Julie Burchill's attack on transsexuals...

[William of Walworth]

On a related (albeit slightly minor) point, does anyone know how widespread the choice of the title 'Mx' is now?

I've started to encounter it in my workplace (first time was early last year). it's rare IME, but not vanishingly so. Usually but not always chosen by people changing names and possibly/probably gender identity too (that factor is not always obvious in the data that I see, but sometimes there is a clear link).

Just curiosity that one ... wondered whether other Urbans knew more.

 

[cesare]

Probably in response to millionaire from Highgate Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone calling for the Observer to sack her even though I believe she is a freelancer

You think that's more likely than the response?

 

[rosecore]

A little too late eh? Too busy counting the hits. It's a terrible failure in editorial policy. Apology won't suffice.

 

[peterkro]

On a related (albeit slightly minor) point, does anyone know how widespread the choice of the title 'Mx' is now?

I've started to encounter it in my workplace (first time was early last year). it's rare IME, but not vanishingly so. Usually but not always chosen by people changing names and possibly/probably gender identity too (that factor is not always obvious in the data that I see, but sometimes there is a clear link).

Just curiosity that one ... wondered whether other Urbans knew more.

I think it's genderless,for example you don't know or the person thinks thinks their gender is irrelevant in the situation.

 

[rosecore]

You can still access it cached:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...ls+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk&client=firefox-a

 

[elbows]

There is some sense in this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/se...chill-to-police-the-borders-of-womanhood.html

 

[William of Walworth]

I think it's genderless,for example you don't know or the person thinks thinks their gender is irrelevant in the situation.

Thanks for that, see the point. But people often choose a blank space (also an option) for no title.

 

[William of Walworth]

There is some sense in this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/se...chill-to-police-the-borders-of-womanhood.html

Agree, that's pretty fair I reckon, Surprisingly so to me I have to admit!

Interesting that the Obs has seen fit to erase Julie Burchill's drivel now. Or as correctly said, disassociate. It says a lot more about their shit editorial 'judgement' that they chose to run it in the first place.

Also interesting that Rusbridger, the other day, was so VERY keen to emphasise that it was a piece nothing to do with him/the Guarduan, separately edited Observer and all that. Maybe? he felt he'd had his fingers badly burnt enough for far too long by hiring her for so long on Saturdays, a few years back.

Taken the Observer far too long to reach the same (?) conclusion, that she's full of shit.

Anyway, that's enough derailing from me on this thead about the Guardian (was only responding to some earlier points really, sorry).

 

[butchersapron]

Agree, that's pretty fair I reckon, Surprisingly so to them, I admit!

Interesting that the Obs has seen fit to erase Julie Burchill's drivel now. Or as correctly said, disassociate. It says a lot mre

But they have erased it, rather than disassociating. It stinks. Erase all mistakes.

 

[tufty79]

I think it's genderless,for example you don't know or the person thinks thinks their gender is irrelevant in the situation.

yup. gender neutral according to here. look out for 'misc' next, william
as to why people don't just leave it blank, not wanting a gender-specific title doesn't automatically mean you don't want a title of any sort..

 

[William of Walworth]

But they have erased it, rather than disassociating. It stinks. Erase all mistakes.

I've edited now, system kicked me out before I could sort it. I agree with you.

 

[William of Walworth]

yup. gender neutral according to here. look out for 'misc' next, william
as to why people don't just leave it blank, not wanting a gender-specific title doesn't automatically mean you don't want a title of any sort..

Thanks, that's the sort of insight I was looking for because I admit that particular area is little known to me

 

[Balbi]

That Brooke Magnati article's got its own inter-journo rivalry though - I seem to recall Moore, Moran etc having a barney with Belle de Jour about something.

 

[bi0boy]

I wonder if she might be pushed into writing an "apology" next week

 

[tufty79]

Thanks, that's the sort of insight I was looking for because I admit that particular area is little known to me

i wish it'd been around fifteen years ago - i remember working for a bank, and spending AGES going through the (limited) range of titles with a person didn't want to use mr/mrs/ms etc because they didn't believe in gender. i can't remember how we actually got around it

 

[cesare]

Vodafone are *still* bloody sending letters/bills to my old name and married title, nearly 14 years later. Pisses me off.

 

[rosecore]

Toby Young has her permission to re-print it. Could he be a bigger asshole?

 

[cesare]

Might have guessed that they'd be crying "censored" now

 

[Balbi]

Burchill and Young teaming up.

 

[Jollity Farm]

Having read a post on another forum by a trans person who was suicidal after the article, I am not really feeling too sympathetic to the "but it's just semantics" and "there are far more important things, like my problems" style of response. Real people, fellow human beings, have to deal with a world where there's barely any acceptance for who they are, where most mainstream attitudes towards you are "ha ha, funny joke", and that's at best. People have to be frightened that they'll be abused or killed by people just for the shape of their chromosomes (look up "Transgender day of Remembrance"). People have to be frightened that they'll lose their jobs, that they won't be hired, because someone found out their terrible secret. Most trans people are just trying to "crack on with their lives", but it's a tiny bit difficult when even a trip to the shop for some milk and bread can lead to being verbally abused or followed. People who've never had to suffer this can find it easy to say "just ignore it", but when one's very existence is called into question, when each angle sends the message "the world doesn't want you", it can wear one down to nothing. It's no surprise that some people lash out, it's just a shame that people will, without thinking, peer down from their positions of privilege and say "well, I don't see the problem here"

 

[butchersapron]

Who you talking to?

 

[Steel Icarus]

Who you talking to?

But why would they be ? Ok, so somebody is born a man but reckons they should have been a woman. So they get a load of drugs, get bits chopped off or added and expect to be called Ms.

Surely then what matters is them just cracking on with dealing with all the slings and arrows that befall the rest of society ? They were a man, now they are a woman so move along, nothing to see here now.

This, presumably

 

[Sirena]

Incidentally, as Adele from Fascinating Aida once pointed out, she wasn't born a man, she was born a baby...

 

[nino_savatte]

Toby Young has her permission to re-print it. Could he be a bigger asshole?

Yes.

 

[rosecore]

Spiked have now re-printed it with a more offensive headline

 

[Balbi]

Burchill's going to need moderated comments for a while. She's created a trans* mob/cabal of her very own.

 

[Balbi]

http://www.penny-red.com/post/40595682748/on-feminism-transphobia-and-free-speech

L.P speaketh. And doesn't do a bad job.

 

[dylanredefined]

Having read a post on another forum by a trans person who was suicidal after the article.

What! Its a Julie Burchill rant she is at best a parody and has made a career out of being a troll. How anyone could take her seriously
is beyond me. Insulting probably to be taken seriously not at all.

 

[el-ahrairah]

That Brooke Magnati article's got its own inter-journo rivalry though - I seem to recall Moore, Moran etc having a barney with Belle de Jour about something.

yeah, theres long time beef between them. BM has history of making up stats to attack her rivals, the first printing of her book was pulped cos of it!

 

[William of Walworth]

Spiked have now re-printed it with a more offensive headline

Spiked as a platform now? No hope for her at all ...