I honestly don't get it. The US is extremely bigoted but culturally seems far less culturally up in arms, at least politically, about trans issues. Hell neil gorsuch was like "yeah US law protects them" last term and nobody really cared on the bigoted right.
as a lawyer, yes! just fucking say what you mean. JK can just shorten everything to: "I don't like trans people"
One of the issues, as far as I see it, is that these screeds have the veneer of intellectualism. They're not 'I don't like trans people' but attempt to re-contextualise more progressive policy and ideas such as 'women need safe spaces from men' and then attempt to flip that script by then refusing to accept that trans women are also women. Then, to justify this line of argument, they have to make trans women seem dangerous, usually by fixating on utterly weird things such as public restrooms. There's also the sleight-of-hand of pretending as though the criticism of them is wholly or even mostly misogynistic and thus rarely engage with any of the counter-arguments presented to them by instead suggesting the majority of their critics just 'hate women.'I honestly don't get it. The US is extremely bigoted but culturally seems far less culturally up in arms, at least politically, about trans issues. Hell neil gorsuch was like "yeah US law protects them" last term and nobody really cared on the bigoted right.
not to downplay real problems in the US, but the UK has this weird beef.
guess it's time to give to mermaids again...
Aw, poor millionaire bigot.The deluge of hatred that she faced before writing this blog made it brave, and it was nothing compared to what came after. Talking about bravery, so too, by the way, was Suzanne Moore's engrossing, long, personal essay for Unherd on why she left the Guardian.
We should all applaud bravery in writers - even those with whom we disagree.
We should all applaud bravery in writers - even those with whom we disagree.
great post! thanks for the link, will dig in!One of the issues, as far as I see it, is that these screeds have the veneer of intellectualism. They're not 'I don't like trans people' but attempt to re-contextualise more progressive policy and ideas such as 'women need safe spaces from men' and then attempt to flip that script by then refusing to accept that trans women are also women. Then, to justify this line of argument, they have to make trans women seem dangerous, usually by fixating on utterly weird things such as public restrooms. There's also the sleight-of-hand of pretending as though the criticism of them is wholly or even mostly misogynistic and thus rarely engage with any of the counter-arguments presented to them by instead suggesting the majority of their critics just 'hate women.'
What this basically means is that it's framed as though the 'progressive' or 'left wing' thing to do in these situations is to protect women from; a) invasions into their spaces and; b) the misogynistic abuse they face when they're 'brave' enough to speak out. They don't feel like they're attacking vulnerable people, they feel like they're defending them.
As for the 'why is it mainly British feminists' its largely down to the differences between how American and British feminism have evolved throughout the years, this article is a fantastic read.
he eloquently, in brilliant german prose, told us his beef with the jewsHitler wrote Mein Kampf. Should we applaud his bravery too? Fuck outta here...
I have no idea who this self-serving wanker who wrote this is, but you bet your arse I'm complaining. If they're employed by the BBC I don't want any of my license money paying this dickhead a salary.
Godwin level 9001!Hitler wrote Mein Kampf. Should we applaud his bravery too? Fuck outta here...
I have no idea who this self-serving wanker who wrote this is, but you bet your arse I'm complaining. If they're employed by the BBC I don't want any of my license money paying this dickhead a salary.
I'm not endorsing any of the positions taken, but he did literally get attacked by antifa members. Really makes you think.he eloquently, in brilliant german prose, told us his beef with the jews
Really worth remembering that Rowling didn't say a single word about Black Lives Matter this year, but she felt the need to drop her transphobic diary entry right at the start of pride month. Just so telling of her character that in 2020, trans women having rights is the thing the white billionaire thinks is the real injustice facing the world.
I say trans women because she only expressed fear about women while using trans men as props to project her own experiences onto. Of course that's also gross and indicative of a person who does not really view other people as fully realized individuals in their own right so much as extensions of her own ego.
Why on earth would you compare anyone favourably with Enoch Powell? WTF??!
Dear Mr. Snuffleupagus,
Thank you for getting in touch about our article 'The winners: The 2020 Russell Prize for best writing' (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55350905).
Amol Rajan repeatedly made clear he was not taking a view on the subject of JK Rowling's essay and acknowledged the severity of offence that some people had taken to what she'd written.
He did not detract from that when he objectively praised the writing style, her honesty in talking about her own experiences of domestic and sexual abuse, and the bravery required to express a viewpoint knowing it will lead to further online abuse.
Thank you once again for getting in touch.
Complaint Department Reply to me:
The majority of the BBC is good, but seems there are some shitheads in the Complaints Dept. too!
