Nancy Kelly and Christine Burns on Al Jazeera

[OhHolyJesus]

I can't imagine who thought it was a good idea for Stonewall to agree to this interview, given the source of funding for Al Jazeera and the regime that sees homosexuals imprisoned or murdered for their sexual orientation.

I think Stonewall's Head if Media left or took a sabbatical recently so I'm guessing, if the post remains vacant it didn't involve a debate and ultimately Nancy Kelly who agreed it anyway. I'm completely baffled, it can't be that Nancy didn't know this can it?

You tube link in thread:

https://twitter.com/nancymm_k/status/1474429308269695011?s=21

It’s utterly shocking. They’re getting desperate now, aren’t they?

Aside from the point the OP is rightly making, I found this utterly disingenuous from the leading questions of the interviewer, the bandying around of terms like transphobia and conversion therapy with no explanation or definition offered (one in seven people in the UK is transphobic apparently, wtf does that even mean?) to the casual disregard for women's concerns and traducing of women speaking out as 'not real feminists'. Add to that the annoying habit NK has of turning every statement into a question? I suppose with their 'no debate' strategy this is what Stonewall has been reduced to - thoroughly biased discourse broadcast on a channel funded by a regime that imprisons people and worse for the 'crime' of homosexuality. Not a good look.

I couldn't see the youtube link mentioned in the OP as I'm not on twitter. There's another link to the interview here. Christine Burns transplains feminism with the help of a whole heap of straw men.

www.aljazeera.com/program/upfront/2021/12/24/what-is-behind-the-rise-in-transphobia-in-the-uk

Is this what's known as "scraping the barrel?"

Jaysus. They are really not minding their brand very well. Al jazeera does some fantastic journalism, and it is healthy to have a major international news outlet from outside the west. However, on LGBTQ issues it is madness for Stonewall to go on and not address the fact that gay people are executed in Qatar. This is the very thing they should be focusing their efforts on instead of trying to convince the world of gender woo woo. This is what a truly oppressed group looks like.

The many ‘guilt by association’ reminders are coming thick and fast I see. I saw last night that LGBA said that they would only agree to be on that channel if they could point out the issues within the regime, including the number of deaths associated with building the new stadium.

So, all posters who use the ‘right wing/far right/conservative /evangelical/ white supremist/ nazi’ trope will now stop repeating that trope? Because Christine Burns and Nancy Kelley (who has to be fair, made a mockery of other previously used tropes this year too) have ‘aligned’ themselves with who now?

Excellent. No debate was such a useful tool, wasn’t it?

It does seem that now everytime it happens, a brick in the foundations of their arguments crumbles. Whereas arguments against prioritising gender when sex counts get strengthened with more evidence being added to the archive, another court win, another male beating females at sport. Nancy Kelley is proving to be Stonewall’s greatest asset, I am sure.

I've been trying to think of the words I want to say and I'm struggling with how monumentally stupid it's is as the head of stonewall to give an interview to a network funded by a country which persecutes gay men and lesbians.

The TRAs are invited on BBC etc but refuse due to their 'No Debate' policy.

Stonewall may as well go the whole way IvyTwines and promote holidays to Iraq with some "sex change" surgery thrown in.

I request my post be deleted because it was about Iran, where homosexuality is illegal but sex change surgery state-subsidised and encouraged. I'm not sure whether Al Jazeera broadcasts to Iran but the BBC in the past - 2014 and 2008 - has done features on the pressure in Iran for homosexuals to have surgery and if you read the long feature on the BBC's website from 2014, 'The gay people pushed to change their gender' there are some striking parallels to what's going on here now, though obviously in the West the societal pressures leading to it have come from a different direction.

Stonewall list Qatar as one of the most homophobic countries in the world but I guess that doesn't matter to Nancy any more

Al Jazeera is a very peculiar TV station, it is owned by the Emir of Qatar but often gives air to organizations that are illegal in Qatar thus transmitting the sort of views that are rarely broadcast elsewhere in the Arab world.

I would not blame anyone for appearing but the gushing praise Nancy and Christine are dishing out makes them look a tight couple of pillocks

This thread from Iseult White is spot on.

twitter.com/iseult/status/1475523364408147977?s=21

I've only been following this shit show in depth for about a year now. It seems every single new day provides another "WTF?" moment, but this really does take the biscuit.

I don't have an issue with SW or really any organization agreeing to do an interview with a major news network, even one in a country that is quite backwards in some ways, even related ways.

However I would hope those who like to accuse those on the other side of this issue of being "allies" to various entities they may speak to or have interviews with would now shut up about it.

SW is talking crap as usual, mind.

I have been on these boards long enough to remember when Julia Long, Venice Allen and Posie Parker (and Megan Murphy?) went to Washington and the platform was provided by the right wing Heritage Foundation…..because none of the left wing think tanks etc would host them.

This set of a huge debate about were they right or wrong. Kathleen Stock was one of those who thought they were wrong.

If you want to get your message out you may need to make choices/compromises about the platform.

But Al Jazeera for a gay right organisation. Stonewall needs to give its corporate head a wobble.

But why not? Isn't that the kind of place where they might want to create some level of credibility? Or create a dialogue? The Arab world isn't made up of people who only think one thing, even in the most oppressive places. What media would it be appropriate to go on in terms of broadcasting in teh Arab world?

Not to say they accomplished making a good impression, it seems to me a wasted opportunity, but the problem wasn't the media platform.

Not seen it will watch.

A strange thing all round.

I watch Al Jazeera a fair bit.

They are really good for around world more, here BBC etc it's generally omg Syria! Give it a few days coverage. Then move on. The situation has not gone away. Updates? Omg few days and.. what's happened since?

In depth features on various topics. Good journalism imo. Good source for English language wider news.

I admit I haven't been looking out for if/how many etc bits on lgbtqi etc or the area that funds them. Which would be a help to me.

They cover meaty stuff from around the world.

Stonewall a whole interview feels v out of place.

Just remembered, interesting point.

Have seen a fair few pieces around.
About how good Iran is for trans rights.
Surgery available and v subsidised etc. Other yay stuff.

One I remember ended scratching head over weird so good on trans rights and so terrible on LGB.

I mean FFS.

That might well be relevant to stonewall on and them doing interview. Maybe.

Stonewall is a T org now but lgb after all.

Not lgb

Did anyone else spot Nancy's "women, more highly educated people are more likely to be supportive" line?

How does that square with all the highly educated, female Terfs you hate Nancy? Or are you just talking about people who 'identify' as highly educated?

But why not? Isn't that the kind of place where they might want to create some level of credibility? Or create a dialogue?

You think this was broadcast in Arabic / within the borders of the ME countries?

This was purely an attempt, by Al J’s owners, to slap some pinkwash over Qatar’s deservedly appalling reputation on how their LGB community is treated.