Fist they came for the trans people

[Rigatone]

Someone I am close to in real life has just posted this on social media. I have some issues with this meme and I would be grateful to hear others thoughts on this?

Will share my thoughts but will let others comment first to help me check my reaction.

somehow I don't think we are going to see similar criticisms from the same quarters.

To be fair, McVey is a sitting MP. Of course her comments get more notice (and subsequent criticism) than a random social media post.

I agree. My point is more it's an inappropriate poem with massive sensitivities which is being opted by all political corners who then don't apply the same thoughts in reverse about what the poem actually means

As PPs indicate, the words are from Pastor Martin Niemöller who has his own complex history. He started out in sympathy with Nazi actions until he was imprisoned for opposing the Nazi control of churches.

https://www.hmd.org.uk/resource/pastor-martin-niemoller-hmd-2021/

Ah the oh so kind, liberal, tolerant ones showing their kindness, liberality and tolerance again I see.

You couldn't get a cigarette paper between them and every other nasty, violent, authoritarian, dictatorial type throughout history the world over.

Deleted due to double post.

Quite.

Authoritarian left is no different to authoritarian right. Pro trans activist no different to a Tory MP.

I doubt it's worth it, unless you know their temperament and they can actually handle disagreement and reasoned argument over this kind of issue.

And if they were that rational, I'm not sure they would be using the poem in such a questionable way!

Obviously people should speak up against crazy ideology, but there is a time and a place.

A friend of mine once posted a meme on Facebook which said something like 'New brand of lipstick specially for Terfs', and it showed a tube of super glue.

And he's a social worker, so presumably not unacquainted with the shit women have to put up with. But hey that's hilarious isn't it, let's glue women's mouths up for speaking.

I didn't say anything, of course.

On here we are always being accused of associating with, being adjacent to, having the same view on Gender Ideology as the far/extreme right. I would dearly love to hear from all those who say this and simper on about trans rights why they so happily accept associating with and siding with those who post the kind of rhetoric highlighted in that post. Never do I hear them disassociating themselves from those who make (and indeed carry out) threats of death, rape, violence, imposing their view by means of violence and subjugation, odd that, so I conclude they are perfectly at ease with it and support it.

the bogey man that justifies all the insane actions of TRAs. Another dramatic meme about trans people and how oppressed they are, it’s 101 we just wanna live our lives…
and shut down your free speech
and encourage your children to have surgeries
and intrude on women’s spaces
and erase gay people’s sexual boundaries.

I also want to comment on ‘have a gay day’. Take it direct from a lesbian - gay people have HAD it with this cause hi jacking the decades of progress we made to assimilate and quietly get on with our lives. That’s without even discussing that trans people are literally erasing homosexuality.

heard about the term ‘cotton ceiling’? Google it if not.

First they came for those with gender dysphoria and started medically transitioning them.
Then they came for the gay people and started medically transitioning them.
Then they came for me, who once did a gender non-conforming thing.

First they came for the trans people...
but they just dug out their old wardrobe and identified with their real sex again and the danger passed.
It's handy when you can choose to opt out of oppression and danger.

This is absolutely horrible.

Sometimes I have reported posts like this on SM as hate speech but no idea what happens next.

Exactly. The whole point of Niemoller’s words is that they are not sanctimonious grandstanding: they are a literal description of his own situation. When the Nazis came for the trade unionists, communists etc. he didn’t speak up. When they came for him, there was no one left to speak for him. His words are a truthful and accurate account of the way the Nazis destroyed different groups, one by one. To appropriate his words to refer to the minor inconveniences of not allowed trans-identifying men into women’s changing rooms is beyond sickening.

Saying ‘first they came for the trans people’ ignores completely all the other groups that people have ‘come for’ over the centuries. But of course they are the most oppressed people ever - probably the only oppressed people ever, and only a terrible bigot (like me) would point out how privileged and entitled they are!

The original poem, 1946
by Pastor Martin Niemöller

“First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me“

I don't approve of the trend of being persistently offended by everything,and I'm not Jewish so in no way want to appropriate the horror of the Holocaust. But, this is actually really effing offensive. Just truly, disgustingly offensive and upsetting.
No, females saying they are sick to the back teeth of males pissing on their sex-based rights does not mean that we're somehow at the forefront of heading for the Holocaust.

What they mean is "Some women said No".
But somehow that means they're Nazis 🤷‍♀️

In general I never do anything political on social media. Not for years, anyway.

I mean, I agree with the post. Like @YesterdaysFuture.

First they came for the gender non conforming girls and fed them years of information designed to make them think that they needed lifelong drugs because they weren't womanly enough, and I spoke out because I've been a feminist for a long time.

😆

Tasteless, not to mention ignorant.

I think this on a par with those posting the original poem posted in response to the proposed smoking in beer gardens ban.

God this is so offensive! I'm so fed up of this knee-jerk, sanctimonious reaction of "WE (the right side of history) must fight for the oppressed," before even bothering to fully understand the situation. This constant applying of opressed and oppressor to everything is so limiting and simplistic. It's just shutting down all reasonable debate so nothing can ever be resolved rationally and respectfully. All these people care about is being seen to be the good guys. It's so egotistical!

I agree with your immediate sentiments, OP.

"I am debating what to say if anything. Will not engage on SM though"
Deffo don't engage on SM.
You don't need to say anything. Play dumb and ask him to explain/justify it. I'll bet that he can't.
If you can plant the germ of a query in his head then that's great. Lots of blokes seem to be starting to get there at the moment thanks to the Olympics.

Oh,there's a surprise.

Not sure that’s a mistake