/accelerator/whatever attached.

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Alex Ashman @alexashman.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

BMA LGBT+ History Month blog with the below quote: www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opi... Updated BMA policy position on the rights of trans and non-binary people in healthcare settings: www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-s...

'NHS services are shockingly under-resourced and access to gender affirming care is severely limited. Too often, GPs are hesitant to make referrals, and for those who do reach specialist clinics, the process is frequently marked by gatekeeping and pathologisation. These issues lead many trans people, including health professionals themselves, to seek private care at significant personal cost or else be left with only DIY options.

'In my opinion we should be seeing healthcare based on shared decision making and informed consent. We also desperately need to properly resource, standardise, and streamline access to remove these impediments to receiving care,' says Alex Ashman, ENT consultant and BMA EDI advisory group member.

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Sophie Labelle @assignedmale.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

That's not a question.

4 frame comic. a street journalist, off frame, asks someone with long hair exiting the subway : miss! do you think
it's fair for biological
female athletes to be
forced to compete with
transgenders?
she replies :
that's not a question. every
year, new studies show that
trans women have no inherent
athletic advantages over cis
women. science and research
have settled this already.*
*a meta-study published this month in the
british journal of sports medicine reviewed 52
studies with 5252 trans athlete participants.
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/60/3/198
what's unfair is how female
athletes, cis or trans, must
endure constant, unrestrained
sexual misconduct throughout
their formative years to simply
get a shot at competing
at an elite level.
just last month, a report*
showed that 88% of surveyed
u.k. elite athletes of the int'l
women's sports collective
reported sexual misconduct,
and 40% reported sexual abuse.
93% of the time, perpetrators
were cis men.
*"Women’s experiences of sexual
misconduct working in UK elite sport,"
summary report by Lindsey Simpson, 2026

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⳽ⳑⲇⳕⲛⲉ @sloanelysbeth.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

it's still amazing that this was a conservative prime minister and it was only 8 years ago. i wonder if @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social understands that things can flip this quickly and when they do she's in real trouble. this is a good indicator of just how much corruption is driving transphobia.

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Ruth Pearce @notrightruth.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Happy Friday 13th! To celebrate the success of the UK establishment's continued "clarity" on trans exclusion, I am delighted to share a major update to my blog post "What's wrong with the Cass Review?" The biggest change is an entirely new section on harms caused. ruthpearce.net/2024/04/16/w...

Bernie Sanders meme, with text as follows: I am once again updating my mega post about how awful the Cass Review is.

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