June 16, 2023 - 4:00pm
Melbourne
Three prominent women in Australia have been sacked or expelled for voicing gender critical views in recent weeks. Julie Szego, long-time feature writer for The Age was sacked for, well, doing her job. Szego was commissioned to write a piece on transgender youth by then Age editor Gay Alcorn, but the completed article was subsequently rejected by the new incumbent Patrick Elligett. She subsequently chose to publish it on Substack. Elligett went on to sack Szego, and now to Substack she goes, like all the other “neo-Nazi, right wing extremists”.
Nor was she the only one. Moving north, we learned this week that senior staff psychiatrist at Queensland Children’s Health (QCH), Dr. Jillian Spencer, was stood down following a patient complaint. The hospital drew upon its powers to compel staff under employment law to use children’s preferred pronouns. This followed months of conflict at QCH over the treatment of children with gender dysphoria, specifically on whether to follow the affirmation or exploratory models.
Finally, Pearl Moon, a mixed media Australian artist was expelled as a finalist from the Australian Wearable Art Festival, which is being held on the Gold Coast in August. As she outlined on her blog, once the festival organisers discovered she had attended two of Keen-Minshull’s ‘Let Women Speak’ events in Sydney and Canberra, they emailed her expressing concern that her views would arouse a backlash from the LGBTQI+ community. They also stated they wanted it to be a “safe space for everyone”. Just not Moon, of course, who is no longer welcome.
Moon had been working on her entry piece for the exhibition entitled Wedding Gown for a Woman Marrying her Garden. But on the 4th June, she received a follow-up email from AWAF organisers stating that she had been expelled from the festival.
These three prominent expulsions come on the heels of MP Moira Deeming being expelled from the Victorian Liberal Party last month (after an initial suspension), again for speaking at the ‘Let Women Speak’ event in Melbourne. Add to that Associate Professor Holly Lawford-Smith, who was also ‘investigated’ by the University of Melbourne for her participation at the same event, for which she endured menacing student protests. The demonstrations were so bad that they forced her to cancel one of her classes on the advice of security.
While the university found nothing on which to indict Lawford-Smith, she lodged a WorkSafe Victoria complaint accusing the University of Melbourne of health and safety breaches, bullying her for her political views, and failing to uphold its commitment to freedom of speech. She cites an email by the Dean of Arts, Professor Russell Goulbourn, circulated to staff on 24 March, criticising the ‘Let Women Speak’ tour.
All of these women — a journalist, a psychiatrist, an artist, a politician, and a philosophy professor — have expressed the once normal and now rapidly taboo view that a woman is an adult human female and that children’s psychological and bodily integrity (and future fertility) should be protected. That these views have become ‘incendiary’ speaks to the draconian absurdity of our present cultural moment.
For too long the spurious notion of ‘inclusivity’ has obfuscated the conflict of interest between trans rights and women’s rights, with horrible repercussions for the latter. Unfortunately, it would now appear that ‘inclusivity’ has become the language of cancellation.
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SubscribeThe trans ideology is frightening, not only because these fringe views have captured the institutions, but because it has moved the Overton window in a monumental way. Less than 10 years ago, Dennis Prager was mocked on the Bill Maher show for suggesting that progressives believed men could menstruate. He was literally laughed at. Now it’s accepted orthodoxy in some circles.
We now believe that children are perfectly capable of choosing to change their gender. This was inconceivable 10 years ago. Where does this go in 10 years from now?
Will it be accepted orthodoxy that children are capable of choosing to have sex with adults?
I know it sounds outrageous, but we keep shifting what it acceptable behaviour and thought. We are walking on dangerous ground when we fail to protect children from the whims of the current group think.
An enormous backlash. Whether that is good or a bad thing, remains to be seen.
“Will it be accepted orthodoxy that children are capable of choosing to have sex with adults?” It seems that this is the aim of drag queen story hour events.
Have heart. The backlash is finally starting. There were several protests against Pride ideology outside high schools in Canada this week. People are really sick of this creepy drag queen story hour stuff.
