Peaked

In the Netherlands, commercial surrogacy is not allowed. You can only have a baby for someone else as long as you're not getting paid for it. En plus, the woman who gives birth to the baby is always the legal mother. This is the case even if the child is not biologically related to the woman who carried it (gestational surrogacy). The "intended parents" have to adopt the child once he or she has been born. All that may be about to change. In 2023, a minister from the D66 liberal party tabled a bill that would allow the adoption/legal transfer of parenthood to happen before the birth, as long as one of the intended parents is genetically related to the child. The debate about it has repeatedly been postponed, but is now scheduled for the week of 14 December 2026. Rob Jetten, the youngest-ever and first openly-gay prime minister of the country (also from the nightmare D66 party), recently announced that he and his boyf — a bisexual Argentinian hockey hunk — are expecting a child via a surrogate, using an egg from a donor. Jetten claims both the women who will carry the child and the woman who donated the egg are mates of theirs, from their social circle. Hmmmmmm. In this interview, women's rights campaigner Lydia Daniel tells me about this very live debate. She comments on Jetten's very public comments on his desire to procure an infant, and the curious timing of the re-ignited discussion. She recently went (Dutch) viral for her comments on TV comparing the treatment of puppies compared to babies subject to surrogacy arrangements (puppies get a few weeks with mom) and she has been accused of homophobia, of course, because it's two gay lads "procuring" a motherless child. But Lydia, like many feminists, holds an equal-opps anti-surrogacy position. Some may argue (I do) that putting a child in a home with only men poses an even bigger risk to the welfare of the child. I hope we haven't all moved so far from our biological moorings that I have to explain why that might be the case. The proposed Dutch law would not change the legality of advertising or promotion surrogacy services, but this Christian site claims it will allow some sort of non-profit mediation, representing a "shift" in the direction of commercialisation. The debate rages on. Show notes (AI generated) Lydia Daniel joins Róisín Michaux to discuss the controversy surrounding Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten's plans to become a parent through surrogacy. They examine the proposed Dutch surrogacy law, surrogate mothers' rights, international surrogacy scandals, the interests of donor-conceived children, and wider disputes over gender policy, hate-speech legislation and freedom of expression. Rob Jetten, Surrogacy & the Dutch Parentage Bill On 19 October 2026, Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and his fiancé, Argentine field hockey player Nicolás Keenan, announced that they are expecting their first child in 2027 through a non-commercial surrogacy arrangement. According to Jetten's party, D66, the surrogate mother and egg donor are Dutch acquaintances of the couple, and the procedure took place in the Netherlands. Lydia argues that the announcement has brought renewed attention to a proposed law that would change how legal parenthood is established after surrogacy. Róisín questions the timing of the announcement and whether the public promotion of surrogacy sits comfortably with the Netherlands' current restrictions. Rob Jetten and Nicolás Keenan announce they are expecting a child D66's official announcement explains the arrangement and states that neither the surrogate nor the egg donor is being paid. https://d66.nl/nieuws/rob-jetten-and-nicolas-keenan-expecting-a-child/ The Dutch Child, Surrogacy and Parentage Bill https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/wetsvoorstellen/detail?cfg=wetsvoorsteldetails&qry=wetsvoorstel%3A36390 COC Netherlands and the Rainbow Ballot Agreement https://www.coc.nl/blog/2025/10/25/lijsttrekkers-tekenen-regenboogakkoord-met-coc/ â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€ Dutch Court of Appeal: Contact Between a Surrogate and a Child https://uitspraken.rechtspraak.nl/details?id=ECLI%3ANL%3AGHARL%3A2026%3A2963 â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€ OCCRP: Inside the Collapse of World Center of Baby https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/inside-the-collapse-of-a-surrogacy-agency-that-left-surrogates-and-hopeful-parents-abandoned â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€ The Wall Street Journal: Chinese Billionaires Having Dozens of U.S.