elisi | Update from The House of Plague, Day 86

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Update from The House of Plague, Day 86

This is shocking and unforgivable

Prof Neil Ferguson says if the UK had entered lockdown a week earlier the total number of deaths from Coronavirus would have been reduced “by at least half”

Please RT if you think everyone should know what the Government’s decisions have cost https://t.co/drJQXNG4ql
— NHS Million 💙 (@NHSMillion) June 10, 2020

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I mean, in Ireland we all looked on with horror at Cheltenham going ahead, after we cancelled St Patrick's Day's festivities. We're not the best by any stretch of the imagination, but the UK government and US government look like they are actively trying to kill their populations off.

And someone needs to lock JK up in Azkaban.

Yes, Neil Ferguson is a very smart man. Instead of admitting the science could have been wrong, he's made it seem like the government are completely to blame. Imperial were - apparently - saying cases doubling every 5 days, which was why the government didn’t lockdown sooner. People have been claiming for weeks that the government ignored Sage. The probleem seems to have been far more systemic and Ferguson is part of the system. We can't dismiss that.

JK Rowling wrote a longform essay on her thoughts here

We're not the best by any stretch of the imagination, but the UK government and US government look like they are actively trying to kill their populations off.
We are governed by fundamentally incompetent right-wing populists. And I guess in the UK's case they were just adding to what austerity missed. :(

And someone needs to lock JK up in Azkaban.
And ah, if only.

Do you think a patronus spell would chase her off? (and take Graham Linehan with her?)

Apparently Mongolia had zero cases that weren't imported, as soon as reports came out of Wuhan they locked down completely. Amazing. That's how to do it, imnsho

The probleem seems to have been far more systemic and Ferguson is part of the system. We can't dismiss that.
And no one is willing to admit guilt, or apologise. It's pathological at this point.

JK Rowling wrote a longform essay on her thoughts here
Meh, didn't realise that the tweet added the parents tweet. >:( Off to edit. (Twitter used to have a thing where you could choose what to embed, but that's gone and I don't have the energy to edit the HTML.) grumblegrumbleBloodyTERFsGrumble ETA: Definitely not reading her TERF-y manifesto.

Edited 2020-06-10 21:20 (UTC)

Do you think a patronus spell would chase her off? (and take Graham Linehan with her?)
Oh, wouldn't that be amazing?

Apparently Mongolia had zero cases that weren't imported, as soon as reports came out of Wuhan they locked down completely. Amazing. That's how to do it, imnsho
I READ ABOUT THAT. Smaller country, but.

Their capital city (I will butcher the spelling if I try) is about the same population density as Turin or Naples, one of the major Italian cities that got hit really badly. Not Naples. Turin or oh, what's the main city in Le Marche? Feck it, I knew this an hour ago. Dammit. And, according to a friend of mine from Mongolia they are having their Celtic Tiger time now, so lots of urbanisation and expansion. But yes, much smaller, but to have no community cases at all is still a landmark.

Disgusting...the US and the UK...*shakes head*

Stacey

Good GOD, it really is the darkest timeline...

And how much responsibility are the morons who ignored lockdown the whole way through going to take? Also, I suspect the Mongolian government actions are a lot more draconian all round - my ears would be wincing in anticipation of the whines if our government actually enforced it! Hindsight is a wonderful thing...

I think we have read the same article! But yeah, that's an incredible result. And sure, their methods were probably more heavy handed than ours, but compared to incompetent clowns... I'd take it. Probably. I know far too little about Mongolia.

Who can be THE MOST incompetent and racist???

And how much responsibility are the morons who ignored lockdown the whole way through going to take?
Cummings seems to take zero responsibility. Otherwise then I think the public haven't done too badly, considering that we never did anything as strict as Italy. (Excepting street parties for VE Day and all those running off to the beach etc.) But I mostly place the blame squarely on the government.

