4 ms·

A British former TV writer who became a very prominent transphobe years ago was just interviewed and claims to have had his life ruined as a consequence of publ

A British former TV writer who became a very prominent transphobe years ago was just interviewed and claims to have had his life ruined as a consequence of publicly vilifying a vulnerable segment of society. Be prepared for a new wave of anti-trans sentiment wherever you get your content as new people take up his ridiculous crusade.

raffraffraff 5y ago
His life is ruined because of how he is online, as much as what his crusade was. While most people who spoke up for sex-based rights "buttoned it" when they were piled on and called TERFs, he decided the only way to clear his name was to fight the battle, but he found himself without many allies because he can be so toxic. He drove away his own friends and called people out on Twitter for not backing him up. However, while I say "this is as much about him as it is about his crusade", he behaved the same way during the Irish abortion campaign (he was for abortion rights btw) and Gamergate. The reason he wasn't "ruined" back then was because the trans rights issue is far more toxic. Nobody is allowed question the current narrative.
- fzeroracer 5y ago
  The idea that 'no one is allowed to question the current narrative' is rather absurd, considering I live in a state which has openly investigated and harassed families with transgender kids. The reason why the debate is 'far more toxic' is because there are places which are outright attacking and removing rights of transgender individuals. Naturally this means people are going to be far more defensive because they don't want to be marked as less-than-human.
  - Ourgon 5y ago
    - fzeroracer 5y ago
      Again, this is objectively false. I live in a state which has been actively removing the rights of and harassing transgender individuals. This is not something that's up for debate. To say that 'nobody is removing rights for those who want to live as the other sex' is to deny reality.
      - Ourgon 5y ago
        What state, and which rights are being removed? Give us some pointers to the laws related to those rights which are being removed. If you can show proof that men and women who want to live as the opposite sex are granted fewer rights than others I will concede your point.
  - raffraffraff 5y ago
    I think this all very much depends on where you live. For example, the UK only introduced the Gender Recognition Act in 2004, and that law still stands. The UK doesn't have self-ID, but there are plans to update the GRA to include it. This is very much in line with what trans activists want. The problem with self-ID is that it necessarily clashes with existing sex-based protections in the Equality Act, and whether you agree with women's rights or trans rights or both, these contradictions need to be discussed. The problem is that the discussion is enough to get you piled-on, blocked, fired etc.
    - a_shovel 5y ago
      My understanding is that these concerns are, at best, overblown. [1] explains it better than I could. [1] https://katymontgomerie.medium.com/addressing-concerns-over-gra-reform-f6cea58f62fe https://katymontgomerie.medium.com/addressing-concerns-over-...
      - raffraffraff 5y ago
        First, Katy is trans, so where trans rights clash with female sex-based rights, I would assume that Katy is firmly on the trans side. Before using this article as the conversation-ender you think it is, go and steel-man the opposition before you claim that their fears are "at best, overblown" Second, this article compares being trans with being gay. They're two different things entirely. The only "right" gay people wanted, above being left alone, was equality in law: the right to get married. Gay marriage ask nothing of us. But trans rights asks for something: to believe, and act as if we believe, the reality inside someone else's head, even if it conflicts with our own senses. Personally, I'm fine with that. I'm a married man, long gone from the dating pool. But let's say a woman is about to enter a private space to get undressed and she sees someone that she percieves to be male, but that person says "I am a woman and you must treat me in all respects as if I am a woman". Does that affect her? I would say yes, because she must override the powerful urge to protect her personal safety. Remember, according to this very article, the trans woman in the changing room doesn't need to have undergone surgery, taken hormones or obtained a Gender Recognition Cert. They may look absolutely male while undressed. So this woman must disbelieve her eyes and ignore the inner voice warning her of a possible risk. On the one hand we tell women to be careful and avoid risks, choose a safe route home, carry pepper spray etc. But when they refuse to get completely naked in a room with someone who looks like "a male stranger"? Bigot! Third, the article effectively says "look, it's not big deal anyway because you don't even need hormones/op/GRC to change the sex marker on you ID, change sports category, enter the spaces provided for the opposite sex or even have your crimes recorded as being committed by the opposite sex". So... Give us self-id because we effectively have it anyway? That doesn't work, particularly if a lot of people are opposed to it. Certain trans rights clash with certain female sex-based protections, and many women are only finding out about it when they read stuff like this [1] in the newspapers. Of course they're pissed. This problem isn't going away. It needs to be worked out. 1. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hospital-dismissed-claim-of-rape-by-trans-attacker-bssxvbqch https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hospital-dismissed-claim-...
throwaway378037 5y ago
I haven’t seen that but I’d bet money on who it is, he’s such a prat

