Transphobic social media users have posted an insane number of comments claiming that Daniel Radcliffe’s pregnant, cisgender girlfriend is actually a trans woman.
The ‘Gender-critical’ author Suzanne Seddon did not hesitate to imply this over at twitter, though, and by doing so she revealed to the whole world that this is not only about cis versus trans women. Anti-trans activism is fueled by old fashioned misogynistic stereotypes about how women should look and behave.
Erin is taller than Daniel, so they think she has to be transgender.
Many of the transphobes call themselves feminists, but there is nothing feministic about this kind of harassment.
Suzanne brilliantly demonstrates here exactly how transphobia is also based in misogyny, how it’s all about unattainable and oppressive standards and actually nothing to do with trans women at all.
The tweet includes a screenshot of a tweet by Suzanne Seddon, where she, under a photo of Erin and Daniel, writes:
This is Daniel Radcliffes (Harry Potter) Girlfriend. Now what do you see?
If any was ever in doubt about the hateful nature of “gender critical” TERFism (as in “trans-exclusionary radical feminism”), those doubts have been laid to rest after Posie Parker’s visit to Australia.
We believe Parker AKA Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull has made more damage to the so-called “gender critical “movement than anyone has ever done before her.
“If Nazis support your cause…
First of all: Very few supporters show up at her events. They have been constantly outnumbered by LGBTQA supporters as in, for instance, Hobart.
Secondly: Real Nazis showed up in Melbourne. They were using the Hitler salute and attacked trans women, which – of course – showed everyone that Nazis and TERFs are fueled by similar prejudices. The Nazis said they came to be a “vanguard” for Parker.
Thirdly: Unlike in Britain Australian media has , for the most part, presented the truth about the transphobic nature of TERFism.
…it’s a rotten cause”
Victorian Liberals now to move to expel an MP who attended the anti-transgender rally in Melbourne.
The pro-trans independent senator Lidia Thorpe was pulled to the ground after attempting to storm the stage at a rally in Canberra.
Geoffrey Robertson, an Australian human rights barrister, academic, author and broadcaster, put it this way on Australian TV:
“If you need Nazis to support your cause, it’s a rotten cause.”
Greens Senator for lutruwita has a transgender stepson, which makes the TERF transphobia very personal. In the video below he tells the world the truth about “gender critical” TERFs. He says that Parker “and her ilk” should be known as “trans-exclusionary rightwing dropkicks. T-E-R-D-S. They’re not terfs they are terds!”
During the interview, Barrymore and Mulvaney shared tips for keeping your sanity when pelted constantly by toxicity. Barrymore said that reading reviews from her films at a young age was rough and compared it to the social media hatred directed at Mulvaney solely because she is a transgender woman. They shared how to pick yourself up and not dwell on what other people say about you, especially in this age where everyone seems to have an opinion om every other human that they feel compelled to share online.
This was of course to much for the transphobic TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) in social media. By arguing that Drew Barrymore is a bad feminist for accepting and embracing a trans woman, they ended up proving that as bad feminism goes, they are the masters.
Alokvmemnon has presented a great slide show over at Instagram looking into the history of science and how attempts at defining womanhood have aimed at keeping women in check.
As we celebrate the International Women’s Day, this can serve as a reminder of how oppressive narratives do not appear out of nowhere.
//Often people refuse to accept trans women as women by weaponizing the idea of “biological sex.” They argue that trans women are not women because they are incapable of giving birth like "biological females.” They conveniently forget how “biological sex” is a framework that was created by white male scientists in the 19th century specifically to justify discrimination against white women and Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC).
Yale historian Dr. Russet argues that when white women organized for rights in the 19th century, European scientists responded with a “detailed examination of the differences between men and women that justified their differing social roles”. For these scientists, issues of race and sex were one and the same. ‘They focused specifically on white women because they thought that the “lesser peoples of Asia and Africa.. were dispensable whereas white women bore "the future of the race"
After Darwin’s theory of evolution, white male scientists doubled-down on their efforts to deny white women an equal role in society, inserting white women and BIPOC people between themselves and apes in a fabricated racial evolutionary continuum. 'They argued that women were’ "inherently different from men in their anatomy, physiology, temperament, and intellect.” and that white women “lagged behind men, much as primitive people lagged behind Europeans” in the civilizational hierarchy. German scientist Carl Vogt argued that white women’s skulls resembled Black people’s skulls more than those of white men. While white men were seen as unique and distinct from one another, white women were seen as “more generic and less specific”.
Scientists defined womanhood as the ability to reproduce, arguing that women’s pelvises were proof of “the promise of capable maternity” and describing women as naturally having less sexual desire (if any) than men. White women’s fundamental essence was defined as being a reproductive “racial conduit”. Canadian scientist Grant Allen argued that white women were “the sex sacrificed for reproductive necessities”. If white women deviated from this role as reproducing agents, they were pathologized as criminal, unsexed, ugly, and abnormal.
