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jk rowling and the 3 dementors

(346 Posts)
petunia Sat 13-Jun-20 14:38:21

Ive been following the JK Rowling news items with interest. Apparently she responded by tweet to an article earlier in the week that spoke of people who menstruate. JK made a flippant as in “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? “.

There was an immediate twitter backlash with some vile threats and comments. The twitter storm continues and Rowling felt the need to offer a full explanation of her point of view.

Interestingly, three actors who owe their very careers to JK Rowling did not support her. In fact their comments fanned the flames of public outrage. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

We can not all agree with everyone but for those three young actors, who without the exposure that the Harry Potter movies gave them may still be struggling for fame and fortune, could they not have chosen to keep quiet on this occasion. They didn't have to wade in with any comments at all.

Galaxy Sun 21-Jun-20 06:58:06

It impinges on womens rights to have single sex spaces, it affects prisons , sports, crime statistics, all the things we have discussed for hours. That's how it affects womens rights. It's why the 14 year old took the council to court and won as they were impinging on her rights.
There is also no such thing as acting like a woman, that's just stereotypes, another thing which affects women.

Galaxy Sun 21-Jun-20 07:04:51

I dont find Trisher bullying pinkquartz, I appreciate I can only speak for myself. Trisher is arguing her point of view as am I. I would actually fight for her right to do that.

Iam64 Sun 21-Jun-20 08:29:09

The morning papers are reporting that a police force issued a request for information about "anyone acting suspiciously" after a woman was assaulted in the street. They failed to mention that the person who committed the assault was a man dressed as a woman
I usually find myself defending police forces accused of "pc gone mad", I loathe the phrase at any time. This incident does tend to confirm that the senior officer who made the nonsensical decision not to give an accurate description of the offender, feared being accused of not supporting the LGBT community.

Baggs Sun 21-Jun-20 08:40:28

Came across this on Twitter. There's a link to a youtube posting by a trans woman, Blaire White. Her argument is essentially this: if there were no biological sex, transitioning would not be needed. She calls JK Rowling's opinion "objectively true."

Disclaimer: I haven't read the thread.

trisher Sun 21-Jun-20 09:56:16

Apart from the bullying I find pinkquartz's question interesting and I think there are a number of reasons. Firstly my inclusive feminist beliefs that there are men who have the same beliefs as I do and I find it hard to demonise them. Then some of the women I have met who were violent and/or who encouraged violence in their sons. I don't necessarily blame those women by the way it is a lot to do with the environment they inhabit. Then the way some young women are choosing to behave in their relationships and becoming bullies.
This has led me to look at society and say it isn't just enough to try and make women equal or the same as men we have to change the culture.
And what I see as far as transpeople are concerned is another minority who are being persecuted.
I have also looked at this carefully and still have these questions which no one has answered
How many women have been assaulted by trans women using a toilet changing room or other space (apart from prisons)
If spaces are designated as women only how will this be policed and the law enforced? (I rule out refuges in this as they have vigorous risk assessments)

Galaxy Sun 21-Jun-20 10:25:51

It will be enforced in the way it's always been enforced. By people respecting the rights of women to have single sex places. It's why the majority of men dont walk into womens spaces, no one is stopping them physically. They mostly have respect for womens boundaries.
There was the horrific case of the 10 year old girl assaulted by a transwomen in Morrisons toilet. Its also not ok to say apart from prisons, prisons are a key part of this debate. I guess it depends what number of women you think is ok to be assaulted to meet the needs of men. As I have said this debate keeps getting dragged back to toilets, which is the least difficult issue to solve. Single sex and mixed sex. Solved it I am a genius. What is wrong with that solution trisher?
I dont think transwomen are dangerous, I think they are the same level of risk as men. I would be saying the same if someone suggested men with ginger hair used female spaces, I dont think men with ginger hair are dangerous particularly either.
I don't want people to be persecuted strangely enough, I want trans people to be protected from discrimination but I want that for women too. If you provide only mixed sex facilities (and I at least think that is more honest than saying some men can access womens spaces) then you exclude many many women from those spaces. It's also about womens privacy and dignity and the right to consent.

trisher Sun 21-Jun-20 10:38:39

The problem is Galaxy that even if you do that trans women will use the women's facility because they believe they are women. And how will you stop them?
Prisons I exclude because what is needed is a radical reorganisation of a system which is just a way of dumping people.

