Transgender artist reaches no. 10 on Billboard 200.

This week, Ethel Cain’s album Preacher’s Daughter reached the no. 10 spot on the Billboard 200 chart — a huge milestone for the transgender artist.

Ethel Cain is the stage name of Hayden Silas Anhedönia, an American singer-songwriter, artist, and producer who’s really carved out a unique space in the music world.

She first gained attention around 2019-2020 with some dreamy, haunting releases on platforms like SoundCloud, but her 2022 album, Preacher’s Daughter, is what really made people stop and take notice.

Her music blends elements of ambient pop, Americana, slowcore, dream pop, and gothic influences, often telling deeply personal, cinematic, and sometimes chilling stories.

Cain recently announced a new album, Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You  and an accompanying tour.

More here: Ethel Cain is The First Openly Trans Artist to Land a Top 10 Album

A British tragedy: UK Supreme Court defines “woman” on the basis of “biological sex at birth”.

The UK Supreme Court today ruled that under the Equality Act 2010, the term “woman” refers exclusively to “biological females”, excluding transgender women—even those with Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs).

This unanimous decision arose from a legal challenge by the anti-trans campaign group For Women Scotland against the Scottish government’s inclusion of trans women in female representation laws.

The court emphasized that interpreting “sex” based on GRCs would disrupt the coherence of the Act and complicate policy applications in areas like healthcare, sports, and single-sex spaces. ​

Supporters of the ruling, including the UK government and transphobic hate organizations such as Sex Matters and the LGB Alliance, argue that it reinforces sex-based rights and provides legal clarity.

Conversely, critics, including Amnesty International UK, Stonewall, and Scottish Trans, express concerns that the decision could erode protections for transgender individuals and lead to increased discrimination.

While the court stated that trans people remain protected under the characteristic of gender reassignment, many advocates fear the ruling may prompt further legal and policy challenges. ​

The decision has significant implications for access to single-sex spaces and services, public board representation, and could influence future policy-making across various sectors.

It also raises questions about the interpretation of the Equality Act and may lead to renewed calls for legislative amendments to clarify rights and classifications concerning sex and gender.

The campaign group Scottish Trans said on social media: “We’d urge people not to panic – there will be lots of commentary coming out quickly that is likely to deliberately overstate the impact that this decision is going to have on all trans people’s lives. We’ll say more as soon as we’re able to. Please look out for yourselves and each other today.”

For more:
Gender critical campaigners win at UK supreme court over definition of woman
UK Supreme Court rules legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex

Photo: Antonistock

Read the pro-trans, anti-JK, fantasy novels of TJ Klune. They are magical!

Over at Crossdreamers we dive into the works of TJ Klune, a gay and neurodiverse author, and his novels The House in the Cerulean Sea and its sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea.

Both books promote love, diversity, and personal growth, while pushing back against transphobia and social exclusion.

The House in the Cerulean Sea follows Linus Baker, a rule-following caseworker tasked with evaluating an orphanage for magical children on a secluded island. The story critiques systems of surveillance and exclusion, while humorously exploring how bigotry is rooted in fear of the unknown.

Linus’s journey of self-discovery, spurred by the orphanage’s enigmatic caretaker Arthur Parnassus and its extraordinary children (such as a wyvern, a gnome and the Antichrist), highlights the power of acceptance and creativity for ensuring personal growth, community and happiness.

The sequel, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, is explicitly dedicated to transgender individuals and takes a clear stance against transphobic views.

Klune puts it this way:

“I do want to be remembered as something, and it’s very specific: not the Antichrist, but the Anti-J.K. Rowling. I want to be her antithesis, her opposite. I want my stories to fly in the face of everything she believes in…

J.K. Rowling’s beliefs on trans people are abhorrent and have no place in a modern society. People like her—people who believe trans people are somehow lesser-deserve to be shunned until they disappear into the ether. ”

Read our review here!

