Mick Hartley

I mentioned the gender-critical barney over pronouns yesterday. Now Janice Turner defends herself in the Times – I’ll use whatever pronouns I think courteous.

I will use female pronouns for some trans women. My rules are personal. I will call no male who commits a sexual or violent offence “she”. But those who respect women, like Debbie Hayton, or those I meet in real life, I will respect. This will win me abuse on both sides: Stonewall would say the choice should not be mine; gender-critical ultras will cry traitor.

Interestingly, the comments are strongly critical. This is currently the most recommended:

I rather think the crux of this issue for many, if not most, females is ignored.

In humans, as in all mammals, female has a distinct meaning. That meaning obviously has a limit, a boundary, as does the distinct meaning for male.

Any man declaring himself to be a woman, ie: female, violates the boundary of the meaning of the sex class that is female. It is a violation of the integrity of the sex class that is female.

This violation, occurring as an assertion of male power over females, is against our female consent.

It is a blatant deceit on all women and girls to use 'she' or 'her' when referring to any man who pretends he is not a man, whether it is considered a matter of courtesy or not.

It is a blatant deceit on our entire society for any law to state that a man can become a woman.

Women are very angry about this violation and this deceit.