Damian Barr

[AbsintheFriends]

I know there's loads going on at the moment, and Damian Barr is just one bearded misogynist in an increasingly dystopian world, but he's the one who kicked up a huge self-righteous fuss about Baroness Nicholson and got her ousted from her position at the Booker Prize on the grounds of homophobia and transphobia. Who would have imagined that such a zealous icon of ideological purity would turn out to have said things like this??

twitter.com/MLagouste/status/1278345389150662658

(Oh yes. Any one of the several million of us on FWR who has seen a bearded misogynist hiding behind a trans-rights banner...)

I don't think it's about saying nothing. Lots of us called out Barr for his misogyny and hypocrisy which were blatantly apparent from the moment he went after Baroness Nicholson and I completely agree with NoSquirrels that it's about targeting JK Rowling by proxy.
They are all bullies and cowards.

Either apologies are acceptable in which case Damian Barr now needs to apologise for the sexist and racialised stuff he tweeted too, and should apologise properly (without blaming other people) for the awful transphobic suicide mocking tweet. Then he can start a clean slate.
And if apologies are acceptable then the Baroness should be reinstated by Booker.
The Savoy, and anyone else standing by Damian Barr, but without calling on Booker to reinstate the Baroness as part of that, is promoting sexist double standards.

Or.... the alternative is that apologies for nasty tweets are not acceptable in which case they should both be cancelled.

Secondly, the accusations that the Baroness has been ‘homophobic’ have still not been substantiated. So that slur should be withdrawn and she should be apologised to.

Or... if it’s ‘homophobic‘ simply to vote against same sex marriage (which IMO is not a proof of homophobia, as much I personally think the option of marriage should be open to same sex couples) then to be consistent David Willletts should be kicked out of Booker as a Trustee, as well as the Baroness being let go. Trustees have actual power in directing the Booker charity. She was only in an honorary role.

People can’t have this all ways without having glaring double standards.

Anne, I meant that all the things Damian Barr is failing to say are so very telling.

People can’t have this all ways without having glaring double standards.

Yes, but 'glaring double standards' seems to be having a moment lately.

Ah you have to have a heart of stone not to laugh 😆😆

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/damian-barr-ousted-by-arts-festival-after-being-accused-of-transphobic-tweet-mqtbpgtgw

Sorry on my phone so can’t go share token

Unsurprising. Many of the 'TRAs' and wokebro supporters are simply MRAs..ecstatic to have found some way of removing womens rights. Quite clear not many of them actually give a shit about transsexual people, thats for sure..

I get a link to the Times saying this article has been removed. What was the story?

That he had been asked to leave the Brighton fringe because of his disgusting transphobic tweets. According to prick news (not going to link) he stepped down

thank you. That’s interesting. Wonder if he’ll use the extra spare time to think about cancel culture, misogyny and campaign to have Baroness Nicholson reinstated at the Booker as well as apologising to her?

Wow just read this thread properly..the fucking arrogance it takes to basically scream that those who found the transphobic tweets(that HE made, and much more actually transphobic than most things I have seen that are from GC people..) and brought them up are the transphobes in this situation?! What? And this is accepted too?

Such privilege the bepenised ones have eh?

I wondered what the long term consequences would be for Damian Barr. They turn out to be him getting his own programme on Radio 4:

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000xf0n

Who would have imagined that such a zealous icon of ideological purity would turn out to have said things like this??

Agreed, the mere fact that somebody has the arrogance and self-confidence to make the comments he did about the Baroness should be taken like the warning rattle on a rattlesnake about the likelihood of certain attitudes.

Ah, but he's one of the Naice right thinking ones.

I will never, ever get over him making a joke about a failed suicide attempt. It's despicable. As well as transphobic, actually transphobic.

I wondered what the long term consequences would be for Damian Barr. They turn out to be him getting his own programme on Radio 4:

Of course they are. He's a man. It doesn't matter how many nasty transphobic comments he makes, he's immune.

@ArabellaScott

Ah, but he's one of the Naice right thinking ones.

I will never, ever get over him making a joke about a failed suicide attempt. It's despicable. As well as transphobic, actually transphobic.

Me neither.

God, I’m so sick of the sexism. Does he still speak the same way about women, even if he’s been forced to lay off the transphobia?

I hadn't seen any sexist comments, Sophocles. What a nasty, small minded bully of a man he is coming across as.

The BBC dropped Gareth Roberts for far less.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/26012114.bbc-scotland-pulls-plug-the-big-scottish-book-club/

"BBC Scotland chiefs have pulled the plug on their flagshipTV programme championing the nation's leading writers and poets.
Host Damian Barr has revealed that Pacific Quay chiefs have decided to scrap The Big Scottish Book Club after seven years.
The writer and broadcaster, who announced that the show had been scrapped on social media, said he was “really sad” and “disappointed” that the BBC had decided to shelve the programme after its most recent run of episodes last August and September."

https://x.com/TwisterFilm/status/2042671189802242306
Thread by Malcolm Clark.

Tittering sickly, anyone?

😬

Malcolm Clark’s not pulling any punches there. “Damian Barr has all the charm of Philip Schofield on zoplicone but managed to polish his turkey teeth with public money for years.“ Ouch!

In case anyone doesn't get that reference, it was explained here back in 2020:

https://x.com/wwwritingclub/status/1278957870281826304

It was noted at the time that Barr, who had been content to use highly discriminatory language about a trans person in great distress, was Mr Teflon but the woman he targeted for bad words was cancelled at his behest.

The bastard got Baroness Nicholson booted off the prize she set up! A more odiously prickish act I struggle to think of.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jun/25/booker-foundation-vice-president-removed-after-homophobia-row-emma-nicholson

'Barr welcomed the Booker Foundation’s “decisive move”. “I think it sends a really clear message to other arts organisations that there is no room for discrimination and hatred,” he said.
But he insisted that the Booker still needs to take further action: “I hope they realise the steps they’ve taken are part of a journey and that has to include a diversity review, which is well resourced and funded and public, so that faith can be restored in the prizes.”'

Smoke out those witches, Damian! No room for hatred in your shrivelled, nasty, vindictive wee heart.

Excellent news, and not before time.

After his spiteful targeting of Baroness Nicholson several of us wrote to various organisations (the Savoy, the RSA, the BBC) pointing out his unsuitability for association with their brands!

I saw him at one of his 'salons' in Brighton (before it all blew up) and my god, he came across as an odious little man...