Judge blocks Trump’s order banning transgender troops from military service

A federal judge in Washington has issued a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s policy banning transgender individuals from serving in the military, citing violations of the Constitution’s equal protection clause, The Washington Post reports.

Judge Ana C. Reyes deemed the policy, introduced through a January executive order by President Trump, as lacking evidence to support claims that transgender service members undermine military readiness.

The Trump administration’s policy sought to remove transgender troops and prevent new enlistments, specifically targeting those with gender dysphoria or histories of gender transition treatments.

The lawsuit against the policy was filed by eight individuals, including six current service members, and has since grown to include a dozen more plaintiffs. They reported significant personal and professional hardships due to the ban, such as being removed from deployments and having contracts canceled.

Judge Reyes criticized the administration’s reliance on studies mischaracterized to justify the policy, emphasizing that transgender troops were found to be more deployable and to remain in service longer than others with certain medical conditions.

“The cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed—some risking their lives—to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them,” wrote Judge Ana Reyes. “In the self-evident truth that ‘all people are created equal,’ all means all. Nothing more. And certainly nothing less.”

See also: “Soaked in Animus”: Federal Judges Strikes Down Trump’s Trans Military Ban

Hospitals pause gender-affirming surgery for trans youth but continue to operate on intersex kids

Hospitals across the United States are facing criticism for continuing controversial intersex surgeries while halting gender-affirming care for transgender youth, following an executive order by President Donald Trump, The 19th reports

The January 28 order bars doctors from providing gender-affirming care to individuals under 19, threatening to cut federal funding for noncompliance. Although the order is not yet in effect due to legal challenges, several hospitals have already paused such care.

Intersex is a term used to describe individuals born with physical sex characteristics (such as chromosomes, hormones, or reproductive/sexual anatomy) that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female. This can include variations in genitalia, internal reproductive organs, hormone levels, or chromosome patterns (such as XXY or XO).

Intersex advocates highlight the hypocrisy of the same hospitals continue performing non-consensual surgeries on intersex infants and children.

These procedures, aimed at “correcting” sex variations, often have irreversible consequences, including infertility, loss of sexual sensation, and psychological trauma. Despite condemnation from organizations like the United Nations and Amnesty International, no federal or state laws currently prohibit these surgeries.

Marisa Adams, an intersex advocate, has pointed out the scientific flaws in Trump’s policies, which fail to acknowledge the existence of intersex individuals with diverse genders.

More here.

New trans-supportive medical guidelines from Germany, Austria and Switzerland

New guidelines released by the medical societies of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland strongly advocate for gender-affirming care for transgender youth, countering claims that Europe is retreating on such treatments, Erin in the Morning reports.

The 400-page document, developed by 26 medical and psychotherapeutic organizations, highlights the necessity of gender-affirming medical measures, including puberty blockers, for young individuals experiencing persistent gender incongruence. It underscores the urgency of providing timely access to care to prevent irreversible physical changes.

The guidelines also critique the UK’s Cass Review, which has been used to justify restrictions on transgender care. German medical experts denounce the review’s lack of transparency and its unsupported recommendation of psychotherapy as an alternative to medical interventions.

These new recommendations align with progressive policies in other European countries like Spain and France, reinforcing a trend toward expanding transgender rights.

The release highlights a stark contrast with restrictive U.S. policies, portraying the United States as an outlier in global transgender healthcare.

More here.

S2k-Leitlinie Geschlechtsinkongruenz und Geschlechtsdysphorie im Kindes- und Jugendalter – Diagnostik und Behandlung

Photo: VEX Collective

Anti-trans bills defeated with Republican support in Montana

Transgender Representatives Zooey Zephyr and SJ Howell delivered impassioned speeches in the Montana House of Representatives, leading to a historic defeat of two extreme anti-transgender bills, Erin in the Morning reports.

