Budge up Kirkup! Nick Cohen chimes in.

[Freespeecher]

Sure, it's only a passing sideswipe in his column about the Comment awards, but still worth a mention:

'A Lib Dem activist with the unimprovable name of Helen Belcher denounced Janice Turner of the Times for having the audacity to write about the opportunities for rapists and child abusers that the policy of allowing men to identify as women brought. Turner was, Belcher libellously implied, somehow responsible for trans suicides. Belcher resigned when her fellow judges did not take the cue and disqualify Turner as a ‘Terf’, the modern equivalent of a witch.

www.spectator.co.uk/2018/11/how-do-you-snare-a-journalist-offer-an-award/'

One of the things that's rocked me back on my heels about that infamous letter signed by 1600+ scientists is that one of the authors and co-signatories is Karen James who has since commented:

Just spent 45 minutes blocking TERFs and trolls on sight. I normally don’t block on sight – I like to engage for the benefit of onlookers – but I need to regain control of my notifications. Fun times.

In this thread, she even announces her intention to sign-up to TERFBlocker.

twitter.com/kejames/status/1058373394184527873

She's repeated use of the word 'terf' and refers to them being mostly from the UK.

Normally I wouldn’t block so readily but the avalanche of hateful replies I got from mostly trans-exclusionary feminists, mostly in the UK, was making Twitter totally unusable for me.

twitter.com/kejames/status/1058737418734592000

She's a good researcher. I've admired some of her work with the NHM and her work to promote women in science.

I can't believe that I'm seeing her refer to other women as Terfs and Nazis.

I’m blocked by her and only follow/like mainly and haven’t engaged with her on anything, so her desire to ‘engage’ or vilify to take part in debate is rather suspect.

The situation in the UK is different to in the US. They are fighting a change in rights in which trans people may lose out, whereas we are fighting a change in rights in which women may lose out.

It's no wonder British women are in fighting mode.

She's a good researcher.

Not on this issue she isn't. She's a cult believer who doesn't like being disagreed with throwing other women under the bus.

Hmm, looks like she is using some sort of blocker as I am blocked and have never knowingly interacted with her. Her loss.

I'm also blocked by her and again only follow various TERF organisations and individuals.
I had never even heard of Karen Jones let alone engaged with her or sent her hateful messages

It is like a collective madness isn't it, that these otherwise intelligent women are acting and reacting in such irrational and delusional ways.

It is like a collective madness isn't it, that these otherwise intelligent women are acting and reacting in such irrational and delusional ways.

Having a look at Karen James' stream, I realise that I know (indirectly) some of the other women scientists who are tweeting her and asking how they can become a co-signatory.

These women are science researchers in good standing. These are all women who've been very active in promoting the public understanding of science and initiatives to encourage more women in STEM.

Aside from this, it's the casual dismissal of other women with these loaded terms of abuse. If somebody had asked me if any of those women would ever use those terms about another woman I wouldn't have known how to respond because the notion would be so inconceivable. But they've done it. And without, seemingly, a second's thought.

At this moment, I'd be relieved to learn that there's been a very selective Invasion of the Bodysnatchers because it's more palatable than the reality.

I must be on some list somewhere as I'm blocked too. Oh well, at least that's one Kool Aid drinker whose tweets I don't have to read.

Nick Cohen has had plenty of opportunity to speak up on the women's rights thing. He has, I believe, deliberately declined to get involved on the subject. If I recall correctly he was approached by a well connected MNetter about it. It was something like it didn't interest him or he didn't think it was interesting or similar. His comments in this article barely touch the subject. Its a comment on award ceremonys not women's rights and the lunacy of not being able to talk about certain things because it might offend.

I have been disappointed that Cohen hasn't done anything on the subject, because its completely consistant with his frustration about the left and in keeping with the whats going on with the anti-semitism row.

This article is something, but as I say, it skirts the issue. Its almost like he's now acknowledged it, and admits there is an issue and gives support to Janice, but still isn't prepared to stick his neck out on the subject.

I still await the Nick Cohen article thats been long over due. This aint' it.

They can’t be intelligent. They just can’t be
Just cos they educated doesn’t make them intelligent
Otherwise they would not be name calling women
And would not be suckererd into the cult of the trans
It doesn’t make sense
No excuses for them. No5 one

I’m blocked too. I rarely go on Twitter and I’ve never even heard of her.

That's fair comment RedToothBrush. But I'll watch with interest as more people go to sit on the fence because I'm hoping that at some point there'll be so many of them on there that it'll collapse.

That won't necessarily win the argument but it will raise awareness. And one thing I am sure of is that more people learning about what's going on will help the GC case.

Littlbrowndog

I can believe they are intelligent in the intellectual sense, but with a blind spot a mile wide.

No idea who she is but she's blocked me.
She's clearly a fool though, following a fragile ideology that can't withstand challenge. Hence the blocking of strangers and refusal to engage. And the only hatred seems to be what she's putting out there.

Cohen used to be good but unless there’s a Brexit angle he can wangle in he’s not going to address transgender issues head on.

He can’t even talk about antisemitism in the Labour Party without it somehow being about Brexit.

For the record, I voted Remain. But not everything is about fucking Brexit.

I’m blocked too. I rarely go on Twitter and I’ve never even heard of her.

Me too. I think she’s the first person to block me on Twitter - I retweet a lot, Tweet rarely, but follow quite a lot of people.

I only have 20 followers, so hardly a big noise. I am just as happy not to read someone who dislikes other women so much.

It's not just about intelligence. It's about character.

These people are stupid, lazy or cowards.

The idiot has blocked me yet I have never heard of her

Yep I'm also blocked by someone I've never heard of. I rarely use twitter (been on there since 2013, have made 53 tweets in 5 years and follow a whole 52 people with 29 followers myself lol) and when I do it's mostly for music-related stuff but I do follow Sandy Draws Badly and James Kirkup. Wow.

I’m blocked by her too. I’ve never even written a single tweet or re-tweeted anything!

If I recall correctly he was approached by a well connected MNetter about it. It was something like it didn't interest him or he didn't think it was interesting or similar

Yes I remember this. Doesn't think women count as history at all presumably

I do find the people that use T*blocker quite amusing.

Having been on all the popular lists, I switched twitter accounts a few weeks back, followed a few rad fems from my old account and within 30 minutes, the new account had been flagged and blocked.

Highly amusing that there is a flag in twitter that logs who you are following before you have even made one tweet and blocks any rad fem followers as acting suspiciously.

I've been disappointed by Cohen's reluctance to speak up on this. RedToothBrush's memory matches mine - someone from here approached him, but he didn't think it was an important enough topic. Maybe he's changed his mind, particularly given the Observer's decision to run with a story today critical of the Tavistock's method of fast-tracking older children.