Mermaids on Jonathan van Ness

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Just been listening to this out of interest. Features a lawyer/ policy person from Mermaids. Always found JNV very sweet and open minded, and Getting Curious is often interesting on all sorts of subjects. Had to switch it off in the end though. The whole premise is UK judges are bad and stupid (boo) as puberty blockers just pause things for nice kids with supportive parents (yay) and JKR is crazy (obv).

Don’t recommend a listen, but just in case:

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/getting-curious-with-jonathan-van-ness/id1068563276?i=1000506713109

“It’s this idea that killer men are gonna go say they’re trans to compete in sports!... Can’t even make a joke it’s so preposterous,” says JNV. “So was that conflation was what was going on with this [Kiera Bell] case, they were trying to make it into something that it wasn’t?” - bit of a new low (she says, replying to herself)

KB wasn’t mentioned by name in the first half hour, incidentally.

I was a bit eh? Then I realised I was thinking of Jonathan Van Tam, the guy from the doom laden COVID press briefings. As you were...

Ha! Sorry, boatyard. Not quite the same 😂

Mermaids are finished.

Van Ness is very much TWAW so I won't bother listening.

Used to love him in Queer Eye, but he's gone a bit Eddie Izzard now.

It strikes me that many people don't even bother with going direct to the original source when trying to educate themselves on an issue. Why do any research, or any reading when you can can just adopt a position based on a series of Chinese whispers circulated by other people who, likewise, do not really understand the issue or know what they are talking about.

Billy Bragg comes into that category too. Actually thought he could take on Julie Bindel and Ayan Hirsi Ali in a debate - without even understanding first principles.

He’s a very positive character and this came very much from the ‘why are they being so mean to us’ school of thought. Even so I half wondered if between them they’d manage a bit of critical understanding (but of course not).

I like Jonathan but he did write a children’s book about a non binary guinea pig which made me think twice..

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“It’s this idea that killer men are gonna go say they’re trans to compete in sports!... Can’t even make a joke it’s so preposterous,” says JNV. “So was that conflation was what was going on with this [Kiera Bell] case, they were trying to make it into something that it wasn’t?” - bit of a new low (she says, replying to herself)

KB wasn’t mentioned by name in the first half hour, incidentally.

Yes yes, you'd never have anyone who would ever make violent threats against women competing in sports against them... although I do remember a certain grease fire comment from a cyclist

“It’s this idea that killer men are gonna go say they’re trans to compete in sports!... Can’t even make a joke it’s so preposterous,”

It would be preposterous if that was what it was about. What a clueless take.

"It's this idea that men will claim to believe in a religion to the extent that they devote their whole lives, career and social standing to it, just to have access to children they want to abuse! It's preposterous!"

"It's this idea that men will claim to adhere to safeguarding principles just to have access to children they want to abuse! It's preposterous!"

"It's this idea that men will lie to impoverished women who want to start a new life in another country just to rape and prostitute them for money! It's preposterous!"

NB I am not saying ANY trans people have ever or will ever do this. It's an argument about the logic used that is based on the premise that "abusive men" wouldn't lie. Obviously that raises the question of whether it's logically possible to lie about being trans - can't tell what JVN's take is on this?

Another person who wondered how Mr Covid got dragged into this....

“It’s this idea that killer men are gonna go say they’re trans to compete in sports!... Can’t even make a joke it’s so preposterous,”

Because why would a man demean himself by pretending to be female?

Except this only makes sense if you think that being female is vastly different to being male, in some stereotypical sexist way. Take away biological difference and assume a future without restrictive stereotypes and prejudice (which is presumably what JvN wants), and you are just ticking a box on an application form.