Galaxy Sun 21-Jun-20 10:44:55

Are you saying transwomen wont respect womens boundaries then? Because the ones I am talking to will. I wont stop them I will just be really sad that some people think womens boundaries are up for grabs. But it was always the case. We often change behaviour by the culture we create and by having laws to enforce that. You cant stop everyone drink driving or not wearing a seatbelt but you create a culture where it becomes unacceptable. We create culture where women are allowed to say no , and people support them in that.

trisher Sun 21-Jun-20 10:49:04

Some will, some won't Galaxy. And you won't be able to tell who is a trans women anyway so why will it matter? It's happening now. It's not a new thing.

pinkquartz Sun 21-Jun-20 12:05:04

Trisher

I used the word bullying in a clumsy manner....I could have just said another word but couldn't think atm...I didn't mean you are bullying, more persistent.
glad you did not take offense

pinkquartz Sun 21-Jun-20 12:08:24

Galaxy
I have explained I mis-used that word, bullying. I meant persistent. I never thought you were being bullied

Jane10 Sun 21-Jun-20 12:09:40

Just a point Trisher but by no means are all transwomen imperceptible as women. I have to say that in my experience the transwomen I have met have been very obviously not originally female.

petunia Sun 21-Jun-20 12:13:24

I think that the debate around toilets and who should go where demonstrates just how people have different attitudes in different circumstances. Which is exactly why the bigger issue of gender recognition needs debating, without fear of reprisals from the activists. We don't know what the majority of women want, or men come to that. But we cant just open up sport, prisons. employment etc. and set children on the road to permanent medication, surgery and infertility without that open, frank discussion.

trisher Sun 21-Jun-20 13:58:43

Jane10 we did have a debate about appearances earlier in this thread. I dispute that anyone can be 100% certain about anyone's gender just by looking.
I woud love to think there could be a debate petunia but while we have deeply entrenched views on both sides I can't see that happening. So I suppose things will muddle along much as they have been doing

Jane10 Sun 21-Jun-20 16:37:14

Trisher I'm afraid I could be absolutely 100% sure of the original gender of the last transwoman I met. The poor soul. I know it sounds cruel but the bottom line was she looked like a pantomime dame. I have seen others who have looked a bit more convincing but clearly not always women.

trisher Sun 21-Jun-20 17:37:35

How patronising Jane10. There are women who look quite masculine and some trans women are very glamorous.

Jane10 Sun 21-Jun-20 18:05:34

See it as patronising if you want but it's my honest opinion of real people I've actually seen and worked with. Can't pretend it was all perfect because it wasn't.

PamelaJ1 Sun 21-Jun-20 18:11:04

No trisher, I don’t tell him that HE can’t believe.
He can believe what he likes, he’s not doing me any harm.

Iam64 Sun 21-Jun-20 20:11:46

I understand your desire to exclude prisons on the basis they're dumping grounds and need a total overhaul. In reality, prisons are as likely to have a total overhaul as I am to win the lottery. (not least because I don't do the lottery)

We imprison too many people in this country. We end people to prison who in truth, need secure mental health/therapeutic facilities, moving on to open facilities. We desperately need our Probation Service to be properly funded and resourced. It was founded over a 100 years ago based on the aim to 'advise, assist and befriend'. This government privatised it and have had to renationalise. That's the service who will support and challenge trans offenders.

FarNorth Mon 22-Jun-20 00:08:04

I went to a talk by transwoman Christine Burns, who had written a book.
CB was totally convincing as a well-presented older lady.

A local transwoman I've met, tho, comes across as a man in the way they move and talk.