I think this is exactly the direction we are heading. Stonewall-initiated guidance is being adopted by schools, youth organisations, even churches based on the premise that primary school children – children who snuggle soft toys and play with Lego – can be LGBT+ and must be affirmed as such. If you affirm that children have a sexual identity and sexual inclinations, it is a small step to go from acceptance to celebration of that supposed ‘fact’. It’s another small step to claim that children’s sexual identity should be explored and expressed, indeed it would be cruel not to.
A generation ago the idea of sexualising small children would have been so far beyond the pale it would be considered repulsive to mention it in civilised company, except perhaps in the context of discussing Jimmy Saville of Gary Glitter. Now it is mainstream. 10 years feel about the right timeframe for it to move the next stage, unless it is stopped.
100%. Growing up in the 70s/80s, I read of Salem witch trials etc, and felt a sense of epochal superiority – “nobody in the West would be that irrational now”, I thought. How wrong I was. Western culture is busy destroying rationality and doubt at a frightening rate.
What is needed are politicians and other leaders willing to dump this garbage in the bin where it belongs. In the US there is a stark choice between Joe Biden, who is demented on this subject as in so many others, and Ron DeSantis who leads a crackdown on these perverts in his state. Trump might have an opinion but you have to dig through the welter of lawsuits the left has knee-capped him with to find out. Nobody trusts the oligarchic legacy media to help. It is too busy being woke.
An enormous backlash. Whether that is good or a bad thing, remains to be seen.
“Will it be accepted orthodoxy that children are capable of choosing to have sex with adults?” It seems that this is the aim of drag queen story hour events.
Have heart. The backlash is finally starting. There were several protests against Pride ideology outside high schools in Canada this week. People are really sick of this creepy drag queen story hour stuff.
I think this is exactly the direction we are heading. Stonewall-initiated guidance is being adopted by schools, youth organisations, even churches based on the premise that primary school children – children who snuggle soft toys and play with Lego – can be LGBT+ and must be affirmed as such. If you affirm that children have a sexual identity and sexual inclinations, it is a small step to go from acceptance to celebration of that supposed ‘fact’. It’s another small step to claim that children’s sexual identity should be explored and expressed, indeed it would be cruel not to.
A generation ago the idea of sexualising small children would have been so far beyond the pale it would be considered repulsive to mention it in civilised company, except perhaps in the context of discussing Jimmy Saville of Gary Glitter. Now it is mainstream. 10 years feel about the right timeframe for it to move the next stage, unless it is stopped.
100%. Growing up in the 70s/80s, I read of Salem witch trials etc, and felt a sense of epochal superiority – “nobody in the West would be that irrational now”, I thought. How wrong I was. Western culture is busy destroying rationality and doubt at a frightening rate.
What is needed are politicians and other leaders willing to dump this garbage in the bin where it belongs. In the US there is a stark choice between Joe Biden, who is demented on this subject as in so many others, and Ron DeSantis who leads a crackdown on these perverts in his state. Trump might have an opinion but you have to dig through the welter of lawsuits the left has knee-capped him with to find out. Nobody trusts the oligarchic legacy media to help. It is too busy being woke.
The trans ideology is frightening, not only because these fringe views have captured the institutions, but because it has moved the Overton window in a monumental way. Less than 10 years ago, Dennis Prager was mocked on the Bill Maher show for suggesting that progressives believed men could menstruate. He was literally laughed at. Now it’s accepted orthodoxy in some circles.
We now believe that children are perfectly capable of choosing to change their gender. This was inconceivable 10 years ago. Where does this go in 10 years from now?
Will it be accepted orthodoxy that children are capable of choosing to have sex with adults?
I know it sounds outrageous, but we keep shifting what it acceptable behaviour and thought. We are walking on dangerous ground when we fail to protect children from the whims of the current group think.
Australia is one of the wokest, authoritarian nations in the world. At least in Canada we have a couple provinces pushing back against this nonsense. I think all the states in Australia are fully on board the woke train.
