Eddie Izzard defends JKR

[TundraDweller]

I was surprised to see this -
www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/eddie-izzard-jk-rowling-trans-gender-b632044.html

[dyslek]

Eddie has political ambitions. Eddie is trying to please everyone. Eddie is not sincere in anything that comes out of his mouth.

[TalkingintheDark]

@Dontbeme

I hate the idea we are fighting between ourselves, but it's not going to be sorted with the wave of a wand

This raises my hackles, EI is positioning this as a wee bit of petty bickering and shouldn't we all just get along, when the reality is that women's sex based rights are being eroded and women that speak out on that are shouted down as bigots and risk their livlihoods as well as face threats of rape and murder. He also claims he didn't push being referred to as she on the program but didn't he ask to be referred to as she\her? It was hardly spontaneous on the part of others on the show. I think he is disingenuous and will follow the path that gets him press and attention.

Exactly. It’s Pullman-esque disingenuousness, made worse by the fact he is himself engaged in the deliberate and consistent violation of women’s boundaries and erasure of female rights.

Male oppressor saying that male oppression of women is just us “fighting between ourselves”. Complete denial of the actual dynamic. Pretty vile, actually.

Though I do welcome anyone in the public eye defending JK in any way - and I will await with interest the Twitterati reaction to his comments!

[HecatesCats]

Male oppressor saying that male oppression of women is just us “fighting between ourselves”.

It's so insulting. Eddie Izzard has benefitted from white male privilege his entire career. Eddie has reached the top in a profession in which women still struggle to achieve anything like the sort of exposure Eddie has had. How dare Eddie appropriate women's struggle, by making statements like that Eddie makes it clear that Eddie understands nothing of it.

[AskingQuestionsAllTheTime]

I always go back to medium.com/@MichaelConroy68/my-first-day-out-by-eddie-izzard-c8ff9bcae245 when I read about Eddie Izzard's courage (and beauty, natch.)

Then I remember that in 1985, it was ok to call out a man in a woman's public lavatory, because he was not meant to be there even if he was dressed as a woman at the time. Happy days. Women were safer when that boundary still existed. (Though I bet each of those three girls was really glad she wasn't in there on her own.)

[JellySlice]

I hate the idea we are fighting between ourselves, but it's not going to be sorted with the wave of a wand

Doubtless naive of me, but I interpreted this statement as referring to men fighting between themselves over the dismantling/appropriation/colonisation of female rights.

Shows just how 'coded' my brain is to recognising sex. I did not see myself (ie woman) included in his "between ourselves" statement.

[PotholeParadies]

"Women have been through such hell over history. Trans people have been invisible, too.

"I hate the idea we are fighting between ourselves, but it's not going to be sorted with the wave of a wand.

"Fighting between ourselves". Neat conflation of women and trans people as one group whose aims should agree and who should be pulling together.

Piss off, Eddie.

[PotholeParadies]

I'm now more annoyed with Eddie than I was at any point on the previous thread after the she/her announcement.

So good going there, Eddie.

[WeeBisom]

Well, this settles that despite his grand announcement of being in girl mode everyone still thinks he’s a man - he’s not getting attacked or called a witch on twitter for supporting jkr.

[Abhannmor]

@Notts2021

When I hear the words 'gender-fluid' I always think 'spunk'.
I'm surely not alone in this, am I?

Not now!

I always think of Jeyes Fluid. That's cos I'm of a certain age

[Jetatyeovilaerodrome]

But once you start using wrong-sex pronouns for someone who doesn't conform to the stereotypes for their sex, you're reinforcing the stereotypes by saying that a masculine woman is somehow 'male'.

This sums up the whole problem with transgender ideology.

The second that you start using 'woman' or 'girl' or 'she' to describe a human, purely based on the fact that human wears lipstick/dresses/nail varnish/heels, you immediately perpetuate the stereotype that those things are only for females.

[Abhannmor]

@PotholeParadies

"Women have been through such hell over history. Trans people have been invisible, too.

"I hate the idea we are fighting between ourselves, but it's not going to be sorted with the wave of a wand.

"Fighting between ourselves". Neat conflation of women and trans people as one group whose aims should agree and who should be pulling together.

Piss off, Eddie.

Perhaps ourselves refers to the Blairite wing of Labour to which both Eddie Izzard and JKR belong
...and he has ambitions?

[MimiLaRue]

"If they call me 'she' and 'her,' that's great - or 'he' and 'him,' I don't mind. I prefer to be called Eddie, that covers everything. I'm gender fluid

well I mean, thats great that he's relaxed about it but how does that translate to real life?

If Eddie is fine to be referred to as he or she what does that mean for Eddie wanting to be in female designated spaces? Does that mean men can just decide that that particular day they wish to be a "she" and so therefore are entitled to go into women's changing rooms? how are women supposed to react to this? how are women supposed to know that individual changes their mind when they feel like it? how are women meant to feel safe knowing that any man can just decide to be a "she" that day and enter their safe space?

