Tomorrow Stonewall is holding it's annual awards and as mentioned previously, one nomination is Julie Bindel for Journalist of the Year. As I've mentioned before, Stonewall are explicity not a trans organisation nor do they seem to be a bisexual organisation at anything other than superficial level and both these facts offend me.

There is a protest planned which I was thinking of attending. But then realised that Liverpool is not spelt L-o-n-d-o-n. D'oh. Anyway, this protest is mentioned in Diva's online news feed

In response to news of the proposed protest, Bindel said "I totally reject the accusation that I am 'transphobic', and am stunned that some members of the trans community are putting so much energy into persecuting both me, and an organisation concerned with the rights of oppressed minorities. I am being treated as though I am a dangerous fascist, rather than a life-long feminist campaigner. These bully tactics will not stop me from exercising my freedom of speech."

No Julie, you're not 'transphobic', you're transphobic. It's a real thing just like homophobia. It's not something to be diminished by quotation marks. Because Julie, quotation marks around a person's gender pronouns is transphobic. It is insulting. Calling a male to female transsexual a "man in a dress" is transphobic. Stereotyping transsexuals is transphobic.

Pretending that transphobia isn't real does not stop it being real. Sweeping it under the carpet does not make it go away. And protesting Stonewall's decision to condone transphobia does not affect your freedom of speech. Free Speech is not just a right - it's also a responsibility to stand up and use it when people are being offensive. It's a responsibility to use it stand for what you believe in. And I believe Stonewall is wrong and you are wrong. So yes, we will protest (well, I will in spirit and on my little corner of the web) we continue to speak up and exercise our freedom of speech. You can have your's, and we shall continue to disagree and counter you - as is our right, our responsibility. I really do wish people would stop equating debate and protest with trying to diminish freedom of speech.

Alex
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