raffraffraff 5y ago

His life is ruined because of how he is online, as much as what his crusade was. While most people who spoke up for sex-based rights "buttoned it" when they were piled on and called TERFs, he decided the only way to clear his name was to fight the battle, but he found himself without many allies because he can be so toxic. He drove away his own friends and called people out on Twitter for not backing him up. However, while I say "this is as much about him as it is about his crusade", he behaved the same way during the Irish abortion campaign (he was for abortion rights btw) and Gamergate. The reason he wasn't "ruined" back then was because the trans rights issue is far more toxic. Nobody is allowed question the current narrative.

fzeroracer 5y ago
The idea that 'no one is allowed to question the current narrative' is rather absurd, considering I live in a state which has openly investigated and harassed families with transgender kids. The reason why the debate is 'far more toxic' is because there are places which are outright attacking and removing rights of transgender individuals. Naturally this means people are going to be far more defensive because they don't want to be marked as less-than-human.
- Ourgon 5y ago
  - fzeroracer 5y ago
    Again, this is objectively false. I live in a state which has been actively removing the rights of and harassing transgender individuals. This is not something that's up for debate. To say that 'nobody is removing rights for those who want to live as the other sex' is to deny reality.
    - Ourgon 5y ago
      What state, and which rights are being removed? Give us some pointers to the laws related to those rights which are being removed. If you can show proof that men and women who want to live as the opposite sex are granted fewer rights than others I will concede your point.
- raffraffraff 5y ago
  I think this all very much depends on where you live. For example, the UK only introduced the Gender Recognition Act in 2004, and that law still stands. The UK doesn't have self-ID, but there are plans to update the GRA to include it. This is very much in line with what trans activists want. The problem with self-ID is that it necessarily clashes with existing sex-based protections in the Equality Act, and whether you agree with women's rights or trans rights or both, these contradictions need to be discussed. The problem is that the discussion is enough to get you piled-on, blocked, fired etc.
  - a_shovel 5y ago
    My understanding is that these concerns are, at best, overblown. [1] explains it better than I could. [1] https://katymontgomerie.medium.com/addressing-concerns-over-gra-reform-f6cea58f62fe https://katymontgomerie.medium.com/addressing-concerns-over-...
    - raffraffraff 5y ago
      First, Katy is trans, so where trans rights clash with female sex-based rights, I would assume that Katy is firmly on the trans side. Before using this article as the conversation-ender you think it is, go and steel-man the opposition before you claim that their fears are "at best, overblown" Second, this article compares being trans with being gay. They're two different things entirely. The only "right" gay people wanted, above being left alone, was equality in law: the right to get married. Gay marriage ask nothing of us. But trans rights asks for something: to believe, and act as if we believe, the reality inside someone else's head, even if it conflicts with our own senses. Personally, I'm fine with that. I'm a married man, long gone from the dating pool. But let's say a woman is about to enter a private space to get undressed and she sees someone that she percieves to be male, but that person says "I am a woman and you must treat me in all respects as if I am a woman". Does that affect her? I would say yes, because she must override the powerful urge to protect her personal safety. Remember, according to this very article, the trans woman in the changing room doesn't need to have undergone surgery, taken hormones or obtained a Gender Recognition Cert. They may look absolutely male while undressed. So this woman must disbelieve her eyes and ignore the inner voice warning her of a possible risk. On the one hand we tell women to be careful and avoid risks, choose a safe route home, carry pepper spray etc. But when they refuse to get completely naked in a room with someone who looks like "a male stranger"? Bigot! Third, the article effectively says "look, it's not big deal anyway because you don't even need hormones/op/GRC to change the sex marker on you ID, change sports category, enter the spaces provided for the opposite sex or even have your crimes recorded as being committed by the opposite sex". So... Give us self-id because we effectively have it anyway? That doesn't work, particularly if a lot of people are opposed to it. Certain trans rights clash with certain female sex-based protections, and many women are only finding out about it when they read stuff like this [1] in the newspapers. Of course they're pissed. This problem isn't going away. It needs to be worked out. 1. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hospital-dismissed-claim-of-rape-by-trans-attacker-bssxvbqch https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hospital-dismissed-claim-...

throwaway378037 5y ago

I haven’t seen that but I’d bet money on who it is, he’s such a prat