by Brian Bamford
PEACE NEWS has been continuing its splendid coverage of the controversial transgender issue and its impact on free expression since the beginning of this year; the latest edition carries a thoughtful comment piece from the Manchester peace campaigner Cath Bann and a letter from the biologist Les May. Northern Voices particularly applauds its editorial stand on free speech.
Both Cath Bann and Les May are responding to a letter in the previous edition of Peace News from Clare Bonetree who claimed that the paper was confusing free speech with 'hate speech'.
Cath Bann writes: 'So few left-wing publications have been courageous enough to print opinions which question the prevailing thought on trans issues, and the fact that you have featured articles from both sides of the divide, as well as offering your own take (as a free speech issue) is commendable.'
Les May in his letter writes: 'Increasingly we have people trying to grab the moral high ground by claiming that something they read or hear, and do not like, is racist, anti-semitic, Islamophobic, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, patriarchal or in the latest catch all phrase, "hate speech", and should not be said.'
Ms. Bann in her comment piece argues: 'While I appreciate that Clare’s motivations likely stem from the desire (which I and presumably all in the peace movement share) to stand up for minority communities, I believe there is a failure to see that there is an overreach in trans rights ideology that is causing genuine concern. To label this concern, and Peace News’ article, as transphobic is drawing the parameters of what counts as transphobia too widely.'
This topical broad brush approach employed by Ms. Bonetree and much of the anglo-saxon left is both lazy and dangerous. As Les May is well aware that in Rochdale and elsewhere in the North it has led to a kind of inverted racism in which tend to turn a blind eye to ethnic grooming gangs or more recently cases of multiple voting by people of Asian ethnicity which the authorities seem reluctant to investigate for fear of being accused of 'institutional racism'.
Peace News in their current editorial commenting on the ongoing disputes surrounding both transgender and free speech declare:
'Last issue, we published a letter from Clare Bonetree explaining why she was ending her subscription to PN over our coverage of recent conflicts over trans rights. The last straw for her was our description of the conflict at the Liverpool Anarchist Bookfair (over an anti-trans leaflet) as a question of free speech. Clare’s letter prompted a response from another reader, Cath Bann, which is published below. We welcome responses to both Cath’s and Clare’s letters – we want to represent the diversity of views in grassroots movements for change, and be a forum for debate.'
It's refreshing to see a publication like Peace News that is encouraging intelligent debate on these issues.
Both Cath Bann and Les May are responding to a letter in the previous edition of Peace News from Clare Bonetree who claimed that the paper was confusing free speech with 'hate speech'.
Cath Bann writes: 'So few left-wing publications have been courageous enough to print opinions which question the prevailing thought on trans issues, and the fact that you have featured articles from both sides of the divide, as well as offering your own take (as a free speech issue) is commendable.'
Les May in his letter writes: 'Increasingly we have people trying to grab the moral high ground by claiming that something they read or hear, and do not like, is racist, anti-semitic, Islamophobic, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, patriarchal or in the latest catch all phrase, "hate speech", and should not be said.'
Ms. Bann in her comment piece argues: 'While I appreciate that Clare’s motivations likely stem from the desire (which I and presumably all in the peace movement share) to stand up for minority communities, I believe there is a failure to see that there is an overreach in trans rights ideology that is causing genuine concern. To label this concern, and Peace News’ article, as transphobic is drawing the parameters of what counts as transphobia too widely.'
This topical broad brush approach employed by Ms. Bonetree and much of the anglo-saxon left is both lazy and dangerous. As Les May is well aware that in Rochdale and elsewhere in the North it has led to a kind of inverted racism in which tend to turn a blind eye to ethnic grooming gangs or more recently cases of multiple voting by people of Asian ethnicity which the authorities seem reluctant to investigate for fear of being accused of 'institutional racism'.
Peace News in their current editorial commenting on the ongoing disputes surrounding both transgender and free speech declare:
'Last issue, we published a letter from Clare Bonetree explaining why she was ending her subscription to PN over our coverage of recent conflicts over trans rights. The last straw for her was our description of the conflict at the Liverpool Anarchist Bookfair (over an anti-trans leaflet) as a question of free speech. Clare’s letter prompted a response from another reader, Cath Bann, which is published below. We welcome responses to both Cath’s and Clare’s letters – we want to represent the diversity of views in grassroots movements for change, and be a forum for debate.'
It's refreshing to see a publication like Peace News that is encouraging intelligent debate on these issues.
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1 comment:
Silly joke: 'Why do they only have their punch-ups at anarchist events?'
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