The latest in UK children's publishing and the racism of gender ideology

[notyourhandmaid]

For anyone not aware, children's publishing is pretty woke...

The current crisis is a 'known transphobe' being appointed to - essentially - write some blogs. Authors, agents and others in the field are earnestly sharing their vague denouncements - sample here.

twitter.com/Magic_Kitten/status/1369064586029240320
twitter.com/claravulliamy/status/1369181157795971072
twitter.com/alibelle/status/1368961402287894530
twitter.com/andtheHare/status/1369067423006097410
twitter.com/ldlapinski/status/1369209722407186432

This is the awful woman they refer to - an award-winning writer for young people, who also runs two charities, one looking at the trafficking of girls and women in the UK, and the other providing funds for refugee aid teams.
www.booktrust.org.uk/news-and-features/writer-in-residence/#!?q=&sortOption=MostRecent&pageNo=1

The accusations of 'transphobia' are based on a speech at a WPUK meeting in Sept 2019 womansplaceuk.org/2019/10/01/the-sheer-audacity-of-our-existence/

"As I look around in today’s world, I see more and more bewildered women and girls feeling confused, alienated and afraid.
Women like myself and my Sikh or Hindu or Jewish friends who need single-space places to safely unveil, wash up and reconfigure ourselves; or women who are breastfeeding and lactating and needing a space to let it all hang out; or women going through the menopause or chemotherapy who need safe spaces to just be looked after, or young girls on their first ever periods or sprouting breasts who need space for support and reassurance."

As with JKR's essay, there is no suggestion that people might actually read things for themselves and make up their own minds. The writer's been labelled as one of the bad ones. That's it.

These are mostly (though not exclusively) white, middle-class women criticising a woman of colour who writes about and works to support refugees, victims of domestic violence, victims of trafficking. But not overtly - perhaps because they know that it would look incredibly racist to do so (many of them have condemned JKR on more than one occasion). Perhaps because 'transphobia' is supposed to come from 'the far right' and be allied with 'white supremacy'. Perhaps because they know that with all the evidence to hand, no one in their right mind would think that someone like this is 'bad' rather than 'good'.

It reminds me of the abuse Hibo Wardere and other FGM campaigners get, for focusing on material reality rather than inner identities. And it reminds me of the ways in which 'black women' and 'trans women' are so often paired together as the groups that must be included in your definition of 'women', as though these are simply two different kinds of women when 'black women' is an obvious subset of 'women'. It just seems so unbelievably privileged and the kind of behaviour that gender ideologues/TRAs claim GC feminists engage in.

The level of DARVO-ing is too much sometimes!

Oh this makes me feel utterly sick.

Those self-righteous arseholes, that Clara, those awful people trying to destroy a woman (a woman of colour!) for her perfectly rational beliefs based on material reality.

Im still shocked and disappointed at the publishing industry. I thought they were better than this.

I think this might be what Rachel Rooney the children's author has tweeted about too:

"Dear children's book industry, I am witnessing in real time a nasty cohort of bullying authors attempting to cancel an author from her role. There's a core of around 10 of them, the same bunch who came for me last year when I wrote My Body is Me. The MO is the same 1/
making unfounded accusations of 'phobia', discuss this publicly on SM, people jump in to express disgust without looking closely at the truth & now they are openly discussing how they are going to contact her employer to get them to 'rethink their appt'. Yesterday, I witnessed 2/
another author be bombarded with nasty messages ( her words) for simply congratulating said author on her appt. She tried to express nuance but has now deleted her account (livelihood) bc the pressure was so great. Most of you can see this happening but are looking on in fear 3/
from these cry bullies. I would challenge them but I'm blocked of course. If you care for the reputation of the children's book industry please stand up to this bullying and support where possible. DMs open & confidentiality assured."

There is an awful lot of positivity from authors & publishers & book people retweeting the book trust's announcement, so the majority are not joining in. But it only takes a handful of zealots to target someone, especially if they demonstrate what can be expected by punishing someone for congratulating her. Hopefully some will start reading up.

I had not heard of Onjali Rauf but she appears to be a brave and inspirational woman who does actual good for her community. These craven idiots remind me of the witch hunts. "Look over there, she's the bad woman. Not like me. Please don't look at me."

OR is a really wonderful writer for children. Wonderful. I've given her first book to loads of people and I can't think of anyone better to be the Booktrust Writer in Residence.

