This type of reporting and dialogue is exactly what we need. I am impressed with how Megan Phelps-Roper handled the discussion and her continuous striving to not tip the scales in any direction but rather to dig into the deeper question at hand, "what is preventing us from having a civil discussion around these topics?" We all know that the answer is too complex to address fully in one podcast. But we need more of these thought-provoking pieces of content to be consumed by the public. It has me asking some very foundational questions of myself - taking me inward to explore where I might be wrong, might be shutting people down, might be taking a stand rather than asking questions to go deeper.
It’s so hard to take trans’ concerns seriously or with an open mind when they say things as Natalie did suggesting that the supposed bigots “are afraid to allow trans people to participate in society.”
This is such a straw man and is so obviously disingenuous.
If we’re going to have open dialogue to understand one another’s perspective, we need to remove these bad faith characterizations.
The argument that ‘asking questions is a form of bigotry’ should be seen for what it really is. Another effort to stop any debate. The street mob screams ‘no debate’. The TRAs assert that ‘asking questions is a form of bigotry’.
The word transphobic is widely and wildly use by the TRA types. At some level this is completely absurd. Literally, no one is afraid of trans people. What ‘transphobic’ really means is a refusal of someone (such as JKR) to buy into gender ideology. At some level, the use of ‘transphobic’ is somewhat similar to how the opponents of race ideology (2 + 2 = ‘white racism’) use the acronym CRT. Literal CRT isn’t being taught in the 3rd grade. However, race ideology is being taught and the opponents commonly refer to it as ‘CRT’.
One of the reasons, I strongly oppose gender ideology is that the advocates are so dishonest. I have long since lost count of the number of times JKR (for example) has been accused of hating trans people, advocating trans genocide, seeking to exterminate trans people, transphobia, etc. Not one of these accusations has any basis to it. Her accusers are endlessly asked to ‘put up or shut it’. Of course, they can’t produce any evidence and they certainly won’t shut up.
The sad story of Posie Parker in New Zealand is germane to all this. The TRAs physically attacked her. If they had a useful argument to make, they would not sink to violence. They don’t and they do (sink to violence).
The point JKR makes about driving folks into the hands of people she disagrees with is historically valid. The crimes of Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot produced a very predictable backlash. The invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia, did in fact, suppress dissent in those countries. However, in Europe and the USA (and many other countries) the negative reaction was immense.
I just finished listening to this series. What an incredible piece of journalism! Thank you to Megan Phelps-Roper, J. K. Rowling, and others who took the time to share their views. Very brave indeed!!
Three years ago, my adult son announced to the world and his family that he was transgender and immediately started hormone replacement therapy (HRT). As someone who seeks to understand and accept, I made it a daily routine to search for and consume perspectives that could help me better comprehend his decision. I read extensively and learned about the reasons and experiences of transgender people who decide to transition. I did this because there seems to be a "trans handbook" for newly converted trans individuals, and my son, like many of his peers, followed the first rule of trans conversion by not providing any explanation or assistance to those affected, including us, his family. He didn't show us any love, compassion or patience, and just shook his head and said, "I knew you wouldn't understand," before walking away.
This podcast has been the most therapeutic and satisfying one that I have listened to on this subject, even though it has challenged my ideas about it. While I was not familiar with JK, I found her to be brilliant. She speaks from her own lived experiences and makes a compelling argument. Her voice should be heard, and I am grateful to JK and the creative minds behind this podcast for bringing everything together.
I devoured this entire podcast series and thought that it was exceptionally done in all aspects. It was thoughtful, critical, compassionate, intelligent, complex and nuanced. All those things we absolutely should hold near and dear to our hearts.
But can we just talk about how great Meghan Phelps Roper is?!
We live in the dumbest times when we’re all being asked to believe that a man can think they’re a women and we’re all forced to believe they are, in every way, an actual women - while also allowing that they can’t get pregnant and they have a penis.
It’s the height of absurdity. Think you’re the opposite sex. Don’t care. But we must draw the line at distorting reality of DNA and forcing people to believe the impossible.
