Helen Belcher
But it's not purely my bedeviled rubber-necking and gratuitous nosiness - as I wrote in Light The Beacons, I'm bitter and somewhat aggrieved by the incessant mithering which constitutes trans political activism. The complaints of Belcher and co seem pathetically transparent, vexatious and coercive. Certainly, it does not appear to be the work of someone powerless and oppressed.
It's more like a modern sequel to The Princess And The Pea. The princess, played by Emma Watson or another vapid dingbat, has discovered that offending legume under stacks of plush mattresses. After considering her options, she calls an ambulance-chasing shyster, gets diagnoses of lumbago, alien hand syndrome and Muchausen's by internet, and, now knowing it was all a conspiracy to test her, she wears an Ebay neck brace, forever. Safeguards, checking she was who she said she was is wrong, people.
That's how stupid I think burley Belcher looks when he tries his stunts - clarifying the law on women's toilets makes him blub on his toilet, googling asylum in Eire. Joan Smith scares him, and like Thatcher with the IRA, he will not share the same space or radio waves as her. Janice Turner is evil, killing trans youth. Describing a rapist as a man when he has the lady feels is bigotry akin to Jim Crow laws. Even a biologist couldn't be sure he's a man (by virtue of a hormone regimen). He - get this giant fucking whopper - is as likely to be raped as JK Rowling. 
It's astonishing, vast and mind-boggling; all of the organised complaint campaigns and clandestine meetings; cartel-like schemes where organisations subscribe for kudos, outsourced policies and style guides; legal plans on evading publicity and tacking trans rights legislation onto more popular reform; the (il)legal advice and industrial level trashing, silencing and misrepresentation of women: any illusion of a simple human rights project has long since shattered.
Helpfully, Belcher - notorious leptoderm and zeitgeist stagehand he is - is such the accomplished campaigner and a key figure in today's activism, he's a good place to start as I decompress my fit-to-bursting psyche. And here, I'll introduce you.
The CV:
Belcher isn't any activist. This is a fiendishly busy beaver, having the stamina and fortitude to keep a finger in every pie, to work every net. Still, marginalisation and victimisation dogs his every move.
Born in Reading, (which yes, I agree, that is sad) he received a private, boarding school education, followed by university at Leeds. His name was Nigel - which really suits him.
Later, he became a senior manager in system's analysis before starting his own company (Aurum Solutions Ltd), which he sold as a profitable company a few years ago (for a shit-load, I hear).
"I run my own software company. I employ other people. I talk with politicians, civil servants, media big-wigs and other influential people. This year I’ve been asked to speak at a number of public events"- Busy Belcher on big-wigging and business
* He is employed by Baroness Liz Barker, who said of him:
"There are now more LGB parliamentarians, sadly no trans MPs or peers yet, but I do hope that the brilliant campaigner Helen Belcher can break that barrier"
* Secretary of the informal Parliamentary Forum on Gender Identity (chaired by Baroness Barker)
* Sits on Stonewall's Trans Advisory Board
* Former chair of the LGBT + Consortium.
* The chair of TransActual
* The chair of the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition
* Is involved with GIRES. helping deliver courses, building their first TranzWiki
* Sits on Stonewall's Trans Advisory Board
* Former chair of the LGBT + Consortium.
* The chair of TransActual
* The chair of the Ban Conversion Therapy Coalition
* Is involved with GIRES. helping deliver courses, building their first TranzWiki
* Co-founder of Trans Media Watch (TMW). He helped gain its charity status
* Gave TMW’s evidence to the Leveson Inquiry
* Involved with lobby group Hacked Off, submitting evidence on their behalf to the Leveson Inquiry and subsequent report which claimed "transphobic discrimination in the press has reached fever-pitch levels" - this failed to get the law right on gender recognition and single sex spaces, invoking the mythical protected characteristic of "muh' gender identity".
* Gave evidence to The Women's and Equality Select Committee's inquiry into trans equality in 2015 and for the Joint Parliamentary Committee of Human Rights' inquiry into free speech in 2017
- Picked for the target seat of Chippenham in 2016 in the general election and again in 2017 and 2019
- Elected for Corsham Town Council in 2020 and is now deputy chair
- Elected to Wiltshire Council in 2021, and appointed to shadow cabinet.
Via HuffPost, he wrote that Mermaids is:
- Ed Davey, Lib Dem leader, describes Belcher as a friend
- Infamous true empath, indigo child and budget Paltrow Layla Moran had some wisdom to impart during a Parliamentary debate re GRA reform, at least partly thanks to her friend:
Perhaps in fact, Moran worked with Belcher very closely, or then again, maybe she was enlightened by her soul-gazing, because she also stated;
One of Belcher's bugbears, which he often cites, is his wife's alleged reticence over signing the Spousal Exit Clause, which he writes of here.
For more on the Spousal Exit Clause, and Belcher, look to Stilltish, who does a great synopsis.
* Gave TMW’s evidence to the Leveson Inquiry
* Involved with lobby group Hacked Off, submitting evidence on their behalf to the Leveson Inquiry and subsequent report which claimed "transphobic discrimination in the press has reached fever-pitch levels" - this failed to get the law right on gender recognition and single sex spaces, invoking the mythical protected characteristic of "muh' gender identity".
