Yesterday, the Observer published an article by Julie Burchill about the trans lobby and their dealings with her author friend Suzanne Moore over a somewhat clumsy reference in a new piece of writing. The resultant hate filled rant becomes so worrying offensive that it’s got a lot of people questioning if it can be legal. We at LGBTicons were originally reluctant to guide our readers to the article, but feel it is important to discuss and encourage debate.
So far, there have been a couple of wonderful responses that have inspired. The first from Paris Lees and the second, a great example of how to write a letter of complaint from Harry Giles. Here’s the offending article:
Transsexuals Should Cut It Out
It’s never a good idea for those who feel oppressed to start bullying others in turn
The brilliant writer Suzanne Moore and I go back a long way. I first met her when she was a young single mother living in a council flat; she took me out to interview me about my novel Ambition (republished by Corvus Books this spring, since you ask) for dear dead City Limits magazine. “I’ve got an entertaining budget of £12.50!” she said proudly. “Sod that, we’re having lobster and champagne at Frederick’s and I’m paying,” I told her. Half a bottle of Bolly later, she looked at me with faraway eyes: “Ooo, I could get to like this…” And so she did.
I have observed her rise to the forefront of this country’s great polemicists with a whole lot of pride – and just a tiny bit of envy. I am godmother to her three brilliant, beautiful daughters. Though we differ on certain issues we will have each other’s backs until the sacred cows come home.
“Bedwetters in bad wigs”- projection, surely. Lots of middle-aged women have leakage problems. Poor Julie, I will tell her my pelvic floor tips if she asks nicely.
And- have you seen Suzanne Moore’s follow-up? http://m.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/09/dont-care-if-born-woman Oh, she had friends who were transsexuals, apparently. It does not stop her writing we “appeared to reinforce every gender stereotype going”. Bitch. I am more feminine than most women, and many of them have commented on it; NOT BECAUSE (oops, breathe) not because I want to reinforce gender stereotypes, but, well, because I am.
Thanks for this Clare. Much appreciated. Love your blog by the way. If you ever feel inspired to create something for LGBTicons.com we’d love to hear from you! Barry
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Found you via Freshly Pressed and now following – looks like an awesome blog! If you’re interested in more responses to the Burchill/Moore saga, I’ve rounded up some of them in my last two blog entries (http://wp.me/p2d4aq-11 and http://wp.me/p2d4aq-r) – there have been some really amazing replies by trans women, other trans folk, and allies.
Thanks for this. Much appreciated. We’ll re-blog it tomorrow. (Barry)
Thank you, that’s awesome!