You also made me think of the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
"Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than wickedness. Evil can be protested against, exposed, and, if necessary, it can be prevented by force. Evil always harbors the germ of self-destruction by inducing at least some uneasiness in people. We are defenseless against stupidity. Nothing can be done to oppose it, neither with protests nor with violence. Reasons cannot prevail. Facts that contradict one's prejudice simply don't need to be believed, and when they are inescapable, they can simply be brushed aside as meaningless, isolated cases." https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/on-stupidity
As for those asked to "affirm" - I think Dalrymple said it well:
“Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.” ― Theodore Dalrymple" "
I’m a pediatrician. I work mostly with low income kids. Trans is not a thing for Black kids. Gay occasionally. Trans never. The 3 kids I have provided some care for who used variant pronouns were all :1) white, 2) bio female and 3) with significant history of mental or emotional issues.
I think it is truly admirable how calmly JKR approaches the debate and her "former" critics. I would push back against the MuggleNet's and LeakyCon's of the world who are coming out against her - but have made so much off of her - and revoke their right to use the IP. It's truly appalling that they think they have the right to commandeer her creation and push her out of the space.
This entire series is impressive from beginning to end. I’m grateful to the team at free press for continuing to bring us such pertinent and thought provoking stories. Excellent work! Megan is insightful, informative and incredible in her reporting!
And, the violence, the senseless shootings of children and educators is "justified' by trans activists. Who apologize for their 'original misgendering' of a mass shooter, a killer of 3 innocent 9 year olds. Oh, the terrible Christians! They must have done something! To him, i mean her, I mean him. No, her. I hope this sends a few teen girls back to reality.
What is happening to JKR, this modern day heroine, is a microcosm of the larger war that is being waged by a Democrat Party and its ubiquitous allies in the media, academia, and corporate America. This once honorable and righteous Party is now a morally bankrupt Party that leads with violence, deceit and faux outrage in their fraudulent attack on capitalism, law enforcement, our criminal justice system, white people, men, America and anyone who doesn't march in lock step to their cult playbook. And they ply their trade with "lies of omission," as evidenced by their relentless attempt to silence dissent, and with a seemingly endless arsenal of "lies of commission." - "If you want to be universally and eternally beloved then you must curate your image in a way that I'm simply not prepared to do. " JKR - May God bless this beautifully courageous woman and I pray that she may receive a level of support that will give her the strength she needs to carry on her fight against these vicious, and hateful totalitarian bullies; against these witch-hunters. WITCH TRAILS INDEED!
Just finished the last episode - really enjoyed this series. Hoping many of the young people who have loved the books give the podcast a chance and listen to what Rowling has to say. She seems very reasonable and truly concerned about the way things are progressing. I'm sure she and I see many things differently, but she seems to have a tender and caring heart, and I appreciate that. I remember when the books came out, my kids were young and I heard a lot of concerns about the witchcraft, etc. I grew up in the time when so many were into the occult movies and games, and it gave me some serious fears as a girl. I ended up reading a book about the HP books, giving fair views on both sides of the issue. The people who thought the books were good for kids emphasized the relationships between the characters, how they were loyal to one another, good friends, fought for what they believed was right against evil, were courageous and caring, and there wasn't any 'pairing off' until the end, they were focused on friendship and what they were called to do. I decided we'd give the movies a chance, but I had my kids wait until they were a bit older than most. I actually enjoyed them myself and am glad I didn't make them seem taboo. It's strange to see how all of this has unraveled. I think part of it has been the young people pushing back on those who put others down and shame them, but they don't seem to be able to perceive when they are crossing into unhealthy or destructive territory. This podcast did well to shine the light on how we can hate something then be caught in the mirror doing the same thing.
This type of reporting and dialogue is exactly what we need. I am impressed with how Megan Phelps-Roper handled the discussion and her continuous striving to not tip the scales in any direction but rather to dig into the deeper question at hand, "what is preventing us from having a civil discussion around these topics?" We all know that the answer is too complex to address fully in one podcast. But we need more of these thought-provoking pieces of content to be consumed by the public. It has me asking some very foundational questions of myself - taking me inward to explore where I might be wrong, might be shutting people down, might be taking a stand rather than asking questions to go deeper.
