The King Of England Can’t Even Celebrate Easter Without Mentioning Islam
Men can play in women's soccer on a 'case-by-case basis,' English association rules
Men who believe they are women will be allowed to compete in women's soccer in England, the sport's governing body has decided.
The English Football Association updated its transgender sports policy and noted that men will be able to play against women after "match observation" has taken place to determine if a player "presents a risk" to the safety of others, BBC reported.
The FA will now have "ultimate discretion" over eligibility and ultimately will evaluate each male player on a "case-by-case basis," as opposed to a universal rule for or against men playing against women. However, the FA is still implementing requirements based on testosterone levels.
A prospective male player who wishes to be considered female will need to have been below a prescribed level of hormones for at least 12 months and provide a medical record of hormone therapy. He will also need to have an annual review of his treatment(s).
'What constitutes a woman?'
At the same time, an FA official will have the option to remove or refuse a player's permission to play against women during the observation period.
English journalist Lewis Brackpool, whose local team is Crawley Town F.C., told Blaze News the FA's logic crumbles under simple scrutiny.
"The entire 'trans question' begins to unravel under these basic, fundamental challenges: What constitutes a woman? Is it the presence of estrogen? Is it a feeling? Or is it something deeper — like bone structure, reproductive biology, and DNA?" the reporter asked.
The FA has reportedly revealed that there are 20 males playing in women's soccer at the amateur level in England, but none play in any of the professional leagues.
Policy surrounding men who believe they are women was introduced by the FA in 2015, but in 2023 the organization was faced with pressure from 48 members of Parliament who wanted to protect women's soccer. A letter from the government was reportedly sparked by a series of teams withdrawing from recreational games after a transgender player injured a female with a shot.
Brackpool told Blaze News that debates over the issue have intensified in the U.K., especially with recent reports of men competing in women's sports. Brackpool pointed specifically to a recent English women's billiard tournament where two men competed in the final.
Brackpool added, "If anyone can simply become a woman, then being a woman loses all meaning. And the same goes in reverse."
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Two men meet in women's billiards final after dominating female tournament: 'I'm just a woman who is trying to live my life'
A women's pool tournament ended with two men facing off in the final due to a bizarre rule set focused on "inclusion."
The Ultimate Pool Women's Pro Series Event 2 at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan, England, featured Harriet Haynes and Lucy Smith, both males, beating four women each to reach the finals of the 32-player tournament.
Haynes was the eventual winner after he held off Smith's late comeback, according to Fox News. The outlet reported that Smith has won 85 of 113 matches dating back to 2021, while Haynes has a lifetime .750 winning percentage.
The two male players have played each other in a women's tournament previously at the U.K. Mini Series pool championships in October; Haynes won that matchup, as well.
Haynes gave an interview to U.K. outlet the Independent in December and stated he does not consider himself "a trailblazer" but rather said he is a woman in all other aspects of life and is only questioned in billiards.
"I'm just a woman who is trying to live my life, and all I want to do is just be treated the same as any other woman."
The pool player said he works in an office environment, where he is "treated like a woman every single day in the rest of my life. This is the only aspect of my life where I'm not."
Transgender rules in pool
The English Pool Association lists a series of rules for transgender participants that get more obscure as they go on.
In order for a male to play in the female category, the athlete must first have "declared that her gender identity is female."
The declaration can only be changed every four years.
Testosterone levels have limits and, according to the rules, are monitored with testing. In the event of noncompliance, the athlete would be suspended for 12 months.
The rules then deeply explore one's "affirmed gender" and essentially reinforce the same guidelines while recognizing players can simply make no attempt to change anything about themselves while still competing as their preferred gender.
"It is generally assumed that a trans pool player will seek to play pool in their affirmed gender whether that is at domestic level or in the performance pathway," the rules explained. "It is possible that a trans player may seek the opposite to this (i.e. live in one gender and play in the opposite gender)."
"A trans player living in his or her affirmed gender may choose to play in his or her birth gender," but simply put, once a player declares a pathway for competition, they must stick to that gender category for domestic tournaments through national.
Ultimate Pool Group's transgender policy becomes even more bizarre when it comes to its justification.
After noting its rules are approved by the World Eight Ball Pool Federation, UPG said it promotes "a positive and inclusive environment" for all. Strangely, UPG declared under the same rules that one of its "core missions" is to "raise the profile and overall standard of the women's game."
Its rules then immediately state that UPG will not discriminate against anyone's "gender and gender identity" and will support players who are simply in the "process of reassigning their sex," even if that means only in a social manner, such as a simple name change or change of dress.
The next UPG event, allegedly for women, takes place May 23-25.
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Shakespeare's birthplace, collections to be 'decolonized' over fears his genius evidences British 'cultural supremacy'
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is an independent charity that cares for the Shakespeare family houses in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, as well as for archival collections relating to his life and works.
Fearful that Shakespeare's globally recognized genius might lead some readers to suspect that not all cultures were created equal, the organization has committed to the process of "decolonizing" its collections and organizational practice to help "create a more inclusive museum experience."
