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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

IPSO ruling in Molly v Sunday Times - the press can call men in dresses men

101 replies

fromorbit · 27/06/2026 09:12

Another win.

For Women Scotland

Very much enjoying the IPSO ruling in Molly v Sunday Times.

The press should note that columnists are at liberty to call Euan a "bloke", a "lunatic", and "Mr Molly".

00092-26 Molly v The Sunday Times - IPSO
Sophie Molly complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that The Sunday Times breached Clause 1 (Accuracy), Clause 3 (Harassment) and Clause 12 (Discrimination) of the Editors’ Code of Practice in an article headlined “How the ex-Green stole Christmas”, published on 21 December 2025.
https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings/00092-26/

Sparkles lost every single claim. This is a HUGE win for sexing blokes correctly in the Press. Thanks Sparkles we could not have done this without you being a lunatic. Your attempt to steal Christmas brought a gift to every boy and girl who knows their own sex.

NB The facts around Molly/Sparkles reliability and sex is a key focus in the upcoming libel trial for the Fox Botherer so If I was JM I would be panicking. If you winning anything legal depends on Sparkles you are doomed. Sarah has now issued her claim and it is heading for court.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5511121-glp-are-going-after-sarah-phillimore-and-are-going-to-lose-part-two?page=22

Page 22 | GLP are going after Sarah Phillimore and are going to lose - Part Two | Mumsnet

The Story so Far *Part 1 * The first thread [[https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5400132-glp-are-going-after-sarah-philmore-and-are-going-to...

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5511121-glp-are-going-after-sarah-phillimore-and-are-going-to-lose-part-two?page=22

OP posts:
TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 27/06/2026 21:10

helderste · 27/06/2026 20:17

Just spotted this at the end of the ruling:

Independent Complaints Reviewer
The complainant complained to the Independent Complaints Reviewer about the process followed by IPSO in handling this complaint. The Independent Complaints Reviewer decided that the process was not flawed and did not uphold the request for review

A cherry on the top 🍒 - delicious

😁
Please tell me this is now The End and there's no one to complain to about how the Independent Complaints Reviewer handled the complaint about the complaint.

Lovelyview · 27/06/2026 22:03

TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 27/06/2026 21:10

😁
Please tell me this is now The End and there's no one to complain to about how the Independent Complaints Reviewer handled the complaint about the complaint.

He will be taking it to the European Court of Human Rights next. (joking, hopefully).

murasaki · 27/06/2026 22:13

Lovelyview · 27/06/2026 22:03

He will be taking it to the European Court of Human Rights next. (joking, hopefully).

Hopefully the European Court of Hurty Resentfulness will tell him to do one.

anyolddinosaur · 28/06/2026 08:25

To go to ECHR you have to have gone through domestic courts first. So he would have to sue the newspaper for ....actually I cant think what he could sue them for.

TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 28/06/2026 08:53

anyolddinosaur · 28/06/2026 08:25

To go to ECHR you have to have gone through domestic courts first. So he would have to sue the newspaper for ....actually I cant think what he could sue them for.

For breaching his Human Right to be a complete and total pillock.

ChamonixMountainBum · 28/06/2026 08:58

There is a decent piece by Nick Wallia in the Sunday Times regarding the BBCs Darren Rigby reporting.

SirChenjins · 28/06/2026 08:59

anyolddinosaur · 28/06/2026 08:25

To go to ECHR you have to have gone through domestic courts first. So he would have to sue the newspaper for ....actually I cant think what he could sue them for.

For trying to erase all trans people, inciting literal violence...yanno, the usual stuff 🥱

ChamonixMountainBum · 28/06/2026 09:04

SirChenjins · 28/06/2026 08:59

For trying to erase all trans people, inciting literal violence...yanno, the usual stuff 🥱

Dont forget the genocide, dead naming and misgendering is literally genocide.

LaLoba · 28/06/2026 09:43

Mr Molly and Mr Sparkle both sound like characters from Psychoville to me. How fitting.

spannasaurus · 28/06/2026 10:06

Zoonosis · 27/06/2026 13:19

I wouldn’t get over-confident about the Sarah Phillimore case, the grounds of the IPSO ruling are that the article was satirical and intended to be provocative and that as a one-off it couldn’t constitute harassment as it wasn’t a pattern of behaviour, SP has neither of these defenses in her favour. Also IPSO is a press regulator which neither contributes to rulings or sets precedent for libel cases.

Sarah doesn't need any defences in her case. She is suing JM it's him that needs to defend himself

TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 28/06/2026 10:15

spannasaurus · 28/06/2026 10:06

Sarah doesn't need any defences in her case. She is suing JM it's him that needs to defend himself

Yes that's true, if I remember rightly SP is innocent until proven guilty, the onus is on JM to prove she did whatever he's accusing her of doing.

Which he can't.

So I'm quietly confident she'll win.

Lovelyview · 28/06/2026 10:29

TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 28/06/2026 10:15

Yes that's true, if I remember rightly SP is innocent until proven guilty, the onus is on JM to prove she did whatever he's accusing her of doing.

Which he can't.

So I'm quietly confident she'll win.

Interestingly he has accused her of harassing a certain Sophie Molloy and making him suicidal. SP has been gathering receipts which show Mr Molloy has claimed a number of factors making him feel suicidal and also all the many many times Mr Molloy has shown himself to enjoy harassing other people.

anyolddinosaur · 28/06/2026 10:31

@ChamonixMountainBum Got a share token?

