Open letter by UK writers in solidarity (not with us obviously)

Fair point. The source of this letter should have been queried. Can you share where you came across it, CrossPurposes?

Have you heard from any other writers in their, any colleagues as to whether or not their name is being used without their consent? I see why you may not want to outside of here but this is probably on Reddit or somewhere.

It's not worth my time to find out who is behind the letter. It hasn't been picked up anywhere except here, from what I can see.

What's more depressing is that so many people here have been aghast at certain names, proclaiming, Oh I thought better of them!

Well, think better of them, then! Question whether they would put their names to a letter like this, if everything you know about them thus far suggests that they wouldn't. I despair at the lack of critical thinking on both sides of this topic, I really do.

To be honest, the most hurtful thing I have read on this thread has been the person who said there weren't any "big hitters" on the list. OUCH. ;)

Well, that explains Jesuis O. Mofobique then!

Have you considered suing for this libel?

I'm simultaneously relieved — much of Caryl Churchill's work has been about patriarchy and women's position in a man's world — and shocked on behalf of all those whose views do not support those espoused in the letter.

Does anyone know which TRA threw it together?

It seems to be an open google form that anyone can add names to.

That is appalling!

What is/was the source of the letter?

Are you able to get your name removed? That’s a difficulty scenario for you as if you do not agree with the premise of the letter, and publicly state so then I guess you are at risk of a backlash. Problem is, it would be so beneficial if people were able to state facts, ie in your case that you did not add your name to this. You should be able to do so simply to clarify it that’s not how it will be received.
No one knows what the truth is any more (except the Supreme Court!)

I suspect/hope that this "letter" has already been forgotten but it's worth pointing out that it's a fake. I am an established author, my name is on the list and I absolutely did not put it there. It might be worth considering how this letter was organised so swiftly. Do you think we're all on a massive WhatsApp group, ready to be summoned at a moment's notice?

Don't rush to burn the books of everyone listed. We all get enough criticism for our work. We don't need to be attacked for something we didn't do.

Oh blimey, Caryl Churchill is on there. Author of Top Girls, which was full-on feminist and utterly amazing. She's 86. What a way to blight a brilliant career at the last minute, siding with the gender Stasi the moment it's all over. Touch of the Atwoods.

I see Deborah Francis White, The Guilty Feminist, is a signatory. She has never, ever been a feminist, while making a living out of pretending to be one. I'm pleased to see that my instinctive dislike of her is justified.

I used to rate Elizabeth Day. Now obviously will not purchase anything by her again.

Yep, I know a few people on this list and they’re very much in the “once-wrote-a-play-that-went-to-the-Edinburgh-fringe” category, rather than big industry names.

Hah! Exactly. And the MOST hell and brimstone versions in many cases.

Often it's the very same people who are SO scornful of religion, mainly Christianity (and I'm very much not religious, so really no skin off my nose, but I've been noticing the same as you a lot lately) that are buying into this and other crap in the name of political tribalism.

Astonishing how many wholly irrational, non-factual, deeply problematic and actual or quasi-religious beliefs can be ignored, accepted, or their problems handwaved away or blind-spotted if you tell yourself, "Oh, I'm a sceptic and a liberal, I'm not into fantasy 'old man in the sky' nonsense like religious people are! AND I've been to university, AND I vote for social justice issues. Therefore, everything I think and believe must be rational, factual, moral, just and very intelligent, and everyone whose opinion differs from mine must be the opposite."

Same.

Ness and his husband Nick Coveney have long been awful on this, especially Coveney, who’s Twitter feed is a steaming pile of vicious misogyny and bile that only got worse after her married Ness and presumably felt he could hide behind his name.

Isn't Jenny Eclair herself a bit terfy, or have I imagined that?

I googled and can confirm that Phoebe Éclair-Powell is the offspring of Jenny Éclair, but Lowri Izzard and Penelope Skinner are no relation to Eddie or Frank.

My phone only lets me type éclair with the French accent thingy.

@hihelenhi

One of the biggest things I'm alarmed at is so many young people's total ILLIBERALISM, now the authoritarianism of their "activism" - it goes against everything I've ever believed. Which is what most of the liberal left used to believe. Not only that, there is a noticeable and very alarming tendency to mix up fact and belief - and that is not being corrected in academia or elsewhere.

Completely agree with this. Using the word "cult" sets off all sorts of bells and whistles in the TRA groups because it implies mindless following and apparently denies them their autonomy, but when a large cluster of people with all sorts of reasons to escape society (abuse, trauma, wanting to exploit, wanting to shrug off responsibility) are misled by a group who strictly control the narrative and dictate the cluster should cut themselves off from family who knew them before, should funnel money into the group's organisations, and should learn the mantras and refuse to let them be debated (despite all scientific and experiential evidence against those mantras), it's hard to see how the description doesn't fit.

All the TRAs I know are extremely anti-religion, scornful at the idea of the harm it causes and the bigotry it enforces, but they talk about trans rights with exactly the same zealotry and recitative rigidity as the Christian evangelists I've met.

I liked the novel by Roffey as well, and I’ve actually heard from a tediously self righteous person (in fact I had an argument with them) that it was unacceptable cultural appropriation, as a white woman born in the Caribbean, so she should maybe be careful what she wishes for 🙄

Ness has been on this bandwagon for some time and some of his tweets aimed at women have been particularly unpleasant.

I work in publishing and the lack of what I would call big hitters on this list was the first thing that jumped out at me.

Saw a handful of names I recognised and wasn't surprised by any of them, but most of the writers and publishing people I know are not on there.

I guess when I say conservative I don't just mean, becoming a Tory (although I voted for them for the first time ever last year hah).

I mean more conservative as in less likely to get a naughty body piercing / questionable tattoo / go to an illegal rave. I guess, grow out of ways of being and thinking.

Yes, more like coming to reality as you say.

I don't think that actual "terf" views are remotely "conservative" though.

This is about becoming more reality-based as you gain life experience, not "becoming more right wing as you age, hurrah." I've aged, I haven't become more right wing or less liberal. My principles haven't changed.

But I value reality more than idealism and want to see things actually working on the ground and know when it isn't - it really doesn't, or shouldn't take becoming a conservative to do that. One of the biggest things I'm alarmed at is so many young people's total ILLIBERALISM, now the authoritarianism of their "activism" - it goes against everything I've ever believed. Which is what most of the liberal left used to believe. Not only that, there is a noticeable and very alarming tendency to mix up fact and belief - and that is not being corrected in academia or elsewhere. It would have been back in my day, even by 'liberals' - since they weren't afraid of robust discussion and presenting evidence.

I’m disappointed in Max Porter (assuming it is the actual author?) because I though he was clever.

Apart from that, it’s a parade of useful idiots, air heads and nobodies 🤷🏽‍♀️

I agree about Nikesh Shukla but, thinking about it, he didn't actually write The Good Immigrant did he. Just had a very good idea and ran with it, collating other people's essays.

I am dissappointed by Monique Roffey because I like her novels. Ironically I only came to them after it was thought Mermaid Of Black Conch missed out on a place on a women’s prize shortlist to a TW. I bought it in support of herGuess that'll learn me!

Also, WTF is the "privately funded" argument about? If it's a David and Golith spin they are going for then the respondents had the Scottish Government batting for them. And as for "they didn't listen to any trans people" that's all the Scottish Government listened to! If they hadn't they wouldn't have found themselves in court in the first place.

The ignorance in that article about the views of some young people is staggering. One seems to think that the judges actually took it upon themselves to make up some laws, and that as Old People they shouldn't be listened to anyway.