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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

Nick Cohen on TRA bullies in The Spectator

40 replies

notyourhandmaid · 05/10/2020 19:33

www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-hounding-of-a-scottish-poet-by-trans-activists

"For a witch hunt to begin extremists must so dominate a movement any sin, however slight, becomes a heresy the faithful must denounce for fear of being branded heretics themselves."

This is good. Familiar story - a woman notes that violent threats against women are being made, is labelled a transphobe, and excommunicated. But great to see Nick Cohen (he also wrote that JKR article for The Critic) delving into this madness.

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Gncq · 05/10/2020 19:44

Unfortunately it's behind a paywall but NC is consistently good on this subject.

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notyourhandmaid · 05/10/2020 19:55

This reply has been deleted

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PearPickingPorky · 05/10/2020 19:57

Nick Cohen has been doing some excellent work recently.

Jenny Lindsay is an impressively strong (and very nice!) woman, it's unbelievable what's happened to her.

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notyourhandmaid · 05/10/2020 19:59
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SunsetBeetch · 05/10/2020 19:59

The writer for The Skinny she was objecting to was "Cathy Brennan" , who went on to attempt to assault Julie Bindel.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3605069-Julie-Bindel-physically-attacked-after-meeting

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SunsetBeetch · 05/10/2020 20:05

Excellent article by Nick there, and eminently quotable!

You can also support Jenny by buying the latest addition of Dark Horse (or subscribe!)

www.thedarkhorsemagazine.com/Issues/Issue-42

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SunsetBeetch · 05/10/2020 20:19

This is their article, trying to justify violence against us.

www.theskinny.co.uk/sexuality/lgbt/pride-and-prejudice-what-pride-means-in-2019

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SunsetBeetch · 05/10/2020 20:21

[quote SunsetBeetch]This is their article, trying to justify violence against us.

www.theskinny.co.uk/sexuality/lgbt/pride-and-prejudice-what-pride-means-in-2019[/quote]
Ah sorry it was amended to take those bits out, but I think the screenshots of the tweets are on the thread about their attempted attack on Julie Bindel.

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Itsinthetreesitscoming · 05/10/2020 20:31

This is utterly chilling. I remember hearing about it earlier this year, but I didn't know the whole story.

Thank you Jenny Lindsay. This whole experience must be so upsetting and betraying. Kudos at least to the Scottish poetry library for their statement - it somehow seems surprising at the moment to discover there are still some institutions prepared to stand up for free speech.

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LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 05/10/2020 20:51

Ah! I only knew bits of this and didn't know it was Jenny Lindsay who had spoken out. She's brilliant. Can't believe she's had to move house! FFS.

I think it's really important when people are talking about cancel culture to remember people like Jenny, freelancers who really are living precariously, who have lost friends, income and platforms.

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MondayYogurt · 05/10/2020 21:27

Unfortunately there have been some rumours about NC regarding inappropriate behaviour (metoo type), so I am cautious about lauding his efforts.

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persistentwoman · 05/10/2020 21:32

Good grief - she spoke up about violence against women and this is what happened to her. Angry
That's another excellent article from Nick about the terrible excesses fromTRAs.

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ScreamingBeans · 05/10/2020 21:34

Storming article by Nick Cohen there

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SquishySquirmy · 05/10/2020 21:39

On googling her I came across a collection of poems Jenny Lyndsay wrote: "This Script"
Sounds great! Has anyone got it? I am thinking of ordering.

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notyourhandmaid · 05/10/2020 22:09

To summarise: Scottish poet points out that a trans woman is making violent threats towards lesbians. Is denounced by the poetry community as transphobic, loses work, has to move because of all the threats and harassment, is briefly supported by one organisation before everyone goes quiet.

Sorry to hear that there's rumours about NC. Sad

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highame · 06/10/2020 07:44
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Kit19 · 06/10/2020 08:01

Just for clarity linking to tweet making allegations about NC

twitter.com/rebeccawatson/status/365618638578909184?s=21

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RoyalCorgi · 06/10/2020 08:04

On googling her I came across a collection of poems Jenny Lyndsay wrote: "This Script"

I just ordered it. Due to arrive Friday - I'll let you know how I get on.

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queenofknives · 06/10/2020 08:11

Bloody hell. I had no idea this was going on, although I do know of some of the Edinburgh poetry crowd and they are unbelievably awful. Good for Jenny Lindsay for standing up for women, and another great article by Nick Cohen, too.

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SunsetBeetch · 06/10/2020 09:24

[quote Kit19]Just for clarity linking to tweet making allegations about NC

twitter.com/rebeccawatson/status/365618638578909184?s=21[/quote]
Hmmmn. It's not much to go on is it? I note that the person she's replying to has had their account suspended, so I've no idea what they said.

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RoyalCorgi · 06/10/2020 09:45

The tweet is from Rebecca Watson, who's quite big in the atheist and skeptic communities, and who was famously attacked (verbally) by Richard Dawkins when she complained about a guy inviting her to his hotel room. (More complicated than that but you can google the story.)

Disappointingly, Rebecca, who knows first-hand what misogyny is like, is full on TWAW. Go figure.

The tweet is potentially libellous, as is linking to it.

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SunsetBeetch · 06/10/2020 10:39

@RoyalCorgi

The tweet is from Rebecca Watson, who's quite big in the atheist and skeptic communities, and who was famously attacked (verbally) by Richard Dawkins when she complained about a guy inviting her to his hotel room. (More complicated than that but you can google the story.)

Disappointingly, Rebecca, who knows first-hand what misogyny is like, is full on TWAW. Go figure.

The tweet is potentially libellous, as is linking to it.

Oh the hotel lift thing? I remember that. She did cop a lot of flack from MRA types.

Much of the skeptic community is wholeheartedly TWAW. It's weird. As others have said, it's like they rejected one religion only to take up another.

I think I need more evidence than "he once grabbed my bum and ran away" tbh.
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RoyalCorgi · 06/10/2020 10:53

Much of the skeptic community is wholeheartedly TWAW. It's weird. As others have said, it's like they rejected one religion only to take up another.

It is so bizarre. Surely the first rule of being a skeptic is that you have to be, well, sceptical? How can you believe in something like a woman being born in a man's body, which is right up there with water-into-wine, rising from the dead and transubstantiation as a nonsensical idea?

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queenofknives · 06/10/2020 14:13

I'm sorry but I think that's bullshit. She's accusing someone of sexual assault but where's the evidence? Did she go to the police? Was there any witness? I don't think you can casually just go about accusing men of being sex criminals just because you happen to disagree with them.

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DidoLamenting · 06/10/2020 14:39

The Nick Cohen article is illuminating. It's noticeable how few on the Scottish arts scene have spoken up for JK Rowling. Not even on a qualified "I don't agree with her, but she's got the right to speak and the attacks on her are awful" basis.

Can't think of anyone other than Robbie Coltrane. I don't think a single Scottish writer has spoken out.

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