The whole Gender Critical movement (TERFs, people who hate trans folks, basically, LGB Alliance, Glinner, JK Rowling, that lot) has been bubbling under toxically for a long time, like QAnon, like Flat Earthers but less benign, anti-vaxxers and the like. But it seems that this very vocal small group of Xtian fundie right-wing linked people have recently made a move into the mainstream – more so than their ‘shero’ JK Rowling or the total shambling mess that is Graham Linehan.
Most disturbingly you have the usually LGBTQ-friendly likes of Róisín Murphy speak out against puberty blockers for trans kids as ‘child abuse’ – despite the fact I think the Gender Critical lot have been successful in shutting down that access for trans kids. Then you have disappointingly Richard Ayoade and Jonathan Ross praising Graham Linehan’s book whingeing about being cancelled (err, if he was cancelled why is he getting to produce a book, and have all this press attention? Graham has now praised them ‘for their bravery in this struggle’ in a rather career-limiting way suggesting they agree with him. Oops.
Maybe they do, certainly as a fan of Richard’s work, gonna avoid for the time being, especially as his brother in law is one Laurence Fox.
And even trying to get shows at Edinburgh, which was hilariously cancelled when the venue realised what was going to be said in the name of ‘right wing comedy’. But apart from his wife leaving him, he pretty much is free to say his vile transphobic bollocks, as we are free to not want to hear it or support it. These people forget free speech – in this case hate speech is not without consequences.
And also the Gender Critical borg are attacking Kathy Burke on social media at the moment who really does not give a fuck for their nonsense.
All so much chip papers for tabloid rage; but what happens behind all this?
What are they like in the private groups, beyond Twitter and Reddit and the crowing headlines?
Well, Caelan Conrad, who has researched anti-vaxx groups before (and there is surprising amount of overlap) went undercover for months to look at the private Facebook groups, what the likes of Posey Parker and Meghan Murphy post there, as well as their followers, how they work, how they recruit people, what their M.O. is.
Are they really just ‘concerned with all women’ and just concerned mothers, daughters and men of same? Or is there something more, more insidious and dangerous?
What they found was pretty shocking; a lot of racist, homophobic, ableist and most surprisingly misogynistic abuse (handmaiden, shutting down dissenting women’s voices) and slurs, and that they groom people into a cult. It feels like a cult from the examples given, they are intentionally triggering people with fake or false posts, encouraging a sort of radicalisation that PREVENT should look into.
The most disturbing is how parents are encouraged to gaslight and convert their children from being trans, including getting them diagnosed with a mental illness or a spectrum disorder so they can claim guardianship/act of court and stop their teenage or adult children from transitioning. That goes way beyond what they claim as ‘concerned parents’ and defenders of the women’s bathroom.
Also as you might expect, a shitload of Christian ‘Traditional Family’ Values – the crossover between the LGB Alliance and similar TERF groups and Xtian right wing, the money trails and connections to the Heritage Foundation and others has been documented before. They share space with anti-abortion types, anti-LGBTQ folk, and literal white supremacists.
Have you wondered why all the public figures of Gender Critical ‘thought’ are all white? It’s because although they share similarities with other groups ‘concerned’ about Black Lives Matter, abortion, homosexuality, trans and disabled rights. Woke has become an insult even within mainstream politics, but behind it is a massive fucking dogwhistle to actual fascists.
And the difference has become less and less recently between the ‘I’m just concerned’ aping the many MAGA horde who were so ‘concerned’ they attacked the Capitol believing it was hiding paedophiles and kids in the basement and corruption – and the blatantly supremacist pulling the strings.
They hide this, but the people behind Gender Critical are actual right-wing fascists, using this subject as a stalking horse to ride their ‘tradwife’ shiny white 50’s attitudes back into centre politics. Make no mistake, if you are queer, POC, disabled or don’t fit their Handmaid’s Tale view of the world – you WILL be next. These people defend all kinds of nuttiness, including conversion therapy, hatred of masks and dislike of medicine, racism and colonialist views of women of colour, and much more.
Before you comment here, watch these videos, Caelan has ALL the receipts.
If you haven’t watched the videos or looked through the screenshots, I won’t engage in discussion about this subject, because you’re likely just trolling for ‘your cause’ and nothing I say with sway you and we’re both wasting our time.
But mark my words – you, like the dazed people after the Capitol raid will realise one day how you’re being used, and what harm you are doing for an agenda against ALL LGBTQ* and non-white & disabled folks and you don’t even realise. Often when it’s too late and the damage is done, and we’re back in a 1950’s Truman Show / Pleasantville Blue Velvet Hell with a fascist regime, and didn’t you do well as a useful idiot and a Stormtrooper (and I don’t mean Star Wars).
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