It’s so hard to take trans’ concerns seriously or with an open mind when they say things as Natalie did suggesting that the supposed bigots “are afraid to allow trans people to participate in society.”
This is such a straw man and is so obviously disingenuous.
If we’re going to have open dialogue to understand one another’s perspective, we need to remove these bad faith characterizations.
The argument that ‘asking questions is a form of bigotry’ should be seen for what it really is. Another effort to stop any debate. The street mob screams ‘no debate’. The TRAs assert that ‘asking questions is a form of bigotry’.
The word transphobic is widely and wildly use by the TRA types. At some level this is completely absurd. Literally, no one is afraid of trans people. What ‘transphobic’ really means is a refusal of someone (such as JKR) to buy into gender ideology. At some level, the use of ‘transphobic’ is somewhat similar to how the opponents of race ideology (2 + 2 = ‘white racism’) use the acronym CRT. Literal CRT isn’t being taught in the 3rd grade. However, race ideology is being taught and the opponents commonly refer to it as ‘CRT’.
One of the reasons, I strongly oppose gender ideology is that the advocates are so dishonest. I have long since lost count of the number of times JKR (for example) has been accused of hating trans people, advocating trans genocide, seeking to exterminate trans people, transphobia, etc. Not one of these accusations has any basis to it. Her accusers are endlessly asked to ‘put up or shut it’. Of course, they can’t produce any evidence and they certainly won’t shut up.
Of course, the TRAs don’t just subject JKR to all of their hate. Jesse Singal has been viciously attacked by the TRAs. See “The Campaign of Lies Against Journalist Jesse Singal—And Why It Matters” (https://quillette.com/2021/03/18/the-campaign-of-lies-against-journalist-jesse-singal-and-why-it-matters/).
The sad story of Posie Parker in New Zealand is germane to all this. The TRAs physically attacked her. If they had a useful argument to make, they would not sink to violence. They don’t and they do (sink to violence).
The point JKR makes about driving folks into the hands of people she disagrees with is historically valid. The crimes of Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot produced a very predictable backlash. The invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia, did in fact, suppress dissent in those countries. However, in Europe and the USA (and many other countries) the negative reaction was immense.
The people attacking her are on the wrong side of this.
I just finished listening to this series. What an incredible piece of journalism! Thank you to Megan Phelps-Roper, J. K. Rowling, and others who took the time to share their views. Very brave indeed!!
Three years ago, my adult son announced to the world and his family that he was transgender and immediately started hormone replacement therapy (HRT). As someone who seeks to understand and accept, I made it a daily routine to search for and consume perspectives that could help me better comprehend his decision. I read extensively and learned about the reasons and experiences of transgender people who decide to transition. I did this because there seems to be a "trans handbook" for newly converted trans individuals, and my son, like many of his peers, followed the first rule of trans conversion by not providing any explanation or assistance to those affected, including us, his family. He didn't show us any love, compassion or patience, and just shook his head and said, "I knew you wouldn't understand," before walking away.
This podcast has been the most therapeutic and satisfying one that I have listened to on this subject, even though it has challenged my ideas about it. While I was not familiar with JK, I found her to be brilliant. She speaks from her own lived experiences and makes a compelling argument. Her voice should be heard, and I am grateful to JK and the creative minds behind this podcast for bringing everything together.
With love.
I devoured this entire podcast series and thought that it was exceptionally done in all aspects. It was thoughtful, critical, compassionate, intelligent, complex and nuanced. All those things we absolutely should hold near and dear to our hearts.
But can we just talk about how great Meghan Phelps Roper is?!
Damn.
This was an excellent final episode.
We live in the dumbest times when we’re all being asked to believe that a man can think they’re a women and we’re all forced to believe they are, in every way, an actual women - while also allowing that they can’t get pregnant and they have a penis.