Social Darwinist Herbert Spencer argued that confining women at home and preventing them from working was the “touchstone of high civilization,” unlike Indigenous and Black communities where women worked. Scientists believed that white women couldn’t receive an education or work, because they would lose vital energy that was reserved for reproduction. Ely Van de Warker called this the “penalty of sex” and Herbert Spencer called it “the physical tax which reproduction necessitates.” European male scientists concluded that the primary role of white women was to mother, that she had no other “gift to offer but her healthy - and numerous - offspring.
European scientists leveraged the rhetoric of "biology” to naturalize discrimination against women. This wasn’t legitimate science based on “reliable data;” instead it was often discussed in their research as “common knowledge”. By defining women’s whole being and purpose as reproductive, they were able to justify denying women’s suffrage and women’s mobility as a law of nature, not the result of political choices. Unfortunately, centuries later people continue to use the rhetoric of science - and not the reality of science - to justify discrimination against trans trans and intersex people.
It’s not science to define womanhood solely by genitalia and reproduction, it’s sexism. Womanhood is far more complex and expansive than the ability to give birth.//
There can be no doubt about this: J.K. Rowling is severely transphobic.
Bigots do not want to seen as bigots, even when they are. They therefore often feign sympathy for the group they are harassing in a “I am not a racist, but…” kind of way.
I have lost count on the number of times gender critical TERFs have told me that calling J.K. Rowling transphobic is offensive both to her and to them. This is a fascinating exercise, as there are few people around that have done this much to harm and invalidate transgender women.
(I am not recommending engaging them in a discussion, as they would love to drag you down into their dark rabbit hole of lies and half-truths. Just add a link to the Vox article, so that other readers are informed about the truth.)
J.K. Rowling’s rampant transphobia
Aja Romano writes:
Rowling has made her antagonistic position on trans issues clear through tweets, sound bites, actions, and even a 3,600-word blog post.
By 2023, her transphobia has become so rampant and constant that it’s difficult to build a completely comprehensive timeline of it. For those attuned to it, she doesn’t have to spell it out every single time; it’s a huge part of her identity.
These dog whistles only lead to more confusion, however, allowing people to point to the absence of immediately obvious bigotry to claim she’s being unfairly maligned.
Additionally, she increasinglythreatens detractorswith legal action, which contributes to critics of her behavior falling silent. Conspicuously, many of her legal threats appear to be directed at individuals identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
The destructive nature of the TERF community
Since Rowling began airing her views, her community, especially online where many of these conversations are had, is now stacked with similarly minded people who share her transphobic beliefs.
For instance, Rowling is friends with numerous anti-trans activists, including Helen Joyce, who’s made alarmingly transphobic statements calling for a “reduction” in the number of trans people.
//Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, especially anti-trans rhetoric, is becoming “increasingly vocal and aggressive among the far right, according to HOPE not hate’s State of Hate 2023 report.
The annual report, “the most comprehensive and analytical guide to the state of far-right extremism in Britain today”, cited the increasing spate of protests against Drag Queen Story Hour in the UK as part of “far-right agitation”.//
Posie Parker, Britain’s leading TERF, is seen as one of the biggest threats to trans people. It has become extremely hard to see any difference between left wing and right wing transphobia these days. Posie Parker is collaborating with right wing extremists.
Rebekah Kohlhepp has written a very interesting blog post about realizing and doing something about ones own transphobia over at She Seeks Nonfiction.
Rebekah is a straight cisgender woman who reads and writes about social justice, atheism, religion, science history, and human evolution.
In the blog post she openly presents some of the transphobic stuff she wrote in the past and explains why it is cringe worthy.
The Blaire White Project
These days she sees heer admiration for transgender separatist and transmedicalist Blaire White as the clearest sign of her own transphobia.
Rebekah writes:
If you don’t know her, Blaire White is basically what conservative (or “centrist”) cisgender people wish all trans people were. She passes, she’s pretty, she’s white, she thinks nonbinary people and their pronouns are invalid, and she loves to make fun of any trans person who she perceives as “weird.” She’s the transphobe’s trans.
I remember that virtually everything I said in that post [I wrote] was taken straight from Blaire’s ideas. I loved her videos. I trusted her because she was giving an Official Trans Opinion on Trans Issues and therefore could not be transphobic, or so I thought.
Rebekah found it hard to believe that J.K. Rowling was transphobic:
It seemed like Blaire White was the only person on the planet that saw this the way I did. She was the only one that knew Rowling and Forstater were not transphobic just for believing in immutable biological sex.
Discovering the true face of transphobia
What ultimately made Rebekah change her mind was an angry dismissal from Blaire White regarding vaccinations. Blaire showed her true hostile self and Rebekah was forced into some serious thinking.
Journeys away from harmful ideas or groups, which for me included a bigoted religion and colorblind racism as well as this transphobia, begin with less of an epiphany—”Blaire White is transphobic!”—as it did a snapping-out-of-it moment—”Blaire White is a pretty mean person and doesn’t care about the people who support her. What else does she have wrong?” It didn’t happen all at once, but when the floodgates opened, I could never see Blaire as an honest or kind person again.
That was when I started to really listen to more trans influencers, and to listen to my gut and educate myself when someone says something that feels wrong. I learned that I always need more than one perspective on every issue.
