Co-Opting Trans People to Attack Free Speech? | Skeptic TaraElla 2020

Welcome back to Skeptic TaraElla. Today, I'm going to talk about a disturbing trend that has been developing in the past few years: the attempt by some in the radical critical theory faction of the Left to co-opt the struggles of trans people to justify their attacks on free speech. Needless to say, as a trans woman who is also a big free speech advocate, I really don't enjoy being used as a political football for a cause I'm also resolutely against.

The issue reared its head again recently, with the publication of an open letter on the Harper's Magazine website drawing attention to the erosion of free speech and the rise of cancel culture, that was co-signed by more than 100 public intellectuals, mostly on the progressive side of the political spectrum. Noam Chomsky, a thinker who is almost universally held in high regard in progressive circles, was perhaps the most famous name on there of all.

I would have thought that the statement, which supported both social justice and the need for free speech, would be generally uncontroversial. But I was wrong. Within a day of publication, there was backlash against this very simple statement in all corners of the internet. While a reasonable person probably can't find fault with the message expressed, the backlash was focused on the alleged past behavior of about a dozen, or less than 10 percent, of signatories. There were charges of racism, controversial actions, and you guessed it, transphobia. I really don't know when transphobia became such an overused word among people who aren't even trans themselves, who don't even understand what gender dysphoria really is. I'm starting to see transphobia becoming a standard component of articles that discuss social justice issues in a superficial and virtue signalling way, often written by non-trans people who don't even have a basic understanding of what gender dysphoria actually is.

Anyway, with transphobia being a very popular insult nowadays in some circles, and with the JK Rowling controversy still fresh in the minds of many, it was not entirely surprising to see Rowling singled out as perhaps the most controversial signatory of them all. And with that 'association', the whole letter came to be interpreted by some people, trans and non-trans alike, as justifying transphobia. This has led to a negative reaction from parts of the trans community, which has unfortunately taken in the radical critical theory worldview entirely in recent years. This worldview, which sees everything through the lens of power and oppression, has fostered a strong victim mentality and an aversion to conversation with those who hold a different opinion. I guess it's how a letter for free speech, signed by more than a hundred progressives, one that has nothing to do with trans issues at all, came to be seen as transphobic.

And I think this is all a mistake, and a tragedy. You see, I believe the only way people will come to understand and accept trans people is via a discussion rooted in medical science, and the only way society will come to accomodate trans people's needs properly is via a rational, taboo-free discussion. The atmosphere created by the radical critical theory crowd has led to the silencing of many voices, including trans supportive people who want to discuss ideas and solutions that are not in line with the current consensus of activists. By reducing everything to power, oppression and struggle, the whole debate has become poisoned, and there appears to be no way out of this any time soon. The real victims of all this is trans people and trans rights.

I believe that, until conditions for free speech are fully restored, the prospect of truly improving trans acceptance and achieving a consensus for trans rights is very bleak indeed. As a trans person, I fully applaud the Open Letter in Harper's Magazine, because a restoration of free speech is the only way trans acceptance and trans rights will ever be able to be advanced.