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Disagreeing with her isn't infantile. Opposing her isn't infantile. It may even not be infantile to prevent her from speaking. YMMV. But, as you point out, the

Disagreeing with her isn't infantile. Opposing her isn't infantile. It may even not be infantile to prevent her from speaking. YMMV. But, as you point out, the effect is that those who would have heard her are now relying on mainstream media for an interpretation of her views. All of a sudden she is a victim and a champion of the repressed. So maybe not infantile but, at the very least, naive.

makomk 11y ago
The students wrote an announcement explaining why she wasn't welcome. Didn't matter. Many of the people who were supposedly "silencing" her and all the rest actually linked to their views and encouraged people to read them; I know there was a copy of Bindel's articles kicking around the LGBT society when I was a student for that reason. Didn't stop the press from spinning it as an attempt to silence them and prevent people hearing their views whilst making sure not to inform readers what those views are. I fail to see how letting Bindel spin herself as a victim and a champion of the repressed in person, at an event set up with an opponent who was on the same side as her on this, would do anything to stop this. (I think someone did manage to debate Bindel on trans rights and trounce her a few years back, after which she went back to her Guardian column and penned an attack on them which reached a much broader audience than anything in the debate. Not a useful tactic.)
- lucozade 11y ago
  > I fail to see how letting Bindel spin ... would do anything to stop this But that's the thing though. By not letting her speak this turned from an issue on trans-gender rights, for which Bindel is extreme in a way that doesn't endear her to anyone much, to an issue of freedom of expression. Now, not coincidentally, freedom of expression is a subject that an awful lot of media editors are going to give an awful lot of air time to. And they're all going to be on her side. And they're all going to avoid going into detail on what she was banned for because it detracts from their argument. Saying that they explained their reasoning is a bit like yelling over your shoulder why the goal should have been disallowed as you take your ball home. It might make you feel more justified but it'll hardly improve the perception of maturity.

makomk 11y ago

The students wrote an announcement explaining why she wasn't welcome. Didn't matter. Many of the people who were supposedly "silencing" her and all the rest actually linked to their views and encouraged people to read them; I know there was a copy of Bindel's articles kicking around the LGBT society when I was a student for that reason. Didn't stop the press from spinning it as an attempt to silence them and prevent people hearing their views whilst making sure not to inform readers what those views are. I fail to see how letting Bindel spin herself as a victim and a champion of the repressed in person, at an event set up with an opponent who was on the same side as her on this, would do anything to stop this. (I think someone did manage to debate Bindel on trans rights and trounce her a few years back, after which she went back to her Guardian column and penned an attack on them which reached a much broader audience than anything in the debate. Not a useful tactic.)

lucozade 11y ago
> I fail to see how letting Bindel spin ... would do anything to stop this But that's the thing though. By not letting her speak this turned from an issue on trans-gender rights, for which Bindel is extreme in a way that doesn't endear her to anyone much, to an issue of freedom of expression. Now, not coincidentally, freedom of expression is a subject that an awful lot of media editors are going to give an awful lot of air time to. And they're all going to be on her side. And they're all going to avoid going into detail on what she was banned for because it detracts from their argument. Saying that they explained their reasoning is a bit like yelling over your shoulder why the goal should have been disallowed as you take your ball home. It might make you feel more justified but it'll hardly improve the perception of maturity.