Also, I suspect the Mongolian government actions are a lot more draconian all round - my ears would be wincing in anticipation of the whines if our government actually enforced it! Hindsight is a wonderful thing...
Very true. But I'd take complaints over 40k+ dead. :(

It really is. I dread to think where we'll be at in December.

I know that they are having their Celtic Tiger, I know they had no community transmission and I know it's a six hour flight from Dublin. That's the extent of my knowledge of Mongolia *shrugs* I don't know if it's just my friend is quite reserved in talking about her home or if I was asking the wrong questions. But I wish Europe had all taken it as seriously as early as Mongolia had. I might not have lost 3 friends. 30K Italians might still be with us.

But I wish Europe had all taken it as seriously as early as Mongolia had. I might not have lost 3 friends. 30K Italians might still be with us.
And... 60k British? :( It feels unreal.

WHat's the quote that a thousand is a statistic but an individual is a tragedy?

MGL I kinda think the Tories, Republicans and to a lesser extent Fine Gael wanted to cull a lot of elderly and just... let it happen. At least FG decided the HSE wasn't going to be able to handle it (correctly) if there was a massive influx of cases and changed their tune.

What's the quote that a thousand is a statistic but an individual is a tragedy?
*nods* It's too much to take in.

MGL I kinda think the Tories, Republicans and to a lesser extent Fine Gael wanted to cull a lot of elderly and just... let it happen.
Ah yeah, the whole 'herd immunity'. Sacrificing the old and the weak and the poor. Which they were doing anyway. >:(

(First of all, you were gonna get an email one of these days. Well, tough. This word-vomit ambushed me in a shameful and cowardly fashion while I was resting my brain –looking up student accommodation is tiring. So yeah, postponing that, sorry. Actually, you know what, fuck you Rowling and your timing, I literally haven’t got the time for this Mickey Mouse bullshit right now, seriously.)

Sigh.

There are some artists, over whom I would challenge people to a duel to the death, to defend their honour. Not Rowling, because frankly, compared to those other artists, she doesn’t need it.
But let’s do this, it’s been a while. Devil’s advocate.

I read it.

My opinion on Rowling is complicated and unpopular.

Basically... as with many, many other things, I do believe she means well, her heart's in the right place. Too caught up in trans issues for no reason? Yes. Misguided and has misunderstood various things? Yes. Bad optics, and things could have been better worded? Yes.

But I don't think that she is transphobic, nor does she deserve the hate she gets; and this whole thing has been blown out of proportion, while actual important things are happening (--which Rowling, to her credit, did mention and draw attention to. But no, we're only gonna notice the bad stuff, because we demand our celebrities to be the wokest of the woke perfect leftists infallible beacons of progress. Or else.) Personally, I do think it’s good that she took some time to explain her thoughts. While I may not agree with her on everything, I think her opinion is not as extreme as people make it out to be, and she explained her point in a fairly kind and articulate manner.

I’m not saying everyone should agree with me. (Although a few trans people do. Not the majority, but they do exist). I get why people are angry. I’m just saying I believe it’s a more complex issue than it might appear at first, there can be other points of view. And that we should give otherwise good people the benefit of the doubt and stop assuming malicious intent any time someone tweets something problematic.

A few things:

1) Yes, vive la revolution, seize the means of production, etc. But, let's be real here. Consider our beautiful hellscape. This is human beings we are talking about; with faults, and weaknesses etc. Basically, y'all are waaaaaay too ready to attack a person who a) has done nearly as many Good Things as a Rich Person can do, b) is one of the few people I would argue deserves wealth since it was not the product of exploitation, c) literally donated so much money to charity she lost her billionaire status. I mean, come on. Dude.

