Dead Wild Roses

 

We have been catering to unstable fragile people for far – far – too long.  Let’s hope and do what we can to ensure this trend continues.

From Unheard:

“Then there was the American author, Hesse Phillips, who apparently uses “she/they” pronouns. “This decision was not taken lightly,” she/they declared in a lengthy statement this week. “I’ve conferred with other queer and trans authors, cis and straight authors, friends and family, and in the end I feel that stepping down from my panel is the only way forward, both for my personal safety and my conscience.”

At one level, it’s hard to take this nonsense seriously. But the reference to “personal safety” implies that the mere presence of gender-critical authors in the same city as adherents of the cult of identity politics puts the latter in danger. It’s a disgraceful slur, as is the suggestion that Joyce and Bindel are calling for the “eradication of an entire class of human beings”. Phillips has also smeared the organisers of the festival, accusing them of prioritising “hate speech over the safety of LGBTQ+ speakers and attendees”. It’s intended, I suspect, as a warning to other festivals of what to expect if they dare to platform heretics.

Pressure has worked far too often. Last year the Hay and Edinburgh book festivals announced they were suspending sponsorship from a company deemed unacceptable by activists against climate change and Israel’s conflict in Gaza. The Cheltenham Literature Festival went so far as to compare a belief in biological sex with racism and homophobia. The bullies appeared to be firmly in charge, as organisers in effect ceded a veto to groups of people who regard themselves as more important than anyone else.

Signs that the mood is changing, swinging against censorship disguised as inclusion, has evidently come as a shock. When gender warriors obsess about threats to their “safety”, they’re actually revealing that they can’t bear to be challenged. They’ve got used to mixing with people who stroke their egos and don’t question the ludicrous claim that their lives are in danger.”