Brendan O'Neill: The witch-hunting of JK Rowling

[GrinitchSpinach]

I thought this piece was so good it deserved its own thread:

The witch-hunting of JK Rowling, the ceaseless online abuse of her over the past day and night, exposes how unhinged, hateful and outright misogynistic the transgender movement has become.

...

The only way this woke censorship and persecution of disobedient women will be countered is if more individuals and institutions stand up to it.

www.spiked-online.com/2019/12/20/the-witch-hunting-of-jk-rowling/

Of course women have been saying this for years, but I think it's important that more men recognize what's going on and speak out against it, too. After all, their voices are heard.

I've been waiting for Brendan to say his bit. Excellent article. I wonder if he ever feels despondent at the number of dimwits who comment on his pieces.

Everyone must now say what has, surreally, become unsayable: that sex is real, that sex is immutable, and that if you are born male, you will die male, regardless of what you do to yourself.

Great article

What I find interesting (though totally unsurprising, obviously) about the people reacting hysterically to the JK Rowling tweet, with cries of not feeling safe, not finding Hogwarts a refuge any more etc, is they have absolutely no concept of the freedom of speech. That, after all, is what Maya's case was about and what Rowling was defending: the right to say what you believe without losing your job. There is clearly another issue about whether what Maya wrote was offensive or simply a statement of fact (obviously it was a statement of fact) but even trans people and trans allies should be able to grasp the principle that one should be free to express one's opinions. You would certainly expect people in the US, with their free speech obsession, to understand that.

I can't even believe we're at a point where this has to be said.

Good work Brendan.

💪

they have absolutely no concept of the freedom of speech. That, after all, is what Maya's case was about and what Rowling was defending

Royal This is at the heart of the issue. This lobby and its media acolytes have done everything to portray women who speak out as extremists That acronym is deployed to alienate ‘moderates’ in their contrived narrative. But one thing is for sure. Everyone can see who are the real extremists now And they are waging a relentless war on freedom of speech and thought

I’m going to send a thank you to JK Rowling. She knew what would come her way and she still chose to do it. That’s Sisterhood. I think she knew the furore would shed light on the suppression of women’s speech and the conduct of those who are doing it.

Stunning and brave. In the true meaning of the words.

If this is the case then I'm proud to be called a TERF! Well said Brendan and JK Rowling. #IStandWithMaya

You would certainly expect people in the US, with their free speech obsession, to understand that.

You would, but speaking as a proudly-free-speech-obsessed
American I think there is a huge age divide on this in the US. I am late thirties and grew up with the First Amendment celebrated pretty regularly in school & wider society (and have the impression that older Americans experienced similar).

For people just a few years younger than I am, this does not seem to have formed an important part of their upbringing.

In part I blame the decline of American public education (civics classes; history). I also think younger Americans have been much more immersed in the general neoliberal zeitgeist. They seem to focus on individual feelings and goals and think of themselves as members of balkanized communities first and foremost rather than as members of society and citizens of the nation at large.

In part I blame the decline of American public education (civics classes; history). I also think younger Americans have been much more immersed in the general neoliberal zeitgeist

That’s very interesting about decline of civics classes. It is quite depressing to hear that freedom as a core philosophical value is under such relentless attack. Social media seems to be at the heart of this. The rise of the authoritarian ‘control left’ and its Newspeak tendency is a serious problem

Younger Americans are much more likely to think that too much freedom can be a bad thing, and to sympathies with authoritarian approaches. There have been a few studies that show that to be the case.

In this case in particular though, American practices about hiring and firing are different, employers can fire employees without cause. And in my experience many regular people agree with that practice, a lot more than I'd have expected.

Younger Americans are much more likely to think that too much freedom can be a bad thing, and to sympathies with authoritarian approaches.

I wonder if this has something to do with the general immaturity/incapability that is often attributed to that generation? I remember that when I thought about political questions as a child I had quite authoritarian instincts.

Maybe if you subconsciously expect authority (parents!) to show up and save you from difficult situations that translates into political authoritarianism.

Great piece Brendan, thank you.