The trust, which came into existence in 1847, acquired early Shakespeare collections from local antiquarians and others from the Stratford-upon-Avon Borough Council and Guild of the Holy Cross. Since appointing its first librarian to catalogue its library and archival materials in 1877, the organization has grown its collection with the help of donations and long-term deposits.
For much of its history, the trust appeared to understand that its function was to preserve Shakespeare's reconstructed birthplace, extol his works, and share England's cultural inheritance with the world. It appears, however, that post-colonialist, post-modern, and other varieties of radical leftist thought have poisoned its mission.
The organization has, for instance, tried to distance itself from the content it is supposed to champion as well as from the hardworking staff who kept the trust going in ages past, noting:
We recognise that the historical materials we hold may represent positions, language, values, and stereotypes that are not consistent with the current values and practices of Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. People accessing our collections may encounter language or depictions that are racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise harmful. Some descriptions may have been written by staff, others may have originated from the individuals and organisations that created the records.
The trust appears to have also embarked on a mission of iconoclasm partly as a result of its receipt of funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is a leftist grant-making organization committed to "racial justice," "migrant justice," and "gender justice." It is also committed to socially re-engineering Britain's arts scene, specifically by "creating a cultural workforce that is more reflective of UK society, by enabling more people to progress in their career in the arts who identify as D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent, are from communities experiencing racial inequity, or who are economically disadvantaged."
'Purge the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust's interpretative policies and brand narratives of Anglocentric and colonialist thought.'
According to the page for a recent "Global Shakespeare" project funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is working with elements of the South Asian immigrant communities in the West Midlands to "uncover the hidden stories linked to specific objects and re-examine what they can teach us about the impact of colonialism on our perception of history of the world and the role Shakespeare's work has played as part of this."
The Telegraph reported that the iconoclastic initiative comes in the wake of concerns expressed by academic Helen Hopkins that Shakespeare's unparalleled literary genius might be used to push "white supremacy," and that in order to be globalized, Shakespeare must effectively be stripped of his national character.
Hopkins, who collaborated with the trust as an embedded researcher, suggested in 2022 that in the interest of "implementing positive change at the heart of Shakespeare's cultural iconography," namely the trust's museum, it was necessary to "recognise the role Shakespeare has been forced to play in establishing and upholding imperialistic narratives of cultural supremacy; to purge the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust's interpretative policies and brand narratives of Anglocentric and colonialist thought; to institute new communicative strategies to address societal inequities that are embedded in imperialism and associated with Shakespeare’s global cultural status."
'They cannot stand that an Englishman is the greatest writer that the world has ever produced.'
Hopkins noted further that it was a tragedy that the trust prioritized Shakespeare over its sub-collection of objects related to the 19th-century Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore but expressed hope that the trust could engage in "decolonial work" and "mark the beginning of a new relationship between itself and the multicultural and global communities it serves." To Hopkins' likely delight, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has made sure to start hyping the foreign poet in the time since.
The trust told the Telegraph in a statement, "As part of our ongoing work, we’ve undertaken a project which explores our collections to ensure they are as accessible as possible."
Critics have rushed to defend Shakespeare following reports of the efforts to downplay the Bard's greatness and identity and the trust's efforts to effectively globalize his town.
"For the last 300 years, Europe and the West have stood head and shoulders above every other civilization," historian Rafe Heydel-Mankoo told GB News. "The most profound and sophisticated music, art, and culture has come from the West, and we need to lose the embarrassment and be proud to admit the genius of the West and celebrate that Shakespeare was an Englishman."
"That's what sticks in the craw of the anti-Western ideologues that run our cultural institutions," continued Heydel-Mankoo, "because they cannot stand that an Englishman is the greatest writer that the world has ever produced, and they will do anything to diminish and downplay that achievement."
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Putting the Thrill Back in the Spy Thriller
Roughly up until the heyday of John le Carré, the British spy novel tended to follow an approved pattern. A well-educated but bored man, somewhere between youth and middle age, would find himself caught up in an international conspiracy that would involve some, or all, of the following: duplicitous intelligence officers, untrustworthy foreign powers, a very great consumption of expensive food and wine, a MacGuffin that everyone wants to lay their hands on, and, last but not least, a love interest whose loyalties remain ambiguous right up until the final page.
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Transgender athletes now banned from women's field hockey in England
England Hockey has banned men who identify as women from playing in the women's category.
The field hockey governing body has seemingly created a clever workaround, implementing a "female" category and an "open" category but no category for men.
This effectively forces all biological men into the open division to ensure the women's sport is unaffected.
"England Hockey recognises that this is an evolving landscape of both policy and research and that societal attitudes are ever-changing," England Hockey said in a press release.
"Based on the current available evidence and that hockey requires the physical capabilities of strength, endurance, speed, and acceleration as key factors for success, hockey is considered a gender-affected sport," the governing body admitted. "Based on this evidence (which can be found in the policy), we have determined that the Trans and Non-Binary Participation Policy should restrict trans participation in order to secure fair competition."
The policy will go into effect at the start of the 2025/2026 field hockey season on September 1, with all previous guidance still in place until then.