Biggest Western police state in the world – but Canada is doing some catch up!
Oh ya, things are not rosy in Canada by any stretch. When the Province of New Brunswick recently tried to introduce policy that would require teachers to inform parents that their child was changing their pronouns in school, this is what Trudeau said;
“Far-right political actors are trying to outdo themselves with the types of cruelty and isolation they can inflict on these already vulnerable people. Right now, trans kids in New Brunswick are being told they don’t have the right to be their true selves, that they need to ask permission.”
All this because the province tried to stand up for parental rights. The legislation failed so teachers don’t have to inform parents. The premier previously said he’s willing to call a snap election on the issue. I can only hope he’s not a coward and actually calls an election.
The squalid creep Trudeau-Castro arrogantly assuming that “the true self” of these unfortunate children is an emasculated transvestite…
The squalid creep Trudeau-Castro arrogantly assuming that “the true self” of these unfortunate children is an emasculated transvestite…
Oh ya, things are not rosy in Canada by any stretch. When the Province of New Brunswick recently tried to introduce policy that would require teachers to inform parents that their child was changing their pronouns in school, this is what Trudeau said;
“Far-right political actors are trying to outdo themselves with the types of cruelty and isolation they can inflict on these already vulnerable people. Right now, trans kids in New Brunswick are being told they don’t have the right to be their true selves, that they need to ask permission.”
All this because the province tried to stand up for parental rights. The legislation failed so teachers don’t have to inform parents. The premier previously said he’s willing to call a snap election on the issue. I can only hope he’s not a coward and actually calls an election.
Based on the progressive attitudes of young women it’s obvious that eventually the discourse will be dominated by trans-women and their supporters. They will continue to chip away at the protectionist measures that are currently being erected in the vain hope of restricting participation to the so-called “pure females.”
Change is inevitable and the young will shape the world of the future.
Yeah, but when the insanity goes too far, and the shape of things is decided by hard men (as it always eventually is) the young progressive women won’t have any power left.
Old guard women will eventually pass away and at that point the previously young radicals will be the mainstream majority. What’s considered insanity today becomes reality tomorrow, like it or not.
No, sorry. There’s a limit. Pretending that biological males are female will eventually be considered as ridiculous as the Dutch tulip frenzy in the 1600s. That insanity is still considered insanity today.
No, sorry. There’s a limit. Pretending that biological males are female will eventually be considered as ridiculous as the Dutch tulip frenzy in the 1600s. That insanity is still considered insanity today.
The `hard men’ will be the men in a dress.
Old guard women will eventually pass away and at that point the previously young radicals will be the mainstream majority. What’s considered insanity today becomes reality tomorrow, like it or not.
The `hard men’ will be the men in a dress.
Yeah, but when the insanity goes too far, and the shape of things is decided by hard men (as it always eventually is) the young progressive women won’t have any power left.
It’s worse in New Zealand.
Biggest Western police state in the world – but Canada is doing some catch up!
Based on the progressive attitudes of young women it’s obvious that eventually the discourse will be dominated by trans-women and their supporters. They will continue to chip away at the protectionist measures that are currently being erected in the vain hope of restricting participation to the so-called “pure females.”
Change is inevitable and the young will shape the world of the future.
It’s worse in New Zealand.
Australia is one of the wokest, authoritarian nations in the world. At least in Canada we have a couple provinces pushing back against this nonsense. I think all the states in Australia are fully on board the woke train.
They didn’t speak up for the Christians, white men or young boys when they were demonised, cancelled, shut down.
Now there is none left to speak for them.
Yes, I fear you are right.
You make a good point.
Just today we see Sharron Davies appealing for men to support her gender critical position on women’s sports.
Quite a brass neck request when you consider the decades of women labelling boys and men as toxic, unnecessary and obsolete.
