I'm Jack Monroe. Ask me anything.

[MxJackMonroe]

Hi Mumsnet.

It seems every time I am in the news, a MN thread about all things transgender crops up. I didn't see the last one (yesterday?) as I don't come on here very often these days - people who eavesdrop etc etc. I was cooking in a tent in a muddy field all day, having a ball, not googling myself on the internet!

The thread was deleted - which was nothing to do with me, nor my lawyer. The day I call him about a MN thread is the day I pack everything in for good. So far only the Mail and Hopkins have had legal action taken against them, and both for quite serious statements. I'm not rich enough nor quite bothered enough to call him every time someone says mean words on the internets.

ANYWAY. Threads about me tend to get deleted. So here's a new one. Because there are clearly some questions that keep coming up, criticisms that I could answer, speculation I could clarify and untruths that could do with correction.

So I'm taking questions. I'm an adult and I take an awful lot of criticism and unkindness online, on the chin. I am pretty mentally stable right now, and feel this could be a constructive discussion.

In order to stop this descending into pandemonium, using general 'chair' rules, to start with I'll take one question from each user - if it's quiet and everything gets answered, feel free to add follow up questions.

It doesn't have to be about boobs, dresses, hormones. Literally ask me anything.

MN - please don't delete this thread. I think people have valid things to say and I'm here with my big girl/boy pants on to hear them.

Over to you.

Damn bold fail!

I have another question (though I am aware you've been on here for ages and should be watching your film). It's prompted by a conversation with a friend (who isn't trans). She was saying how categorising people as 'man' or 'not a man' (eg., if you're recording what the gender of people speaking in a meeting is) is good, because 'not a man' includes genderqueer and trans people. I thought it was rude because it implies 'man' is the default and everyone else is just failing to measure up.

I admit I'm sceptical because it seems to me unlikely many trans men love being defined as 'not a man' - but as someone who's non-binary, what do you think to the whole thing?

In your own words how would you explain non-binary?
Do you think you've been misrepresented in media?

''Apparently I am anti-feminine, anti-woman by being trans because I’m hammering home the message that being male is better. That’s what they were saying on Mumsnet. And I’m like, ‘No, it’s just better for me and I don’t want to be a man. I just want to be a small, masculine woman.”
So what's wrong with being a small masculine woman? I'm confused, I thought you didn't want to be a woman?

Iggi I know you posted very early on, have been watching thread since it began, but that was kind of my point! IE you (& others) had asked and in reply Jack was beyond clear wasn't able answer properly and therefore wouldn't answer until could do so 'properly' - yet the question KEPT being re-asked and, worse IMHO, with an air of 'tsk tsk' entitled indignation that it hadn't yet been answered...

When all along was clear Jack DOES want to answer but won't be harangued into it until can give it the merit it deserves.

Vis: 'It is interesting if that one is harder than all the other questions as it seems fundamental to choosing a non binary or transgender path, I would have thought.'

I agree that is an important and fundamental question, but clearly it's WAY easier to reply to which biscuits you're fancying, or an assertion of fact vis own reality, than it is to respond to SUCH an over-arching and important question? Hence the not responding - but making clear WILL do when can - until able do so with the correct thought & not when on a phone with a 6 year old tugging at you - makes sense, no??

Robins

I've not come across this but in an ideal world wouldn't we just ask someone how to record their gender? Kind of like asking for a title at the bank etc (although in an ideal world I would abolish sodding titles too, my marital status has no bearing on the ads I should get on online shopping websites).

I mean isn't it the polite way to do things? You wouldn't insist on telling someone their age or telling them they are wrong if they told you differently, so why gender? Perplexed. Possibly not the best analogy but I'm pretty fried and the BFG is making a dream for the Queen.

"Why is everyone expecting Jack to have all the answers to the whole of the worlds issues around Transgenderism, specifically the politics of MtF?"

