Julie Bindel interview 2012

[ScoldsBridle]

This is floating around at the moment - if you google ‘Paris Lees interviews Julie Bindel’ you’ll find a video.

I’m not posting to stir but I am absolutely fascinated to learn why Julie Bindel ever thought that 2 Transwomen who were dating each other were fine to call themselves lesbians. And that a lesbian woman in love with, having sex with, a Transwoman could class this as a lesbian relationship.

When did she change her mind about this? Is this covered in her new book? I wonder if this was a widely held opinion within the Lesbian community circa 2012?

Paris Lees is going to be everywhere soon as the 8-part TV adaptation of her semi-autobiographical novel ‘What it feels like for a Girl’ is going to be aired soon. The publicity has began and it looks like it will hugely appeal to the Heartstopper Generation and anyone wanting a bit of early 2000s nostalgia. I’ve seen most of the cast attending recent Protests against the SC ruling. All very young, glamorous Transwomen carrying banners saying stuff like ‘Protect the Dolls’ and being embraced by the likes of Munroe bergd**f.

Why don't you buy her new book and find out for yourself.

Does she explain this in it? I might pop along to Waterstones…

But in the meantime. I’d like to discuss it on here because this interview is going to get trotted out more and more over the coming months. Just a heads-up that Lees’ 8-part drama is getting its debut in June at this years SXSW Festival along with Bergd**fs documentary ‘Love and Rage’. ‘Protect the Dolls’ is going to be everywhere.

Julie talked about it on one of her podcasts and said she really regretted it. I think she said she was exhausted and pressured into going along with it but never actually agreed with what she said.

I think it was on an early Lesbian Project episode.

I wouldn’t overthink it. In its infancy, I think everyone took a benevolent view of transgender - the numbers were far fewer, the individuals involved were less threatening and generally a lot more mentally ill. I knew a couple of ‘transsexuals’ growing up, they were alcoholics who people crossed the road to avoid and in a very sorry state. It wasn’t until around 2014/15 IIRC that gender identity took off and the world of puberty blockers, toxic social media and aggressive TRAs really started to unfold. I think judging retrospectively doesn’t really work, I probably would’ve given the same answer at that point.