A lot of trans people were upset by a Suzanne Moore piece in the New Statesman tittled
'Seeing Red: the power of female anger'. In all honesty I didn't find it offensive.
But then the piece didn't have the paragraph that angered so many people stereotyping Brazilian transsexuals when I read it. For the record Moore wrote:
" [Women] are angry with ourselves for not being happier, not being loved properly and not having the ideal body shape – that of a Brazilian transsexual.”
All and all not that offensive but that's just me. I have watched in utter amazement
trans Brazilian pageant contestants. So in a way its a complement as they have raised the bar so frustratingly high that many, both cis and trans people might see as unattainable.
But reading into the comments I do find reasons the UK trans community would be offended since
between 126 and 200 trans murders were reported in Brazil at the 2012 TDOR especially since the ink hasn't even dried and yet another Brazilian trans woman has been reported
brutally murdered today.
In that context Moore's comment is an offensive stereotyping of a particular ethnicity of the trans community. The 126 who were murdered probably weren't drop dead gorgeous and didn't have wide hips or big breasts. They were most likely like me in appearance. It then becomes obvious the Moore used that comparison as backhanded slap at trans peoples as she refused to become educated about that indiscretion.
Moore's true colors came out as she responded to trans people's indignation by
tweeting
" “People can just fuck off really. Cut their dicks off and be more feminist than me. Good for them.”
So good riddance to Moore but that was nothing in comparison to what followed ber departure.
Columnist Militant Feminist Julie Burchill responded to Moore's leaving twitter on the Guardian with
"Transsexuals should cut it out" saying
it's a shame she' should be driven from her chosen mode of time-wasting by a bunch of dicks in chicks' clothing.
Burchill didn't limit her disrespect to trans people she obviously abhors other minorities as well.
"The reaction of the trans lobby reminded me very much of those wretched inner-city kids who shoot another inner-city kid dead in a fast-food shop for not showing them enough "respect"
That shouldn't be too surprising since
in 2002 she narrowly escaped prosecution for incitement to racial hatred, "following a Guardian column where she described Ireland as being synonymous with child molestation, Nazi-sympathising, and the oppression of women. Source:
Wikipedia
Burchill was just getting warmed up and refocused her hated on trans people cavalierly using the reviled word 'trannies' and threatening
"these bed-wetters in bad wigs are "lucky I'm not calling them shemales. Or shims."
As you can guess the trans community is up in arms about this outrage. Many have already emailed complaints about Bruchill's article to Stephen Pritchard president of the
Organization of News Ombudsmen but don't let that stop you. Email him at
reader@observer.co.uk
The Independent is running a poll to get a idea of how society in general feels about Julie Burchill's article.
This poll was shared 500+ times and of those shares I assume most responded to the poll to. Click
Here to take the poll.
Personally, I don't want the article removed from the Guardian. I want Burchill fired. I want a full retraction and apology from the Guardian addressing each instance of Burchill's hate.
