Here are two must read articles on the blatant misogyny in the gaming industry:
Lara Croft and Rape Stories
Video Games and the Male gaze (thanks to whoever sent me this)
dirt
Friday, July 20, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Julie Bindel Caught in Paris Lees Headlights-the Interview
In case you missed Mr. Paris Lees's interview interrogation of Julie Bindel:
I have read Mr. Lees's full interview with Julie Bindel, which btw according to Julie, she was "misrepresented" in. But for this post I'll focus primarily on what transpired here since the rest of the printed interview just deals with Mr. Lees's angry snark.
It would be easy enough to begin by saying Bindel surely has been dipping into the trans kool aid, but given past comments from her regarding lesbianism being a "political choice" and lesbian sexual desire a "social construct" perhaps she has been guzzling the stuff all along. Is Bindel's trans back peddling due to her realization that she has more in common with the trans politic than not? Bindel states in this interview that by the queered definition of transgender she too could be considered trans. Bindel clearly is no more trans than my little cat sitting next to me as I type this, but she does have common ground with trans co-option of lesbianism. Bindel that is, not my cat!
Both she and they, for their own misguided purposes, work to disrupt and displace the nucleus of lesbianism. She, because she isnt a lesbian and they, because they are either male or lesbians confused into believing they're male. If hetero-feminist want to choose to be with other women as a political stance against patriarchy, fine. Just dont call yourself a lesbian while doing it, this isnt straight male porn, even though the boys may very well be watching. I give props to the feminist Susie Orbach who at least has the respect not to disrespect lesbians by calling herself instead a "post heterosexualist" after she began a relationship with writer Jeanette Winterson.
What I find interesting and confusing is Bindel utilizing "lesbian choice" as a political rifle against patriarchy in one breath, then in another harping on the idea of radfem separatism as ineffectually shooting blanks! Personally I dont see a damn difference, any way you slice it, whether you're a cow cackling like a hen or a heap of hens hiding behind the barn, the pig remains intact!
The next part of the interview consists of Bindel tripping over her own tongue while Mr. Lees bullies her into several corners for the sake of "crystallizing" Bindel's opinion (and mine) that puberty blocking drugs offered up by the Male Medical Machine is "child abuse" not to mention lezbo/homo-phobic. This is followed by Lees whining to Bindel about my Trans Trending posts and the posts I make stripping trans surgeries of their dark room glamour and display them instead in the brutal mutilative light he and others try so arduously to keep dim. Mr. Lees continues going at Bindel, aggressively attacking RadFem blogs in the general and GenderTrender's blog in the particular while trying to intimidate Bindel into contacting us in some manner (guest posts) to straighten us out! As if!!!
I suspect Jule Bindel has burned whatever bridge she may have had with RadFem's and Lesbian Feminist as well as it being a little too little too late to sidled up to a the trans community (specifically trans males like Mr. Lees) as she burned that bridge long ago. As an actual lesbian, one in mind, body and spirit I've never held her in a favourable light. And while I've had my share of disagreements with RadFem's, although there are some I do love dearly as women, I've grown enough to let them do their work even where it differs from mine. In the end, the main goal is a better world for women not yet born. Bindel claims she has "matured" but this interview clearly paints her green.
dirt
I have read Mr. Lees's full interview with Julie Bindel, which btw according to Julie, she was "misrepresented" in. But for this post I'll focus primarily on what transpired here since the rest of the printed interview just deals with Mr. Lees's angry snark.
It would be easy enough to begin by saying Bindel surely has been dipping into the trans kool aid, but given past comments from her regarding lesbianism being a "political choice" and lesbian sexual desire a "social construct" perhaps she has been guzzling the stuff all along. Is Bindel's trans back peddling due to her realization that she has more in common with the trans politic than not? Bindel states in this interview that by the queered definition of transgender she too could be considered trans. Bindel clearly is no more trans than my little cat sitting next to me as I type this, but she does have common ground with trans co-option of lesbianism. Bindel that is, not my cat!
Both she and they, for their own misguided purposes, work to disrupt and displace the nucleus of lesbianism. She, because she isnt a lesbian and they, because they are either male or lesbians confused into believing they're male. If hetero-feminist want to choose to be with other women as a political stance against patriarchy, fine. Just dont call yourself a lesbian while doing it, this isnt straight male porn, even though the boys may very well be watching. I give props to the feminist Susie Orbach who at least has the respect not to disrespect lesbians by calling herself instead a "post heterosexualist" after she began a relationship with writer Jeanette Winterson.
