Cartoon in the Morning Star

[Cwenthryth]

Kristina Harrison (prominent gender. critical transwoman, WPUK supporter) just posted this on Twitter - apparently it was published in the Morning Star.

KH wrote “This cartoon appeared in The Morning Star earlier this week @MStarOnline It is a horrific, generalised demonisation of trans people which does not belong in a civilised society, let alone a socialist newspaper. I condemn it utterly. Trans people & progressive opponents of identity politics are owed an unequivocal apology, an explanation & reassurance about what action is being taken to ensure that the line between fierce but legitimate argument and bigotry is never crossed again. Totally unacceptable. (not posting a direct link as I don’t want to facilitate any pile on against Kristina, clearly this is a sensitive personal issue for a transwoman).

Comments are supportive of KH so far. I thought it’d be a good topic for discussion here - does this ‘demonise trans people’ or does it baldly illustrate safeguarding concerns with self-ID? Is it different from the popular/accepted(?) ‘Fox identifying into the henhouse’ analogy? Hopefully we can keep things civil and respectful with no personal criticisms of Kristina.

We recognise that many of the issues we face are intersectional and at the same time we reject the notion of hierarchy of oppression. We do not accept that reform of the Gender Recognition Act should or would lead to an attack on women-only spaces and will ensure that we campaign against any attacks on the Equality Act.

Er, I am not fluent in the myriad contradictions of queer theory, but isnt intersectionality predicated upon a hierarchy of oppression? The fact that the Morning Star is prostrating itself in supplication and atonement? Before a lobby prone to denunciations and purges? Not a good look. But unsurprising....

Belief in gender identity is utterly incompatible with Marxist class analysis, so they've pretty much signed their own going out of business plan there.

to promote positive action and reform of the Gender Recognition Act to ensure trans people are able to participate equally in our workplaces, our communities, and our movement.

This jumped out at me - how are trans people not already able to participate equally in workplaces, communities and the labour movement? To be clear I’m not denying this is or may be an issue - but genuinely, how are they currently discriminated against in these areas, and how does/would obtaining a GRC make these issues go away? It doesn’t seem to follow.

Can we have some positive action for female people please? As a protected class of people? Without any males included? Thanks awfully.

What a bunch of bloody cowards. Absolute shower of shit

So one apology isn’t enough, clearly

It never is.

Complete capitulation is required.

And even that is never enough - they want more.

I tend to agree with Sandy Manning.

and will ensure that this paper defends our communities against any homophobic, transphobic or sexist hate language or abuse

That's a good thing, surely

That's a good thing, surely

It's a good thing that the Morning Star prostrates itself in abject, grovelling apology for a cartoon?

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

It's uncanny but Jay Rosen has written something that is on point about this topic (indirectly):

"By pretending to speak the language of editorial values, trolls and organized adversaries have baited newsroom leaders into failing to protect their reporters." theverge.com/2020/2/28/21156681/abc-washington-post-online-trolls-reporters-policy-suspension The people running ABC News do not know they sided with culture war over journalism.

twitter.com/jayrosen_nyu/status/1233428508111712256

Pour encourager les autres

I wonder if the lobbyists who use #no debate, cancel culture, denunciations etc have any concept how this exposes them as authoritarian zealots? Do they think this is an attractive public image? Now their antics are attracting widespread media coverage?

@BitOfFun excellent

It's a good thing that the Morning Star prostrates itself in abject, grovelling apology for a cartoon?

No, I said surely this is a good thing
defends our communities against any homophobic, transphobic or sexist hate language or abuse

Who gets to decide what constitutes 'hate language?' A tiny totalitarian lobby who thinks #no debate is admirable slogan?

That editorial reads like those scripts forced to be read out by people who are chained to a radiator in a dank basement.

Which is so much better!

I have a very woke, lefty & also TWAW friend who has been raging at the Morning Star for months now online for its 'transphobia'. He feels very personally about this as he used to sell the MS (I think...some involvement beyond reading it, anyway).

He's now gleefully posting this whilst simultaneously explaining that the MS can still fuck off forever because they're obviously a bunch of hypocrites as well as transphobes.

Capitulation doesn't work. TRAs don't let you recant, however much 'do it to Julia!' you cry at them.

The MS have picked absolutely the wrong moment to roll over on this. It's not going to win them any friends, anywhere.

Political cartoons are offensive. It is their nature. History is littered with groups being offended by cartoons. I thought it was a little harsh at the time, but now, not so.

The statement does indeed sound like they are chained to the radiator.

Complete capitulation is never enough. The beating will continue until someone feels better for it.