Opinion

Self-declared feminists who are ‘only concerned about women and girls’ have had little-to-nothing to say this week on either the Sunday Mail’s misogynistic hit-piece...

Jeremy David Hanson of Rossmoor sent several disturbing messages via the dictionary company's website. Court documents allege he attacked Merriam-Webster for their "anti-science propaganda" and "telling blatant lies". He also used slurs for transgender people and stated "there is no such thing as gender identity".

Many have also remarked on the fact that the list describes itself as being there to promote books that "readers might not have read before". That includes Susheila Nasta, who worked on the project and spoke to BBC Radio 4 on the subject. She adds that the Philosopher's Stone was on the longlist of 153 books, but didn't make the final cut. With the reasoning for that being that "its a children's book".

JK Rowling has begun trending on Twitter in the aftermath of the protest as trans people in particular remember that in June 2020 JK Rowling posted the following tweet; "I respect every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I'd march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it's hateful to say so."

It will come as no surprise to most trans people that the majority of the mainstream media completely and utterly ignored thousands of people...

About 16 years ago I sat down at a table in my flat. It was evening and I was alone. I picked up a pen...

Specifically, it was viewed as such because it did not require any medical intervention. It respected bodily autonomy! You could and can still obtain a new birth certificate without ever desiring hormones and surgery. Sure, you are still subject to the intrusive Gender Recognition Panel's whims, about to be set back a bunch of cash you probably couldn't afford, gatekept by a crap healthcare system to hell and have no non-binary options at all. But theoretically, its totally possible to be a woman with a penis, by law.

So far this language and the severity of the concept has helped to stave off attempts by transphobes to employ single-sex exemptions with a blanket approach. Meaning it can only be employed on a case-by-case basis and there must be a truly legitimate aim. However Kishwer Falkner's EHRC has been making moves to support transphobic groups who would like to see the exemptions employed more liberally.

Taking to Twitter JK Rowling wrote: "I'm afraid I can't give a shout out to everyone promising to murder me - there are so many of you, and I'm a busy woman - but this one deserves a mention for the nineties rave vibe, @TrustFundOzu". I for one just wish she would post one that is a legitimate threat of violence and not like... some random child posting a bugs bunny meme.

Women’s Aid, founded in 1996, are a sadly vital and much needed resource and refuge for women across the UK. Domestic and sexual violence are a scourge that primarily affects women with low income women in particular not having the resources or ability to escape as easily. So its extremely disheartening to see their recent statement deciding that women like me are just less deserving of sanctuary or escape.