I was being serious - I guess the nearest thing might be misuse of personal information.

TheywontletmehavethenameIwant · 28/06/2026 10:34

Lovelyview · 28/06/2026 10:29

Interestingly he has accused her of harassing a certain Sophie Molloy and making him suicidal. SP has been gathering receipts which show Mr Molloy has claimed a number of factors making him feel suicidal and also all the many many times Mr Molloy has shown himself to enjoy harassing other people.

But SP won't need her receipts, JM will be the one who has to produce the receipts that show SP harassed Sparkles. He's the accuser, it's up to him to prove what he's said about SP is true.

Mochudubh · 28/06/2026 12:14

Have not yet RTFT but that ruling was an absolute joy to read on what is already a lovely sunny Sunday morning.

EdithStourton · 28/06/2026 12:22

Nick Wallis is spot on with this comment.
They argue that the longer the BBC remains equivocal about something as fundamental as sex, its audience is unlikely to trust it on much else.

The level of equivocation has amounted to lying - presenting people as something they are not - and my trust in the BBC has entirely gone as a result of this and other inaccuracies in their reporting. If there was a root and branch change starting now, it would take them years to restore the trust I once had in them. They have shown themselves to be easily swayed by pressure groups and activists, and reluctant to explore the full facts in case they find something they don't like. Not just on this issue - on others, too.

They would have to convince me that they were looking at the facts before they wrote an article, rather than than scribbling down copy based on whatever BS they were being told by whichever activist had a direct line.

Politically, I am still centre-left, but get me going on the BBC and I become an absolute curmudgeon.

mrshoho · 28/06/2026 12:30

EdithStourton · 28/06/2026 12:22

Nick Wallis is spot on with this comment.
They argue that the longer the BBC remains equivocal about something as fundamental as sex, its audience is unlikely to trust it on much else.

The level of equivocation has amounted to lying - presenting people as something they are not - and my trust in the BBC has entirely gone as a result of this and other inaccuracies in their reporting. If there was a root and branch change starting now, it would take them years to restore the trust I once had in them. They have shown themselves to be easily swayed by pressure groups and activists, and reluctant to explore the full facts in case they find something they don't like. Not just on this issue - on others, too.

They would have to convince me that they were looking at the facts before they wrote an article, rather than than scribbling down copy based on whatever BS they were being told by whichever activist had a direct line.

Politically, I am still centre-left, but get me going on the BBC and I become an absolute curmudgeon.

Agree.It comes to something when it became normal to read a news article on the BBC news page and then have to go onto X or even tiktok to establish the actual true facts! I remember way back when it was once the other way round!

lcakethereforeIam · 28/06/2026 13:14

Wallis does accept the BBC's excuses and they do seem plausible. To me that begs the question, why was the press release from the Police so obfuscatory?

anyolddinosaur · 28/06/2026 15:04

Loss of trust means not trusting the excuses, too convenient for them.

UtopiaPlanitia · 28/06/2026 15:31

lcakethereforeIam · 28/06/2026 13:14

Wallis does accept the BBC's excuses and they do seem plausible. To me that begs the question, why was the press release from the Police so obfuscatory?

EDI policies is probably why - police are seemingly terrified of being labelled racist or transphobic. The UK justice system seem to be unreasonably keen on protecting the feelings of criminals nowadays.

SidewaysOtter · 28/06/2026 22:26

Oh dear, sad times for the polycule.

I'm hoping Sainsbury's publish the whole ruling as a Christmas card Grin

KnottyAuty · 28/06/2026 23:40

Lovelyview · 28/06/2026 10:29

Interestingly he has accused her of harassing a certain Sophie Molloy and making him suicidal. SP has been gathering receipts which show Mr Molloy has claimed a number of factors making him feel suicidal and also all the many many times Mr Molloy has shown himself to enjoy harassing other people.

Here is the delicate flower in action - a mild mannered speech which would not ever create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for anyone at all....

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJgVPTioO0g

Toffeefudgecaramel · 29/06/2026 02:15

Bloody hell. I hope they're able to show that video in court if he brings a claim based around being delicate and vulnerable.

SharingMyOpinion · 29/06/2026 05:30

Helleofabore · 27/06/2026 15:22

So, the list of the situations when a male person can be treated as a female in the UK, if he claims to be female, has decreased again.

Male people are not female people for the purposes of rape crisis provisions , the Olympics, prison, court procedings where a judge agrees the language doesn’t have to be used, female single sex change rooms for NHS, sex balanced panels and boards, (what have I missed…)… and now, in news media.

Plus, a trans person cannot demand the government treat them as the opposite sex on their biological child’s birth certificate as the exceptions under Article 8 apply.

Seems the crumbling we started to see a few years ago is speeding up.

Also that demand from some people that it is ‘respectful’ to use demanded pronouns is looking like it is built on prioritising that person making the demand. And dismissing the equal respect deserved by those who have just as much right to have their decisions respected of choosing accuracy of language over supporting someone’s identity (when it is not based on material reality but on a subjectively built identity). Anyone remember the contortions and deletions, and bans, from not many years ago on MN for saying that transwomen are not women? And for using accurate language?

Inheritance
Titles
Toilets under the Workplace Regulations 1992 (GLP v EHRC JR)
Toilets and changing rooms in NHS (LS v NHS England)