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Rachel Rooney criticised by Philip Pulman

163 replies

HecatesCatsInXmasHats · 06/12/2020 17:04

Rachel Rooney who wrote a delightful book about children feeling comfortable with their bodies has been described as 'hateful' by author Philip Pullman in response to a tweet by Clara Vulliamy. Rooney has written about this on Twitter. I'm so upset for her:

twitter.com/rooneyrachel/status/1335610842222653441?s=21

twitter.com/philippullman/status/1335523666847813632?s=21

Rachel Rooney criticised by Philip Pulman
OP posts:
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7
Galvantula · 07/12/2020 09:38

My youngest loves My Body is Me as well and she wanted to take it in to be read to the class by her teacher. :)

I wrote Rachel a message of support and to tell her DD enjoyed it and she sent a lovely reply.

DD now also owns The Problem with Problems and my older DC got some of Rachel's poetry books.

To try and paint her book as hateful in any way is bizarre. 😒

TreestumpsAndTrampolines · 07/12/2020 09:18

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Helmetbymidnight · 07/12/2020 08:51

Philip Pullman pretending to sit on the fence or whatever he's trying to do is so phoney.

He read 'The Art of Being Normal' by lisa Williamson and called it “A life-changing and life-saving book.” a few years ago...

I read that book since it was on the recommended list at DC's school. I have never read such stereotypical crap. Honestly, the boy 'knows' he's a girl because he's obsessed with America's Top Model and likes his mum's clothes. the girl 'knows' she's a boy because she doesn't like talking much and has a quick temper.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 07/12/2020 08:41

@thinkingaboutLangCleg

Phillip Pullman, who wrote a trilogy about ideologically rigid, obsessive adults cutting away essential parts of children before they'd had the chance to reach adulthood and settle into themselves. Star

Wow, well observed, littlbrowndog! What a hypocrite.

That was @glosswitch on Twitter. Extremely astute point.

I've just been browsing through CV's Twitter feed. Full of mutual back-slapping. What she was aiming to do in her original pile-on was to get school librarians not to buy the book and to prevent Rachel from being invited into schools, which I think can be a significant source of income for a children's author. She and her chums are congratulating each other on being successful on both points - I don't know with how much truth, but mud sticks, and to do that to a fellow author is just vile.

As for her own stake in this, she's in her late 50s and her children are adults now. I don't think she herself has had to face the issue of whether to put a child on PBs. I would say it's more been a case of supporting a young adult child who's transitioned.

ikeairgin · 07/12/2020 08:36

@Helmetbymidnight

When nearly everyone has a 'trans child' in their family (if not their own child, another relative such as a nephew, niece or cousin) it makes it so much harder to argue against the ideology because so many more people are personally involved with such children.

It does, I find it very hard to speak out because a couple of women I like very much have transchildren and have fully bought into the ideology and i don't want to hurt them. :(

This - I have to be relly careful. I love these people and they are doing what they have been told is in the best interests of their child. One of them had a very hard time of it when her daughter transitioned, she did a lot of private grieving, whilst having to put on a public "we're delighted" "happy he can be himself" face.
PotholeParadies · 07/12/2020 08:26

To quote Shania Twain, the exchange didn't impress me much! All should think for themselves, but I know what conclusion I drew.

Note here that various writers did go on to sign a second edition of the letter. Not Pullman, AFAIK.

Datun · 07/12/2020 08:20

'Pranny'- that's a blast from the past. Perfect description 😁

SunsetBeetch · 07/12/2020 08:13

@PotholeParadies

Pullman never signed.

The day it was published, he objected to not having been asked to sign it and said he would have signed. Someone popped up and said, it's okay, you can add your name now.

Philip then said, ooh, steady on, I don't know what it says, don't put my name down until I've read it!

And then he told someone else to fuck off.

Oh ok! God, he's a massive pranny.
HPFA · 07/12/2020 08:00

@NewlyGranny

The TT stickers that outraged CV with their cruelty included messages such as:

It's OK for girls to play with trucks, boys with dolls;
No child is born in the 'wrong body';
Children have a right to privacy from the opposite sex;
Kids shouldn't be taught at school that they can choose whether to be a boy or a girl;
Medical sex change treatment for children is an experiment;
70% of children referred to UK gender clinic last year were girls.

She posted about this in 2018. DfE guidance has changed since then, and the recent Keira Bell & Mrs A judicial review decision mops up a couple of the others.

Even Mermaids now say it's not about what children play with or wear. It might be time for some hasty reading and updating for some of the would-be-woke!

Which of those statements could anyone in all conscience say are hateful?

There seems to be a total confusion about what trans activists are defending right now.