Feminists forced changes to entry rules for men only clubs so that women had the legal right to enter and be members. Feminists were behind boy groups like the cubs and scouts being forced to open to girls. Feminists now complain that trans people demand and get access to ‘Female’ spaces. Well yes, they are using the feminist rule book to do it! And no men aren’t really going to help, most have spent their lives trying to remember what they are not allowed to say because of feminists and being ‘cancelled’ by them if they wrong-speak. Well, here we inevitably go, now it affects them they are suddenly shocked. Popcorn time. My only concern is when it affects children.
I don’t hold it against women, they might complain about men but they’re desperately needy for men to pay attention to them. It’s an evolutionary imperative, they’re not in control if it.
Men have simpler instinctive imperatives and they allow space for excluding females.
You are comparing apples and oranges here.
I don’t hold it against women, they might complain about men but they’re desperately needy for men to pay attention to them. It’s an evolutionary imperative, they’re not in control if it.
Men have simpler instinctive imperatives and they allow space for excluding females.
You are comparing apples and oranges here.
Feminist with a platform were, women, not so much
This is nonsense and did not happen. ‘ Some women……’
Feminists forced changes to entry rules for men only clubs so that women had the legal right to enter and be members. Feminists were behind boy groups like the cubs and scouts being forced to open to girls. Feminists now complain that trans people demand and get access to ‘Female’ spaces. Well yes, they are using the feminist rule book to do it! And no men aren’t really going to help, most have spent their lives trying to remember what they are not allowed to say because of feminists and being ‘cancelled’ by them if they wrong-speak. Well, here we inevitably go, now it affects them they are suddenly shocked. Popcorn time. My only concern is when it affects children.
Feminist with a platform were, women, not so much
This is nonsense and did not happen. ‘ Some women……’
Of course the reality is that the woke only represent about 7% of the US population. At least here, we can stop them whenever we want. Unfortunately, lots of dumb liberals seem to want to follow them off the cliff.
That 7 percent are the school teachers, university professors, many left leaning politicians seeking votes, most of the Hollywood elite, and many in media and news.
The “little people” don’t stand a chance.
That 7 percent are the school teachers, university professors, many left leaning politicians seeking votes, most of the Hollywood elite, and many in media and news.
The “little people” don’t stand a chance.
Moira Deeming has long spoken up for all of these – and she is the most demonised out of those mentioned.
Yes, I fear you are right.
You make a good point.
Just today we see Sharron Davies appealing for men to support her gender critical position on women’s sports.
Quite a brass neck request when you consider the decades of women labelling boys and men as toxic, unnecessary and obsolete.
Of course the reality is that the woke only represent about 7% of the US population. At least here, we can stop them whenever we want. Unfortunately, lots of dumb liberals seem to want to follow them off the cliff.
Moira Deeming has long spoken up for all of these – and she is the most demonised out of those mentioned.
They didn’t speak up for the Christians, white men or young boys when they were demonised, cancelled, shut down.
Now there is none left to speak for them.
At present it is clear that the balance of power within institutions in Britain, the USA and elsewhere, overwhelmingly favours those who collaborate with the evil trans cult, and makes it easy to pick off individual dissenters.
Clearly the resistance need to form organisations within which to come together as a united force: to fight back against these insane ideologues and collaborating cowards, provide the resources to protect dissenters, lobby government and let the public know what is going on.
Groups such as The Free Speech Union are a good start, but we need formal organisations composed of scientists, academics, educators, journalists, politicians, public sector workers to form and come together to project collective power and provide mutual defence.
I agree that a coordinated approach is required, but it cannot be too tight as within this approach will be too many differing views. So it needs to be loose enough to encompass these views.
The basic stuff like free speech, gender equality, meritocracy, freedom of sexuality tend to be the easy things. However, with everything that has happened, there are a lot of white people who need their own space (including the right to make entertainment without having to have “minorities” in everything); and this is not to mention those who genuinely feel more comfortable in a homogeneous society (this not ethnically specific either as many non white societies prefer this as well).
I do feel that this needs to be discussed before an action is put into place because this will destroy before it begins. It will never work unless both sides of the argument are given their due because this is very much doable as it is only a respectful trade off. And let’s face it, most people who want to rid ourselves of these ideologues, have “being respectful of others” as one of our main strengths.
