David Aaronovitch in the Times comes out as GC

[Pluvia]

Excellent article explaining why girls are the ones who suffer in all these social contagion situations. I'm on a cheap subscription deal and don't seem to have access to share tokens. Perhaps someone could add a readable link?

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/whatever-the-panic-girls-are-always-victims-7t89ktvfd

Excellent. He write a book about conspiracy theories and conspiracy thought and has always been a clear, logical thinker. Good for him for putting his head above the parapet.

David 🥃

Whatever the panic, girls are always victims

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6e6a03ee-f240-11ec-b7b8-d1bfbe7f1c7e?shareToken=a7dfbba53c5079962801c69da7bffae4

Hopefully this will work:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6e6a03ee-f240-11ec-b7b8-d1bfbe7f1c7e?shareToken=29de2ce74f9e51e5e9d599eb298b0d22

He makes some excellent points there.

Thanks @ResisterRex

Not "coming out" now - he positively reviewed Helen Joyce's Trans when it was first published, and did his "coming out" then.

In each of the historical instances I’ve talked about here a fashionable and narratively satisfying diagnosis captured a profession and an institution. It wasn’t because people were wicked or liars or that there wasn’t a genuine problem. But a dogma was established which it was initially very hard for other professionals to question without being condemned.

This really resonated with me, it's like the establishment of a new religion. Obey the doctrine or be condemned.

Of course this is what’s going on. In a decade people will be hanging their heads in shame about what they were convinced to believe, and what they allowed to happen.

a really good, considered article, thanks for posting

That's a good article and the times are showing the comments on a share token again 🥳

I agree, it's a very good read. Although many women (including Helen Joyce) have made similar points in the past. Maybe he will be listened to more than they were.

I watched a documentary about nursery school owners in the US being prosecuted for very bizarre satanic ritual child abuse. It struck me at the time as being so similar to the gender stuff. Glad someone has written about the similarities so well.

It was Helen Joyce's book that shifted Aaronovitch off the fence.

DA quotation from his review:

"I’m off the fence. I will call people by the name and pronouns they tell me they want to be called by. I am prepared to defend their right not to be discriminated against at work and in shops, to defend them against bullying and harassment. But as Joyce says so passionately, that doesn’t change reality. A penis is a male sex organ, men don’t have babies. Women exist."

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4298023-David-Aaronovitch-Review-of-Helen-Joyces-Book

It's a very good piece.
There is so much excellent coverage of this issue in the Times. Mind you, the unfortunate Helen Rumbelow has a dire comment piece today about the end of the "single sex experiment" and the comments below are scathing from the majority of commentators.

David's been good on this for a while.

I haven't been keeping tabs. Now I'm nudged I remember he was positive about Helen Joyce. This is the first time I'd have felt confident that he was on-side.

Good article, I seldom check for updates in the afternoon so thanks for flagging. Makes me feel desperately sad for the girls involved

An excellent piece by Aaronovitch. The Times are really covering this issue a LOT.

I know this isn't the point but it's hurting my head that it says both "Sybil" and "Sibyl" over and over.

Not just me, then.
Maybe Sybil and Sibyl were different fictional "alters"?! 😉

He also challenged Billy Bragg on Twitter I think when he said something silly about GC women.

David's a good man. Have a great deal of respect for him ever since he handed Owen Jones his arse, gift wrapped, on twitter for one of his many misogynistic rants.
I remember in the 70s when I was a teenager, satanic abuse stories featured heavily in the tabloids, they were everywhere. Even then as a kid I remember thinking this is bollocks.

Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s excellent. He’s been on the case for some time including on Times Radio. Sunlight, blessed sunlight.

He certainly has been. You’re welcome for this beautiful reminder 😊😊

This article was picked out in the newspaper review on the Today programme just now.

Nice.