Mick Hartley

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The transgender debate

Should self-defining trans people – men calling themselves women – be allowed on Labour’s all-women shortlists? It's a dilemma for our times. As Guido Fawkes reports, it's turning into a major source of conflict at the Guardian newsroom. 

My view is that, yes, trans women should be allowed. Men, after all, are better at most things than women. And, as we discovered back in 2015 when transgender Caitlyn Jenner was elected as Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine, they're even better at being women than women. 

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5 responses to “The transgender debate”

  1. A tran Avatar
    A tran

    As a transgender regular reader of your blog (yes, honestly), I’m curious about something. Do you draw a distinction between ‘self-defining’ trans people and ‘proper’ trans people, or do you consider them to all be the same in that regard?
    Whatever you say about it I won’t reply further, I’ve got no interest in some kind of internet argument on the subject. I’m just curious.

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  2. Mick H Avatar
    Mick H

    I wouldn’t know where to start. I don’t know what it would mean to be a “proper” trans person, as opposed to a self-defining trans person. Is “proper” here meant to signify that they’re genuinely sincere, or that they’ve had gender re-assignment surgery? I don’t know what you mean. I certainly don’t think there are many – if any – who aren’t completely serious about it.
    My point, I suppose, is that I have considerable sympathy for those feminists who aren’t too happy about trans women muscling in (that seems to be a reasonable description) into areas which were for women only, and were supposed to provide some protection for women in a male-oriented society. Like women-only shortlists.
    As to whether these transgender people are “proper”, or whatever – well, that’s not something I’m in a position to judge.

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  3. Martin Adamson Avatar
    Martin Adamson

    If you wish to call yourself Napoleon Bonaparte you may, but don’t expect anyone to follow you on the march to Moscow.

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  4. Dom Avatar
    Dom

    I think you’re getting your dysphorias mixed up. Chas Bono is a trans man. Caitlyn Jenner is a trans woman. The question is, does Caitlyn Jenner get a seat at an all-women’s group.

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  5. Mick H Avatar
    Mick H

    Ah right – I should have said trans woman rather than trans man. Now amended.
    But yes, that is the question.

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