2) Context and perspective. It’s my opinion that one should adjust one's expectations according to the person. For example: Is the Pope transphobic? Yes. But. He is the POPE. Many, many other things he has said and done, such as support for gay people, are quite extraordinary, when we’re talking about the pope. When my country's Communist party doesn't support ANY LGBT rights, because screw you, you're trans because of capitalism? Yeah, fuck 'em, you're supposed to be the personification of progress, the youth of the world, etc. In short, bravo Daniel Radcliffe, and yes, in a perfect world she would be a perfect ally. But you're barely 30, let's cut the almost boomer who could be my mum some slack. I’m not the first to notice that there’s often a generational divide in this debate. Let us not deal in absolutes, many, many things *are* relative. Trans people only began having their moment a few years ago, so I don't expect everyone to be on board immediately.

3) I mean, it took literal years of re-education and having a trans kid for my kind and progressive parents that are about her age to become supportive –and even now, they do it in their own way, they wouldn’t exactly be considered woke in their opinions and beliefs in a circle of Gen Zs. She is very progressive in many important areas, please appreciate that in the country of Brexit and Boris Johnson. Of course there are people of her demographic who are woker. But that’s to their credit, not her shame: I don’t expect them to be. Yes, there is no try, the road to hell is paved with good intentions (–because again, I do think they’re good), etc; but when so many are apathetic or have *bad* ones, intentions have to count for something.

4) Fuck you, Eddie Redmayne, you don't get to criticise, the trans community hated the Danish Girl –which I didn't see, so I don't know, I'm just saying, hypocrite much?

5) Of course trans rights and women’s rights are not mutually exclusive. But, hear me out, they can *feel* so. Especially when we consider some very vocal minorities –more on that later. Especially when one thinks from an emotional place. Rowling discusses the fact that she is a sexual assault survivor, and is therefore nervous about AMAB people sharing bathrooms, locker rooms, and the like –a *very* widespread concern, so it’s not surprising she has been exposed to it if she’s looked up trans issues. Survivors of trauma are not always able to be logical about their fears. So yes, although I haven’t really thought about it because it mostly concerns MTF, the bathroom argument does seem dumb to me. But in such cases, I do think one should show some understanding, explain their point of view, and try to educate the other person instead of shouting death threats. Like, dude, you’re only proving her point on violence and abuse towards women.

6) On that: Up until now, I believe the response has been disproportionate to what she’s actually said. People, she’ll attempt to fight back, or explain herself; and so dig herself deeper, because nothing save a complete 180 would satisfy the internet. That’s what’s been happening for like, 4 years now: she awkwardly tries to please an unpleasable fanbase, they go up in arms over it, repeat. Honestly, I just roll my eyes at this point. She *should* be smarter than this, but that’s twitter for you.

7) The way I see it, this whole thing began because, in essence, Rowling made fun of/objected to women being described as people who menstruate. Which yes, aside from being distracting, pedantic and annoying, sounds gross? Like, there *are* more women than trans people in the world, women's rights should be a thing, do you *want* women to be equated, reduced to their reproductive system? I think that's how she understood that headline and why she rightfully criticized it, as something degrading. (And let's be fair, most average people's first thought would be hey, that's women you're talking about, not “but what about trans men, trans women, menopause”, etc.) Companies are just using this shit to show off how woke they are, it’s a bit cringe-y; saying stuff like “people with vaginas”, what woman, cis or trans, would want that to become a term, seriously.

8) You know what? Something like 96% of "people who menstruate" self-identify as a woman. Ignoring this damn near 1:1 associate between the two is intellectually irresponsible. But besides that, even if I believe it’s a little excessive we demand that whenever people talk about menses they talk about every tiny minority too, forget that, okay. People are going “ok about trans women, what ABouT TraNSMEN?!” Honestly, the allies need to sit down and shut up. Why would *any* trans guy want to be included in a mentioning of periods or period talk? I don’t *want* to be reminded that I have a uterus, fucker (ok, not for long, but still), or that I used to menstruate. That’s one of the biggest forms of dysphoria. See it this way, how would a transwoman feel if a company said “people with scrotums?” Or transmen for that matter? Is this getting gross and ridiculous yet?

