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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

"Let’s clarify what free speech is and is not": An open letter to the industry from Pride in Publishing

77 replies

newrubylane · 24/06/2020 00:32

www.thebookseller.com/blogs/let-s-clarify-what-free-speech-and-not-open-letter-industry-pride-publishing-1207568

Unsurprisingly Pride in Publishing stands with Hachette staff.

OP posts:
TehBewilderness · 24/06/2020 00:40

"Publishing a globally famous author with a controversial record is not a moral decision around freedom of speech (particularly for a billionaire well versed in self-publishing their own content), it is a commercial one driven by cold and hard P&Ls."

The problem from the off is the framing of what Jo Rowling wrote as controversial. It is not.
Jo Rowling's position on biology is mainstream scientifically supported fact.
It is those disputing her whose claims to authority are controversial.

newrubylane · 24/06/2020 00:41

Pride in Publishing is also currently on a crusade to have Baroness Nicholson removed as honorary vice-president of the Booker Prize foundation. Even though she has nothing to do with judging, awarding, etc., and retired from her active role over ten years ago.

OP posts:
NotBadConsidering · 24/06/2020 00:52

Transphobic authors are not a protected group.

This is an opinion.

Trans and non-binary people are.

This is not a fact. Gender reassignment is a protected characteristic.

and the institutional indifference represented by the company’s response

Or maybe you can’t handle that everyone agrees with them?

However, employees should never have to work on content which is detrimental to their mental health or which causes them unnecessary turmoil

No explanation of how The Ickabog itself is content that is detrimental to an employee’s mental health.

HCBG has ample staff who could have been asked to work on the forthcoming title instead of creating a media circus to their detriment.

To their detriment?! Ha ha! Everyone agrees apart from a small little bubble. And it’s not like Hachette deliberately sought out those who would be most upset by Rowling and asked them to work on her book.

No one should be mocked or dismissed for standing up for their owned experience

Unless you’re JK Rowling of course.

don’t blame us as valuable queer, non-white and working class talent continues to walk out of the door. We’ll take our stories with us and leave you with an ever more irrelevant status quo.

I’m sure they’ll be devastated. And “irrelevant status quo” is equally defined by “these people who aren’t on my Twitter block list agree with me”.

And then to finally mock themselves, an organisation that deals with book publishing says:

Mermaids, the trans youth charity, wrote a brilliant and constructive response.)

😆😆 that illiterate drivel? Brilliant? Constructive?

Too funny.

TehBewilderness · 24/06/2020 00:56

This reply has been deleted

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sourdoughismyreligion · 24/06/2020 00:57

''or something fundamentally against their religious beliefs.''

Nice to see them finally admitting this is a religion.

OvaHere · 24/06/2020 01:06

If reality is such an issue for them maybe they should quit the day job and stay under the duvet 24/7.

The economy is in trouble and a lot of people would be happy for those jobs to feed their families.

So much navel gazing bullshit.

langclegflavoredbananamush · 24/06/2020 01:07

No explanation of how The Ickabog itself is content that is detrimental to an employee’s mental health.

Well, one of the themes of The Ickabog is people being coerced into pretending to believe something they don’t, so I can see how some woke-ists might find it detrimental to their peace of mind....

Whatsnewpussyhat · 24/06/2020 01:16

What have non-white and working class got to do with it?

Goosefoot · 24/06/2020 01:21

@Whatsnewpussyhat

What have non-white and working class got to do with it?
You beat me to it - I couldn't figure out why they thought those groups would be put off by a commitment to free speech.
notyourhandmaid · 24/06/2020 01:42

Even reading this with the very best of intentions, the question arises - why did these staff not simply request to no longer work on this particular book? Why the coordinated revolt at a staff meeting, threats of striking, the obvious leaking to the press? This is not about them not wanting to work on the book - they don't want the book to be published at all, and they imagined they'd stir up a Woody-Allen-style rebellion.

"valid" and "do better" - Hmm

TehBewilderness · 24/06/2020 02:18

Purity spirals lead to dominance displays presented as performance art.

wrongsideofhistorymyarse · 24/06/2020 07:07

In my experience working class people quite rightly deride TWAW as the nonsense it is.

Kit19 · 24/06/2020 07:16

The workerati recently discovered The Working class as a new group of ppl waiting for over educated middle class white 20 somethings with no concept of irony to free them from oppression

Obviously not by employing them within the publishing industry, oh goodness me no, not giving them jobs to ensure that not everyone in publishing is white & middle class. I mean one wouldn’t want to meet them in person you understand unless they’re cleaning the office of course

In reality I would kill to see the authors of this letter plonked down into oooh idk Chatham (I was born there) & explain gender woo to a group of working class men & women

Schmackers · 24/06/2020 07:18

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EmpressLangClegSpartacus · 24/06/2020 07:21

This feels relevant here. It was a while ago now but it’s an excellent example of the wokerati trying to shove gender woo down working class people’s throats.

