A thought on the Bindel controversy

[steepholm]

There seems to be puzzlement and irritation in some quarters that, despite a nudge-nudge hint from Stonewall that Julie Bindel has not actually won their Journalist of the Year award, and despite an apology from Bindel for the tone (not the substance) of one of her transphobic articles, many in the transsexual community are still unwilling to let her nomination pass without protest. How could they be so churlish?

Well, as a thought experiment, imagine that a national, respected Trans organization had decided to give an award for journalism to a writer who expressed the view that lesbians did not really exist, and that women only pretended to be lesbian for their own political or other advantage. (For a clue as to how that would be received, note that even a hint that some women may do this was enough to send Julie Bindel to her libel lawyer a few days ago.) Further, this hypothetical journalist - whose knowledge and experience of actual lesbians is virtually nil, by the way - has written that a world filled with lesbians would look like the set of The Waltons, with everyone dressed in dungarees. Also, that as lesbians' bodies are clearly designed for heterosexual sex they must (if not actively deceiving) be confused or psychologically disturbed, and that they should be given therapy to effect a ‘cure’. In the meantime, of course, lesbianism should be condemned by society as a whole.

Is it likely that such an award would be uncontested by lesbian activists? Would people then be asking them patronizingly why they objected to their precious lesbian identities being opened to the bracing fresh air of debate? And, if the Trans organization retorted to all objections with a form letter saying the journo was being nominated for her advocacy on trans issues and not her blatant homophobia, would that be enough to silence protest? Do pigs fly?

Comments

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Sounds like that could be happening here!

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Really? Tell me more!

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

I meant, sounds more like the sort of idiocy that would happen here...

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Oh, right! Well, idiocy is wonderfully international. ;-)

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

I heard nothing of this until just now. A quick google of Julie Bindel tells me that Bindel does not limit her patronization to transgender people. She also seems to hate men, vegetarians and any gay people who don't think marriage is a device of heteronormative torture. I rather think transpeople aren't the only ones who ought to be protesting -- although they should certainly be protesting loudly.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Yes, she's a Rita Skeeter, really, more interested in making a splash than finding out who gets wet. Research doesn't seem to be in her vocabulary: most of her transphobic stuff is just warmed-over Janice Raymond, and I'd imagine she shoots from the hip on most other issues too. There'll always be people like that, of course, but what's shocking is that a) she's employed to write a regular column by the main 'liberal' newspaper in the UK, and b) she was nominated for an award by Britain's best known LGB (but notably not T) group.

[gair.livejournal.com]

Oh, well said. (I'm leaving in like 20 minutes and I can't stop reading back through my flist. I feel I should be doing something more productive--)