I am Janice Turner's No 1 fan - another excellent article

[Stopmakingsense]

This one picks up in particular the huge rise in women identifying as men, and the increasing inability of anyone being able to question it:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/even-asking-questions-is-now-transphobic-ztk3rlrfk?shareToken=1f64a5116171eb54a9a866590e6432ec

[NoLoveofMine]

Another excellent article. She quotes someone who speaks of the school I've alluded to before on here, a girls' school where increasing numbers are "identifying as boys" although the person quoted talks of them identifying as "non-binary" (some probably are but some are also declaring themselves boys).

Bath Spa's rejection of his thesis and reasoning for doing so is extremely worrying. It's no wonder so many people are worried to speak out on this when even an academic institution which should be about research and pursuit of facts is afraid of any backlash just because of looking into this issue more deeply. Aggressive TRAs are silencing people simply wanting to research this, their tactics unfortunately effective as even a university is afraid of the backlash for simply accepting a thesis on this subject. As well as being so damaging generally as this increases the likelihood of anyone legally being able to "identify" as a woman or man it also lets down those who've regretted and suffered psychologically having been pushed towards "transitioning".

[TalkingintheDark]

CDAlady if you take out a subscription to the Sunday Times in hard copy you get it at a discounted rate (£2 a week instead of £2.50) and you get online access to all the Times stuff behind the paywall. (And usually some special offer for the first year.)

Or I think you can take out a digital subscription.

[CDAlady]

Thanks for the info about subscriptions but I don't want to have any kind of subscription to The Times. I'd rather just buy one hard copy a week even if it's more expensive!

[ArbitraryName]

The thing is, it isn't really about free speech. It's about the whole purpose of academic research.

It also does enormous damage to people who have or will detransitioned because it further stigmatises them (and insists that their experiences don't matter and must never be spoken about).

[CDAlady]

Yes I just went onto Caspian's Facebook page and saw that most of the posts were about free speech at universities. I am slightly wary of this movement as some people use it as a way of arguing for the right to present offensive views.

The most important point about Caspian's situation has to be academic freedom. The right to investigate and research issues. This is not the same as the right to publically present offensive opinions.

[Datun]

whitehandledkitchenknife

It is utterly baffling. Because it's completely illogical. It's a minefield of doublespeak.

ArbitraryName

There seems to be huge issue of universities toeing a politically correct line.

There was a woman on television last year saying her student union had banned all the right wing newspapers.

I can't remember exactly how it works but students choosing University on the basis of student satisfaction leads directly to the income stream for the University. (the grading of gold, silver and bronze? - my memory isn't working).

Students have become consumers. Universities are selling a product.

So the reluctance to do anything outside what the universities consider the students want, is driving the narrative.

And it has little to do with academic achievement.

It's no coincidence that the '57 gender movement' is youth driven and validation of people's identity or feelings is not only politically correct, it's insisted upon.

Any straying from the acceptable path is frowned upon. So students are living in a permanent echo chamber.

At university!

It's exactly the place where your ideas should be challenged, in order to test your conviction.

If that has now become taboo, God help this next generation.

[cromeyellow0]

Sorry this is probably the wrong place to post, but I've just made a formal complaint to the BBC about the dreadful 'Just a Girl' drama on BBC Radio 4, which is propaganda crafted by Mermaids.


I was listening to this programme, which promotes the use of "puberty blockers" for young children, far below the age of medical consent. This is a euphemism for an extremely potent chemotherapy drug (lupron), with massive side effects--including deleterious effects on cognition and memory. NICE approves its use for the treatment of serious diseases like prostrate cancer. But giving it to children who don't confirm to gender stereotypes is an off-label use, which lacks any serious medical evidence (like double-blind random trials) to support it.

I further note that the programme was heavily influenced by Mermaids. This is a small advocacy organization (essentially a one-woman band) which lacks any medical or psychological expertise.

I appreciate that the BBC has a very difficult task in navigating this contested issue of transgender children, where the debate is extremely polarised and ideas are rapidly changing. I note that the BBC recently ran a well-balanced TV documentary on this issue, which aired both sides on the debate.

