Violence has become normalised within trans activism
It’s about time that mainstream commentators recognised the aggression at the heart of this movement.
Trans activists enjoy the same rights to peaceful protest as the rest of us. It is essential that even people who are determined to march for rights they already have are protected by law and can assemble as they wish. At the same time, there should be a zero tolerance policy for protesters who commit criminal acts. And we need to be willing to recognise when a particular movement has accepted violence as an inevitable aspect of its operation.
Very few of us will have been surprised by the attack on Kellie-Jay Keen (aka Posie Parker) at the Let Women Speak event in Sheffield this weekend. In mimicry of a previous attack in New Zealand last March, Keen’s assailant threw tomato soup over her while she was leading the rally. The alleged attacker boasts on his social media profile that he was an “Equality & Diversity associate” at his former university, and that his job was “to make the campus that little bit more tolerant and friendly for everyone”. Somehow, I don’t think he has the temperament for this role.
There is little doubt that violence, both in rhetorical and physical terms, has become normalised within trans activist circles. Every movement has its “bad apples”, which leading figures ought to criticise wherever possible. When anti-gay campaigner Anita Bryant was hit in the face with a pie in 1977, LGB rights groups were quick to condemn the assault. This is not simply a matter of exercising sound moral judgement, it is also strategic. If a group fails to condemn the most egregious actions of its own members, those elements end up representing the group in the eye of the public.
And of course once you have expressed sympathy with those committing acts of violence for political purposes – even if it’s as harmless as throwing a milkshake – then you cannot complain when such tactics are used against you. Nor should anyone be surprised when the choice of missiles escalates to something more serious. Many leftist commentators dismissed the throwing of milkshake at Nigel Farage as trivial, but it wasn’t long before one activist threw a coffee cup and wet cement, objects that could easily have caused injury.
Let’s take the example of the “London Trans+ Pride” march last July, where a violent ex-con who identifies as a woman took to the stage and proclaimed the following:
“I was going to come here and be really fluffy, be really nice and be really lovely and queer and gay. Nah, if you see a TERF, punch them in the fucking face.”
The words would have been bad enough, but the reaction of the audience was surely the most disturbing aspect. If violent rhetoric hasn’t been normalised in this movement, why would the crowd cheer upon hearing these words? Surely the overwhelming majority of sensible adults would have reacted with stunned silence? Or removed this unhinged individual from the platform before he could harm their cause any further?
The violence we have seen over the past few years from trans activists is undeniable. Virtually all protests of this kind involve some kind of demonstration of aggression, whether that be placards bearing phrases such as “Kill JK Rowling” or “Punch TERFs” or actual instances of physical hostility. Such rhetoric is now so commonplace that two SNP politicians were photographed next to an activist holding a placard with the slogan “Decapitate TERFs”, along with an image of a guillotine, and they didn’t even notice (see image at the top of this article).
And consider this example of physically intimidating behaviour from counter-protesters at a Let Women Speak event:
It isn’t difficult to see why women might not want to permit these kinds of men in their spaces. And yet for making the case for single-sex services, they are branded as “hateful bigots” and “anti-trans”. In truth, this is simply a matter of safeguarding.
Despite claims that the debate over gender identity ideology is toxic on “both sides”, it is indisputable that threats of violence, murder and rape are only coming from one faction. Has anyone ever seen a women’s rights campaigner holding a placard that calls for anyone’s execution? Or social media posts from feminists inciting the murder or rape of their ideological opponents? I certainly haven’t.
If it were the case that just a handful of trans activists behaved in this way, and were robustly taken to task by their associates, then we need not be too concerned. After all, whenever those few “bad apples” in the gender-critical movement express their homophobia, misandry and other forms of bigotry, they are quickly condemned by feminist campaigners as being outliers and totally unrepresentative. But among trans activist groups the examples are far more severe and far more frequent. Let’s take a look at a few examples:
Many will argue that such images are not representative of the movement as a whole, and yet their sheer volume is suggestive of normalisation. Those seeking equivalent sentiments in the gender-critical movement will struggle to find a single example, but the instances on the trans activists side are endless. For those who can stomach it, you can look through hundreds of other examples here.
Of course, many trans-identified people do not behave in this way, and are rightly appalled by such images. I have often heard transsexuals complain that the antics of these activists have made their lives much worse, and that these so-called “allies” are doing far more harm than good. How does it help anyone to smear J. K. Rowling as a “transphobe” and send her so many death and rape threats that she has remarked that she could paper the house with them?
This kind of abusive behaviour is so uncommon among women that it is remarkable that these activists don’t realise how it fatally undermines their point. If they sincerely hope to persuade us that they are women, acting like a drunk bloke with anger management issues is hardly a sensible approach.
And yet we are continually told that these activists are “marginalised” and “vulnerable”. If this is true, why do they enjoy the support of all major corporations and public institutions? Why are they able to call on the police to arrest those who refuse to use the language that they demand? Why are they tolerated when they harass and physically assault women who are gathering peacefully to express their views? These are bullies who are claiming to be the victims.
Given the sheer volume of evidence, it is now indisputable that violence has been normalised among trans activists and their supporters. It’s about time that mainstream commentators condemned such tactics rather than pretending this is simply a civil rights movement like any other.
Perfectly stated, Andrew. Thank you so much for calling out not only the violent behavior, but also its unconscionable normalization by public and private institutions alike.
Last year, when Graham Norton engaged in the slimy "Cancel culture doesn't exist, it's just consequence culture" narrative, he was then asked about the abuse JK Rowling receives. He did what most comedians with a big mouth on most topics do when the narrative becomes inconvenient, he claimed that he was just a comedian.
If the cause you're supporting prevents you from speaking out against rape threats, I'd suggest you're not just a reprehensible coward but a hostage to a sadistic movement.