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According to this report, Professor Hruz's own university entirely disavows his notional expertise in the field ( https://planettransgender.com/trans-community-confronts-dr-paul-w-hruz-who-puts-pulpit-over-patient-care/) but that did not stop the Divisional Court from placing considerable reliance on it.
There is a lot more to say about Professor Hruz but let me move on to the sixth in alphabetical order, Professor Stephen Levine (whose evidence was also relied on by the Divisional Court).
Stephen Levine has given evidence for the ADF.
As the ADF puts it here: "aggressive pro-abortion and LGBT activists aren’t just targeting churches and creative professionals. They’re also targeting our children—and they’re lying about it" ( https://www.adflegal.org/blog/how-public-schools-are-secretly-advancing-pro-abortion-and-lgbt-agenda).
As the ADF puts it here: "aggressive pro-abortion and LGBT activists aren’t just targeting churches and creative professionals. They’re also targeting our children—and they’re lying about it" ( https://www.adflegal.org/blog/how-public-schools-are-secretly-advancing-pro-abortion-and-lgbt-agenda).
The seventh was Professor Patrick Parkinson.
He is a Professor of the University of Queensland. So far as I can see, his evidence should not have been before the Divisional Court at all but nevertheless it was.
He is a Professor of the University of Queensland. So far as I can see, his evidence should not have been before the Divisional Court at all but nevertheless it was.
According to this report ( https://mercatornet.com/the-truth-about-trans-must-be-defended/47318/) "Parkinson compared transgender people to the coronavirus, declaring it an 'epidemic.' Previously, he has... campaigned against LGBTQIA+ adoption and has ties to Freedom For Faith and The Australian Christian Lobby."
Parkinson has written in favour of conversion therapy https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6894776/acts-conversion-therapy-ban-puts-practitioners-at-risk/
He chairs or chaired the conservative think tank Freedom for Faith and was commission by the Australian Christian Lobby but stepped down from his role as head of the Law School. https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/law-dean-who-was-under-fire-for-transgender-comments-steps-down-from-role-20201103-p56b5f.html
Freedom for Faith were recently angered by a decision to stop LGBT conversion practices in Australian churches https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/gay-conversion-legislation-puts-andrews-on-a-collision-course-with-churches-20201204-p56ks6.html
The eight witness was Professor Sophie Scott. You can see her academic specialisation here https://www.ucl.ac.uk/pals/people/sophie-scott. Plainly she is an eminent academic but she does not claim any particular expertise on the question before the Divisional Court.
The final witness was Professor John Whitehall, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, Western Sydney University Medical School. Whitehall is another particularly interesting individual.
You can read about Whitehall here.
He has admitted that that, in 50 years in medicine, he has never treated a child for gender-related issues and has (or had) published no papers to do with gender dysphoria or trans healthcare. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/aug/24/how-children-became-the-target-in-a-rightwing-culture-war-over-gender
He has admitted that that, in 50 years in medicine, he has never treated a child for gender-related issues and has (or had) published no papers to do with gender dysphoria or trans healthcare. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/aug/24/how-children-became-the-target-in-a-rightwing-culture-war-over-gender
Whitehall was listed as a speaker in support of gay conversion therapy for the Australian Christian Lobby. https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/acl-gay-conversion-therapy-forum-rmit-wsu/
He was Vice-President of the US-based Christian Anti-Communism Crusade https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/an-australian-doctor-has-become-a-leading-figure-in-the-news-photo/1079359078
He was former Deputy Present of the Christian Democratic Party whose is Fred Nile. Nile has said homosexuality is a “mental disorder” and is “immoral, unnatural and abnormal.”
Summing up on John Whitehall, he has multiple links to right-wing, anti-LGBT, anti-abortion and anti-trans groups.
These are the people whose evidence Ms Bell's lawyer placed before the Divisional Court, and at least some of which influenced it in the decision it made.
However, the Court shamefully refused to hear from any trans voices. It rejected (at least) three would be interventions.
However, the Court shamefully refused to hear from any trans voices. It rejected (at least) three would be interventions.
