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[–]Carthimundia 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Something similar is happening in academic philosophy, of all places. No one wants to touch this topic. This is the same profession, by the way, that had super energetic debates about gay marriage. My theory is this...they don't want to argue because they can't defend their views, ultimately. in the gay marriage debate both sides could get stuck into really deep, interesting questions. Is marriage really a social construct? What is it for? Should religious beliefs be relevant here? Why is gay marriage wrong? And so on. But the trans debate just doesn't have the the same depth or bite to it .Do you think biological sex exists? Well..yeah? Duh? The vast majority of academic philosophers (and most people) are materialists - they think there is a real objective world out there, made up of particles and forces, that conforms to scientific laws. The reason they don't want to touch this debate is for social issues - they don't want to engage because ultimately they think that supporting trans people is good, and arguing against them is wrong.

[–]Finnegan7921 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

What's funny is that the conduct "Andrea" describes as the reasons for nobody wanting to participate is EXACTLY how TRAs and other woke people operate. The minute you challenge them, you're a bigot and you don't belong in society.

[–]forwardback 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Great article and website!

Interesting this: "When I emailed Andrea a first draft of this article for comment, she explained:"

I read the whole premise of your introduction as being that the discussion needed to be of an appropriate and agreeable tone, meaning (I assumed) that if someone said the GC view was transphobic that would immediately be rejected as ‘not playing by the rules’ of the conversational contract. That is why I consider the invitation to be far from neutral, but to involve you dictating to the other side of the debate what they are allowed to express. Apparently, it is not “OK” in a civilised debate for me to say I believe a view to be transphobic. That doesn’t sound like open and fair discussion to me.

Wow. I'm not speechless, however, I will refrain from inflicting my invectives here.