Dear [my name]
Thank you for getting in touch about our article 'The winners: The 2020 Russell Prize for best writing' (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55350905).
Amol Rajan repeatedly made clear he was not taking a view on the subject of JK Rowling's essay and acknowledged the severity of offence that some people had taken to what she'd written.
He did not detract from that when he objectively praised the writing style, her honesty in talking about her own experiences of domestic and sexual abuse, and the bravery required to express a viewpoint knowing it will lead to further online abuse.
Thank you once again for getting in touch.
Kind regards,
BBC Complaints Team
I made a complaint to the BBC using that form, and I got a response.
Yep, it's ridiculous and very telling. Her article isn't written in any particularly noteworthy way and as such it's impossible to disconnect this nomination for the 'writing' from an endorsement of the content. The author's description of her only reaffirms that message. The lineThe thing I truly can't get past is that, even bigotry aside, Rowling's "essay" is not well written. The only way you could conceive of awarding such bad writing is if you were so firmly in favor of the bigotry that you overlooked it.
It's just really, really telling that her disjointed diary entry gets propped up as this really insightful piece.
is particularly telling about the author's view; clearly writing a hateful transphobic essay is something the author has 'no view' on yet criticising an author for those hateful views is something the author does take issue with, blatantly ignoring the abusive content of Rowling's essay.I take absolutely no view whatsoever on the issues that she raises.
I do take an issue on abuse and trolling,
Enoch Powell was extremely intelligent or even brilliant. He achieved a double starred First in classics and he was full professor at 25.Funny that he quotes Enoch, because he definitely would not have extended Amol or his family any warm welcomes as immigrants to the UK...
Yeah this. For someone wanting to award "brave" rhetoric, that commentary is ridiculously transparent and hypocritical.
"I take absolutely no view whatsoever on the issues that she raises."
My ass. Fuck TERFs and transphobes!
as a lawyer, yes! just fucking say what you mean. JK can just shorten everything to: "I don't like trans people"
lmao, are you really defending Enoch Powell?Enoch Powell was extremely intelligent or even brilliant. He achieved a double starred First in classics and he was full professor at 25.
He spoke a lot of languages including fluent Urdu, and held Indian culture in great respect.
Just because he started playing the race card later in life doesn't mean that everything he said/wrote must be discarded.
Bro seriously? The article makes reference to his most famously racist speech. Like it's explicitly the quality of his racist rhetoric he's being praised for here.Enoch Powell was extremely intelligent or even brilliant. He achieved a double starred First in classics and he was full professor at 25.
He spoke a lot of languages including fluent Urdu, and held Indian culture in great respect.
Just because he started playing the race card later in life doesn't mean that everything he said/wrote must be discarded.
Complaint Department Reply to me:
The majority of the BBC is good, but seems there are some shitheads in the Complaints Dept. too!
I made a complaint to the BBC using that form, and I got a response.
Nothing he has said is a revelation only made by him, so I'd look for someone else who has made similar statements instead of signal boosting such a shitty person.Enoch Powell was extremely intelligent or even brilliant. He achieved a double starred First in classics and he was full professor at 25.
He spoke a lot of languages including fluent Urdu, and held Indian culture in great respect.
Just because he started playing the race card later in life doesn't mean that everything he said/wrote must be discarded.
dude you defending enoch powell?Enoch Powell was extremely intelligent or even brilliant. He achieved a double starred First in classics and he was full professor at 25.
He spoke a lot of languages including fluent Urdu, and held Indian culture in great respect.
Just because he started playing the race card later in life doesn't mean that everything he said/wrote must be discarded.
Enoch Powell was extremely intelligent or even brilliant. He achieved a double starred First in classics and he was full professor at 25.
He spoke a lot of languages including fluent Urdu, and held Indian culture in great respect.
Just because he started playing the race card later in life doesn't mean that everything he said/wrote must be discarded.
Why are you defending a nazi?Enoch Powell was extremely intelligent or even brilliant. He achieved a double starred First in classics and he was full professor at 25.
He spoke a lot of languages including fluent Urdu, and held Indian culture in great respect.
Just because he started playing the race card later in life doesn't mean that everything he said/wrote must be discarded.
No, to be clear I think he made reprehensible choices. I was defending the authors right to quote him.
No you defended Enoch Powell.No, to be clear I think he made reprehensible choices. I was defending the authors right to quote him.
He very clearly was not a Nazi. He volunteered to fight against the Nazi's in ww2. He did not believe in inherent superiority /inferiority of races. He certainly wasn't a fascist, his views on things like homosexuality and the death penalty were liberal for the time.