Its one thing to adopt the full identity of a woman, its another thing entirely to switch around when it suits you and it means women are being placed at great risk. But as usual, noone gives AF because as long as "men" are catered for, thats the most important thing isnt it? urgh

[TalkingintheDark]

@JellySlice

I hate the idea we are fighting between ourselves, but it's not going to be sorted with the wave of a wand

Doubtless naive of me, but I interpreted this statement as referring to men fighting between themselves over the dismantling/appropriation/colonisation of female rights.

Shows just how 'coded' my brain is to recognising sex. I did not see myself (ie woman) included in his "between ourselves" statement.

Forced teaming, innit.

[TalkingintheDark]

This sums up the whole problem with transgender ideology.

The second that you start using 'woman' or 'girl' or 'she' to describe a human, purely based on the fact that human wears lipstick/dresses/nail varnish/heels, you immediately perpetuate the stereotype that those things are only for females.

Yes! Exactly, Jetatyeovilaetodrome. There is no transgenderism without regressive, restrictive stereotypes, which harm everyone, but female people most of all.

When you say certain clothes, looks, feelings, ways of behaving or thinking(!) etc are only for women, or only for men, you reinforce those stereotypes, and Izzard is currently doing that with a vengeance. Another concrete way he’s oppressing women and girls.

The fact that so many men these days “identify as” women doesn’t tell us that they are in fact any kind of woman whatsoever; obviously, it just tells us that the attributes they see as “womanly” are not confined to women but are in fact shared by many men.

(And actually not shared by all women, because the only thing that unites us, and differentiates us from the only other form of human beings, men - is our shared biology, our reproductive class. Whether that biology is functional or not, yadda yadda.)

It tells us there is an infinite variety of ways to be a man, just as there is an infinite variety of ways to be a woman.

This is one of those things that’s so utterly, blindingly, gobsmackingly obvious - like the need to safeguard vulnerable children in a humane society - that you can barely believe the opposite could ever have gained any credence.

Yet here we are.

[AnyOldPrion]

Though I do welcome anyone in the public eye defending JK in any way - and I will await with interest the Twitterati reaction to his comments!

This is possibly the most interesting aspect to me too. Transactivists were crowing in delight that Eddie had come out as definitively onside. Now he’s said something that casts doubt on something central to their creed. Regardless of what we think of him, they can no longer say he’s unequivocally in the trans camp. There will be tears before bedtime!

[bellinisurge]

Someone sees which way the wind is blowing.

[ThatIsNotMyUsername]

Indeed.

[teawamutu]

@MimiLaRue

"If they call me 'she' and 'her,' that's great - or 'he' and 'him,' I don't mind. I prefer to be called Eddie, that covers everything. I'm gender fluid

well I mean, thats great that he's relaxed about it but how does that translate to real life?

If Eddie is fine to be referred to as he or she what does that mean for Eddie wanting to be in female designated spaces? Does that mean men can just decide that that particular day they wish to be a "she" and so therefore are entitled to go into women's changing rooms? how are women supposed to react to this? how are women supposed to know that individual changes their mind when they feel like it? how are women meant to feel safe knowing that any man can just decide to be a "she" that day and enter their safe space?

Its one thing to adopt the full identity of a woman, its another thing entirely to switch around when it suits you and it means women are being placed at great risk. But as usual, noone gives AF because as long as "men" are catered for, thats the most important thing isnt it? urgh

Nailed it. For fuck sake.

[BrassicaRabbit]

I know it's crumbs but I'm happy Eddie said this. It would have been too easy to join the bandwagon against JKR. It doesn't change how I feel about his contempt for the boundaries of teenage girls though.

[Manderleyagain]

Has izzard said anything recently about using female loos etc? People seem to assume he dies now, but I don't know where that's come from other than the incident in the 80s.

Did he actually make any kind of announcement when he was called she? I got the impression the TV show called him she, and from that everyone assumed he was now identifying as a woman? I'm not sure this is a change compared to what he's said in recent yrs. I think it's useful that he's acknowledging that there is something to discuss - he's defending jkr & her right to see the situation the way she does. It implicitly acknowkedges that there is a conflict, or that it's OK to discuss a conflict. I know people will say it's just crumbs (I see where you are coming from) but that actually is brave at the mo. I wish he'd done it when she was under full fire.

Does anyone know a way to access the telegraph article without subscribing?

[TheFleegleHasLanded]

It is indeed forced teaming:

uncommongroundmedia.com/forced-teaming-feminism-lgb-and-trans-rights/

[EightiesRobot]

Defence of JKR is welcome and Izzard clearly wants to be seen as a 'reasonable' voice but he needs to address his use of women's toilets and teenage girls' boundaries following his anecdote, and his position on women only shortlists. I used to really like him but right now he just makes me uncomfortable.

[ThatIsNotMyUsername]

Maybe he’s after a part in a Harry Potter remake?

[SheldonesqueIsUnwell]

His time to support JKR was at the time the flames were highest.

Better a token late than never I suppose - it just isn’t quite as loud as it could have been.

[DryHeave]

When I hear the words “gender-fluid” I think “drunk the gender-fluid” (like Kool-Aid).