-Born Babies Via Surrogates https://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article/chinese-billionaires-having-dozens-us-born-babies-surrogate The Zheng Shuang Surrogacy Controversy https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3118364/chinese-actress-zheng-shuangs-surrogacy â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€ The Hate Review: Forbidden Colours https://www.forbidden-colours.com/hate-review/ European Commission: LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-discrimination/lesbian-gay-bi-trans-and-intersex-equality/lgbtiq-equality-strategy-2026-2030_en Dutch Parliamentary Debate on Criminal-Law Protections https://www.tweedekamer.nl/kamerstukken/detail?did=2024D22428&id=2024Z03403 â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€ Dutch Government: Placement of Transgender Prisoners https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/2026/03/26/tk-plaatsen-van-transgender-gedetineerden-en-tablets-op-cel Caroline Franssen and the Complaint Over Her Public Statements https://nieuwrechts.nl/111376-voorzij-voorzitter-caroline-franssen-moet-naar-politie-na-kritische-uitspraken-over-transgenders For background on an earlier dispute over her remarks during a debate about Dutch transgender legislation, see NPO Radio 1's report from January 2020. https://www.nporadio1.nl/nieuws/binnenland/abf7cbe2-130f-45c6-afee-fed3edff777d/radiodebat-over-transgenderwet-leidt-tot-aangifte Government Procedure to Withdraw Ongehoord Nederland's Broadcasting Recognition https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/actueel/nieuws/2026/09/08/minister-van-plan-erkenning-ongehoord-nederland-in-te-trekken â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€ Unia: Discrimination on the Basis of Birth https://www.unia.be/en/birth â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€ Guest Lydia Daniel X: https://x.com/lyd20211 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-daniel-1a1412277/ â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€ Róisín Michaux X: https://x.com/RoisinMichaux Substack: Peaked A newsletter about women, free speech, and institutional capture with a special focus on Europe. By Róisín Michaux â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€â"€ Listen & Subscribe 🎧 Peaked is available on Substack and major podcast platforms. https://peaked.news

Show notes (AI generated) Episode Overview In this episode of Peaked, Róisín Michaux speaks with journalist and author Jo Bartosch about the growing influence of online pornography on culture, politics, gender identity, and sexual behaviour. The discussion centres around Jo's forthcoming book Pornocracy, exploring how internet pornography has evolved into a powerful cultural force extending far beyond individual consumption. Together they examine pornography's relationship with gender ideology, autogynephilia, gynandromorphophilia (GAMP), online radicalisation, algorithmic recommendation systems, Reddit "egg" communities, fetish culture, masculinity, female objectification, and the changing attitudes of younger generations towards women. The conversation also explores the historical roots of cross-dressing, WPATH, Genevieve Gluck's investigative work, Scottish Government funding, Stephen Ireland's criminal case, and recent legal developments in France concerning violent pornography. Featured Topics Pornocracy and pornography as a cultural force Porn addiction and escalation Algorithmic recommendation systems Gynandromorphophilia (GAMP) Autogynephilia (AGP) Reddit "egg" communities Egg chasers FetLife Gender ideology and pornography WPATH Gender Recognition Certificates Male sexuality AI companions Autism and Theory of Mind Online radicalisation Virginia Prince Sheila Jeffreys Louise Perry Genevieve Gluck Robert Jessel Caitlyn Jenner Eddie Izzard Hijra Sleeping Hermaphroditus Scottish Government funding controversy Stephen Ireland case J.K. Rowling's "Dress however you please" tweet Andrew Tate France's legal ruling on violent pornography Pornography regulation Featured Book Pornocracy Authors: Jo Bartosch & Robert Jessel Jo discusses her forthcoming book examining how pornography has become one of the most influential cultural forces shaping modern attitudes towards women, sexuality, technology and gender identity. The book explores: Pornography algorithms Male sexuality Porn addiction Gender ideology Online radicalisation Policy implications Pornography's influence on culture Organisations & Websites FetLife Referenced by Róisín as a research resource while examining fetish communities, gender identity, and online sexual subcultures. https://fetlife.com/ Aylo Formerly MindGeek. Parent company of Pornhub, referenced during discussion of recommendation systems and internal content strategy. https://www.aylo.com/ WPATH World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Referenced while discussing youth transition and online communities. https://www.wpath.org/ Genspect Referenced when Róisín and Jo discuss meeting at the Genspect conference in Killarney. https://genspect.org/ Reduxx Independent investigative publication. Referenced through Genevieve Gluck's investigations. https://reduxx.info/ The Case Against the Sexual Revolution Louise Perry Referenced near the end