This is a really rather nice thread expounding a gender critical position - except that the author thinks he's a trans ally.

twitter.com/RemakingManhood/status/1334153802207916034

This is the paradox - if trans people are so free of the gender binary and all why do they feel the need to change their bodies to conform to society's expectations of gendered behaviour? Where is the freedom in that?

Plenty of people are asking that very question in the replies - and getting no response beyond the blocking mechanism.

BoobsOnTheMoon · 07/12/2020 07:57

I just don't understand Pullman's position on this at all.

His books make it clear that preventing children from going through full puberty (by cutting their daemons away) was a terrible thing, that it was abusive and damaged them permanently.

And I agree, preventing children from going through puberty is unspeakably awful.

So... Who in the UK today wants to prevent children from going through puberty? It's a real mystery to me why he can't make that connection Confused

PotholeParadies · 07/12/2020 07:53

Pullman never signed.

The day it was published, he objected to not having been asked to sign it and said he would have signed. Someone popped up and said, it's okay, you can add your name now.

Philip then said, ooh, steady on, I don't know what it says, don't put my name down until I've read it!

And then he told someone else to fuck off.

SunsetBeetch · 07/12/2020 07:44

@TeenyTinyDustinHoffman

iirc, Philip Pullman was one of those who signed a letter of support for JK Rowling and free speech earlier this year. I'm pretty sure that "no one has the right to never be offended" is a quote of his. So condemning the book, which he doesn't seem to have read, as hateful seems a bit odd. It wouldn't excuse him, of course, but I do wonder if he's received online abuse for his prior views and this is a response to that?
Was it not him who then backtracked, saying he didn't really know what he was signing? Playing the "confused old duffer" card again.
NoSquirrels · 07/12/2020 00:08

@NotTerfNorCis

Re the blocking, I can see Vulliamy say this (from another account):

There's a muffled roar at my door but the block is holding out (thank you @Terfblocker)

The rest of their rant is too dull to quote.

ooh. am I blocked by Terfblocker, then? gosh.
thinkingaboutLangCleg · 06/12/2020 23:54

Phillip Pullman, who wrote a trilogy about ideologically rigid, obsessive adults cutting away essential parts of children before they'd had the chance to reach adulthood and settle into themselves.

Star

Wow, well observed, littlbrowndog! What a hypocrite.

Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons · 06/12/2020 23:52

Sisterwendy Flowers it really does seem like a cult doesn’t it - go with them or be shunned Sad

All that time we assumed PP would have been with Lyra & Will & it turns out he would have been working for the Consistorial Court of Discipline Hmm

Solidarity with Rachel who writes beautifully & comes across as a really really good person Flowers

Original poster
HecatesCatsInXmasHats · 06/12/2020 23:39

That appears to be the case, yes.

OP posts:
CrossPurposes · 06/12/2020 23:34

Yes and I have bought a copy but I meant that nowhere else that sells Rachel Rooney books and would be expected to have this particular book in stock (Amazon, Wordery, Hive, Book Depository, bookshop.org, etc) has it available.

RozWatching · 06/12/2020 23:28

SisterWendyBuckett Flowers

It's so difficult for parents when the ideology is everywhere and it comes with the message that the whole world including your parents is against you. The relationship can break down even when parents do everything they can to affirm.

ThatIsNotMyUsername · 06/12/2020 23:26

Oh they sell packs of 10! When ds was little I used to give his old books to local libraries, doctors/dentists surgeries, nurseries...🤗

Original poster
HecatesCatsInXmasHats · 06/12/2020 23:24

@CrossPurposes

I can't find it in stock and/or listed at any online sellers which I hope is a supply chain issue rather than anything more sinister.
It's available here: www.transgendertrend.com/product/my-body-is-me/
OP posts:
NotTerfNorCis · 06/12/2020 23:24

Re the blocking, I can see Vulliamy say this (from another account):

There's a muffled roar at my door but the block is holding out (thank you @Terfblocker)

The rest of their rant is too dull to quote.

PotholeParadies · 06/12/2020 23:23

All that wibbling about trying to make her thread a safe space!

It remained a flipping safe space. Hmm Rachel was tagged in and so could have replied there, but she had too much dignity to do so.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 06/12/2020 23:22

I think it might be self-published?

CrossPurposes · 06/12/2020 23:21

I can't find it in stock and/or listed at any online sellers which I hope is a supply chain issue rather than anything more sinister.

ThatIsNotMyUsername · 06/12/2020 23:19

Some people claim actual, literal attacks when in reality it’s they disagree or have said something they don’t like. Some people do exaggerate and play the drama queen.