Germaine Greer

As I mentioned in my peak trans story, I was aware of the fuss about Greer’s scheduled lecture entitled Women & Power: The Lessons of the 20th Century but I didn’t express an opinion on it publicly. This article by Payton Quinn is typical of the kind of nonsense put forward by the trans ideologues: Why I Believe No-Platforming Germaine Greer Is the Only Option

Early in the piece we are accosted by the not only logically flawed but utterly ludicrous suggestion that, by stating that trans women are not actually women, Germaine Greer is “espousing misogyny”. Just to be clear – misogyny is hatred of women because they are women. Greer’s argument that men can’t be women has nothing to do with misogyny.

Payton Quinn’s main argument depends on the flawed premise that stating that trans women are not women is transphobic. Wrong. A phobia is an irrational fear, dislike, hatred or prejudice. Saying that trans women are not actually women but they are free to express themselves however they so choose – as should everyone else – without discrimination as long as they don’t encroach on the human rights of others, isn’t transphobic! There is nothing wrong with being a trans identifying male (or vice versa) and saying you cannot actually be a woman because you were born male is not irrational, it’s not hatred, it’s not denying you any basic human rights. It is an opinion that is a lot easier to back with reason and evidence than the position that feeling that you are a woman means you are indeed a woman.

Germaine Greer is not a transphobe so Quinn’s argument that her appearance at a Cardiff University event is against their own policy statement regarding trans equality would hold no water even if Greer was planning to say anything about trans people. And she wasn’t! One of the things that make this article so unutterably absurd is the question Quinn poses:

“Do you think that debating Germaine Greer once again on whether or not trans women deserve basic human rights and protection is the key to a resolution?”

But Germaine Greer was not going to the Cardiff to debate “whether or not trans women deserve basic human rights and protection”. Her proposed lecture had nothing whatever to do with transgender people and nothing that Greer has ever said anywhere has suggested that trans people don’t deserve basic human rights and protection. The sheer dishonesty of this allegation is breathtaking and the fact that it is made so often against so many people who have done no more than express the opinion that trans identified males are not women and vice versa is simply bewildering.

Finally, Quinn resorts to the same tactics we see time and time again from the trans cult, which is to refer to trans women being harassed and murdered, as if that had something to do with Germaine Greer, for pity’s sake!

In spite of the protests and an emotive and reason-free petition that attracted over 3,000 signatures, Greer’s lecture went ahead without incident. Here is a Guardian article about it: Germaine Greer gives university lecture despite campaign to silence her.

By the way, on the day I started writing this, 17 October 2017, journalist Paris Lees appeared on BBC Newsnight and claimed that Greer has a long history of implying that trans people are sexual predators. This is the first I had heard of this and have searched for more information but can’t find any. I tweeted at Lees directly, asking for a source and got no response. I therefore believe the allegation is just as much a fabrication as were the allegations made by Roz Kaveney against Julie Bindel as exposed by Sarah Ditum here.

Finally an absolutely terrible article in the Independent by Tansy Hoskins, who attended the Cardiff lecture that Greer gave and who, in spite of the lecture having to do with transgender issues, insisted on raising them in the Q&A session so she could write an absolutely terrible article attempting to discredit Greer. Shame on the Independent for publishing this crap: I challenged Germaine Greer over her transphobic comments this week. Here’s what happened.

Edited to add: On the other hand, I heartily recommend this piece by Andrew Doyle in the HuffPo: Germaine Greer Had No Right to Speak at Cardiff University

 

Linda Bellos

Jenni Murray

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