of the discussion while talking about making the subject more accessible for younger readers. https://www.louisemperry.co.uk/ Anticlimax Sheila Jeffreys One of the foundational feminist books examining pornography, prostitution and male sexuality. Historical References Sleeping Hermaphroditus Referenced during Jo's discussion of the long historical tradition of fascination with hermaphroditic imagery. https://www.uffizi.it/en/video/the-sleeping-hermafroditus Hijra Referenced while discussing cross-cultural examples of gender non-conforming communities and ancient history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia) Court Cases & Legal Developments France — Council of State ruling on violent pornography Towards the end of the episode, Róisín discusses a recent French legal decision concerning violent "gang bang" pornography and the principle that human dignity can override consent. Article: https://www.marianne.net/societe/touche-pas-a-mon-gang-bang-quand-le-juge-reglemente-notre-vie-intime Stephen Ireland Referenced while discussing online exploitation, vulnerable young males and forced feminisation. Article: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/35652381/surrey-pride-leader-groomed-raped-boy/ Investigations & Articles Sound Investigations — Pornhub Executive Exposé Referenced during the discussion about Pornhub recommendation systems and internal practices. Investigative Journalist: Arden Young https://soundinvestigations.com/pornhub-exec-attacks-porn/ Genevieve Gluck Referenced throughout the discussion regarding her investigative reporting into pornography, online grooming, WPATH and child transition. https://reduxx.info/author/genevieve/ Social & Public References J.K. Rowling Referenced during discussion of her widely quoted "Dress however you please..." post. Original Tweet: #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill","username":"jk_rowling","name":"J.K. Rowling","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2068423688500744192/mBmehEZf_normal.jpg","date":"2019-12-19T12:57:36.000Z","photos":[],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":37881,"retweet_count":98478,"like_count":338221,"impression_count":0,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":null,"video_preview_media_key":null,"belowTheFold":true}'> J.K. Rowling@jk_rowling Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who'll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill 1:57 PM · Dec 19, 2019 37.9K Replies · 98.5K Reposts · 338K Likes Guest Jo Bartosch Journalist, feminist writer and co-author of Pornocracy. Substack Banned & Damned Dispatches Notes from a revolting woman. By Jo Bartosch X https://x.com/jo_bartosch Spiked https://www.spiked-online.com/author/jo-bartosch/ The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/author/josephine-bartosch Host Róisín Michaux X https://x.com/RoisinMichaux Substack Peaked A newsletter about women, free speech, and institutional capture with a special focus on Europe. By Róisín Michaux Listen & Subscribe 🎧 Peaked is available on Substack and major podcast platforms. Substack peaked.news Apple Podcasts        

Albanians have reason to trust Brussels more than they trust Tirana. Interview with Esmeralda Petrela.

A backlash and a breakthrough: behind the scenes in Belfast with Nora Calder.   Show notes (AI generated) In this episode of Peaked, Róisín Michaux speaks with Nora Calder, one of the women involved in running the Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland, about the extraordinary events surrounding the cancellation of the organisation's planned panel at Féile an Phobail in Belfast. The conversation traces the story from the original application for a panel on women's rights, sex-based rights, single-sex spaces and women's sport, through the panel's acceptance, the subsequent social-media controversy, the cancellation by Féile, and the legal and political fallout that followed. Nora explains what happened behind the scenes as the Women's Rights Network sought to have the event reinstated, including the organisation's attempts to engage with Féile, the legal process, the support that came from women around the world, and the decision ultimately to organise an alternative event. The discussion then moves beyond Féile to the wider political situation in Northern Ireland, including the Equality Commission's judicial review, the UK Supreme Court's ruling in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers, Sarah Morrison's case, BBC coverage of the controversy, engagement with Justice Minister Naomi Long, and the forthcoming Northern Ireland election. Featured Topics Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland Féile an Phobail The cancelled "Respect, Rights & Reality" panel The original Féile application Sex-based rights Single-sex spaces Women's sport The UK Supreme Court's For Women Scotland ruling The online campaign surrounding the Féile panel