The sporting group said it launched a review in July 2023 and took guidance from the Sports Councils' Equality Group, a group of sports representatives in the U.K. that provides insight for these types of policies.
'Discussing a young person's trans status with their parents ... would constitute a breach of confidentiality.'
At the same time, England Hockey provided a plethora of resources that align with transgender ideology and seemingly act as paragraphs upon paragraphs of apologies.
The group included a page of terms, which provided colloquial definitions of transgender-related words.
"Gender identity" is described as "a person's sense of self as a man, woman, non-binary person or other sense of gender."
It added, "A person’s gender may match the sex they were recorded at birth, or it may be different."
"Transphobia" is described as "deliberate behaviour aimed at disrespecting a transgender person’s identity or expressing irrational fears about transgender people."
On a page titled, "How to support trans and non-binary participants," England Hockey informs athletic directors that a child's gender identity should not be shared with their parents.
"Discussing a young person's trans status with their parents or carers without their prior consent would constitute a breach of confidentiality."
The move by England Hockey follows the Lawn Tennis Association, Britain's governing body for tennis, which decided in December to bar "transgender women" from playing in the top women's tournaments.
The Ladies Professional Golf Association went a similar route a week prior, stating that only athletes who are "assigned female at birth" are eligible for competitions, including the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour, and all other "elite LPGA competitions."
While the trend of protecting women's sports is moving forward quickly, governing bodies appear to be doing so apologetically at the same time.
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Getting a Handel on Success
Although he wrote it for Easter, George Frideric Handel's Messiah is a December fixture in concert halls across the country. According to legend, King George II was so moved during the Hallelujah chorus that he leapt to his feet, thus starting the tradition of the audience standing for the choral showstopper. Handel composed some of the greatest treasures of Baroque music. His career, however, shows off the Anglo-American strategy for world domination.
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Same Day UK Bans Puberty Blockers, Red State Court Allows Medical Experimentation On Minors
'Puberty blockers are powerful drugs with unproven benefits and significant risks'
Christian soccer player who wrote 'I love Jesus' on Pride armband breaks silence, says his message is clear
English soccer player Marc Guéhi spoke publicly about his decision to write a religious message over a gay-pride armband, saying his message was also one of "inclusivity."
Guéhi, who was born in the Ivory Coast, is a devout Christian who plays for Crystal Palace, a soccer team in England's top-tier Premier League.
Guéhi agreed to wear a rainbow armband, which was issued to team captains in the league by Stonewall, a gay English charity that says it stands for "lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) people everywhere."
However, Guéhi sparked headlines when he chose to write "I love Jesus" on the armband, which is against the English Football Association's rules.
'I think the message was pretty clear, to be honest.'
Although the FA did not punish the player, it issued a warning about the guidelines surrounding armbands.
A few days later, Guéhi spoke to Sky Sports about the controversy and provided an interesting statement.
"I think the message was pretty clear, to be honest," Guehi said, per the Daily Mail. "It was a message of love and truth, as well, and a message of inclusivity, so I think it speaks for itself."
Guidelines state players must "wear an armband, which is simple and conforms to the requirements ... relating to slogans, statements, images, and advertising."
At the same time, uniform rules state "any political or religious message" is forbidden and "disciplinary action may be taken" for any breach of the rules. This does not apply to messages that are inherent with the rainbow armband, it seems.
'Marc did not offend anyone with what he wrote.'
Guéhi was the only player to protest in a sense; however, another captain, Sam Morsy of Ipswich Town, refused to wear the rainbow armband as he is a practicing Muslim. He instead wore the typical black captain's armband without any special markings.
Morsy did not receive a warning from the FA, however, causing Guéhi's father to speak out about the apparent double standard.
"I am saying, did he offend anyone?" John Guéhi said about his son. "I don't think so. I do believe in what the Bible says, Jesus loves everyone, and, in my opinion, Marc did not offend anyone with what he wrote."
"I really don't see what is offensive and what the problem is," he added.
The father called the rainbow armband an imposition of belief in its own right, saying the "LGBT community ... are trying to impose on others what they believe in."
He continued, "At the end of the day, everyone has the right to an opinion. But if that opinion's aim is to offend you, then there is a problem, but if my opinion is just to express what I feel, then I think that is fine, and I don't think what Marc wrote on that armband is offensive."
Aside from the very English remarks on offensive speech, the soccer dad said the focus should be on Morsy, instead.
"People should pay more attention to the person who refused to wear it."
"Marc said 'Yes' and did the right thing by wearing it, but people are having a go at him for what he wrote, he accepted to wear the armband, he was just trying to balance the message."
John Guéhi concluded by saying it is a "problem" that soccer players are being used as spokespeople for different beliefs.
"It is still a Christian country. Therefore, I don't see what is offensive."
While Guéhi has avoided a fine, his Crystal Palace manager has affirmed that his team stands for "integration."
"Everyone now is about integration, no discrimination and Marc as well," Oliver Glasner said.
The manager added that he discussed the issue with the player, saying, "He's no child, he's an adult, he has his opinion, and we respect it."
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