I think making the personal universal is a good way to connect with people. I grew up in Selma, lived for 20 years in Birmingham 2 bombings while I was there, and last 10 in the Gump as we call Montgomery. I can do a good civil rights tour of the region before we have that glass of tea some day.
What a beautiful piece. Thank you. I remember that summer and all its protests (many of which I participated in) well. I live in a city where I was inspired to tears by the fierce joy and resolution AND horrified at the random destruction of small businesses and even trees and art and things of beauty.
"What I was seeing wasn’t about justice — it was about power, about rage, about a radical ideology that demanded absolute loyalty and punished dissent." Yes! This resonates - and i think it applies to both extreme ends of the spectrum.
John Lewis is a hero. His "Good Trouble" was measured, steadfast and unyielding, and thoughtful and compassionate.
I like "gender realist". The ham fistedness of what is happening now has only pushed my beautiful, vulnerable ROGD 19-year-old further into medicalization, and she truly believes half the world wants her dead.
Concurring in part, dissenting in part: Yes, "embracing", not "critical", as too easily confused with so-called "Critical Theory", the rejection of material reality in favor of subjective feelings.
But No, not "gender", except in the context of a discussion of grammar. Anywhere else, it's a genteel Victorian euphemism for "sex". In the 1990s, it was prescribed by the SJWs Style Manual to be used instead of the word "sex". What had long been known as "sex change" surgery (although no one thought sex could actually be changed) briefly became "gender conforming" surgery. But a knowledgeable bureaucrat in the Ministry of Truth prescribed "gender 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨" as a far more positive way to conceal what was actually involved, namely, castration and female genital mutilation.
Appreciate the thoughtful critique, John. I get where you’re coming from, and I actually agree with much of your breakdown of “gender” as a term hijacked for ideological purposes. But in a world where words are constantly being redefined, “gender-critical” has become the most widely understood shorthand for opposing gender ideology and defending material reality. It’s not perfect, but it’s recognizable.
That said, I also use “biological realist” because, like you, I reject the postmodernist sleight of hand that tries to sever language from truth. I’m a feminist but not a radical feminist, so “TERF” doesn’t quite fit. And while I appreciate “gender-embracing” as an alternative, it doesn’t quite capture the fight we’re in against an ideology that is anything but embracing of reality.
So, I’ll stick with “gender-critical” and “biological realist,” but I always welcome a good linguistic debate—after all, Orwell taught us that language is where the battle is fought first.
Your voice and your experience are uniquely valuable. Thank you for being you.
I think making the personal universal is a good way to connect with people. I grew up in Selma, lived for 20 years in Birmingham 2 bombings while I was there, and last 10 in the Gump as we call Montgomery. I can do a good civil rights tour of the region before we have that glass of tea some day.
I look forward to that!
Beautiful. Thank you.
What a beautiful piece. Thank you. I remember that summer and all its protests (many of which I participated in) well. I live in a city where I was inspired to tears by the fierce joy and resolution AND horrified at the random destruction of small businesses and even trees and art and things of beauty.
"What I was seeing wasn’t about justice — it was about power, about rage, about a radical ideology that demanded absolute loyalty and punished dissent." Yes! This resonates - and i think it applies to both extreme ends of the spectrum.
John Lewis is a hero. His "Good Trouble" was measured, steadfast and unyielding, and thoughtful and compassionate.
I like "gender realist". The ham fistedness of what is happening now has only pushed my beautiful, vulnerable ROGD 19-year-old further into medicalization, and she truly believes half the world wants her dead.
I would have been her if I grew up today. She sailed into a perfect storm that couldn’t be seen. It is for these young people that I write.
Not "gender critical", gender EMBRACING, the subject is Orwellian upside-down enough already.
2020 was an Orwellian year. Both 1984 and Animal Farm influenced me a lot growing up.
Concurring in part, dissenting in part: Yes, "embracing", not "critical", as too easily confused with so-called "Critical Theory", the rejection of material reality in favor of subjective feelings.
But No, not "gender", except in the context of a discussion of grammar. Anywhere else, it's a genteel Victorian euphemism for "sex". In the 1990s, it was prescribed by the SJWs Style Manual to be used instead of the word "sex". What had long been known as "sex change" surgery (although no one thought sex could actually be changed) briefly became "gender conforming" surgery. But a knowledgeable bureaucrat in the Ministry of Truth prescribed "gender 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨" as a far more positive way to conceal what was actually involved, namely, castration and female genital mutilation.
Appreciate the thoughtful critique, John. I get where you’re coming from, and I actually agree with much of your breakdown of “gender” as a term hijacked for ideological purposes. But in a world where words are constantly being redefined, “gender-critical” has become the most widely understood shorthand for opposing gender ideology and defending material reality. It’s not perfect, but it’s recognizable.
That said, I also use “biological realist” because, like you, I reject the postmodernist sleight of hand that tries to sever language from truth. I’m a feminist but not a radical feminist, so “TERF” doesn’t quite fit. And while I appreciate “gender-embracing” as an alternative, it doesn’t quite capture the fight we’re in against an ideology that is anything but embracing of reality.
So, I’ll stick with “gender-critical” and “biological realist,” but I always welcome a good linguistic debate—after all, Orwell taught us that language is where the battle is fought first.