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So apparently J.K. Rowling went from feminist idol to TERF this week.
While I myself am very vocally anti-sexist I must admit as a community the majority of feminists will throw you under a bus the second you step one ideological toe out of line. She backed that horse through much of her modern career trying to pander to the feminist community to increase her fame in insincere and largely meaningless gestures. She made her bed and now she has to lie in it.
Personally this is why I am so blunt and willing to discuss or consider unpopular ideological views in any group. I know this will be the outcome no matter how hard I try so might as well be intellectually sincere in my public evaluations of the world.
With that said I'm not clear on J.K.'s actual opinion beyond a few vague tweets so I cant say if the attacks have any justification.
She does seem to think sex is immutable, strictly speaking she is right, it is the genders that trans-people change, not their sex. But the ore important aspect is that unless you are a medical doctor talking about someones genitalia then any use of pronouns you choose or the word "male" and "female" are and have historically been references to gender not sex.
So while her statement strictly speaking was a bit of a non-point, it does suggest she is rather clueless as to the linguistic and underlying considerations of the discussion.
@timorl Like most people who sound like her im not sure she really knows what she believes. She just doesnt understand the english words for sex and gender most likely and assumes they are the same thing.
cancel culture, TERF
@freemo She seems somewhat more committed to it, than if it were just the result of misunderstanding. A longer article about it: https://medium.com/@Phaylen/jk-rowling-confirms-stance-against-transgender-women-9bd83f7ca623 . The article does not present a single conclusive piece of evidence as the title suggests (and it is not of highest quality), but the small things add up. Not conclusive, but sufficient to suspect an actual ideological stance, rather than lack of understanding.
cancel culture, TERF
@timorl Ill check it out when i get a chance, thank you.
But bear in mind an actual ideological stance is, usually, born out of lack of understanding. But thanks to confirmation bias is not cured by giving the person understanding, in fact, it prevents them from being able to understand in the first place.
cancel culture, TERF
I really don't know her previous stance but what you're saying is absolutely pertinent in this case. Ideological stance or even the ignorance about Gender (or Sex) fluidity born out of lack of understanding. And believe me, it takes hardly 2 hours to know about it but decades to understand it.
cancel culture, TERF
@shibaprasad
@freemo
Both of you make a very good point. We shouldn't forget though, that some people understand the gender/sex distinction, but still ideologically oppose some people expressing their gender. I'm not sure if J.K. is in this category, but at least the intellectual core of the TERF movement is.
@freemo see also this post: https://mastodon.social/@garfiald/101473960059478885
The "leftist" community is inherently hostile, intolerant, and unforgiving. It shares the same of the worst points of the "right" and both breed only further division, not true progress.
@kline I find anyone who has left or right as a central part of their identity is hostile. Its usually a red-flag of extremism in english speaking countries. Not at all the case in Europe though (excluding the UK)
@freemo the UK isn't even Europe
@freemo
I haven't really been following closely, but what I've seen suggests that she believes trans women shouldn't compete with natural women in sports.
Seems perfectly rational to me.
@freemo I do hate the term TERF. It's used so often as a silencer for anyone wanting even reasoned discussion on any trans or female topic.
I'm on the perpetual terfblocker list on twitter for discussing medical treatments with a transwoman I am friends with. I think it was when we were talking about the fact that blood transfusions from a pregnant woman could kill a man and how it was important to be honest at a hospital. So yeah. Getting told I am evil for wanting people to be safe and healthy is bad. And wanting doctors to not kill people, that's bad too. You just can't win. My friend, she got tarred with the same brush. No one is immune from a good TERFing I guess:P
@freemo
Just FYI, it didn't really happen this week, she was known to have these views for quite some time already. Obviously this doesn't really undermine the broader point you are making.