I’ve been thinking more about Esther Betts. It makes me think about other trans people like Contra Points, Theryn Meyer, Mandy Goodhandy, Blaire White, Camille Paglia and so many more who are all advocates of free speech. They also serve as a reminder that not all narratives coming out of a community necessarily represents that whole community. At the end of the day we are all unique individuals and that’s exactly what makes each one of us special. I feel the necessity to place a distinction between opposing an ideology and opposing people. That can be a tough thing to do as some are so ideologically possessed that they truly embody the ideology. But the reality is to condemn a bad idea is perfectly fine but condemning people becomes much more serious. We must continue to strive to be precise in our speech. Rule #10: be precise in your speech.
In biological terms humans can only be born male or female. But I can appreciate that when we talk about what it is to be a man or a woman truly varies from individual to individual. If a male is born and develops gender dysphoria and genuinely believes they are more of a woman than a man and genuinely make an effort to transition into the gender they’re most comfortable with then I see no harm in entertaining that persons sense of identity. That doesn’t change the fact they have the body of a male. And one does not necessarily NEED to fully transition, like Mandy Goodhandy who doesn’t feel she needs to surgically alter her genitals to have the privilege of being called a lady. Breast and prostate cancer doesn’t give a fuck about your identity and is a good example of the importance to make such biological distinctions.
The more we fight with one another the less willing entrepreneurs are to taking risks. Who would dare open a woman’s only gym in today’s climate? And face the backlash of trans people, politicians and news media? Yeah, no thanks. Who benefits? No one. Who suffers? Women. Same applies to everywhere there aren’t accommodations. Until we can prove to the free market that we are mature enough to coexist then there is a 0% chance of anyone taking on the risk that comes with change. There is a reason why the gay cake issue was raised with a Christian bakery and not a Muslim one. The more I think about this the more I believe the real answer to all of these problems are to drop the useless tribal communities we all seek to identify with (like any of the million forms of feminism) and have face to face conversations. It’s not only way easier to talk but it’s way easier to listen.
Has #metoo gone too far? Has feminism gone too far? Has this politically correct culture of mob justice gone too far? I think there’s no question at this point that it has. But maybe these things are forcing us to have a conversation that we can no longer avoid. And maybe there’s some potential good beyond that horizon for us all to get to a better place for a better society. If we can stop hating each other along the way. Let’s keep dialogue open because every open ear is an opportunity.
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. -Winston Churchill
Rule #8 