In this case, however, I believe that the BBC has been extremely irresponsible in effectively advocating for children to be given unproven medical treatments.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Absolutely brilliant, CromeYellow.

[Datun]

cromeyellow0

Yes, well done.

Does due diligence simply never get done anymore? Public broadcasters and parliamentary representatives seem to know bugger all about this dangerous practice.

[partystress]

Another JT superfan here. I have huge sympathy for anyone genuinely tormented by a mismatch between their sense of self and their biology. But massively worried about the crude reduction of gender to stereotypes. Really fascinated to know how the radical end of the trans movement has managed to gain so much sway so quickly, and what is motivating the aggressiveness of their tactics. Who is gaining?

[JigglyTuff]

Great letter @cromeyellow0

That series infuriated me last time I heard it (I believe this is the 5th one they've commissioned) and this one was even worse. Putting everyone who has a concern about a boy with a penis sharing communal changing rooms with teenage girls into the bigot box is bloody disgusting.

Great article by Janice as ever

[CDAlady]

I think trans is clickbait for so many different reasons and this motivates media (social and otherwise) to keep on engaging with it.

[Terrylene]

Chrome Yellow - that is a really well written and thought out complaint. I hope it gets the response it deserves. (not holding breath though)

I would have just barged in telling them it was a pile of dull, badly written shite that no one wanted to listen to - which it is- but it probably would get me thrown in the bin.

[DJBaggySmalls]

How can a school turn out so many damaged girls and no one bats an eyelid?

[YetAnotherSpartacus]

An excellent article! Well done Janice! And what is happening at universities is truly terrifying.

[TalkingintheDark]

Fair enough, CDA.

I still can't believe the Uni would actually come out and use the words "politically incorrect" - are we a satellite of North Korea now? It really is thought crime territory.

Love that letter, crome.

[thecatfromjapan]

Is that a derail, I sense?

The point is not the school, the point is how trans-identity - particularly amongst young women specifically and young people generally - functions : the personal identity dilemmas is permits to be articulated and (partially/temporarily) resolved; the identity positions it allows to be performed; the competing demands of society, culture, politics it allows to be (temporarily/partially) balanced.

There is a wealth of research and investigation of how anorexia functioned with regard to gender; there is a relative silence on the issue of trans identity. Putting the two into close proximity permits a reflection on the similarities and differences between the two.

For what it's worth, I think there are some strong similarities between how anorexic identity functioned/was deployed by young women of my generation and how trans identity functions in contemporary youth (particularly female youth) culture.

[Backingvocals]

Janice Turner writes on a Saturday. I heartily recommend the Times on a Saturday for lots of great writing but especially JT. Could she do a webchat perhaps ?

[busyboysmum]

Yes definitely. It's not wanting to grow up and have a woman's body with all the unwanted attention that goes with it. Going from girl to woman is scary.

[whitehandledkitchenknife]

partystress I came on to ask a similar question. Who is funding this? Who is benefiting from the turmoil?

[Backingvocals]

On the positive side I was at a family event this week with two girls I know a little. They are fab girls - fun and teenage. They were also v insightful on this. Thoughtful about the issues for people who are not at ease with themselves but also aware trans stuff is not necessarily the answer, dangerous for women, homophobic. One trans friend of theirs had a small gang of friends who were also now identifying as trans or non binary or this that and the other. They remarked that one clearly had diagnosed mental health issues and was clutching at the trans label for a solution. I was impressed that they'd identified all this for themselves already. But they also said they wouldn't say too much about it at school / uni because of the bigot label.

Anyway I was reassured that many young people get this and see it for what it is.

[LittleWingSoul]

This comment was good...

[YesVeryGoodVeryStrong]

CD are you on twitter? Journos usually tweet their pieces so you could just check on there and buy a paper that day.

[Ereshkigal]

Oh yes please can she do a webchat.

[NoLoveofMine]

Yes definitely. It's not wanting to grow up and have a woman's body with all the unwanted attention that goes with it.

Very much so, especially as this unwanted attention starts for many girls at such a young age, early teens or even earlier. I can understand wanting to escape all that and seeking any way which would seem a mechanism to do so.