Radio4 "Today" prog 22 April: Patrick Harvie (Scottish Greens)

[yetanotherusernameAgain]

I caught the tail end of him being asked about the Cass Report, just before 7am.

Nick Robinson asked him repeatedly if he accepted the report's findings but Harvie cherrypicked a few of the findings to defend the TRA side (eg puberty blockers are beneficial before the age of 15) and went into a monologue saying the report has been politicised and weaponised by anti trans people who want to erase trans people's existence. Nick Robinson repeatedly asked him over his monologue if he supported the report's findings but he droned on and refused to answer.

Programme recording will be available after the programme finishes.

Thanks OP. Placemarking to listen.

It's a positive that Nick Robinson repeatedly pushed him on that question.

Here he is avoiding the question earlier this week too on BBC Scotland earlier this week, instead making it all about himself and the "culture wars"..

https://twitter.com/WingsScotland/status/1781995420387778841?t=DQ-fDG058W2Y8sVk0R8r1Q&s=19

Here's my response from X to that tweet:

Ah yes. I remember his hate crime issue:

^www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/11165092/man-charged-homophobic-abuse-patrick-harvie/^

Yet again we get the conflation of the T with the LGB to create a smoke and mirrors effect about "transphobia".

The T is so firmly welded on, even though the idea of "gender identity" is a contested belief.

I think the BBC were a bit mean to Harvie, placing him as they did, there's a forced perspective that makes him look absolutely weeny. Like Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis Elijah Wood as Gandalf and Gollum Frodo.

I think the perspective is a perfect metaphor for his intellectual height.

'This bald man is small, this one is far away'

🤣

Just caught this on catch up. He pressed him multiple times and got nothing clear. I feel that it is important to keep pushing at this. People nominally 'in charge' should not be allowed to undermine legitimate research not matter that they don't like the outcomes.

I still haven't had chance to listen but Helen Joyce quote tweeted a very apt thread about the Oedipus Trap. Patrick seems like an example of someone who could have fallen in to it:

https://twitter.com/HJoyceGender/status/1781962486603731047?t=SuW7qA9mKOt2wekJJNCgpA&s=19

Here's the article she's referring to (it's also worth reading the author's full thread if you have access to X):

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/02/14/walter-freeman-lobotomy-regret/

Archived copy of Washington Post article:

https://archive.ph/HjXYo

Recording here

x.com/mrsnickyclark/status/1782291732836598248?s=46&t=A2fpFNgDRyXF2d6ye97wEA

In more positive news, I have just seen the English Green Party's health spokesperson say that she unequivocally supports the Cass review and Anyone who misrepresents her recommendations & politicises them, is doing a grave injustice to children’s health &wellbeing

x.com/doctorpallavi/status/1781813271026188429?s=46&t=A2fpFNgDRyXF2d6ye97wEA

Haha, love it, it sums up Harvie’s intellectual ability perfectly 👌🏻

It’s massively reassuring that the BBC is in some places at least honouring the Cass report. It’s a good start to golden bridges.

Harvie can't be seen to support the Cass Review because the trans activists in his party would hang him out to dry.

He also can't outright condemn it, because that would be insane.

Rock/hard place.

(He also can't apparently just say he hasn't read it).

Lots of people stuck betwix rocks at the moment it seems

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/shameful-patrick-harvie-doubles-down-32642297

Take it away, Bobby.

Who's that brilliant Scottish comedian who sings songs about the Green party on this? I can picture the video of him poking fun at Ross Greer, Patrick Harvie and others in a particularly genius example about children and gender identity.
Do you know the one I mean?

ShaunyBoy is a comedian, but no songs?

https://twitter.com/ForWomenScot/status/1782303759793537386

FWS have clips of Slater and Bell on Cass.

Crikey. Bell seems very confident in his assertions.

Answered my own question by doing a MN search. I had remembered incorrectly that it's songs, but very funny sketches. As I'm not in Scotland, some of it went over my head but there is enough about gender identity stuff and a very clear articulation of the dynamic in the party:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4879529-shauny-boy-on-the-greens-in-scotland

Rock and a hard place indeed.

Perhaps the statement from the health spokesperson will have an impact on that?

Thank you! Cross posted.
Yes, I'd remembered the songs part incorrectly. It was just sketches.

That's the health spokesperson fo GPEW, not GP of Scotland. There is historic tension and there was a move to disaffiliate the two parties, over alleged 'transphobia' in GPEW, not sure what happened with that.

Ah, of course.