BERNS, Michael.

Magdalen Berns (1983–2019) was a British YouTuber and activist who gained prominence in the late 2010s for her vlogs discussing women's rights and gender identity. A self-identified lesbian radical feminist, she co-founded the organization For Women Scotland, which opposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act 2004. Her views, particularly her stance on gender identity and transgender women, led to her being characterized by some as transphobic and a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist).

Berns had a varied background, including early activism in socialist and anti-animal testing groups. She later worked as a sound engineer before pursuing higher education in her thirties at the University of Edinburgh, where she studied engineering and physics, graduating in 2016. She was also a self-taught programmer who participated in Google Summer of Code. Beyond her activism, Berns was also an accomplished amateur boxer in Scotland, achieving notable successes and being recognized posthumously as a pioneer for women's boxing in the region.

Berns became widely known through her YouTube channel, launched in April 2016, where she shared her perspectives on gender identity, often in opposition to gender self-identification. She articulated specific views on sex and gender, stating that males are defined by biological sex organs and categorizing lesbians as women attracted to the same biological sex. Her commentary on transgender individuals, including descriptions of trans women and trans activism, drew significant attention and controversy. Berns was also a signatory to open letters concerning gender politics and co-founded For Women Scotland in 2018, an organization that campaigned against reforms to the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and other issues related to gender and public spaces. Her public statements and activism generated both strong criticism and support, with her views being labeled as transphobic by some, while others praised her for her outspokenness and defense of what they considered sex-based rights.

Born in London, Berns was raised in New Cross and later Hampstead. Her early life involved participation in various activist movements during the 1990s, including campaigns against Huntingdon Life Sciences and involvement with the Socialist Labour Party. After completing secondary school, she worked as a sound engineer before enrolling at the University of Edinburgh in her thirties. Initially studying engineering, she later switched to physics, graduating in 2016. During her university years, she also engaged in computer programming, contributing to projects like Google Summer of Code and interning with the GNOME Foundation. Her academic pursuits and technical skills were notable, especially given her later public profile.

In addition to her activism and academic pursuits, Magdalen Berns was a dedicated amateur boxer. Between 2009 and 2011, she was a member of the Leith Victoria amateur boxing club in Edinburgh. Her boxing achievements included competing in the Scottish University Boxing Championships, winning the Haringey Box Cup in 2010 as the first Scottish boxer to do so, and being part of Scotland's first female boxing squad in 2011. In that same year, she won the Golden Girl Championship and the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Boxing Championship. She later joined the Holyrood amateur boxing club and served as a boxing coach at the University of Edinburgh. Boxing Scotland posthumously recognized her as a pioneer for women's and university boxing in Scotland.

“You don't get 'assigned' reproductive organs ... males are defined by their biological sex organs. Likewise, homosexuals are people who are attracted to the same biological sex.”

“Trans women are men”

“there is no such thing as a lesbian with a penis”

“I'd rather be rude than a fucking liar”