Transgender Women are not Women

• Posted by Pauline Smith October 24, 2015 #  #women  982 views
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  Germaine Greer, well known Feminist author, fighter for women's lib and ex professor at Cambridge and Warwick Universities, has created "a furore" by saying that transgendered women are not women. For those who have no idea who she is I have included a Wiki profile.

   

  An article was published in the Guardian yesterday (23rd October) and so far it has had almost 4.200 comments and there is now an item on the BBC website for a few hours today. As a contrast the original petition to ban Ms Greer had 300 signatories.

   

  It is an interesting take on freedom of speech - do we allow those who see us a blokes in skirts to maintain that view or do we try to stop them speaking; her lecture at Cardiff University is on another subject, so what does that say about the 300 people who want to stop her speaking for her views on our community. 

   

  As transgendered people we expect or demand tolerance from others, and of course we should ensure we are not racist or sexist or homophobic as well. Tolerance requires the acceptance of many different viewpoints; it does not mean shouting louder to drown out the opposing viewpoint or denying that any other views are possible - like most religious fundamentalists for example. Intolerance at its most extreme means killing others for not agreeing with your own views.

   

  Should we condemn Germain Greer or should we accept that she has a different viewpoint, which several real women that I know well really share. As an aside those so called transwomen who wave their cocks about really do not help any feelings of tolerance towards the trans community.

   

  I would love to get your comments, and yes right now I am fence sitting on this one; though I disagree with Ms Greer's stated viewpoint I do think she has the right to voice that opinion.

   

  For everyone who wants to look beyond the article I have enclosed the links to the Guardian and the BBC and I have copied the Guardian article below

   

   

  hugs

   

   

  Pauline xxxx

   

  PS If you want too see how little freedom of speech there really is on British University campuses in 2015 then read this article by Nick Cohen.

  http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/07/censorship-campus-no-way-fight-fanatics

   

  The links below are the ones that are directly related to the article

  http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/oct/23/petition-urges-cardiff-university-to-cancel-germain-greer-lecture

  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34625512

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germaine_Greer

   

   

   

  Petition urges Cardiff University to cancel Germaine Greer lecture

  Ben Quinn, The Guardian - 23 October 2015, 1936 BST.

   

  Change.org petition calls on university to ban lecture by feminist academic for alleged transphobic comments

   

  

   

  An online petition has been launched seeking to prevent Germaine Greer from giving a lecture at Cardiff University, claiming her views are “problematic” for transgender people.

   

  The petition on Change.org was started by Rachael Melhuish, women’s officer at the university’s students’ union, and alleges that Greer has “demonstrated misogynistic views towards trans women, including continually misgendering trans women and denying the existence of transphobia altogether”.

   

  The Australian writer is due to speak on 18 November in a lecture called Women & Power: The Lessons of the 20th Century.

   

  Asked about the petition, Greer told the Guardian: “I don’t really know what I think of it. It strikes me as a bit of a put-up job really because I am not even going to talk about the issue that they are on about.

  “What they are saying is that because I don’t think surgery will turn a man into a woman I should not be allowed to speak anywhere.”

  Greer said that she did not understand the mindset of those who had signed the petition, adding: “I do not know why universities cannot hear unpopular views and think about what they mean.”

   

  The author compared the recent growth of campaigns against speakers as a result of their views on transgender issues to the Fathers 4 Justice movement, which ran a high-profile campaign for improved rights for men denied access to their children.

  “They were a right pain in the arse and they did not do their cause any good at all. This is very like that.”

   

  The university, which has invited Greer to deliver the address for the eighth in a series of annual lectures, insisted that the event would go ahead.

  The petition urging the university to cancel the event had been signed by more than 300 people by early Friday afternoon. The university has more than 30,000 students.

  It says: “Trans-exclusionary views should have no place in feminism or society. Such attitudes contribute to the high levels of stigma, hatred and violence towards trans people – particularly trans women – both in the UK and across the world.

  “While debate in a university should be encouraged, hosting a speaker with such problematic and hateful views towards marginalised and vulnerable groups is dangerous. Allowing Greer a platform endorses her views, and by extension, the transmisogyny which she continues to perpetuate.”

  It argues that universities “should prioritise the voices of the most vulnerable on their campuses, not invite speakers who seek to further marginalise them”.

   

  The university’s vice-chancellor, Prof Colin Riordan, said it was committed to freedom of speech and open debate. “Our events include speakers with a range of views, all of which are rigorously challenged and debated,” he said.

   

  “This event will be no different. Our commitment to our LGBT+ students and staff members is unwavering and we fully recognise the tremendous benefits of having such a diverse community brings to Cardiff University.

   

  “We work hard to provide a positive and welcoming space for LGBT+ people and we are in consultation with student and staff groups to ensure that the views of LGBT+ people are represented at our events. We in no way condone discriminatory comments of any kind.”

   

  Greer said she had seen the university’s statement, which she said was “as weak as piss”.

  “If the University of Cardiff cannot guarantee that I will not have things thrown at me then I won’t go there. I can’t be bothered.”

  Of her critics, she added: “They think that they are entitled to throw things at me and then they say that I am inciting violence against transexuals. I have never incited anyone to violence against anyone. I am just fed up with it all. It’s all just froth.”

  “I don’t expect people to agree with me. On the other hand, I don’t expect them to throw things at me and, in the past, in New Zealand I have had things thrown at me and in the end it’s just an internet campaign, which is virtual rather than real.

  “I just don’t think that surgery turns a man into a woman. A perfectly permissable view. I mean, an un-man is not necessarily a woman. We don’t really know what women are and I think that a lot of women are female impersonators, because our notion of who we are is not authentic, and so I am not surprised men are better at impersonating women than women are. Not a surprise, but it’s not something I welcome.”

   

  No examples of Greer’s alleged positions on transgender people were cited by the petition.

   

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