I was able to appreciate and learn from other creator’s videos about why Blaire White does not and never has spoken for the trans community, finally seeing her clearly for who she was (and starting to feel very concerned regarding why Jaclyn Glenn was friends with her).
As for J.K. Rowling, her transphobic vitriol and direct harm to the trans community has become more and more openly violent over time. Before long, it was pretty easy to see through the façade of “I just think sex is real.”
Gender is a colonialist construct
Gender is a colonialist construct, Rebekah now argues, invented so that “men and women would be seen as eternally distinct, with men always in control”. To see gender identity only through a medicalist lens is to not see it, she continues, as “Humanity is not a science”.
To be trans is to listen to what your body and mind are telling you, to use what you know and feel to become your whole, true self. It is to know yourself, and to know your lived experience, better than anybody knows you. And it is to not listen to cis people like me who think we know better.
The existence of transgender and gender variant people in history as well as prehistory is well documented. However, it is extremely helpful to get the kind of overview Tristan Johnson gives in his new video.
I know enough about transgender history to be able to confirm that his video is well researched, based on reliable studies and that it is presented in a way that makes sense to most.
I promise you: It is well worth the time spent. The video is embedded below. I have also added links to some of my own posts on transgender history.
The illustration above is a face reconstruction of the Roman emperor Elagabalus (who reigned from 218 to 222 AD). There is much that confirms the idea that the emperor was a transgender woman, as Tristan points out in the video.
The current context
There is obviously a contemporary context for Tristan’s video, one he makes very clear. Many transphobes are trying to reduce gender identities to a result of contemporary “gender indoctrination” and “transgender propaganda”.
The fact that there have been trans people around for millennia, over the whole globe, and even in cultures that have been outright hostile to gender variation, proves that being trans is not a fad. It is rooted in a lived human reality.
This is something we have to repeat over and over again in conversations with those who may doubt the reality of transgender identities, but who have not yet fallen into the transphobic rabbit hole of TERFs and far right transphobes.
Tristan puts it this way:
Please know you’re not an ideology. You’re not a trend.
Transgender people have been part of humanity for as long as there has been a humanity. You have a rich history. And with all my deepest hopes, a bright future ahead of you.
Times are scary. Fuck, They’re downright terrifying. But please remember that you’re not alone. There are people all around who care about you and support you. You are loved and valued, and you have the strength and resilience to face whatever comes your way.
Never forget that you have the power to make a difference in the world. Your voice matters. And you have the ability to inspire and empower others.
You’re an important part of the human story, a crucial part of the human story. And we stand with you every step of the way. So keep going. Keep fighting.
Never give up. Remember to take care of yourself and never hesitate to reach out for help when you need it. You are loved, valued, and supported. So believe in yourself and keep shining bright.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by transphobic and homophobic political activism these days, and especially in the US, where the Republicans have made the lives of transgender and queer people part of their “culture war”.
Are they winning?
Not really.
There were 315 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in US state legislatures in 2022 (out of which 149 specifically targeted transgender and nonbinary people).
The good news is that good people and compassionate politicians all over the Unites States have managed to limit the immediate damage done by the Republican legislation. This means that there is hope that America many win over all this hate in the end.
But even the failed legislation has an effect.
JoDee Winterhof, Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs, says that
These bills are terrible public policy, and we are also deeply cognizant of how every harmful anti-LGBTQ+ bill that is signed into law has a devastating impact on the lives and well-being of LGBTQ+ people, particularly children.
The legislative assault and hateful rhetoric towards our community has also led to more stigma, discrimination, and ultimately, suicide and deadly violence – particularly against the transgender community. As we continue our fight for LGBTQ+ equality, this report underscores that equality is the winning side of this issue.
Transphobic shock and awe
Keep also in mind that the political “shock and awe” tactics of the American far right and their TERF allies is meant to wear down trans activists and make good people numb to all the pain these laws are causing.
The goal is to normalize transphobia to the point where it is seen as common sense.
As far as the right wing extremists goes, this will open the door to the next phase: To force all LGBTQA-people into the closet.
The new game set in the Harry Potter universe is meeting a lot of resistance due to J.K. Rowling’s transphobia.
From the article:
//On January 22, moderators on the gaming forum ResetEra announced that going forward, no discussion of Hogwarts Legacy would be permitted on the site. The forum previously barred “promotional” discussion of the game in 2021, but mods explained that they decided to implement a blanket ban after assessing the full situation.
“After continued internal discussion, we began to start outlining the issues put forth by Rowling and the game in question and each time, and as we discussed it all, we kept coming back to the simple fact that Rowling is not only a bigot but is actively pushing, in her position as a wealthy and famous individual, for legislation that will hurt trans people,” wrote site moderator B-Dubs in the announcement post. “Therefore, the mod team has decided to expand our prior ban on promotion for the Hogwarts game to include the game itself.”//
Voice actor Sebastian Croft, who provides one of the voices for the player character in Hogwarts Legacy, recently tweeted that he was “cast in this project over 3 years ago, back when all Harry Potter was to me, was the magical world I grew up with,” and that he accepted the role “long before [he] was aware of J.K. Rowling’s views.” Croft then went on to affirm that “trans women are women and trans men are men.”