Being polite, being respectful of others, not wanting to make a fuss in what has gotten us in the position where males self identifying as women can swan about in women’s change rooms with their junk hanging out, can participate in & dominate women’s sports, and can be named `woman of the year’. The last thing we should continue being is either polite or respectful-they certainly don’t respect us.
This respectfulness is what helped get us here in the first place.
Being polite, being respectful of others, not wanting to make a fuss in what has gotten us in the position where males self identifying as women can swan about in women’s change rooms with their junk hanging out, can participate in & dominate women’s sports, and can be named `woman of the year’. The last thing we should continue being is either polite or respectful-they certainly don’t respect us.
This respectfulness is what helped get us here in the first place.
I agree that a coordinated approach is required, but it cannot be too tight as within this approach will be too many differing views. So it needs to be loose enough to encompass these views.
The basic stuff like free speech, gender equality, meritocracy, freedom of sexuality tend to be the easy things. However, with everything that has happened, there are a lot of white people who need their own space (including the right to make entertainment without having to have “minorities” in everything); and this is not to mention those who genuinely feel more comfortable in a homogeneous society (this not ethnically specific either as many non white societies prefer this as well).
I do feel that this needs to be discussed before an action is put into place because this will destroy before it begins. It will never work unless both sides of the argument are given their due because this is very much doable as it is only a respectful trade off. And let’s face it, most people who want to rid ourselves of these ideologues, have “being respectful of others” as one of our main strengths.
At present it is clear that the balance of power within institutions in Britain, the USA and elsewhere, overwhelmingly favours those who collaborate with the evil trans cult, and makes it easy to pick off individual dissenters.
Clearly the resistance need to form organisations within which to come together as a united force: to fight back against these insane ideologues and collaborating cowards, provide the resources to protect dissenters, lobby government and let the public know what is going on.
Groups such as The Free Speech Union are a good start, but we need formal organisations composed of scientists, academics, educators, journalists, politicians, public sector workers to form and come together to project collective power and provide mutual defence.
I really do wonder if all of this ‘bizarre’ behaviour has anything much at all to do with Trans rights, or if it is simply ‘just’ another battle/skirmish in a much larger war ? I appreciate what I have written might sound obvious, but Trans, in the great scheme of things, don’t matter, but for some very, very, odd reason lots of otherwise intelligent, educated people are speaking absolute ballcocks, and I really can’t believe they don’t know that, so what gives ? That people, who in the past, who you would have trusted to be ‘liberal’ ‘balanced’ etc etc now seem closer to the authoritarian end of the spectrum, than your average, run of the mill Nat-sea all seems, to me, rather sinister.
Jenifer Bilek says big money behind move to transhumanism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLXdoqXbC6k&t=1s
In the long run big Pharma is set to make trillions out of medicalizing gender `confusion’ in young people by putting them on the path to permanent patient status.
In the long run big Pharma is set to make trillions out of medicalizing gender `confusion’ in young people by putting them on the path to permanent patient status.
A sensible observation.
Jenifer Bilek says big money behind move to transhumanism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLXdoqXbC6k&t=1s
A sensible observation.
I really do wonder if all of this ‘bizarre’ behaviour has anything much at all to do with Trans rights, or if it is simply ‘just’ another battle/skirmish in a much larger war ? I appreciate what I have written might sound obvious, but Trans, in the great scheme of things, don’t matter, but for some very, very, odd reason lots of otherwise intelligent, educated people are speaking absolute ballcocks, and I really can’t believe they don’t know that, so what gives ? That people, who in the past, who you would have trusted to be ‘liberal’ ‘balanced’ etc etc now seem closer to the authoritarian end of the spectrum, than your average, run of the mill Nat-sea all seems, to me, rather sinister.
Australia has totally lost the plot. A succession of bad leaders has helped move us in the wrong direction, but our bureaucracy is totally in the hands of the far left, so there is no hope there.