9) Have this cute reddit anecdote: “I had one period when I passed on T. Very uncomfortable. But when I went to buy sanitary products and some painkillers the woman in the shop assumed they were for my girlfriend. She told me I was buying the wrong pain killers and sold me some different ones. I obviously just thanked her for her help and paid the extra money for the same drug in a pink packet. That was actually one of the best experiences of my life. Knowing I passed even when buying sanitary products!”

10) Something I hadn’t thought of, but someone mentioned: Speaking of trans women, yes, Rowling could use some nuance, but. What various trans women have is a series of symptoms that mimic the initial cramping and whatnot of pre-menstral syndrome when estrogen creates cycles of imbalance. I mean, yes, on a technical, functional level, there are similarities; but I think this is also a place where trans women need to step back and not step all over it, because actual menstruation is a *big* nexus of oppression for a lot of cis women. Trans women never have and never will have to deal with the aspects of oppression that come from that.

11) I do think there’s an important discussion to be had here about "male and female” body parts, semantics, the words we use and all that. Because, after all, if it’s not gendered as you insist, fellow trans people, why the flying fuck are you changing it with hormones and surgery??? You (do not) like boobs on you because women have them! Come at me, bro, in a perfect utopia there would be body-swapping, I could snap my fingers and I would always have been cis. Because that’s the point. If you’re trans and this does not appeal to you, you’re lying to yourself. So, let's consider more important things than political correctness; like completely crashing the system. Unless you believe some gay CEOs and Disney having rainbow merchandise is enough, if that’s the sort of progress you're fighting for.

12) Yes, I am very left. But the point stands. Especially since, see above, there are more important issues to unite us. It’s not that trans issues are not, but don’t say you’re progressive and complain about them only, or disproportionately. Relax, we're a small minority; how about we try for actual, concrete support of people in our community instead of writing huge thinkpieces agonising over what celebrities on the other side of the world say on *twitter*, can any good thing come out of twitter, let's remember the good book, people.

13) You know… the numbers are not nearly as high as pearl-clutching boomers believe… but detransitioning is a thing that exists. So can be “trenders”, internet echo chambers and overexposure. I don’t personally know, but I *can* name a couple of troubled AFAB teens who had a "trans phase" in middle school or high school and then grew into Regular Lesbians, or even straight girls. I can see the point that some kids think transitioning will solve their body image problems, and an overdose of trans rhetoric can, at times, erase the fact that most teens go through body image problems and it doesn't *necessarily* mean they're trans. (On the other hand, I also spent many years worrying that my own dysphoria was internalized misogyny or body dysmorphia --I was wrong. Transitioning was the best thing I've ever done-- so the more terfy ideology can be harmful too).
Maybe the issue isn’t that transition shouldn’t exist for kids, maybe we just need to provide better guidance. So this reflects a conversation we SHOULD be having within our community, but one that usually gets shut down quickly, because, well, figuring out your gender is a painful process and it hurts more when someone casts doubt on it; but maybe *some* gatekeeping should exist. Because yes, one should be very, very careful with physical transitioning. We should normalize being trans, but we should not make light of it; it should definitely not be fun, an easy choice, an easy decision to make. In my opinion, it is a severe condition, which comes with horrible suffering, which has me convinced past lives are a thing and I was, I don’t know, Dr. Mengele; and I would not wish it on my worst enemy.

