Charity Commision investigating transphobic Sex Matters

Content warning: this article discusses child sexual abuse and people making fun of it.

The charity regulator has said that they are investigating a transphobic organisation. In response to a complaint from Good Law Project, the Charity Commission has confirmed there is an “ongoing case” against Sex Matters.

Sex Matters describes itself as a “human rights charity”. However, they spend their time trying to make life harder for trans people. One of the co-founders is notorious TERF Maya Forstater and Lord Moldemort, JK Rowling is naturally a huge supporter.

Good Law Project enquired whether there was an investigation following TERF Richard Dunstan’s online abuse of founder Jolyon Maugham. Good Law Project subsequently found out that Sex Matters, unsurprisingly, platforms Dunstan.

TERF accuses trans ally of enjoying abuse

On 24 November 2025 Dunstan posted a disgusting tweet insinuating that Maugham “secretly enjoyed” the abuse he experienced as a young homeless teenager. “Gender Criticals” accusing those who support trans people of being perverted is not new, but claiming a victim enjoyed being raped is low even for them.

In a statement, Maugham said

For a number of years, Mr Dunstan has pursued a toxic and invasive campaign against me and my family. This is the price you must pay for advocating for any marginalised group. Your choice is to learn to live with those attacks or to cease to do the advocacy. But I believe Mr Dunstan’s suggestion that I enjoyed being raped crossed a line.

He continued

More broadly, his tweet perpetuates an enormously harmful myth about victims of abuse. It is revolting to suggest that a vulnerable child who is raped enjoys it.

Mr Dunstan is not an anonymous troll. He has close relations with the leading anti-trans charity Sex Matters. The Times recently came to me for comment in relation to one of his allegations. And he is periodically quoted in the far-right blogosphere.

Maugham said in the statement that he had referred Dunstan’s tweet to the police. As the Canary previously reported, thanks to fellow Terf Graham Linehan, the Met will no longer be investigating online hate. However, this tweet can be used to build a wider case against Dunstan. Dunstan’s account has since been deleted.

Investigation into Sex Matters is ongoing, but the terves pretend not to be rattled

Responding to the enquiry, the Charity Commission told Good Law Project:

The issues you have raised have been passed to the Regulatory Compliance team to consider as part of our ongoing case into the charity.

However, last night, Sex Matters attempted to soften the news by pointing out that the case was opened a year ago. Which doesn’t really make it any better, does it?

In a statement, Sex Matters said

A routine regulatory compliance case was opened a year ago in response to complaints made in relation to data collection when we tweeted a call for women to tell us about their experiences of men in women’s sport. The Charity Commission said that given the complaints received, and because Sex Matters is a newly registered charity, it was “keen to ensure the Charity is operating as effectively as it can and that the trustees are taking appropriate steps to protect its reputation”.

The terves also reckon they knew nothing about Dunstan’s attack on Maugham until the Good Law Project linked them to it. Which is fucking convenient, isn’t it?

TERF charities should not exist

The last few years have seen mounting hostility and hatred towards trans people. This bile has been orchestrated by organisations such as Sex Matters and the terves who work there.

Whether this investigation is new or not doesn’t matter. The fact that Sex Matters and orgs like it are allowed to continue attacking trans people is vile. The Charity Commission needs to do more than just a routine investigation to bring these ghouls to task.

Terves like to say that trans people don’t exist. But in a world where everyone’s just trying to fucking survive, organisations that divide and turn people against trans people should not exist.

Featured image via screengrab