The cancellation of the event J.K. Rowling's offer of legal support The legal challenge against Féile The alternative event in Belfast Sex Matters Fiona McAnena Athena Forum Gaels for Fair Play Women's rights activism in Northern Ireland The political divisions of Northern Ireland The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland Article 2 of the Windsor Framework Sarah Morrison BBC Spotlight Nolan Investigates Stonewall Naomi Long The Alliance Party Northern Ireland's prisons and women's services The March 2027 Northern Ireland election The 2025 Féile event was titled "Whose Victory Is It Anyway? Why the UK Supreme Court Ruling Is Not a Victory for the Feminist Movement" and was organised by Féile's Debates and Discussions Committee. The event argued that the Supreme Court ruling was regressive for feminism. (Féile an Phobail) Féile 2025: Whose Victory Is It Anyway? The Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland The Women's Rights Network is a UK-wide organisation campaigning around the rights and interests of women and girls. Nora discusses the work of the Northern Ireland branch, including political engagement, campaigning, Freedom of Information requests, judicial reviews and public events. She explains that the Northern Ireland branch works both independently and with the wider WRN network, sharing information and research between regional groups. Women's Rights Network Women's Rights Network on YouTube Women's Rights Network YouTube channel The Planned Panel The planned event was titled: Respect, Rights & Reality: Women's Voices from Ireland and Europe The panel was intended to bring together women from Northern Ireland, Ireland and Europe to discuss sex-based rights and the legal and political questions surrounding them. Among the organisations and speakers discussed were: Women's Rights Network Athena Forum Gaels for Fair Play Sex Matters Fiona McAnena from Sex Matters subsequently agreed to participate. Nora describes the excitement among the organisers after the event was accepted and speakers began agreeing to take part. Sex Matters The Cancellation On 21 July 2026, Féile an Phobail cancelled the WRN Northern Ireland event. Féile said it had been unaware from the initial submission that the event would "promote campaigns against rights for the Transgender community" and said the event was being withdrawn from the programme. WRN Northern Ireland responded that the event was explicitly a discussion about women's sex-based rights and that this had been made clear in the original application. The organisation said it was shocked and disappointed by the cancellation. (Belfast Media Group) The cancellation became the central controversy around the festival, with media coverage, political debate and an increasingly intense online response. Gript: Rights group says 'women will not be silenced' as Féile cancels BBC News NI: Organisation 'shocked' after Féile cancels event J.K. Rowling & The Legal Challenge J.K. Rowling's X account BBC Coverage of the Controversy BBC Radio Ulster / BBC Audio coverage Sex Matters: BBC Northern Ireland's coverage of the cancellation of WRN NI's panel The Legal Dispute and the Alternative Event Newsletter: Women's Rights Network event goes ahead in Belfast after Féile cancellation Video A video connected with the Féile controversy and WRN Northern Ireland: Watch the video Women's Rights Network & The Broader Political Picture The conversation moves from the Féile controversy to the wider political landscape in Northern Ireland. Nora discusses attempts to engage senior politicians and her meeting with Naomi Long, the Justice Minister and leader of the Alliance Party. She describes repeatedly asking Long to meet with WRN before eventually securing a meeting, where they discussed prisons, policing, intimate searches and women's services. Naomi Long / Alliance Party Further Reading & Listening Féile Cancellation Gript: Rights group says 'women will not be silenced' as Féile cancels BBC News NI: Organisation 'shocked' after Féile cancels event Sex Matters: BBC Northern Ireland's coverage of the cancellation of WRN NI's panel The Replacement Event Newsletter: Women's Rights Network event goes ahead in Belfast after Féile cancellation Féile Féile an Phobail 2025 Féile panel on the Supreme Court ruling BBC Audio BBC Radio Ulster / BBC Audio Video Watch the Nora Calder / WRN-related video Guest Links Nora Calder Instagram X / Twitter Women's Rights Network Official Website YouTube Channel Host Róisín Michaux X https://x.com/RoisinMichaux Substack Peaked A newsletter about women, free speech, and institutional capture with a special focus on Europe. By Róisín Michaux Listen & Subscribe 🎧 Peaked is available on Substack and major podcast platforms. Substack peaked.news Apple Podcasts

