Last week’s controversy around the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre put the spotlight on the need for single-sex services to protect vulnerable women, but it’s very far from the only example of how Scottish women are being let down in this regard by both the Scottish Government and civic organisations.
The homelessness system in Scotland has collapsed. Emergency accommodation is dangerous, sub-standard, and overcrowded. There has been an epidemic of deaths in hotels and B&Bs in recent years.
As a writer, feminist and literary events organiser in Scotland, I’m regularly sent links to information someone thinks might be of interest to me. This week it was a document commissioned by one of Scotland’s leading and most powerful publicly-funded literary organisations, Literature Alliance Scotland (LAS).
Nobody, of course, objects to transgender writers being included or supported, but the content of the guidance raises several extremely serious and concerning issues.
Normally in cases like these, there’s an instant and concerted attempt to rubbish the judgement, both from amateurs and activist lawyers like Robin Moira “Barry” White, Jolyon Maugham, and the anonymous “Pissed Off Lawyer” tweeting as @legaltweetz. They’ll issue spurious “analyses” dismissing the findings with jargon terms like “obiter”, and either question their correctness or attempt to minimise their significance.
For some reason that didn’t happen this time. The hyper-antagonist online trans army has very conspicuously failed to rush to the defence of ERCC CEO Mridul Wadhwa, perhaps because Judge Ian McFatridge’s conclusions were so relentlessly, brutally and comprehensively excoriating of Wadhwa’s appalling behaviour that no amount of spin or disingenuity could disguise it.
But then, on white charger and with papoose, enter a hero.
Mridul Wadhwa, a man with whom Wings readers have been familiar for some years, was found by the tribunal judge to have been “the invisible hand behind everything that had taken place” as Roz Adams, a conscientious, caring and highly professional woman with a long history in the sector, was systematically and methodically hounded out of her job for holding, privately and sensitively, the belief that biological sex is real.
We watched Question Time last night for the first time in about nine years, and this comment from SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn raised an eyebrow.
Because we couldn’t remember ANY times that Flynn had publicly expressed any problems with the Scottish Greens during their governing alliance.
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: “Several of the biggest parties competing in Scottish elections are not Scottish parties at all. They are London operations registered…” Jun 13, 04:02
Mark Beggan on Response Level Upgrade: “Northcode says: 12 June, 2026 at 10:07 pm Just think… after independence Scotland’s political parties will have to actually be…” Jun 13, 00:24
Mark Beggan on Response Level Upgrade: “He is just about to find out how terrible the world really is. “You’re my little puppy dog now boy.…” Jun 13, 00:16
Onlooker on Response Level Upgrade: “Northcode, both Scotland and England are owned by America.” Jun 12, 23:49
Aidan on Wider Than A Mile: “It’s not that sovereignty doesn’t exist Xaracen, or that’s it’s not an important concept. It’s that the way you are…” Jun 12, 22:28
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: “Just think… after independence Scotland’s political parties will have to actually be Scottish.” Jun 12, 22:07
xaracen on Wider Than A Mile: “Your attempt to replace sovereignty with statehood fails because Scotland’s people were and are sovereign under Scotland’s still extant constitution,…” Jun 12, 21:51
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: ““Seriously, Northy? England?” It doesn’t matter who or what the Scots vote for in England’s Scottish colony. Scotland is owned…” Jun 12, 21:43
Hatey McHateface on Response Level Upgrade: “It’s a simple enough question, Alf, who will be celebrating this time next week? I understand your sunk costs are…” Jun 12, 21:15
Hatey McHateface on Wider Than A Mile: “I have a dream, xaracen. It is that one day, quite soon, you will devote your energies to something useful…” Jun 12, 21:01
Alf Baird on Response Level Upgrade: “Postcolonial theory predicts that a national party that has been co-opted by colonialism’ disintegrates.” Jun 12, 20:52
Hatey McHateface on Wider Than A Mile: “It’s under 16 stones, Mark. Healthy, active people with lives are the ones that will be banned. Lard asses with…” Jun 12, 20:50
Southernbystander on Wider Than A Mile: “Universities are not taking the piss. Scots can apply and do a degree if qualified. There is no shortage of…” Jun 12, 20:49
Aidan on Wider Than A Mile: “The term “sovereignty” doesn’t mean anything in the way you are using it. As a matter of constitutional law, the…” Jun 12, 20:48
Hatey McHateface on Response Level Upgrade: “Seriously, Northy? England? You’re coming on here to claim that Scottish voters are voting for England? Crivens, help ma boab.” Jun 12, 20:41
Hatey McHateface on Response Level Upgrade: “The boy who hit the policewoman with a sledgehammer and then tried to use his ADHD or somesuch to claim…” Jun 12, 20:36
Northcode on Response Level Upgrade: ““Who does Fanon predict will win the by elections next week?” England!” Jun 12, 20:18
xaracen on Wider Than A Mile: “But it absolutely would be required by default, Aidan! It matters not at all how unusual or novel that arrangement…” Jun 12, 20:14
Hatey McHateface on Response Level Upgrade: “Wondrous times. The world’s first trillionaire walks the earth. Serious money too, Uncle Sam’s greenbacks. None of your BRICS shite.…” Jun 12, 20:01
Hatey McHateface on Response Level Upgrade: “The true worth of any theory lies in its predictive power. Who does Fanon predict will win the by elections…” Jun 12, 19:18
Hatey McHateface on Wider Than A Mile: “Great post, Northy. But, assuming you’re not just making up words again, you haven’t explained how to pronounce the ‘?’…” Jun 12, 19:11
Skip_NC on Response Level Upgrade: “Dan, I have lived in the USA for almost 25 years so I am not up to date on disabled…” Jun 12, 19:00
Alf Baird on Response Level Upgrade: “Robin assumes Scots exist in a ‘normal’ political state where ‘honour’ and ‘democracy’ are the norm, and public inquiries will…” Jun 12, 18:52
Dan on Response Level Upgrade: “Is there a distinction in law that toilets for the disabled are only to be used by those with a…” Jun 12, 18:32
James Che on Wider Than A Mile: “If only one of the two parliaments to the 1707 treaty is dissolved that were to create the united kingdom…” Jun 12, 18:11
Cynicus on Response Level Upgrade: “I really hope that more courteous response is not as good as it gets. Unfortunately, I think Robin McAlpine is…” Jun 12, 17:52
Skip_NC on Response Level Upgrade: “Disabled toilets exist so that those who need to use them have the same opportunities in life as any other…” Jun 12, 17:49
James Che on Wider Than A Mile: “Aiden, That may have been their intention, however after dissolving the Scottish parliament in the 1700s and then dissolving the…” Jun 12, 17:45
crisiscult on Response Level Upgrade: “Becoming more and more rare, but great to see there are still folk out there like Roddie D. and that…” Jun 12, 17:26