I cannot believe anyone can take those comments about women and girls from diverse backgrounds needing private spaces away from men and call her a 'known transphobe'.

It's a hideous bubble of their own prejudice and narrow world-view, but they can't see it.

Right then, off to write to BookTrust in support of their appointment.

And why the fuck would you write a book about gender euphoria for kids? Can't they just let kids be kids? Sounds like grooming to me

This is what she said which triggered accusations of transphobia - summarised - trans women can never be women.

“But as Greta Thunberg says, ‘Don’t listen to me. Listen to the scientists.’

The ones that tell you that no amount of surgery can eradicate the strength, the organs, the differentiating chromosomes and atoms which forge and differentiate the biological sexes.

The ones that tells us that no matter how much you want a physical body to cross over to the ‘other’ side, and how hard you work to reassign the gifts you were born with, you will still have strengths, experiences, privileges that we women will never ever have been gifted.”

Yes it is what Rachel Rooney is talking about! Several of the same people who went after her are involved, and some of them are quite influential.

Not including the actual source of this 'transphobia' is deliberate. Just label the witch and watch her burn.

Who the hell do they think they are. Wonder if Philip Pullman is going go join in.

@DadJoke

This is what she said which triggered accusations of transphobia - summarised - trans women can never be women.

“But as Greta Thunberg says, ‘Don’t listen to me. Listen to the scientists.’

The ones that tell you that no amount of surgery can eradicate the strength, the organs, the differentiating chromosomes and atoms which forge and differentiate the biological sexes.

The ones that tells us that no matter how much you want a physical body to cross over to the ‘other’ side, and how hard you work to reassign the gifts you were born with, you will still have strengths, experiences, privileges that we women will never ever have been gifted.”

Sounds pretty unassailable. Let me guess, it's not what she said, it's the way that she said it? It's not what she actually said, but it's the hidden meaning which only the righteous can decode? It's not what she said, but the fact that she said it at all?

summarised - trans women can never be women.

And vice versa, symmetrically.

From that she even phrased it in a trans-centric/positive way - that almost reads more as an argument for why women shouldn't claim to understand the experiences of transwomen...

Wow. It's pretty chilling seeing these women doing the job of the patriarchy with their vicious witch hunting. I've followed all the twitter links (well except Clara Vulliamy who has me blocked despite the fact I've never engaged with her). They come across as really vicious, but they and their supporters can't see it at all. They think they're the good guys. Never has the term "luxury beliefs" seemed so apt.

How can we support Onjali Rauf?

This makes me so sad and angry. I wondered who RR was referring to. I will see how I can support OR openly (and will also go and buy more of her books). She was at a literary festival I went to and spoke beautifully and the audience loved her.

OR's charities:
Making Herstory: makingherstory.org.uk/
O's Refugee Aid Team: www.osrefugeeaidteam.org/

Booktrust contact details:
www.booktrust.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/

What vile nasty bullies. Can someone make sure they have screen grabs because when the tide turns this gang of mean girls can’t deny what they are doing to a woman of colour in their attempt to be the woke brigade. Disgusting people.

Also how very racist of them.

Onjali Rauf is an excellent writer and her book The Boy at the Back of the Class has been a bestseller. Sounds like old-fashioned envy is playing a role here too. All of these writers just clamouring to denounce others for not agreeing with their views, makes me sick. Even just standing up for women and saying no-one should be hounded gets you cancelled (remember the Kiran Millwood/mslexia scandal?) Do none of them understand the importance of free speech, let alone that someone might have a valid viewpoint based on reality?

It's notable that those who think Onjali Rauf is transphobic don't seem to be tagging the Books Trust or posting on the Books Trust thread, or that's how it looks. It's more of a stealth operation.

Children's publishing is indeed woke central but this appointment and the voices speaking up in favour of it show the tide might be turning here?

I work in this field. It's horrific! The number of people who just swallow the nonsense without even considering the facts, and accept without question the idea that someone who questions the monothink or even just defends or speaks about women is an evil trans-hater.

Black lives matter is spouted at every opportunity but goes down the toilet when there's a chance to vilify a woman, any woman for speaking out and not playing nice-nicey-be-kind.