14) I will not even get into the many ridiculous claims and demands that some members of the trans community have made over the past few years. You do you, I don't want to police anyone, I don't want to criticize… but you're making it very difficult. No, I don’t believe there are 100 different genders. I know, it sounds fun, I’m OCD, I love categorizing stuff, but come on. You’re embarrassing the tiny percentage of the population that actually is non-binary or intersex. It’s not surprising that some members of the LGB community are starting to be hostile; because they’re uncomfortable with the radical trans activists and they feel like they aren’t allowed to speak up. To quote a reddit transperson “I do think a lot of trans people on the far left, especially on Twitter, tend to behave like an angry mob and will oust anyone who doesn't view gender like they do. Even to other trans people. A progressive trans YouTuber named ContraPoints was recently cancelled for... collaborating with an elder trans man who has some outdated views on how trans people should transition (because he's from a different time and is 52). And the hate mob got so intense that she had to leave Twitter entirely. It's toxic as fuck” (true story). So I do feel her pain on matters of online abuse and the Internet Cancel Culture. I believe trans activism has got some toxic segments, there *is* a problem with zealotry towards people who don’t follow the 'doctrine' that's prescribed. And we’re supposed to be the welcoming and inclusive ones. (She as a cis woman should stay in her lane and let us deal with it, fair point, but still).

15) No, I can’t generalize, because I’m a part of it. Also, because I would literally be talking about billions of people if I did. But honestly, fuck you, Harry Potter fandom, you poor, dumb, shallow, absolutely ahistorical, entitled mess. You know who I’m talking about. Of course not all Star Wars fans are toxic. Of course you can like Rick and Morty and be a decent person. But. Let’s not split hairs here, great chunks of fandoms are often fucking horrible. I *hate* how people are trying to dig up any problematic thing she wrote in Harry Potter as proof that she’s always been a hateful bigot, an anti-Semite, or racist. I'm not saying there aren't problematic elements in Harry Potter that aren't worth criticizing, (Harry-Potter-is-my-childhood-isms, blah, blah, blahs and my absolute loathing for the death of the author notwithstanding --fuck you Roland Barthes, fuck you and your children.)
There is stuff that 20+ years ago was more acceptable in England, but has not aged well. Fuck’s sake, do I need to explain how culture and environment impact even incredibly decent people, creating biases and metaphors even they’re not aware of in their writing? Casual Racism is a thing. TOLKIEN is not exempt from this. Fucking Tolkien. Sorry people, yes, he was a cis, straight, white, British, early 20th century upper middle class man. If he was alive today, would you do the same for LOTR?

16) Also, you’re the sort of people who adore the films, and call Snape an incel, and ship Harry/Draco because “awww, they’re so cute together, let’s excuse the horrible, fascist bully, what objectification of gay people, Tom Felton is DREAMY!!” So excuse me, if I really, really don’t trust your judgment and priorities.

17) I’m not even gonna go into the ludicrous part of the fandom that has started denying her authorship of Harry Potter and saying that she deserves to be forgotten, and the world is a better place without her bigotry. Hey, dummies, even if I agreed with you: what if Daniel Radcliffe Does A Racism ten years down the line, we gonna call the Ministry of Truth again? Yes, whether you like it or not, *she* wrote the books. What’s next, “aaaah, Newton was actually a dick, screw ’im, he didn’t write the Principia Mathematica”?

18) I *still* haven't seen anything from her that's actually TERFy. Conservative about sex? Sure, but not outright TERFy. Is it because she acknowledges that trans women are different form cis women in non-PC ways? I've never heard her call trans women men or trans men women. She’s not donating to anti-trans organizations. She recognized a difference in different kinds of people under the trans umbrella. She used female pronouns for a transsexual woman, and she stated that her issue is with those who don’t physically transition (Which I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get; like, I know. Money, and passing, and visibility, and all that. But it’s *very* easy not to get it and assume malicious intent when transition is the whole point for a huge chunk of the community. I get it, and I still go “…but why? At least try, you *can* shave that beard, aesthetics!”).
TERFS say and do much, much worse. Like, harassing and even doxxing trans women. Rowling isn't doing any of that, and she at least accepts trans people exist and claims to fully support their existence. It's perfectly normal for someone from her demographic to be confused about sex and gender. If we were to weed out every single individual who can't tell the difference… Yes, educate them. But please chill. To quote one last redditor “Considering how a TERF once told me that I should be chemically castrated, I can't really bother to get outraged by some middle-aged British lady being ignorant on Twitter.”

