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Thursday, August 02, 2007

Hecklers

If you're interested at all in the current debates surrounding the treatment of transsexuals, I recommend catching this week's edition of Radio 4's Hecklers before it disappears from the BBC's Listen Again page.

In it, radical feminist Julie Bindel postulates that sex change operations constitute unnecessary mutilation. Obviously I don't agree entirely with her point of view, but I think it's healthy and important that these things are discussed out in the open.

Stephanie Delacey  Is it? She's only repeating what Janice Raymond said nearly 30 years ago in an argument that has been comprehensively discussed - and rubbished - ever since. Yes, it is worth talking about the pros and cons of SRS but as soon as one couches it in terms of "unnecessary mutilation" one is simply expressing a rather aggressive prejudice. And, as others have said, it is hardly a healthy discussion in the open when transsexuals are hardly ever mentioned (on Radio 4, for instance) except when being attacked for their "unnecessary mutilation". 
Pandora Caitiff  Wasn't this on a few weeks ago? I'm sure I've read about this on another blog. I might have been Penny's?

Did Bindel explain where she draws the line at unecessary? I wonder if she has pierced ears. Surely that is not a necessary mutilation? 
Emma G  Thank you for the link Becky. I haven't been aware of Ms Bindle, or her writing. I think discussion is always good as well, but it doesn't often occur when the stance taken is deliberately separatist, and as Stephanie points out "agressive". In Ms Bindle's case I'd add hostile, belligerent, narrow-minded, and ignorant, and contradictory.
Like most self serving publicity seekers, she seems determined to present her opions in the most extreme terminology for the maximum amount of attention.
There certainly are failures in SRS. But there are failures in every medical treatment. Which is why the responsibility for choosing should rest with each individual. Removing the right of individual choice because occasional bad choices are made seems rather extreme.Eliminating all possibility of failure, also negates any possibility of success. I wonder if Ms Bindle has ever had a psychiatric assessment herself. And if so, was she satisfied with the result? 
Mariana  Hi Becky, you won a Rockin' Girl Blogger award. Thanks! :) 
NH  This reminds me of a piece by another Julie B: Julie Birchall, who lambasted transvestites and transsexuals for being selfish and a mockery of true womanhood in her column.

Funnily enough, this article appeared a month after her ex and sworn nemesis, Tony Parsons, had done a piece on transvestism and had visited a dressing service (might have been Transformation) in his column.

Get over him Julie...it's over. 

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