It's partly because the "nice" image of children's books is at such a premium and there's a huge pressure to be seen to be lovely, kind, accepting and fun fun fun! Most children's writers, agents and publishers fall over themselves to boast about how trans-positive they are without thinking about why, what it means and whether pushing a trans narrative is best for kids, is regressive in terms of stereotypes, or is claiming something that's basically untrue. And of course it's a huge publishing trend so everyone wants to be chummy with the authors on a pedestal, such as Juno Dawson.

I've been disappointed in many friends and famous faces.

So far I'm flying slightly under the radar, but not totally. If anyone wanted to finger me as a TERF they could. I've made my peace with the fact that I may lose my livelihood and have to get a different job, but I'm not going to parrot the party line.

“Raúf is also the founder of the NGO Making Herstory, a women's rights organisation tackling the abuse and trafficking of women and girls in the UK and beyond. She is also the founder of O’s Refugee Aid Team, which provides support for refugee families surviving in Calais and Dunkirk, after she first began volunteering in the refugee camps of Calais and Dunkirk in 2015.”

What racist bullies to be going after this woman. Utterly morally bankrupt.

This has really upset me as well. I feel terrible that for the usual reasons I can't support Onjali publicly on twitter. It all just comes across as so racist, unnecessary and nasty and i'm shocked at how many childrens' authors are jumping on the bandwagon.

It's partly because the "nice" image of children's books is at such a premium and there's a huge pressure to be seen to be lovely, kind, accepting and fun fun fun! Most children's writers, agents and publishers fall over themselves to boast about how trans-positive they are without thinking about why, what it means and whether pushing a trans narrative is best for kids, is regressive in terms of stereotypes, or is claiming something that's basically untrue. And of course it's a huge publishing trend so everyone wants to be chummy with the authors on a pedestal, such as Juno Dawson.

This is at the centre of it, I agree.

We absolutely should be showing children that acceptance and tolerance of diversity is the future, and identity issues and sexuality issues are part of that, but so too are different cultural and religious beliefs and so too are differences between sexes, which can exist alongside

I find the binary of ‘for women’s rights and spaces = against trans people” to be so bloody ironic, in this world where we’re all supposed to be open to diversity. Are we promoting inclusivity at all costs? Are we saying it’s OK to teach children that if they have a natural boundary they’re uncomfortable with, they should ignore it? Really?

You can support and raise up awareness of diverse identities/expressions of gender whilst simultaneously doing the same thing in other areas too. It’s not bloody either/or. How can children’s publishing represent diverse communities and the children raised in them if they tear down reasoned and questioning voices in their own community.

I hate it.

We absolutely should be showing children that acceptance and tolerance of diversity is the future, and identity issues and sexuality issues are part of that, but so too are different cultural and religious beliefs and so too are differences between sexes, which can exist alongside

This is all so true - but what pisses me off so much is that there have been efforts in children's publishing to help children break away from gender stereotyping - to encourage girls into STEM, to show males and females in illustrations not having to conform to gender roles (so for example a good editor would make sure not to always show a builder as male, or a child picking a daisy as female, etc) and I'm proud of being part of that.

But now books are actively being published that talk about boy stuff and girl stuff, and how gender is binary - no it's not - and if you don't feel you "fit your gender role" you're non-binary/not a boy/not a girl. It's directly contrary to what we've been trying to do. The idea that gender roles can't be broken out of, so only girls do "girl stuff and only boys do boy stuff, and that's how you know if you're a girl or a boy. I'm FURIOUS at how regressive that is, how damaging, and I don't understand that left, modern people who were totally on board with breaking down gender stereotypes a few years ago, are now pushing the opposite agenda, and somehow can't even seem to see it?

That's aside from pushing the rainbow woo that being trans is all lovely a positive and wonderful. Even most trans people will agree it's not easy, let alone the detransitioners who are left with appalling damage. But because it's aimed at children, it has to be lovely fluffy fun and acceptance and no asking why.

So

I'm very wary of the theme of "kindness" in children's books now.

There's "kindness" as "life is one big charity project, where you benevolently display your good deeds towards grateful, token others of different skin colours and disabilities"

Then there's kindness as in "when someone walks all over you, you just bend over backwards even harder, and in the end they might appreciate it - especially if you're a girl".

I can't help making the odd wry comment when I read these kinds of books aloud. Kindness is what comes naturally to most people. Children need to learn manners, not martyrdom.

There's some names on that list I'm very disappointed to see. I thought better of them