19) I don't think she's coming from a place of malice or that she's a bad person. I've seen her in interviews and I've seen the causes that she’s stood up for over the years, so I can tell that she's a kind and empathetic human being. In one interview, she stated that her biggest pet peeve is bigotry, and I believe her when she says that. I don't want to take away the good that she's done just because she isn't perfect and woke in all areas.

It’s just… I am a very empathetic person, and I feel that she is an empathetic person. Don’t @ me, she is, very. So it’s hard for me to dislike her? I don't think this is worth "cancelling" Rowling over, or making her out to be some malicious monster out to destroy trans people. Twitter can be very melodramatic at times. I don't have to completely agree with someone to appreciate the good they’ve done.

Aaaaand that's all. Had to get this out of my system.

(looks above)

Oh mein Gott im Himmel, what the hell is wrong with me. Holy crap, I actually wrote this.

This hasn't happened in a while, I'm supposed to be sane, I was getting better. This year has been rough though, right? The stress from the auditions alone --and it's not alone, obviously.

You know what, ignore this, if you want. Disagree. Whatever. You don't have to, you don't have to do anything.

This is an amazing thread, and you should totally stitch it all together somewhere other than here.

Will mull it over (am very grateful that you set our your thoughts in such detail) and don't think I disagree with anything as such. Like, it's not my place to judge anything since these are not my issues, I try to sit back and listen and learn and amplify voices.

What the issue actually turns around is whether you believe Rowling is arguing in good faith or not. I am basically more on the side of 'not', but I will try to write it out more carefully & explain why.

I sincerely hope you're right and that I am wrong, because I don't like being cynical. :(

I’m just so tired, with the fandom and the community and everything.

This is an amazing thread, and you should totally stitch it all together somewhere other than here.
...You know, the fact that I hesitate to do that, probably shows that she’s got a point about the internet and all that, regardless.

What the issue actually turns around is whether you believe Rowling is arguing in good faith or not. I am basically more on the side of 'not', but I will try to write it out more carefully & explain why. I sincerely hope you're right and that I am wrong, because I don't like being cynical.
Having read it, I’d say that she is. Or that the truth is somewhere in the middle. As in, this is ignorance, but *reasonable* ignorance, that of the majority. Maybe it’s not completely in good faith, but it is with honest intentions.

I don’t know, INFJ, gut instinct. I was right about Johnny Depp (long story short: idiot, bit of a wanker; still a good heart).
JKR’s been typed as an INFJ too. Yes, of course there are bad INFJs; but I think they show, I sense too much empathy for her to be, I think she cares. Also, stubborn, yes.

(Whenever I try to understand whether somebody is arguing in good faith or not, it sometimes helps me to ask “what about everything else I know about this person?” For example, Orson Scott Card –is he homophobic? Well, apart from the fact that he is very outspoken about it, he puts weird anti-gay themes in his work, supported the War on Terror, votes Republican, wrote a weird alternate- future essay where he compared Obama to Hitler… yeah, this tracks. It's different with JKR.)

Of course we should all strive to learn, and improve, and better ourselves; and there is room for improvement here. It’s just, I believe that very few things, by themselves, deny you the Good Person card –I don’t think this is one of them. If you’re not harming people (donating to anti-trans organisations, harassing, promoting abuse, misgendering), having some conservative, misinformed opinions on sex and gender and trans stuff in the year of our Lord 2020, is not something I will hate you over. Because most people do.
It’s like… I would not hate you if you were slightly homophobic or racist in 1820. You could be slightly homophobic or racist in 1820 and be an otherwise good person (also, because most other people would be very racist and homophobic). Yes, I believe there is no excuse to be racist at all by 2020. You can’t be racist, even a little, and be considered a decent person in any respect. So yes, you probably won’t be considered good if you’re unenlightened on sex and gender in 2220. But I think that in 2020 you still can be, especially if you’re older.

