Open letter to JK Rowling
JK Rowling's essay on trans issues has given me sleepless nights this week. I understand that she's been the victim of abuse - both in her earlier life and now from internet trolls. I also know from friends in the Trans community how much hurt JK Rowling's words have caused.
I didn't feel it was my right to say anything, as a cis-gender white gay male I don't want to talk over the voices of abused women or members of the Trans community. But there is one area where I feel I have experience - and that's where the following post comes from.
It is written with a kind heart and listening ears. If you wish to respond please bear that in mind.
GOOD LAWS vs BAD LAWS
I was taught that a good law is one that is very clear about who is in the right and who is in the wrong - and only targets those in the wrong. For instance, if there is a problem with traffic speeding in a residential street a good law would be to impose a clear speed limit for everyone. A bad law would be to say "BMWs look like fast powerful cars, so we'll ban BMW drivers from driving in this street." It's true that the BMW law would stop some speeding (those in a BMW car), but it wouldn't stop ALL speeding and it would also adversely affect BMW drivers who weren't speeding. Plus it could be argued that with reduced traffic on the road more non-BMW drivers would be tempted to speed.
I had personal experience of this when I came out as gay in the early 1990's. There were many laws (and newspaper headlines) attacking gay men all under the pretence of "protecting the children". It seemed as if the newspaper editors and politicians had good interests at heart - but if you want to protect children you need to make laws specifically about children. Don't attack all gay men, instead make tougher laws about paedophilia.
As a cis-man I now see the same hysteria and newspaper headlines targeting the Trans community, this time under the guise of "protecting women’s' spaces". For example, if you're concerned about women being attacked in public toilets - please tighten the laws about anyone attacking someone else in a public toilet. Don't campaign to ban members of the Trans community from using public toilets. The only way to enforce that is for everyone to become suspicious of anyone else using the toilet. In places where toilet laws have been passed there were increased attacks in toilets on any woman who wasn't deemed to be 'sufficiently feminine'. By trying to make women-only spaces safer it increased attacks on ANY woman who doesn't fit society's idea of what a woman should look like.
I understand that the legal system has let women, members of the Trans community and minority groups down. We saw from the avalanche of #metoo stories that sexual assault victims need to be better protected. But let's tighten the laws on upskirting, spiking drinks, unwanted touching, sexual abuse and teach judges what informed consent means. Please don't use this fear and trauma to attack the Trans community. That will only lead to more assaults on ALL women as well as increasing the violence and hate crimes the Trans community already suffers.
John Pendal (12 June 2020)
I didn't feel it was my right to say anything, as a cis-gender white gay male I don't want to talk over the voices of abused women or members of the Trans community. But there is one area where I feel I have experience - and that's where the following post comes from.
It is written with a kind heart and listening ears. If you wish to respond please bear that in mind.
GOOD LAWS vs BAD LAWS
I was taught that a good law is one that is very clear about who is in the right and who is in the wrong - and only targets those in the wrong. For instance, if there is a problem with traffic speeding in a residential street a good law would be to impose a clear speed limit for everyone. A bad law would be to say "BMWs look like fast powerful cars, so we'll ban BMW drivers from driving in this street." It's true that the BMW law would stop some speeding (those in a BMW car), but it wouldn't stop ALL speeding and it would also adversely affect BMW drivers who weren't speeding. Plus it could be argued that with reduced traffic on the road more non-BMW drivers would be tempted to speed.
I had personal experience of this when I came out as gay in the early 1990's. There were many laws (and newspaper headlines) attacking gay men all under the pretence of "protecting the children". It seemed as if the newspaper editors and politicians had good interests at heart - but if you want to protect children you need to make laws specifically about children. Don't attack all gay men, instead make tougher laws about paedophilia.
As a cis-man I now see the same hysteria and newspaper headlines targeting the Trans community, this time under the guise of "protecting women’s' spaces". For example, if you're concerned about women being attacked in public toilets - please tighten the laws about anyone attacking someone else in a public toilet. Don't campaign to ban members of the Trans community from using public toilets. The only way to enforce that is for everyone to become suspicious of anyone else using the toilet. In places where toilet laws have been passed there were increased attacks in toilets on any woman who wasn't deemed to be 'sufficiently feminine'. By trying to make women-only spaces safer it increased attacks on ANY woman who doesn't fit society's idea of what a woman should look like.
I understand that the legal system has let women, members of the Trans community and minority groups down. We saw from the avalanche of #metoo stories that sexual assault victims need to be better protected. But let's tighten the laws on upskirting, spiking drinks, unwanted touching, sexual abuse and teach judges what informed consent means. Please don't use this fear and trauma to attack the Trans community. That will only lead to more assaults on ALL women as well as increasing the violence and hate crimes the Trans community already suffers.
John Pendal (12 June 2020)
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You are welcome to link to any page of this site but text must not be reprinted without permission from the author.
With the exception of Thriving Autistic, I have no relationship or affiliate advertising with any products, organisations or applications shared on this website. Any resources listed here are for information only and are used at your own risk.