It’s the height of absurdity. Think you’re the opposite sex. Don’t care. But we must draw the line at distorting reality of DNA and forcing people to believe the impossible.
You also made me think of the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
"Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than wickedness. Evil can be protested against, exposed, and, if necessary, it can be prevented by force. Evil always harbors the germ of self-destruction by inducing at least some uneasiness in people. We are defenseless against stupidity. Nothing can be done to oppose it, neither with protests nor with violence. Reasons cannot prevail. Facts that contradict one's prejudice simply don't need to be believed, and when they are inescapable, they can simply be brushed aside as meaningless, isolated cases." https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/on-stupidity
Feelings are not reality.
As for those asked to "affirm" - I think Dalrymple said it well:
“Political correctness is communist propaganda writ small. In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.” ― Theodore Dalrymple" "
I don’t trust Megan as an interlocutor. Her personal experience does not map into Rowlings advocacy.
I’m a pediatrician. I work mostly with low income kids. Trans is not a thing for Black kids. Gay occasionally. Trans never. The 3 kids I have provided some care for who used variant pronouns were all :1) white, 2) bio female and 3) with significant history of mental or emotional issues.
I think it is truly admirable how calmly JKR approaches the debate and her "former" critics. I would push back against the MuggleNet's and LeakyCon's of the world who are coming out against her - but have made so much off of her - and revoke their right to use the IP. It's truly appalling that they think they have the right to commandeer her creation and push her out of the space.
This entire series is impressive from beginning to end. I’m grateful to the team at free press for continuing to bring us such pertinent and thought provoking stories. Excellent work! Megan is insightful, informative and incredible in her reporting!
And, the violence, the senseless shootings of children and educators is "justified' by trans activists. Who apologize for their 'original misgendering' of a mass shooter, a killer of 3 innocent 9 year olds. Oh, the terrible Christians! They must have done something! To him, i mean her, I mean him. No, her. I hope this sends a few teen girls back to reality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEuTLkt_7g8&t=1s
What is happening to JKR, this modern day heroine, is a microcosm of the larger war that is being waged by a Democrat Party and its ubiquitous allies in the media, academia, and corporate America. This once honorable and righteous Party is now a morally bankrupt Party that leads with violence, deceit and faux outrage in their fraudulent attack on capitalism, law enforcement, our criminal justice system, white people, men, America and anyone who doesn't march in lock step to their cult playbook. And they ply their trade with "lies of omission," as evidenced by their relentless attempt to silence dissent, and with a seemingly endless arsenal of "lies of commission." - "If you want to be universally and eternally beloved then you must curate your image in a way that I'm simply not prepared to do. " JKR - May God bless this beautifully courageous woman and I pray that she may receive a level of support that will give her the strength she needs to carry on her fight against these vicious, and hateful totalitarian bullies; against these witch-hunters. WITCH TRAILS INDEED!
Just finished the last episode - really enjoyed this series. Hoping many of the young people who have loved the books give the podcast a chance and listen to what Rowling has to say. She seems very reasonable and truly concerned about the way things are progressing. I'm sure she and I see many things differently, but she seems to have a tender and caring heart, and I appreciate that. I remember when the books came out, my kids were young and I heard a lot of concerns about the witchcraft, etc. I grew up in the time when so many were into the occult movies and games, and it gave me some serious fears as a girl. I ended up reading a book about the HP books, giving fair views on both sides of the issue. The people who thought the books were good for kids emphasized the relationships between the characters, how they were loyal to one another, good friends, fought for what they believed was right against evil, were courageous and caring, and there wasn't any 'pairing off' until the end, they were focused on friendship and what they were called to do. I decided we'd give the movies a chance, but I had my kids wait until they were a bit older than most. I actually enjoyed them myself and am glad I didn't make them seem taboo. It's strange to see how all of this has unraveled. I think part of it has been the young people pushing back on those who put others down and shame them, but they don't seem to be able to perceive when they are crossing into unhealthy or destructive territory. This podcast did well to shine the light on how we can hate something then be caught in the mirror doing the same thing.