Lancet dismisses women as ‘bodies with vaginas’

The Lancet has been slammed for its latest front cover referring to women as “bodies with vaginas”.

The medical journal adopted the phrase from an article entitled ‘Periods on Display’, which reviews an exhibition on the history of menstruation.

Academics and doctors criticised the journal, with some cancelling their subscriptions and stepping down as reviewers.

‘Inexcusable’

Retired psychiatrist Professor David Curtis said: “Just wrote the Lancet to tell them to take me off their list of statistical reviewers and cancel my subscription and never contact me about anything ever again”.

He called it “absolutely inexcusable language to refer to women and girls”.

Dr Madeleine Ní Dhálaigh added: “How dare you dehumanise us with a statement like this?”

inexcusable language to refer to women and girls

In an article for Unherd, Debbie Hayton – a man who lives as if he is a woman – wrote: “Gnosticism may be alluring but it is ultimately futile. We are our bodies. It is high time that politicians, policy makers, and even the editor of The Lancet accepts the truth that Ignatius knew by the turn of the second century”.

‘Denial’

Lancet’s Editor-in-Chief, Richard Horton, subsequently apologised “to our readers who were offended by the cover quote and the use of those same words in the review”.

He admitted that “we have conveyed the impression that we have dehumanised and marginalised women”.

It comes as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also faced criticism for claiming on The Andrew Marr Show that it is “not right” to say that “only women have a cervix”.

He was supported by his front bench colleague Emily Thornberry but Health Secretary Sajid Javid called his comments a “total denial of scientific fact”.

Total denial of scientific fact.

And he wants to run the NHS. https://t.co/zdQjJU55r3

— Sajid Javid (@sajidjavid) September 26, 2021

Biological fact

Earlier this month, the Speaker of the House of Commons hit out at trans activists’ threats towards Labour MP Rosie Duffield after she said she would not attend the party’s conference due to the abuse she has received.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle said that parliamentarians should be “able to attend their own party conference without fear of harm”, and that “in order to protect democracy, we need to ensure those participating can do so without threats of intimidation”.

Duffield, head of the Women’s Parliamentary Labour Party, pulled out after being threatened online for defending the reality of biological sex.