There's no weekly newsletter this week because I've been travelling to Belfast and Amsterdam for TERF-related activities (see below), so here's an interview I did with one of Germany's fiercest warriors against the forces of gender irrationality, Rona Duwe. Rona was sued by a psychotherapist called Sabine Maur because she shared a video in which Maur could be seen telling fellow mental health professionals how to fiddle with insurance forms so that 'gender-affirming' mastectomies get reimbursed for women claiming to be 'non-binary'. While female-to-male breast removal is considered totally sane in Germany, breast removal for female-to-non-binary is not, which is bizarre, to be fair, because neither of these things is actually real. The Maur video was not originally shared by Rona, but she did share it once it was already online. Rona also made comments on Maur's dubious practices. Because she is a known (and much-hated) entity in German feminist/queer circles, Rona was the one who was pursued in court for this already-public video. In the interview we get into the details of what went down during the legal proceedings, and we also talked about Rona's strategy of being gloriously defiant. Like a growing number of women being hounded over this trans nonsense, Rona has decided to take on her detractors rather than slinking away in fear and silence. You love to see it. "Did you consider coming out in defence of those women?" Meanwhile, I spent 24 hours in Belfast on Tuesday in order to cover the Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland non-reinstated Féile and Phobail event. If you missed all that and you have no idea what I'm talking about, I recommend you read this article by Helen Joyce and my running thread of the conference content. Bonus: enjoy this awkward confrontation between myself and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, neo-Laundry Nun Ailbhe Smyth (prolific Irish prawn sandwich brigadier feminist), and even the brand new Lord Mayor of Belfast.   @sinnfeinireland) about the exclusion of Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland from this year's Féile festival in West Belfast. @ni_wrn ","username":"RoisinMichaux","name":"Róisín Michaux","profile_image_url":"https://pbs.substack.com/profile_images/2057428507693666304/Bb4VKDB3_normal.jpg","date":"2026-08-05T00:53:26.000Z","photos":[{"img_url":"https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!065p!,w_1028,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best,fl_progressive:steep/l_play_button_usfui2,w_88,e_colorize:0/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F__ss-rehost__tw-video-preview-13_2084804026932031488.jpg","link_url":"https://t.co/uH2IDd4q41"}],"quoted_tweet":{},"reply_count":299,"retweet_count":457,"like_count":1963,"impression_count":344492,"expanded_url":null,"video_url":"https://video.twimg.com/amplify_video/2084804026932031488/vid/avc1/720x1280/Vm5-XdHYNqSBsIOt.mp4","video_preview_media_key":"13_2084804026932031488","belowTheFold":false}"> Róisín Michaux@RoisinMichaux "Did you consider coming out in defence of those women, at all?" I asked Mary Lou McDonald and the Lord Mayor of Belfast (both of @sinnfeinireland) about the exclusion of Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland from this year's Féile festival in West Belfast. @ni_wrn   2:53 AM · Aug 5, 2026 · 344K Views 299 Replies · 457 Reposts · 1.96K Likes   After a whirlwind few hours in Belfast, I had an hour or two's worth of kip on Dublin Airport floor before heading to Amsterdam to attend (incognito) the World Pride Human Rights Conference 2026. The event confirmed all my priors: it was never about gays, and always about AIDS, and you can tell because thanks to funding cuts, gay activism is going back to being about public health. It will be less and less about the warm-and-fuzzy human rights as the funding pot shrinks. One UNDP attendee accused the Global Fund of abandoning 'the community' to become more like a "commodities fund" (the commodities being HIV drugs and medical infrastructure). This was inevitable. Also, gay is trans in the places in the world where HIV is worst, which is why western countries who invest in AIDS work are so desperate to 'affirm' the homophobic 'third genders' in these places. If that's confusing, listen to my interview about it with Stephanie Winn from a few weeks back. I asked a Pakistani 'trans woman' point-blank: if it was ok to be a gay man in Pakistan, would there be fewer Hijras or whatever these men are called over there? Oh yeah, he said emphatically, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Then I asked a senior Dutch diplomat if he could see how reinforcing these 'half man' identities is just a different kind of homophobia, and that by celebrating all these third genders — as part of Western donors' effort not to appear all colonial — they could perhaps be making things worse? He literally did a massive shrug and wished me a good day. Finally, I spoke to Luke Sheehan for the Irish podcast Cassandra Voices a few weeks back and the episode has just gone online. I did a lot of hyperactive waffling about how the EU works, and we also talked about Irish culture generally and why we're so susceptible to woke cultism. Podcast: On Europe, Gender and Sh*tposting with Róisín Michaux I'll be publishing a backlog of podcast episodes over the next week or two, and some other bits and pieces. If you like/appreciate my work, I can only keep going with your support. Please share this newsletter with someone you think might like it, upgrade to a paid subscription if you're on a gratos plan, or donate to my PayPal below. Every little helps. Thanks bud.     