Leo

Well-known member
she's, as noted, obviously massively wealthy and influential, maybe she just doesn't give a fuck - haha fuck you haters trolling

it's not like she's suffered any real consequences for anything outside of social media, which doesn't impact her wealth etc

this is probably it.
 

padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
it took balls to be this fabulous growing up in a small town in the West of Scotland
and more power to you

in my experience, the more femme and/or non-conforming you present, the tougher you have to be

that's as true in the queer world as the straight, if not more true

the trans women I've known have been uniformly tough as nails in one way or another
 

vimothy

yurp
a form of subtle trolling. I'm unsure why you find it so hard to believe it's intentional. Of course she knew.
in other words, shes trying to appear as anti-trans as possible, whilst at the same time denying that shes anti-trans in any way
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
Is her PR damage largely limited to the trans-exclusive/trans-inclusive feminist sphere?

edit: not sure how clear that is. Rephrase: Is her PR damage limited to certain sects of feminism?

Then again, with the actors speaking out against her, the damage is quite likely beyond such boundaries, no?


I think this will destroy her legacy eventually, in all honesty. It was easy to overlook e.g retroactive gay Dumbeldore instead of using actual gay characters, or her idea of race signifiers being to name a character "Cho Chang", because there was still a sense that the metaphors and allegories in the books were designed to be against injustices and discrimination etc, they were just really stilted and poorly formed. But young people have grew up with intersectional identity politics and it's nowhere near as easy to overlook this stuff in the context of the authors second career as a TERF activist.
 

constant escape

winter withered, warm
"why is it a problem?"

I mean, my best crack at this is that, as an author of an atmospheric and popular fictional universe, her opinions, whether or not they are explicitly voiced in that universe, probably have some impact on the fans. I'd imagine trans-inclusive feminists would feel less at home in that fictional universe (which is unfortunate because I'd also imagine many of them may not feel at home in our universe), if its author expressed opinions against them. No room at the inn.

But hey, I'm just shouting plays from the bleachers here. Hopefully they're good plays, though.
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
Not to be all "I spoke to some young people once" but even compared to 10 or 15 yrs ago when I was in school it's a lot different. I was the only LGBT kid in my year of 300 students, now I hear about people in queer relationships and teenagers beginning to transition openly. They're much more liberal and much more informed and I think it's wonderful.
 

padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
if she didnt do it deliberately then it's hard to see how it's a problem - it's just two similar names
in that case there would be no problem with her besides lack of due diligence which unfortunately coincides with her views on trans people

as it's surely incumbent upon anyone choosing a pseudonym to look up the name they're choosing

I think focusing on the name is missing the point, which is her views. the name is addition to that, without it there are still her own words.
 

padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
a sense that the metaphors and allegories in the books were designed to be against injustices and discrimination etc, they were just really stilted and poorly formed. But young people have grew up with intersectional identity politics and it's nowhere near as easy to overlook this stuff in the context of the authors second career as a TERF activist
accurate

idk about destroy her legacy but seriously complicate it at least
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member

“When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman – and, as I’ve said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth,” she wrote.

She said the criticism had left her “in a very dark place inside my head, as memories of a serious sexual assault I suffered in my 20s recurred on a loop. That assault happened at a time and in a space where I was vulnerable, and a man capitalised on an opportunity. I couldn’t shut out those memories and I was finding it hard to contain my anger and disappointment about the way I believe my government is playing fast and loose with women’s and girls’ safety.”
 

Leo

Well-known member
in other words, shes trying to appear as anti-trans as possible, whilst at the same time denying that shes anti-trans in any way

speculation on my part but she was most likely trolling, thinking she was too clever to get caught, and then got called out.
 

constant escape

winter withered, warm
Not to be all "I spoke to some young people once" but even compared to 10 or 15 yrs ago when I was in school it's a lot different. I was the only LGBT kid in my year of 300 students, now I hear about people in queer relationships and teenagers beginning to transition openly. They're much more liberal and much more informed and I think it's wonderful.
I often lose track of just how positive some of the effects can be of raising consciousness about all this.

I'd like to think that many of the stauncher opponents of such trends would also shift their sensibility if the above consequences were made plainly evident to them.

Cause when I try to relate to such opponents, or when I reactively stumble into relating with them, it seems like the opposition to such trends stems from not robustly appreciating the positive consequences, and only noticing how taxing it is to rewire your own ideology. Not to say it isn't taxing, but if such a rewiring enables people to be more open about things, surely its a small price to pay, no?

Aside, trying to simultaneously relate to both sides here is an endeavor I often botch, so anyone feel free to slap me into place. Valuable feedback.
 

padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
“When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman – and, as I’ve said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones – then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth,” she wrote.
brutal

the exact same argument bigots have made here against bathroom laws, never borne out in reality

I assume you're still totally cool with this @Benny B? nothing transphobic, no issues?
 
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