Jerry Sadowitz cancelled

[Joe Hutch]

You could try doing some research?

Your position is anti-free speech, circular and fundamentally condescending. Try Julie Bindel at York earlier this year. What is so 'unsavoury' about her opinions that she shouldn't be heard by interested people?

I had to Google her, having never heard of her before, but having done so I’m not surprised that some people (eg trans, bi and gender-fluid people) find her views ‘unsavoury’.

Certainly the issues around no-platforming, free speech etc are complex. You might inadvertently find yourself on the same side of the argument as people you would not wish to be associated with.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

You could try doing some research?

Your position is anti-free speech, circular and fundamentally condescending. Try Julie Bindel at York earlier this year. What is so 'unsavoury' about her opinions that she shouldn't be heard by interested people?

Well, I could do some research, or I could ask the person making the statement for more on the basis for that statement, which would be more productive by allowing me to engage with the poster on their post. Which is why I did that. And because I don't have the time to do my own research for every unsupported statement I might wish to engage with on here.

I realise that you have a low trigger threshold for free speech arguments, given your unpopular positions on climate change for example, but my view is neither anti free-speech, nor circular, and is consistent with the human rights definitions and limitations on rights of free expression. I do however reserve the right to condescend, now and again.

 

[zeon]

Julie Bindel, Kathleen Stock... not exactly the far right ! Why are they not allowed to express the views without being seemingly demonised ? Twitter mob etc

 

[Tony L]

Julie Bindel, Kathleen Stock... not exactly the far right ! Why are they not allowed to express the views without being seemingly demonised ? Twitter mob etc

Again its a TERF/gender-critical thing. Trans folk are on the front-line at present. The increasingly powerful political alt-right is actively attempting to demonise and even remove their most basic existential rights. Whilst the people you cite aren’t alt/far-right themselves, their arguments are certainly being weaponised by those who are. Just look to Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro, JK Rowling etc who all use their positions of considerable power and wealth to demonise, scapegoat and punch downwards on arguably the most vulnerable and exposed minority group in our society. I fully agree with non-platforming views that can be used to increase the spread of fascism.

 

[Joe Hutch]

Indeed. It’s easy to be ‘relaxed’ and ‘tolerant’ about controversial opinions if you have no skin in the game.

 

[Ted-M]

People should be able to express pretty standard views on gender without being shouted down and hounded out as ‘transphobes’ and labeled as spreading fascism. Crazy.

 

[Joe Hutch]

What are ‘standard’ views on gender? How do they compare to ‘standard’ views on race?

 

[Tony L]

People should be able to express pretty standard views on gender without being shouted down and hounded out as ‘transphobes’ and labeled as spreading fascism. Crazy.

You may rather swiftly find this is not the right website for you. I’d advise choosing your words very carefully if you wish your user account to remain open.

 

[myles]

Can you give an example? The situations I've heard about were speakers with a very unsavoury position, not just an alternative take worth examining or discussing.

Durham Students’ Union has announced that student groups will be required to authorise any external speakers at least two weeks prior to the event.

“Controversial or higher risk” speakers will be required to give at least four weeks’ notice. Speakers could be considered as high risk if they are “widely regarded as controversial” or if they have “links to any person or groups connected with controversy.”

"Widely regarded as controversial" is so subjective and open to abuse. The power to allow someone to speak is seemingly held in the hands of the few - sounds ominous!

 

[myles]

You may rather swiftly find this is not the right website for you. I’d advise choosing your words very carefully if you wish your user account to remain open.

I don't know this person and can't make a judgment on their beliefs and morals based on that one post, and nor can you. I've never seen you pounce on a non-post like this before - have I missed something?

 

[paulfromcamden]

The power to allow someone to speak is seemingly held in the hands of the few - sounds ominous!

Just thinking about this, I don't recall ever going to hear a speaker at a uni event when I was a student at North London Poly. Or any of my friends. Most of my time was spend in the student bar or the pub next door (and, er, studying obviously!)

 

[Tony L]

I don't know this person and can't make a judgment on their beliefs and morals based on that one post, and nor can you. I've never seen you pounce on a non-post like this before - have I missed something?

I actually do it quite regularly. I was just drawing a firm line in the sand as I have countless times over the past 20+ years I’ve run this site. Pre-emptive moderating can save a lot of time later! Once a thread is off the rails it can take a lot of effort to selectively prune etc. I prefer to make it absolutely clear this is a site that welcomes and happily provides a safe space for minorities. I don’t want anyone to be in even the slightest confusion as to which side of the current right-wing culture war pfm is on.

 

[Joe Hutch]

I was about to post something similar (though I wasn’t at North London Poly).

The only guest speakers I can recall were related to my course; of those I can only recall the eminent Shakespearean scholar G Wilson Knight, the bloke who made the first field recordings of Muddy Waters, and some chap who spoke about paintings of the American West and who was so dull that I actually fell asleep during his talk.

 

[droodzilla]

Julie Bindel, Kathleen Stock... not exactly the far right ! Why are they not allowed to express the views without being seemingly demonised ? Twitter mob etc

They are allowed to express their views.

For a while, you couldn't turn on the TV or radio without hearing Kathleen Stock interviewed.

Julie Bindel writes regularly in The Daily Mail (that well-known bastion of feminism).

On the other hand, the voices of trans people who are being hounded by these reactionary ghouls... barely a whisper.

So who's being silenced (or "cancelled", if you must), really?

 

[bor]

Julie Bindel, Kathleen Stock... not exactly the far right ! Why are they not allowed to express the views without being seemingly demonised ? Twitter mob etc

It's one of the few ways we can show that we oppose their generally vile viewpoints.

They will have other platforms they can still use, that we don't really have the power to give our opposing views on - their newspaper columns for example.

It is a very public way of showing that we side with those oppressed minority groups, those people can see that they are not alone in this.

It is our way of levelling up the imbalance in power.

 

[bor]

Drood, did we just mind-meld?

 

[myles]

Just thinking about this, I don't recall ever going to hear a speaker at a uni event when I was a student at North London Poly. Or any of my friends. Most of my time was spend in the student bar or the pub next door (and, er, studying obviously!)

My degree was a distance learning affair - I listened to whoever I liked (generally The Beatles).

 

[zeon]

They are allowed to express their views.

For a while, you couldn't turn on the TV or radio without hearing Kathleen Stock interviewed.

Julie Bindel writes regularly in The Daily Mail (that well-known bastion of feminism).

The voices of trans people who are being hounded by these reactionary ghouls on the other hand... barely a whisper.

So who's being silenced (or "cancelled", if you must), really?

Yes, I agree Stock, Bindel did have plenty of mainstream airtime. I was referring more to the campus stuff. Bindel AFAIK is a well respected feminist. I understand your pov, thanks for replying.

 

[klfrs]

I don’t want anyone to be in even the slightest confusion as to which side of the current right-wing culture war pfm is on.

The culture war has equally oppressive left and right wings. Women have yet to attain emancipation, and have been oppressed by men for thousands of years. Women are a marginalised group so men who think they know what's best for women (whatever their opinions) are a caution. That's being polite. Your ground isn't half as as high as you'd have us believe.

 

[bor]

I'd say it's pretty high.