Transphobia, Transgenderism and Twisty Fasterisms

For anybody who doesn't have the time, energy or stomach to plough through the array of blog posts, and thousands (literally) of comments that this whole episode has generated, maybe consider this:

* If you have a blog; and
* If you allow comments on that blog; and
* If you have a comment moderation policy;

Are you responsible for the comments that make it through? Even if the moderation is automatic, or you are away from your blog for a while, or {insert any reason for not immediately reading every comment that gets made on your blog} - what does it say about you (as the blog owner) if, on becoming aware of real concerns with some of the comments that have been made on your blog, you:

*Say* nothing substantive; and
*Do* nothing substantive

I think it's a reasonable assumption that readers of BlogHer read blogs, comment on blogs, or run blogs (or some combination of all three) - and therefore, *whatever* your opinion of trans people, radical feminists, or any aspect of this episode, you can at least form an opinion on this one aspect of it - and express it.

My opinion? There was hate speech in that comment thread. And, despite that blog having a very well-defined comment policy, that hate speech remains there. Not as an object lesson in what hate speech looks like, but because "I find I am not sufficiently constituted to slog through that whole stupid thread merely to make a show of dominating a few morons ( http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/2006/12/29/cam... )". Well, gee, I realise that such slogging through might have taken a little time and effort - better, of course, to issue them with a stern warning along the lines of "The offending parties know who they are, and in future will either put a sock in it or risk disemvowelation. ( http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/2006/12/29/cam... )"

Yep, I bet that really put them in their place.

Thanks for the link roundup, Melinda! I followed some of this discussion, but it got so huge that it was overwhelming. The comments on many of the threads became quickly hateful and difficult to stay with and read. My hope for this discussion is that exposing the (really horrific) hate level will also help to encourage radical or other feminists to speak up and be supportive of transwomen, transmen and cis-gendered people.

-----------------
Liz Henry
lizzard@bookmaniac.net
Badgermama ( http://badgermama.blogspot.com ) - personal & mommyblog
http://liz-henry.blogspot.com

Transphobia among some so-called feminists, that is - I wrote about it here ( http://www.blogher.com/node/4269 ) on BlogHer, nine months ago. And it will continue to crop up again.