This farewell feature by Hadley Freeman analyzing her break with the Guardian really gets to the heart of the issue at stake in the culture war: “both sides in the debate are equally passionate - but only one side demands censorship.” Censorship is presumed to be appropriate by these activists because any view that contradicts theirs leads to the death of trans people (which is the narrative relating to the issue in question here).
A few points:
1.) There is no linear relationship between political and cultural debate and suicide or bigotry. I doubt anyone is killing themselves or being killed because of Guardian articles.
2.) The disproportionate murder and suicide rate in certain populations must be viewed honestly, with ALL factors accounted for. For instance, many critics condemned Dave Chappelle’s comedy that mentions trans people because trans people are murdered at a high rate, suggesting that comedy or anti-trans views are responsible for this. Instead, it must be recognized that the murder rate is tied to comorbid mental diagnoses and a high rate of participation in other risky activities, such as sex work. If noting this is anti-trans, then recognizing reality and the challenges of current social circumstance is inappropriate. Presumably we should ignore the facts (and the suffering of thousands) to perpetuate a delusional fiction that will be comforting to Twitter users. This kind of attitude is far too common on the Left these days (see: race, crime, juvenile psychiatric symptoms, immigration, etc.) and it is actually deeply harmful to the groups that it prioritizes.
3.) No one making these arguments ever applies the logic consistently. For instance, dozens of police have been killed in the US in the past few years due to personal hatred of police officers and what they stand for. No one on the Left ever says that criticism of police should be silenced or ‘de-platformed’ to protect the safety of police officers. Either they are unconcerned with hate crimes against police (certainly true in some cases) OR they are making these kinds of arguments in bad faith: “we will use the high rate of suicide among trans youth to silence any view which seems wrong to us.”
So, two general points:
Debates about social issues can’t be conflated with murder or suicide, especially when the debates themselves are measured and respectful. Making this kind of rhetorical move is flagrant intellectual dishonesty.
The issues around trans people are much more complicated than a lack of ‘affirmation’. Society has become infinitely more accepting of trans people and medical surgeries to reinforce their subjective experiences are extremely accessible… yet the suicide rate of trans youth is still high, even in progressive areas, even after transition surgery. Clearly there are other factors at work here, and recognizing that isn’t anti-trans. It’s actually the only appropriate attitude for those concerned about those suffering mental health struggles.
Lies and pretensions will NEVER be a solid base for benign and productive social reforms, especially when the issues are as fraught and complicated as these.
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"Only one side demands censorship"
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This farewell feature by Hadley Freeman analyzing her break with the Guardian really gets to the heart of the issue at stake in the culture war: “both sides in the debate are equally passionate - but only one side demands censorship.” Censorship is presumed to be appropriate by these activists because any view that contradicts theirs leads to the death of trans people (which is the narrative relating to the issue in question here).
A few points:
1.) There is no linear relationship between political and cultural debate and suicide or bigotry. I doubt anyone is killing themselves or being killed because of Guardian articles.
2.) The disproportionate murder and suicide rate in certain populations must be viewed honestly, with ALL factors accounted for. For instance, many critics condemned Dave Chappelle’s comedy that mentions trans people because trans people are murdered at a high rate, suggesting that comedy or anti-trans views are responsible for this. Instead, it must be recognized that the murder rate is tied to comorbid mental diagnoses and a high rate of participation in other risky activities, such as sex work. If noting this is anti-trans, then recognizing reality and the challenges of current social circumstance is inappropriate. Presumably we should ignore the facts (and the suffering of thousands) to perpetuate a delusional fiction that will be comforting to Twitter users. This kind of attitude is far too common on the Left these days (see: race, crime, juvenile psychiatric symptoms, immigration, etc.) and it is actually deeply harmful to the groups that it prioritizes.
3.) No one making these arguments ever applies the logic consistently. For instance, dozens of police have been killed in the US in the past few years due to personal hatred of police officers and what they stand for. No one on the Left ever says that criticism of police should be silenced or ‘de-platformed’ to protect the safety of police officers. Either they are unconcerned with hate crimes against police (certainly true in some cases) OR they are making these kinds of arguments in bad faith: “we will use the high rate of suicide among trans youth to silence any view which seems wrong to us.”
So, two general points:
Debates about social issues can’t be conflated with murder or suicide, especially when the debates themselves are measured and respectful. Making this kind of rhetorical move is flagrant intellectual dishonesty.
The issues around trans people are much more complicated than a lack of ‘affirmation’. Society has become infinitely more accepting of trans people and medical surgeries to reinforce their subjective experiences are extremely accessible… yet the suicide rate of trans youth is still high, even in progressive areas, even after transition surgery. Clearly there are other factors at work here, and recognizing that isn’t anti-trans. It’s actually the only appropriate attitude for those concerned about those suffering mental health struggles.
Lies and pretensions will NEVER be a solid base for benign and productive social reforms, especially when the issues are as fraught and complicated as these.