* Gave evidence to The Women's and Equality Select Committee's inquiry into trans equality in 2015 and for the Joint Parliamentary Committee of Human Rights' inquiry into free speech in 2017
Belcher joined the Lib Dems in 2015, and the following year he stood for Wokingham town and then its Borough Council.
Since then he's been;
- Picked for the target seat of Chippenham in 2016 in the general election and again in 2017 and 2019
- Elected for Corsham Town Council in 2020 and is now deputy chair
- Elected to Wiltshire Council in 2021, and appointed to shadow cabinet.
- Was on the Joint Parliamentary Committee of Human Rights' inquiry into free speech
- Now he is running for parliament again, despite coming second in the party vote...
It doesn't appear Belcher is much involved in Mermaids, which is the only obstacle in a trans-establishment full house. He's defended them, a lot, though:
Via HuffPost, he wrote that Mermaids is:
"carrying out vital work that no other official body has the resource to do, and giving young people hope in a world that appears not to care about them”
He also claimed that critics:
"do not want young trans people supported, or helped, or even advised."
We just despise certain children, not wanting them to make life altering decisions, having mastectomies or blockers that do massive harm and can leave them infertile and devoid of any ability to enjoy sex, for life.
He's given numerous statements in their defence, including the deliciously arrogant auto-tootsy-blasting that was challenging LGB Alliance's charity status:
“We fully support Mermaids in taking this action. The idea that an organisation which wants trans people to be second class citizens should be recognised as a charity brings the whole system into disrepute.”
- Speaking of children, Belcher is on the Children's Select Committee, involved in child safeguarding.
- Ed Davey, Lib Dem leader, describes Belcher as a friend
- Infamous true empath, indigo child and budget Paltrow Layla Moran had some wisdom to impart during a Parliamentary debate re GRA reform, at least partly thanks to her friend:
"I want to place on the record my thanks to my Liberal Democrat colleague and friend, Helen Belcher, whom I have worked with closely on this matter."
Perhaps in fact, Moran worked with Belcher very closely, or then again, maybe she was enlightened by her soul-gazing, because she also stated;"I want to relay the story of a friend of mine whose spouse was asked to provide that certificate and found it deeply concerning. Their feeling was, “Who am I to stop my partner from defining who they are?” In fact, it stopped them from going through the process."
One of Belcher's bugbears, which he often cites, is his wife's alleged reticence over signing the Spousal Exit Clause, which he writes of here.
The (real) Mrs Belcher's conscientious objection could have been quite a sabotaging blinder, however, as refusing to give permission on (apparently) the basis of Ms Helen's autonomy, actually scuppered the self defining! Awkward! You see, everyone? It's the only thing standing between Belcher and womanhood, and they were duty bound to reject it!
For more on the Spousal Exit Clause, and Belcher, look to Stilltish, who does a great synopsis.
But yes, Belcher is, and has, a wife: in this piece "Coming out as transgender"
(- ripped from a Guardian piece, but with added trans related style guide) he tells how he "married the first woman who went out with me" at the age of 29, which is both deeply flattering, of course, and a bit of a clue to Belcher's chaste and evangelical roots - Belcher was heavily involved in evangelical Christianity. The devil makes work for idle hands.
Although, unusually, chose to join them.
As a 13-year-old.
As a choice.
Being the religious man he was then, I imagine that this courtship did not last years. His life appears to have been staid, devout and traditional.
Belcher has two children. It was (as it so often is) at a time of family change - after his daughter was reaching toddler-hood, - perhaps as his wife went back to work - that his innate woman-ness became an irrepressible burden. In Belcher's own words:
What this says about his feelings towards women who are not his daughter goes unanswered. Why, particularly, would your own, baby daughter, evoke such a fear of resentful comparison? And what does he feel towards women who understand he is a man?
Being the religious man he was then, I imagine that this courtship did not last years. His life appears to have been staid, devout and traditional.
Belcher has two children. It was (as it so often is) at a time of family change - after his daughter was reaching toddler-hood, - perhaps as his wife went back to work - that his innate woman-ness became an irrepressible burden. In Belcher's own words:
"When my daughter was nearly two I suddenly realised: “If I don’t do something to sort this out, I’m going to end up hating her because she’s going to become what I’ve always wanted to be – a woman."
What this says about his feelings towards women who are not his daughter goes unanswered. Why, particularly, would your own, baby daughter, evoke such a fear of resentful comparison? And what does he feel towards women who understand he is a man?
But, well done, I suppose, on the brave, sacrificial heroism. He did it for the kids, ladies and gentlemen. The same to his wife, of course, who did her duty in allowing this, after Nigel came home telling of a suicidal moment. It just forced their wedded hands, I guess.
If you're new to all this clusterous fuckerous, you should read StillTish, or Glinner, Jane Claire Jones, The Lies They Tell, Maya Forstater, or Dennis Kavanaugh, or in fact any of the excellent gender critical or radical feminist dissenters. But, for the dinky, accidental readership of Panoramic Views, and those who enjoy a bird's eye on my crumbling sanity and embittered ramblings, hold tight. I'm having a moment...
Next time; Belcher's precarious, heroic existence, as told in a child's tribute song; OBElcher's Ballad
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