Make a donation Show notes (AI generated) In this episode of Peaked, Róisín Michaux speaks with German feminist activist Rona Duwe about Germany's rapidly changing gender identity landscape, her legal battle involving psychotherapist Sabine Maur, and the wider implications for women's rights, medical ethics, freedom of expression, and public policy. The discussion examines Germany's conversion therapy legislation, gender medicine for minors, the role of the German Psychotherapists Chamber, health insurance reimbursement for gender-related treatments, freedom of speech, investigative journalism, self-identification laws, prison policies, and feminist activism. Rona also discusses her ongoing projects documenting gender-related cases across Germany, her legal victories, and how public support for gender-critical voices has evolved in recent years. Featured Topics Germany's Self-Determination Act Conversion Therapy Ban Sabine Maur legal case German Psychotherapists Chamber Gender medicine for minors Health insurance reimbursement Non-binary medical interventions Medical ethics Freedom of expression Investigative journalism Women's rights under Article 3 of the German Constitution Women's prisons Public activism in Germany Sabine Maur Former Vice President of the German Psychotherapists Chamber.Instagram The episode centers on legal proceedings following Rona's criticism of Maur's role in developing treatment guidelines for minors and allegations relating to a webinar discussing insurance reimbursement for non-binary medical interventions. Alice Schwarzer Germany's best-known feminist and founder of Emma Magazine. Official Website https://www.emma.de/ Genevieve Gluck Investigative journalist for Reduxx, referenced during the discussion of Germany's historical relationship with gender ideology. Reduxx https://reduxx.info/ Magnus Hirschfeld German physician and sexologist whose early work on sexuality and transgender medicine is discussed in relation to Germany's historical background. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus_Hirschfeld Günter Wallraff Germany's most famous undercover investigative journalist. Referenced when discussing how the court compared Rona's reporting to investigative journalism conducted in the public interest. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%BCnter_Wallraff Marie-Luise Vollbrecht German biologist referenced while discussing the changing public atmosphere surrounding gender-critical speech in Germany. https://cne.news/article/3976-conservative-biologist-wins-court-case-over-gender-view Frauenheldinnen Women's rights organization supporting legal campaigns and crowdfunding related to Rona's case. https://frauenheldinnen.de/ Was ist eine Frau? Campaign website documenting gender-related cases across Germany. Website https://was-ist-eine-frau.de/ Interactive Case Map https://was-ist-eine-frau.de/nur-ein-einzelfall/ WPATH World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Referenced during discussion of international treatment guidelines. https://www.wpath.org/ Emma Magazine German feminist magazine founded by Alice Schwarzer. https://www.emma.de/ Laws & Policies German Self-Determination Act Germany's legislation allowing legal change of sex without previous legal requirements. https://www.bmj.de/ German Conversion Therapy Ban Discussed throughout the episode in relation to psychotherapy and gender identity treatment. https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/ Article 3 — German Basic Law The discussion covers proposals to include "sexual identity" alongside sex protections in Germany's Constitution. English text https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/ Medical Topics Johns Hopkins – Metoidioplasty https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/metoidioplasty-for-gender-affirming-care Cleveland Clinic – Phalloplasty https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/procedures/21585-phalloplasty Companies Discussed GenderGP Referenced during discussion of cross-border hormone prescribing. https://www.gendergp.com/ Imago Referenced during discussion of online European hormone services. https://imago.tg/ Guests Rona Duwe Website https://was-ist-eine-frau.de/ Substack ronalyze It's not a human right to be a woman Von Rona Duwe Twitter https://x.com/ronalyze?lang=en Host — Róis