HB 675 aimed to ban public drag performances and Pride parades, while HB 754 sought to remove transgender children from supportive families.

Zephyr condemned the bills as attacks on the transgender community, highlighting the cultural significance of drag and the importance of family support. Howell criticized the vague and harmful language in HB 754, emphasizing the tragic consequences of separating children from stable, loving homes.

Their speeches inspired a remarkable shift, with 29 Republican lawmakers breaking ranks to oppose the bills.

Representative Sherry Essman, a Republican, also publicly defended Zephyr and emphasized the importance of parental rights. This unprecedented bipartisan cooperation halted both bills, showcasing the power of representation, relationships, and truth in transforming political discourse and protecting marginalized communities.

More here.

The Polish Supreme Court’s Pro-Transgender Ruling

The Polish Supreme Court has issued a landmark ruling simplifying the process for individuals seeking to change their legally recognized gender, Notes from Poland reports.

Previously, Polish law required people to file lawsuits against their parents to pursue gender recognition, even as adults. The Court’s decision declares that such cases should now fall under “non-litigious proceedings,” eliminating the need to designate parents as defendants.

Lead Judge Agnieszka Jurkowska-Chocyk explained that gender recognition is not a dispute between opposing parties but a personal process, making the previous legal framework unnecessary.

The ruling has been lauded as “groundbreaking” by Equality Minister Katarzyna Kotula, who emphasized its significance in reducing discrimination and safeguarding families.

Judge Blocks Trump Trans Care Ban Nationwide

A federal judge in Maryland has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibiting gender-affirming care for individuals under 19, Erin in the Morning reports.

The preliminary injunction, issued by Judge Brendan A. Hurson, applies nationwide and mandates the reimbursement of any federal funds withheld under the order.

The executive order, titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” lacked a clear enforcement mechanism and relied on vague threats to strip federal funding from noncompliant institutions.

The lawsuit, PFLAG v. Trump, was filed by Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of several anonymous families and legal adults affected by the ban.

The plaintiffs argued that the ban would deprive countless transgender people of life-saving healthcare, jeopardizing their physical and mental well-being.

Judge Hurson sided with the plaintiffs, stating that they demonstrated a strong likelihood of success on their constitutional claims.

Mira Lazine writes:

The ruling also dismantles the administration’s post-hoc justifications for the executive orders, finding that their cited sources fail to support the sweeping policy changes. In some cases, Hurson notes, the studies cited are so flawed that they cannot be used to justify meaningful policy decisions. In one section, Hurson slams the government’s reliance on the Cass Review, noting that it “does not even support a complete ban on gender-affirming care for minors.” He also cites another judge that stated the review is “unfounded” and “lacks clinical experience or research qualifications.”

Photo: Jacob Wackerhausen

Trump lies about scientists making transgender mice

In his address to Congress on March 4, 2025, President Donald Trump defended his recent anti-transgender executive orders and criticized what he described as wasteful government spending on projects like “making mice transgender.”

Fact-checkers have refuted this claim, noting that the National Institutes of Health allocated approximately $477,000 between fiscal years 2021 and 2022 to studies involving feminizing hormone therapy in monkeys to assess its impact on the immune system and susceptibility to HIV; no funding was directed toward transgender research involving mice.

They were transgenic mice, not transgender mice. Trump clearly finds it hard to catch such nuances.

Trump also highlighted his administration’s efforts to remove “wokeness” from schools and the military, asserting that such ideologies have been eradicated from society. He referenced the case of January Littlejohn, alleging that a school “secretly socially transitioned” her child without parental consent—a case dismissed by a federal judge in January 2023 for not meeting federal law standards. Trump further called on Congress to pass legislation permanently banning gender-affirming procedures for minors, labeling the notion that a child could be “trapped in the wrong body” as a “big lie.hobic

Trump is a fascist trying to destroy American democracy, and he is using trans people («gender ideology») as convenient scapegoats in the process.

Pink News has more.