I'm not expecting her to have all the answers. I'm throwing my questions out there because I'm curious as to whether she's considered these issues and what she thinks of them and it's an invitation to do so if not.

Lots of people who say they feel like a woman or a man, never define what that means in practice. Those who do, tend to fall back on sexist stereotypes. So it's just interesting to have someone here, who is as honest and open in her views as Jack is and who clearly is open to change and development.

I can't believe the number of people who are willing to expose their ignorance and say they don't know who the OP is. It's almost as though they're proud of themselves. Surely they read the newspapers and keep up to date with things? It's not like she's off a reality TV programme on a little used channel, is it?

Of course, in an ideal world we would - that was one of my issues with this!

But I also wondered if I'd missed something and there was a large group of genderqueer/trans people who have happily embraced 'not a man' as a label.

If someone was 17 and claiming to be 58, they would be wrong, and no, I wouldn't just let them decide they were an age they are not!

Imperialbleather
It's not really ignorance to not know about a chef. Many people don't watch a lot of tv and I consume a lot of news but have never read anything in this person.

Yes but it is quicker to do a Google search than it is to post proudly "who are you?"

Actually, people do correct me on my own name. Say it's Sara - people often say "don't you mean Sarah?"

MxJack, if gender is a construct (I agree) and everyone is non binary, then should everyone have access to treatment that would help them to feel more comfortable in their body? I would like to go about topless in summer too.

Jack, leading on from your last post, in an ideal world wouldn't we record sex m/f and be confident and secure that m/f encompasses as many variations and types as there are people in the world?

Jack wasn't a tv chef. She was a single mum on benefits trying to make lovely food out of very little money.

There are articles on her in every newspaper.

Hi Jack, impressed you've started the thread. I don't share all of your views but I think you have come across really well - very sparky and funny and articulate.

I thought the Observer article was interesting. Hated the dress but love your hair

Hi Jack

Do you actually believe that taking hormones is going to change who you are in any way? How willl it impact chromosomes? How will it make you anything other than who you are?

I agree with others that this whole trans thing is hugely damaging to woman. It puts woman a predefined box that exist only in the minds of some people. That we are all girly, love high heels and are unable to do Maths and Science. None of this is true. None of this defines a woman.

I also do not understand how you can say you do not feel like a woman if you are unable define what a woman is in a way that is truly relective of all woman (who are a hugely diverse range of people only a few of whom actually like pink)

And why do the trans community think they can define everyone else e.g. 'cis' but feel nobody can define them.

Don't we all just want to be treated as people?

Thanks for posting Jack.

But LadyStoic what was the point of the thread then? I thought it was to answer the kind of issues that came up on the (deleted) thread - this isn't a MNHQ webchat thing that they set up to discuss the latest book or whatever.

Have you seen Ghostbusters?

If you have, what did you think of Kate McKinnon's character in particular?(but also just tell us what you thought in general)

Separate to wishing folks could be a bit more patient, my only other contribution here is this conundrum...

Jack, I admire your food bank work; your diversity work (as Mama of a gay son I appreciate anyone/anything that helps normalise 'being different'); your writing; & your bollocks in coming on here. In short, I find that lot deeply attractive plus think you are ferociously fucking hot and (along with a few others on here methinks?!!) would love to have dinner with you and then do all the yummy things you do with someone you find attractive/fancy after dinner....

YET.... to the best of my knowledge and other than a very memorable threesome a few experimenting fumbles, I'd 'identify' as a straight woman. Ergo there would appear no 'logic' at all in fancying pants off you? Other than to wonder that if it's possibly the older/more mature I get, the more it is that I suspect that I am attracted to a person as opposed to a gender - is this a thing anyone else can identify (no pun intended) with?

Genuine question.

I know you've been inundated with questions and I know you're taking time to think about the big ones before replying but I'll ask again just to make sure you saw it:

What does feminism mean to you?

stoic are you actually trying to get picked up on this thread?

stoic are you pissed ?