“Our ABC!” is now a joke. It is very much left wing and getting worse. They recently made the political editor Andrew Probyn redundant saying that the ABC doesn’t need a political editor. The national broadcaster!
Restrictions are coming into effect on our professionals that seem to be best described as inanity on steroids. Most of it is completely unworkable.
Our GDP in the March quarter grew by 0.3% but only because of migration because the GDP per capita actually went down. But these figures are no longer front and centre. The media is preparing us for more rate hikes so this will certainly happen.
My genuine hope is that migration into Australia continues to be strong so that the value of my house goes up. If I am still here in 5, I won’t be in 10.
Australia has totally lost the plot. A succession of bad leaders has helped move us in the wrong direction, but our bureaucracy is totally in the hands of the far left, so there is no hope there.
“Our ABC!” is now a joke. It is very much left wing and getting worse. They recently made the political editor Andrew Probyn redundant saying that the ABC doesn’t need a political editor. The national broadcaster!
Restrictions are coming into effect on our professionals that seem to be best described as inanity on steroids. Most of it is completely unworkable.
Our GDP in the March quarter grew by 0.3% but only because of migration because the GDP per capita actually went down. But these figures are no longer front and centre. The media is preparing us for more rate hikes so this will certainly happen.
My genuine hope is that migration into Australia continues to be strong so that the value of my house goes up. If I am still here in 5, I won’t be in 10.
Gender Nazis on the march. Jackboot tactics being used to demand not just tolerance, but allegiance. When is the sleeping giant of the majority going to awake and throw off the chains of this tiny, perverted, demented and angry minority?
Gender Nazis on the march. Jackboot tactics being used to demand not just tolerance, but allegiance. When is the sleeping giant of the majority going to awake and throw off the chains of this tiny, perverted, demented and angry minority?
We need to start ruining the lives and careers of the woke scum.
I agree. I can’ t understand why more of these idiots are not simply sacked. Boards are either oblivious or complicit.
I agree. I can’ t understand why more of these idiots are not simply sacked. Boards are either oblivious or complicit.
We need to start ruining the lives and careers of the woke scum.
I have a feeling the backlash to this could be extreme and I feel it coming.
This is the kinda stuff that will get Trump elected from jail.
Got a feeling that we are in the early phases but I could easily see a backlash that goes so far as to see states ban gender related studies at universities.
You can feel it building.
BTW….If you want to help speed it along. Go buy and anti-woke or pro-TERF t-shirt and actually wear it out places.
I got one that says “Woke is the New Stupid” and another that says “Team TERF”. Ordered both online.
Been wearing them out to go food shopping and to bars. Had a lot of people walk up to me and say they love it.
Oh…and I busted a guys balls the other day at the convenience store for buying Bud Light.
You want this to end, then you have to have the nerve to stand up, risk getting yelled at, or insulted, and let your opinion be known.
I have a feeling the backlash to this could be extreme and I feel it coming.
This is the kinda stuff that will get Trump elected from jail.
Got a feeling that we are in the early phases but I could easily see a backlash that goes so far as to see states ban gender related studies at universities.
You can feel it building.
BTW….If you want to help speed it along. Go buy and anti-woke or pro-TERF t-shirt and actually wear it out places.
I got one that says “Woke is the New Stupid” and another that says “Team TERF”. Ordered both online.
Been wearing them out to go food shopping and to bars. Had a lot of people walk up to me and say they love it.
Oh…and I busted a guys balls the other day at the convenience store for buying Bud Light.
You want this to end, then you have to have the nerve to stand up, risk getting yelled at, or insulted, and let your opinion be known.
Julie Szego’s Substack is so painfully politically correct and suffused with the fear of “right-wing” and still The Age cancelled her. I.e sacked her, took away her livelihood – so much for their commitment to human rights.
Julie Szego’s Substack is so painfully politically correct and suffused with the fear of “right-wing” and still The Age cancelled her. I.e sacked her, took away her livelihood – so much for their commitment to human rights.
Who cares? Australia is irrelevant… like Canada but more so.
Who cares? Australia is irrelevant… like Canada but more so.