It’s time to call out the nonsense of nonbinary - Spiked

It assumes that if you don't identify with non-binary you must identify with the binary which would assume strict stereotypes associated with one of the 2 sexes. It's a way to say, "look at me. I'm not a caricature of the female sex. I'm a full person with a non-stereotypical personality. Those women over there must all prefer pink and tight skirts and must like makeup, and they must all watch the same sappy romcom movies. Not like me. I'm unique"

Why is non-binary sexist?

@Tolerant ah yes that famous publishing house, Instagram 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣🤣🤣

love how sarcastic your username is

Don't care what other mad shit the author said. Hitler was a vegetarian etc etc.

Great article. Brendan O'Neill is brilliant these days.

Spiked can be a little 'one note' at times - but recently they've had a lot more diverse voices. O'Neill is a tremendously readable writer, plus they have Julie Burchill and Lionel Shriver and other excellent guest writers.

I'd personally love it if they got rid of Ella Whelan and other old RCP members who are hanging on in there just echoing talking points. Spiked is a good publication in its own right and has outgrown its origins.

It was started by the revolutionary communist party UK. I’m not even bloody joking

🤣🤣🤣

Well that’s new. Normally the purity spiral attempt is “you’re aligning with right wing extremists!”. I do admire the novelty of “you’re aligning with left wing extremists!” Makes a change.

I do believe the UK’s Communist Party is one of the few organisations on the political left that acknowledges humans can’t change sex.

Purity spirals are so pathetic whichever way you go. Boring.

And TRAs never want to look internally at the other beliefs shared by their supporters. Peter Tatchell, the Trustee of Mermaids, most of TRA Twitter…

Oh, and now I need to see a photo!

(But then I’m only a lady and may be a little in love with the bonny fella.)

He's extremely attractive in the flesh, I met him once. Not that that's particularly relevant to anything! He's great on these issues.

You must be new here if you think purity spirals are going to work here.

Out of interest, which publications are pure enough for you? Let me guess. You think we should read the misogynistic shite printed by the Guardian, don't you?

It's OK to agree with an article someone has written.
You do not have to agree with everything else they say.

The article is brilliant and that stands whoever wrote it.

@Tukmgru Paraphrasing indeed!

I don’t recall any of the above; I’ve followed Brendan on Instagram (#burntoakboy) for years.

(But then I’m only a lady and may be a little in love with the bonny fella.)

-I was recently involved in a community project and everyone had to write a short bio. some of the younger participants wanted to "include their pronouns". One wrote "a genderqueer person who is comfortable being referred to with any pronouns, so you can choose between she/her, they/them, and he/his".

To be clear - the person is a woman. Albeit a non-gender conforming woman, but a woman. At least he/she/they had the decency to say that he/she/they are comfortable using any pronouns. What a carry on and yes, a load of nonsense.

Just going to add a few other things the author of the article has said (to paraphrase)

• peace in Northern Ireland is bad
• victims of sexual abuse should keep it to themselves
• homosexuality is ‘imperialist’
• people should riot because Brexit isn’t extreme enough
• attempts to stop climate change amount to cult behaviour
• covid-19 amounted to a witch hunt

But, sure, do tell me how Brendan ‘makes a lot of sense’ 🙄

The difference between you and I is one of us is telling people not to read an article because of the publisher, one of us isn’t.

I’m happy to let people make their own minds up.

@DFSsale except you aren’t thinking for yourself are you…this is always the problem with that argument. You can’t claim to be free thinking just because you follow sites you perceive to be against the grain. It’s rather the opposite of media literacy if you think that that qualifies an outlet as equally worthy of your attention as one whose writers don’t have a narcissistic, misanthropic agenda.

Read widely, certainly, but the authors and their motivations are very, very important. Spiked don’t give a shit about women’s issues, they only care about being contrarians and selling ad space.

And, of course, that lockdown favourite: not wearing a bra - you are non-binary

I don't care how shit Spiked is. "non-binary " is narcissistic nonsense. We are all non-binary. Ever worn trousers? You're non-binary. Ever thought "fuck that" to putting make up on and wearing makeup up? You're non-binary . Ever decided to wear flat shoes? You're non-binary. Ever changed a lightbulb? You're non-binary.

Spiked is a genuinely mad outlet, and really shouldn’t be quoted if you want to be taken remotely seriously.

In your opinion.
One thing I have learnt over the past 5 years is not to discard whole sections of the media just because of a perceived reputation of outlet.
It stops you thinking for yourself.

@Tukmgru
Spiked is a genuinely mad outlet, and really shouldn’t be quoted if you want to be taken remotely seriously.

It was started by the revolutionary communist party UK. I’m not even bloody joking. Half their lot turned into ultra conservatives and have found a home pretending they care about free speech, mask mandates and apparently now trans issues. They don’t, they’re just nutters. One of them is now a Tory peer.

I don't care. He's spot on. Non binary is a load of attention seeking sexist nonsense. So what if Spiked are commies or Tories? I read the Morning Star, the Times and the Daily Mirror. I don't read papers that shit on women like The Guardian and have lied about dead people like The Sun but that's as far as my purity goes as It am very tired of it all. Sad wee men like Owen Jones does that to a woman. Fuck non binary!

i would be less opposed to non-gendered awards if women had more equality than men in the music and film industries, theatre and publishing. Artists like like Beyonce and Adele are the exceptions. A man in the music industry is likely to be more successful than a similarly talented woman.

The Oscars are coming under pressure to end separate best actor/actress awards. If you are a middle aged or older woman, it's already unlikely you will get an Oscar. That possibility will become even less likely.

www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/women-onscreen-representation-film-study-1235111493/

Good rant.
Brendan O'Neill has long talked sense on these issues. I'm not a regular reader so I don't know his politics more generally.

The irony of their misuse of the word ‘they’ is that they are myopically focused on me, me, me.

Brilliant. So, so true. I've spent lots of time with many young people caught up in this movement and the navel-gazing is off the charts. Even for teenagers.

That and playing Lady Chatterley more recently. Many shagging scenes where she is clearly a woman.

Sorry but I think if you're playing a woman (which is the only sex she'll ever play) you can only be nominated in that category.

Fantastic article. Quite philosophical.

Exactly.