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All right, Colin. Let's hold this panel discussion.
Dear readers, may I introduce Colin Wight to you, professor in the field of international relations and editor of the *European Journal of International Relations.* A man in a powerful position in a male-dominated field. 1/
Dear readers, may I introduce Colin Wight to you, professor in the field of international relations and editor of the *European Journal of International Relations.* A man in a powerful position in a male-dominated field. 1/
Prof Wight disagrees with a recent statement in which 3 feminist scholars explain why they have asked for their contributions to a philosophy website to be taken down. Their writing had been framed in a way they vehemently disagree with, and they didn't know that in advance. 2/
Guess what the framing was about? From the statement:
"We object, however, to any 'debate' that questions transgender people’s fundamental legitimacy as people who are entitled to the same respect as any other person." 3/
iai.tv/articles/retra…
"We object, however, to any 'debate' that questions transgender people’s fundamental legitimacy as people who are entitled to the same respect as any other person." 3/
iai.tv/articles/retra…
The 3 feminist scholars in question are well-established researchers in the fields of philosophy and gender studies. One of them is one of the most prominent scholars and one of the founding figures of contemporary trans studies in North America. 4/
What grounds does Colin Wight, professor of international relations, have to deny these formidable scholars their feminist credentials? I don't know. His dismissive commentary doesn't give us much.
Except, perhaps, a pinch of anti-trans knee-jerkery. 5/
Except, perhaps, a pinch of anti-trans knee-jerkery. 5/
"Why are you so mean? Do you really need to bring out the anti-trans guns?," you might ask.
Yes, dear reader, I do.
In one of the ensuing threads, Prof Wight also said this.
Uh-hm, he said he self-identifies as a woman.
He sure did. 6/
Yes, dear reader, I do.
In one of the ensuing threads, Prof Wight also said this.
Uh-hm, he said he self-identifies as a woman.
He sure did. 6/
Nobody believes it, of course.
Is it a joke? Titania-McGrath-style parody? An attempt at a gotcha? 7/
Is it a joke? Titania-McGrath-style parody? An attempt at a gotcha? 7/
Let's hear it in Prof Wight's own words: "No, it's just revealing the idiocy of self ID. Do you have anything else to add."
Dear Colin, you don't seem to understand the concept or practice of self-identifying your own gender. 8/
Dear Colin, you don't seem to understand the concept or practice of self-identifying your own gender. 8/
Perhaps you didn't notice, Colin, but your professional website is part of your gender self-identification. There you are, in your grey suit and burgundy tie. With moustache and chin stubble. There's the bio you wrote for yourself, which uses "he/him/his" pronouns throughout. 9/
Dear Colin, take a moment to think about this: if you really wanted to change the gender you identify as, what would that take for you? Really take this moment to consider that. If you would like to be known from now on as a woman or a non-binary person, what would it take? 10/
I want you to realize that it is a shitload of *work* to go down that path. It is painful conversations day in day out with people you know closely and are afraid of losing, with acquaintance of whom you can't know what weird thing they'll say, and with perfect strangers. 11/
It means identifying your new gender every day.
It takes fucking courage.
It takes excruciating grit.
It's certainly not one flaccid tweet by a man at the top of his career on an issue he doesn't understand: "Har har har isn't gender self-identification idiotic." 12/
It takes fucking courage.
It takes excruciating grit.
It's certainly not one flaccid tweet by a man at the top of his career on an issue he doesn't understand: "Har har har isn't gender self-identification idiotic." 12/
Addendum.
Just another day in the feminist praxis of Prof Colin Wight, I guess. Best practised, it seems, when two male scholars shit talk about feminists online. 13/
Just another day in the feminist praxis of Prof Colin Wight, I guess. Best practised, it seems, when two male scholars shit talk about feminists online. 13/
@threadreaderapp Please unroll