"Statement from Working class community workers from Deptford.
We are attending the women’s meeting at the House of Commons today. We would like to offer an explanation as to why this is necessary.

After many years of working at grass roots within our community we have recently been made aware of an issue that directly effects the working class and women in our area. The changes to the Gender Recognition Act will allow birth certificate changes without transition. We are an LGBTQ supporting group and we have concerns about how these changes will impact women only safe spaces.
We have never and will never support hate...

The majority of our recent projects have been working with rough sleepers, the homeless and those that have been excluded from society. The issues they face include: unsupported/ mental health illness, sexual violence and prostitution, childhood trauma and abuse, domestic violence, poverty, ex care system issues, addiction, prison, rehab, homelessness and austerity.
The people in our community that we represent are the most likely to access/ be placed in sex segregated services. Some have and will access all sex segregated services mentioned.

Our local political and community organisations have been infiltrated by a group of well meaning white middle class Goldsmiths (uni) students. These people although well intentioned have rail roaded many vital projects by introducing identity policies and intersectional thinking without truly understanding or experiencing working class issues.

Meetings we have attended for the purpose of discussing community housing projects and women’s wellness etc have been used as a platform to re educate working class people on the new academic language expected within our organisations.
As anyone from a working class back ground will tell you, these theories and ideologies rarely translate into working class communities.

The extremely small number of transsexual (I use the old term as this has a very different meaning to the university umbrella term currently thrown about) member of the community are and have always been accepted and protected.
However we have now been informed that transgender people are being routinely abused (mis gendered) and should be protected above all other marginalised groups. We can see that all that has actually changed is privileged mainly white students have adopted a set of gender identities that allow them to be considered marginalised. The people we encountered were far from marginalised. In fact they were highly educated, openly classist and aggressive.

This new politics doesn’t equate in our community or for the people we support. We are dealing with working class issues with severely marginalised people and the trans lobby is a gentrification of working class social and political movements. Note the difference between trans lobby and trans people.

No one will discuss our concerns regarding self identification. Our local Labour Party has refused to comment or debate with the working class community. We are attending the meeting this evening as this is only place that is willing to discuss theses issues.
When we are being verbally abused and called fascists and phobic because we are concerned about the effects of policy change on marginalised people it is a direct attack on working class women and grass roots organisations.

So please when you share information about this eventand attempt to shut it down be aware that you are complicit in the silencing of not only women but working class people who have not afforded the privileged of a safe space or university education."

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 24/06/2020 07:30

"Free speech is whatever we say it is", claim dangerous authoritarians who, if given access to real power, would do very alarming things with it.

We can only hope that the majority of the population have realized in time what a terrible idea attempting to compromise with these zealots was.

BovaryX · 24/06/2020 07:32

Being a book publisher comes with a set of tough moral responsibilities... your hiring decisions can greatly influence how UK culture is shaped

That's interesting. This book publisher believes it is at the forefront of shaping UK culture. A grandiose sense of its cultural relevance. And its ability to influence.

the reflexive instinct is to retreat behind the defence of free speech

Au contraire. That is not the reflexive instinct. Not for the legions on Twitter and beyond who believe free speech is something 'problematic' which needs to be controlled. By those shaping UK culture.

Let’s clarify what free speech is and is not. Free speech does not entitle an author to a publishing contract. But it does protect the right of a worker to raise the alarm when they’re asked to participate in something that can cause them or someone else harm or trauma

So freedom of speech is redefined as anything which does not offend anyone. As soon as someone is offended, freedom of speech is 'problematic.' This from a book publisher. I wonder how much 20th century literature would pass the 21st century redefinition of freedom of speech?

TheProdigalKittensReturn · 24/06/2020 07:35

Who asked them to "shape culture" for us?

Pelleas · 24/06/2020 07:35

In my experience working class people quite rightly deride TWAW as the nonsense it is.

'Working class people' are not a homogenous group.

BovaryX · 24/06/2020 07:39

@TheProdigalKittensReturn

Who asked them to "shape culture" for us?
They self identified as culture shapers.
SunsetBeetch · 24/06/2020 07:48

I don't think Pride in Publishing is a publisher itself. Looks to be an LGBT support network/lobby group?

prideinpublishing.co.uk/about-us/

wrongsideofhistorymyarse · 24/06/2020 07:50

@Pelleas

In my experience working class people quite rightly deride TWAW as the nonsense it is.

'Working class people' are not a homogenous group.

Which is why I said 'in my experience'.
Lordamighty · 24/06/2020 07:50

A lobby group thinks they have the right to redefine freedom of speech? They need a reality check.

BovaryX · 24/06/2020 07:51

Sunset

Well spotted. Its name suggests a lobby group.

BovaryX · 24/06/2020 08:03

@Lordamighty

A lobby group thinks they have the right to redefine freedom of speech? They need a reality check.
Precisely. A lobby group lobbies to curtail, restrict and limit freedom of speech in such a way that criticism of the lobby is off limits. It's laughable. Except none of the existential threats to freedom of speech are remotely funny.