I’m just so tired, with the fandom and the community and everything.
I hear ya. <3

...You know, the fact that I hesitate to do that, probably shows that she’s got a point about the internet and all that, regardless.
Mostly, you shouldn't have to defend your existence. You shouldn't have to write long posts explaining yourself. I've seen posts by older people who basically are just feeling this horrible sense of deja vu, because it's all the same arguments that were thrown at the gay community 20-30 years ago. :(

OK, so I think the crux of the matter lies here:

Having read it, I’d say that she is. Or that the truth is somewhere in the middle. As in, this is ignorance, but *reasonable* ignorance, that of the majority. Maybe it’s not completely in good faith, but it is with honest intentions.

and here:

Of course we should all strive to learn, and improve, and better ourselves; and there is room for improvement here. It’s just, I believe that very few things, by themselves, deny you the Good Person card –I don’t think this is one of them. If you’re not harming people (donating to anti-trans organisations, harassing, promoting abuse, misgendering), having some conservative, misinformed opinions on sex and gender and trans stuff in the year of our Lord 2020, is not something I will hate you over. Because most people do.

And I'm sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news, but Rowling's been at it for quite a while. I hesitated to reply since I didn't even know where to start, but alas there are only too many articles about her. This one (from December, and oh, I remember THAT debacle) sums up a lot of it very neatly, including her support for TERFs:

J.K. Rowling’s latest tweet seems like transphobic BS. Her fans are heartbroken.

Every time I see her name trending I wince, because what has she said this time? As the saying goes 'For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of', which is what happened here, almost literally. (I kinda saw that play out in real time, it was crazy. I presumed it was some kind of hoax, but no.)

And this whole mess is of course what led to the blog post.

So no, I don't believe she writes in good faith. I think she is using her talents to subtly sow seeds of 'concern'. (Good post here: JK Rowling and The Reasonable Concerns.) I think she knows what she is doing. I think she was 'radicalised online' (quite literally) and is now using her platform to influence others. And people with no knowledge will say 'Well, that all sounds very reasonable' and won't understand the impact it's having on a marginalised group.

All that said, I hope someone will be able to reach out to her and help to change her mind, and make her understand the harm she is causing. I don't wish her ill, I want her to use her powers for good. I truly believe that people can change, so here's to hoping! But, I also don't give her the benefit of the doubt.

ETA: Aaaaand, here we go:

Republican senator quotes JK Rowling’s essay on trans people to shut down a vote on LGBT+ rights

:(

Edited 2020-06-22 17:00 (UTC)

Again, what is even the point now, pfff... Anyway.

I do give her the benefit of the doubt. For now.
Nobody has to agree with me --in fact, I completely understand why most people don't, it's fine. And it’s not like I have a huge platform anyway, the number of people my insane ramblings reach is tiny (and even if I did, how many people have the patience to read 7 pages of this, come on). So in case I'm completely wrong, and I am willing to entertain the possiblity that I might be, well, no harm done.

I know, I know that "Rowling's been at it for quite a while".

It’s just… based on her track record, and what I know of her as a person –as well as one can know a complete stranger anyway– I, personally, believe her. Yes, the Reasonable Concerns bit is a thing that happens, unfortunately. But I do believe that she is mostly sincere, like, yes, this is a person who I think is genuinely concerned, who is going 'Well, that all sounds very reasonable' based on her background and life experience. That concern is deeply misguided, of course. But dog-whistles are not really her style, she’s known for usually, bluntly speaking her mind (and oh boy, so are TERFS, all the time, man). If nothing else, she can afford to do it at this point.

And I just wanted to explain why, overall, I don’t hate her as a person, where I’m coming from. Because I think you don’t have to cancel everyone -especially if there are legit reasons to consider them otherwise cool- the second they misstep or do something dumb but you also DON’T have to defend everything that your fave does. You can say “hey this particular thing sucked” without getting into this all-or-nothing mentality (yes, I am asking too much of the internet, I know.)
I agree with some things she says, and some things I don't agree with. For others, those disagreements can be a deal-breaker, and I understand that, many traits are and should be. But for me, it’s not; not by itself, not in this form let’s say, not yet.

