I have seen so much defending of transphobia in the Labour Party this week that I didn’t see this story for two days.
I was really surprised to hear that the suicide rate was up to 40% for transgender people. It was not a great source that I heard it from and it was actually trying to make a case against support for transgender people.
What’s interesting is, when I looked into it, the number is correct, but the reason is wrong. Further research found that transgender people who had more support had much closer to standard suicide rates, showing that the issue probably comes down to support and kindness. If you are mean to someone for long enough, and make them feel rejected, they are more likely to harm themselves. People just need to be kind to eachother.
This is a reminder that this topic is Today in Transphobia, not Today in Cisgender Self-Victimisation.
(in response to being asked about this comment)
Yeah, this hurts. My oldest kiddo (who is trans) grew up obsessed with Rowling. I’m not sure how to break this to him.
It sucks when talented people are also flaming assholes.
Thread:
Yes, indeed you can; there’s no bigot like a self-loathing bigot.
Her story is just incredible. Saying that she must medically reduce a natrually occuring advantage is like telling a female rower with “male level hight and reach” that they must find a way to become shorter or be banned!
Sounds similar to “racially charged”. No, the comments “bigoted and wrong”.
Except in rare, personal circumstances that have nothing to do with being trans and everything to do eith being human, nobody’s existence is threatened by the existence of trans and non-binary people. The existence of tran and non-binary people is, however, threatened by the existence of bigoted, hateful cis people.
I wish¹ to take the previous paragraph, 3-D print it in a giant, razor-edge font and shove it letter by letter down Glinner and JKR’s throat. Let them serve as a warning to anyone else who wishes to make “controversial” statements.
¹This is hyperbole, as should be obvious due to the utter impossibility of the acts following. However, I am making it clear to any Otariidae or bridge-guardians who may be reading. I am not proposing real world violence.
I’m introducing a similarly obsessed friend’s niece to the Earthsea series to try and get around this. Ursula Le Guin was far less attached to the idea of cisgender binary than JKR is
When the question finally comes up, my answer will be that some talented people are also shitty people, and that she can choose to not be shitty.
Good call. Better writing, too.
This is a great one, but perhaps not for kids.
What a friggin Orwellian name!
Agreed, great novel. As a kid I struggled with it just because there is a lot of “walking and talking” which did not excite me at the time. Reread as an adult and appreciated it much more.
