How many of us support JKR

George White

I am somewhat fascinated by the novelist John Boyne, and his recent anti-trans talks.

Boyne claims that every lesbian, gay and bisexual he knows is in favour of JK Rowling and her 'women's rights' stuff, but he claims he's not a transphobe, having written a misguided book 'His Brother's Name is Jessica'. He did seem at one point genuinely on their side, but when trans people began to criticise him because of his misguided book and refusal to be labelled cis (something I agree with him on, for different reasons), he slowly went to going full-on JK Rowling defender and even becoming mates with Graham Linehan, although he still claims to be a trans ally.

But what fascinates me is he claims that most gay people he knows are pro-JK/Gender critical. I suppose he might only know a certain type of gay, but it's obsessed me the past few weeks, there's all these gays and lesbians who maybe aren't transphobic per se, but don't identify at all with trans people (especially trans lesbians or 'straight men', as Boyne calls them, looking back to the outdated ideas of Virginia Prince).

I am a genderfluid person, sorta transfeminine, but I wouldn't feel comfortable calling myself a woman, but listening to Boyne has made me increasingly sympathetic to gays, lesbians and bisexuals. But I also find that I'm probably being suckered in by a wounded ego, especially as in solidarity to the gays, I have stopped declaring my pronouns (which Boyne claims is homophobic, as it denies same sex attraction, if anyone can explain to me, thanks)

I don't mind misgendering (something which supposed ally Boyne does), but I am slightly disturbed by Boyne's alliances with Kellie Jay Keen and the odious Not All Gays (who told me that even bisexual trans people weren't welcome, even though I pointed out in their eyes, a straight trans woman would be a gay man).

But I thought I'd set up a thread here (no transphobia or abuse here) to ask - ae most gays and lesbians and bisexuals at least trans sceptical and hiding? Or is Boyne living on button moon?

Because most of the GC gays I know are English (via Dr Who fandom).

George White

Sorry, I rushed this slightly too much, what I meant to say was that I am fascinated by the idea that most gays, lesbians and bisexuals don't identify with trans people at all, but are too ashamed to admit it.

But also worry that I am being misled by people with bad faith who are just bullshitting lickarses, and not people who were trans-allies until trans people began invading their spaces rather than merely being transvestites. Basically, they were okay before they started saying pronouns, and began to enter the culture war shite.

(I myself am an asexual trans person, so I don't really identify as queer, because I think asexual is a lack of sexuality, not a variant).

George White

The reason I am angry is a few weeks ago, seeing Boyne's post about being thrown out of Street66 and bullied by the staff because he objected to the **** JK sign (Now, I think JK is an overrated hack, and a magpie, who nonetheless was important to my childhood) but I think if you have a potential sizeable part of your clientele who support her, maybe you should think less of alienating them. Of course, the next day, she came out as a holocaust denier.

I started to think, 'maybe, I've been played the fool. Maybe all my friends telling me 'the silent majority' stuff was bullshit.' But Boyne keeps saying so.

So, where are you guys (and lesbians/female bisexuals)? And if so, what is the point keeping up this charade (esp. when you also claim to be for trans people) when no one buys it, and no one of the 'vast majority of gays' is coming out to support Boyne (in Ireland, at least, apart from the Gays Against Groomers eccentrics, again I know lots of GCs in England).

I feel like I've been made a fool, I fell out with a friend because I was like, 'I may not agree with Boyne on many things, but there needs to be a point where we try to understand GC gays, rather than further alienating them.'

Like Boyne's line about trans people being no longer a vulnerable minority struck me deeply. On the one hand, it made me angry. But on the other hand, I can see why. It's mainly older gays and lesbians and bisexuals who feel rejected (plus a few younger ones like Not All Gays, whose leader seems to have been turned this way by seeing a transmasc person in a binder). But the thing is, this outspoken 'Eat my ****' signage and so on is no different to what lesbian and gay protestors have been doing for years. It seems it's only when they find themselves on the opposite side, or maybe as they get more older and prudish, they get offended. And I am sympathetic to them. I do find most of that kind of thing from trans activists rather reductive and one-note.* That it serves only to worsen things rather than make things better, in my opinion. Maybe this is fuelled by reading too much of Boyne's twitter. I do think that many GC gays and lesbians and bisexuals (if the 'silent majority' exists) were trans allies, and were scared off by a mix of generation gap, and seeing people they were fine with when they identified as 'heterosexual transvestites' identify as lesbians (you don't see as much strife about gay trans men).

We need a John Hume figure to bring the LGB and T to a peaceful truce.

As someone who embraces gender fluidity (and is increasingly gendered as female even presenting as male because of my voice), but also thinks we need to stop treating the likes of Stella O'Malley and her anti-autistic conversion therapist unit Genspect),but is against puberty blockers (moreso for the dangers health-wise and not 'transing' kids-wise). However, those outspoken GCs don't see the difference.

I want to know, to any GC gays who are here, why are you guys supporting Kellie Jay Keen? She has said she is not a feminist, and is against lesbians' rights like that the non-birthing parent in a lesbian couple shouldn't be called a mother.

I just wnat to know if I'm being played a fool in my support for GC gays/lesbians/bisexuals.

*Although some people can get away with it (e.g. the trans lesbian/bisexual comedian and filmmaker Mia Moore's apology to JKR may be one of the funniest tweets I've ever seen).