Also, I just wanted to express my general frustration with the Trans community, and the Harry Potter fandom, and everything; because I still believe the response has been disproportionate to what she’s actually said, and that there are other some other points of view we should consider when it comes to our understanding of this situation.
(And that they’re so dumb. Regardless, forget Rowling, see numbers 14 and 15). I mean, the freaking Guardian is going “hmm, there *is* a probably a generational issue at play here, can you chill, Millennials”.

I do agree that she was most probably radicalized online, though. One does not start worrying about bathrooms out of nowhere. Also, her general second-wave feminist style *would* make her particularly susceptible to TERFy rhetoric in my opinion.

Of course, I too wish she changes her mind –though she is known for being stubborn. And boy, have her awkward attempts to fight back, or explain herself ever backfired, as I had said. Again, would anything save a complete 180 satisfy the internet, the unpleasable fanbase? So she might not even be trying at this point; it didn’t go over well in the past, so why do it?
Here's to hoping, anyway!

(When it comes to the Republican senator quoting her, I get it; but anything can be used to justify one's shitty positions. I mean, they use the Bible: I'm not gonna stop being a (wierd, heretic) Christian. Guilt by association, and the Ruining of Stuff Because Bad People Use or Like them, only go so far in my opinion: I think it's good that she wrote the essay, 'cause at least we know where she's coming from, what she actually believes, etc. Twitter really isn't the platform to explain yourself at length. Plus, she has made it clear on numerous occasions that she's not a fan of their party --though wow, is that a low standard to set; but you know -looks at beautiful hellscape- is it really, fuuuuuck.
That being said, I do hope she notices the negative consequences and/or goes "hey, if they agree, I'm probably doing something wrong, hmm" eventually).

Again, what is even the point now, pfff... Anyway.
Well I like talking to you, so welcome back. :)

And I just wanted to explain why, overall, I don’t hate her as a person, where I’m coming from. Because I think you don’t have to cancel everyone -especially if there are legit reasons to consider them otherwise cool- the second they misstep or do something dumb but you also DON’T have to defend everything that your fave does. You can say “hey this particular thing sucked” without getting into this all-or-nothing mentality (yes, I am asking too much of the internet, I know.)
Oh agreed. I don't think she is a terrible person in every way and evil. Just that she is not on the side of the angels (although she probably thinks she is).

I do agree that she was most probably radicalized online, though. One does not start worrying about bathrooms out of nowhere. Also, her general second-wave feminist style *would* make her particularly susceptible to TERFy rhetoric in my opinion.
Having done a good bit of reading since we first spoke about this... yes to all of this.

Of course, I too wish she changes her mind –though she is known for being stubborn. And boy, have her awkward attempts to fight back, or explain herself ever backfired, as I had said. Again, would anything save a complete 180 satisfy the internet, the unpleasable fanbase? So she might not even be trying at this point; it didn’t go over well in the past, so why do it?
It depends, I think, if someone can break through to her. I don't know how that would work, but we can hope. Admitting that you're wrong isn't easy, especially not from someone in that position.

(When it comes to the Republican senator quoting her, I get it; but anything can be used to justify one's shitty positions. I mean, they use the Bible: I'm not gonna stop being a (wierd, heretic) Christian.
Oh I hear you! (And Catholic here...) But if the bad guys start quoting you, that should give you pause.

Anyway, here's to hoping she changes her mind before becoming the new glinner. For her sake too.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Update from The House of Plague, Day 86

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Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God

Re: Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God

Re: Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God

Re: Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God

Re: Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God

Re: Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God

Re: Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God

Re: Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God

Re: Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God

Re: Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God

Re: Actual, relevant LGBTea person here weighing in, what am I doing with my life, oh God