What I find interesting and confusing is Bindel utilizing "lesbian choice" as a political rifle against patriarchy in one breath, then in another harping on the idea of radfem separatism as ineffectually shooting blanks! Personally I dont see a damn difference, any way you slice it, whether you're a cow cackling like a hen or a heap of hens hiding behind the barn, the pig remains intact!
The next part of the interview consists of Bindel tripping over her own tongue while Mr. Lees bullies her into several corners for the sake of "crystallizing" Bindel's opinion (and mine) that puberty blocking drugs offered up by the Male Medical Machine is "child abuse" not to mention lezbo/homo-phobic. This is followed by Lees whining to Bindel about my Trans Trending posts and the posts I make stripping trans surgeries of their dark room glamour and display them instead in the brutal mutilative light he and others try so arduously to keep dim. Mr. Lees continues going at Bindel, aggressively attacking RadFem blogs in the general and GenderTrender's blog in the particular while trying to intimidate Bindel into contacting us in some manner (guest posts) to straighten us out! As if!!!
I suspect Jule Bindel has burned whatever bridge she may have had with RadFem's and Lesbian Feminist as well as it being a little too little too late to sidled up to a the trans community (specifically trans males like Mr. Lees) as she burned that bridge long ago. As an actual lesbian, one in mind, body and spirit I've never held her in a favourable light. And while I've had my share of disagreements with RadFem's, although there are some I do love dearly as women, I've grown enough to let them do their work even where it differs from mine. In the end, the main goal is a better world for women not yet born. Bindel claims she has "matured" but this interview clearly paints her green.
dirt
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Trans Trending-Who is Transitioning-Dedicated to Mr. Paris Lees
http://www.youtube.com/user/heysaamm (age 16)
http://www.youtube.com/user/bbout1992 (age 19)
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMjrAbovym2k28_M12aDSmA (age 19)
http://www.youtube.com/user/mikurulove10 (age 16)
http://www.youtube.com/user/skaterfreek12 (age 17)
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_NQYfu4uRyXYa7JhsIohSQ (age 22)
http://www.youtube.com/user/ftmklas (age 23)
http://www.youtube.com/user/ftmRen (age ?)
http://www.youtube.com/user/lost4ever888 (age ?)
In the past several weeks I have been regularly corresponding with several trans females who are working to de-transition. Fortunately beyond taking T for several years, neither have had any mutilative surgeries. But from what I have gathered in speaking with them, their physical changes are only a minor issue in their fears of ceasing and desisting hormone therapy. Their greatest fear is grounded in what those closest to them will think and the shame and embarrassment of telling those closest to them, they have make a serious mistake.
In what has become years of making this particular weekly post, I cannot even hazard a guess as to how many of these Trans Trenders have found themselves caught in this very same dilemma. Whats worse is I cannot bear to contemplate how many of these Trans Trenders realized even before they began hormone therapy of their mistake, but chose to continue with transition simply because of their fears of an I told you so!
Youthful pride!
Pride born out of dramatic familial scenes of screams and cries and poundings on their breasts that they exclaimed to confused parents were hateful to them! Razor blade arms and wrists cut up just to relieve some of the internal pain of a body they have been convinced wasnt really theirs! Depressions and sometimes even feeble suicide attempts till parents and loved ones finally gave in, finally agreed transition must be the answer!!! But the answer to what? Sadly for all involved in transdom this is where they questions stop.
As a heads up to readers, I will be doing a full post on the fears/shames that are arresting trans regret/de-transition quite soon.
dirt
Monday, July 16, 2012
Transition isnt Inevitable when you Obtain the Facts
I received this message yesterday and with the young woman's permission I wanted to share it with you:
While she still speaks from the confines of the Gender Straight Jacket in her use of the term "masculine", her message is clear: listen to the voice within rather than drowned her out it in the noise of unless drugs and mutilative surgeries. And before any self haters scream "she wasnt REALLY trans", of course she wasnt, she didnt go so far as to inject herself with testosterone.
I too am glad you found your way here lost girl, and even more pleased that this blog has been a lifevest for you till you learned to swim yourself.
dirt
While she still speaks from the confines of the Gender Straight Jacket in her use of the term "masculine", her message is clear: listen to the voice within rather than drowned her out it in the noise of unless drugs and mutilative surgeries. And before any self haters scream "she wasnt REALLY trans", of course she wasnt, she didnt go so far as to inject herself with testosterone.
I too am glad you found your way here lost girl, and even more pleased that this blog has been a lifevest for you till you learned to swim yourself.
dirt
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