A further thought occurs to me, pondering this business of Justin Weinberg and his heightened (and in my view exaggerated) empathy for t philosopher (who claims to be a trans woman) along with his barely detectable empathy for women and other subordinated categories of people. Imagine being made to feel bad about yourself the way t philosopher is, he tells us. So I ponder what it is that makes t philosopher feel bad. According to tp it’s terfy women talking about sex and gender, but I was attempting to look behind that.

So I thought about the fact that academics have to stand up in front of groups of people, small groups or large or both, and lecture at them … Read the rest

I saw this.

https://twitter.com/janeclarejones/status/1136680203269365760

So I followed the link and skim-read Justin Weinberg’s “won’t somebody please think of the trans women” piece. I was not overwhelmed by the reasoning therein. I was annoyed by bêtises like the one Jane points out. There are lots of them. The whole thing is written from the assumption that on the one hand there are cis people, lolling about on fluffy pillows of privilege, and on the other there are trans people, battling oppression and exclusion of a kind that we cis people can’t even begin to imagine.

For instance, right at the beginning:

Understanding t philosopher

Remember t philosopher? That’s the one who wrote that Medium piece full of hyperbolic self-pity and … Read the rest

Some Twitter reactions.

Attn MPs + journalists. Even if you don't care about sex & gender (and you should), consider this: Julie Bindel, a journalist, has been physically attacked for expressing her opinions. This cannot stand. https://t.co/qgJI5CKI9X

— James Kirkup (@jameskirkup) June 6, 2019

This is Cathy. Cathy attacked a woman- Julie Bindel who has been instrumental in the fight for justice for female victims of the most horrific violence. Cathy then bragged about it on social media. Welcome to the Upside Down. pic.twitter.com/p9PcuWeNox

— Cat Shamer (@albinodisco) June 6, 2019

"He was shouting and ranting and raving, 'you're a f***** c***, you're a f****** bitch, a f****** Terf' and the rest of it… he just lunged at me and

A hulking man physically attacked Julie Bindel last night.

Gina Davidson at The Scotsman (cool name for a paper – are women allowed to read it?) reports:

Julie Bindel, the keynote speaker at an Edinburgh University event which discussed the future of women’s sex-based rights, said she was verbally abused, “lunged at” and almost “punched in the face”, by a transwoman as she left the building.

She thanked university security staff for protecting her and said she was still considering whether to press charges.

Today Ms Bindel said: “I have been beaten up by men in the past but not for a long time, and I knew precisely what was coming when I saw the rage on his face,

In Japan high heels are mandatory for women.

Japan’s health and labour minister has defended workplaces that require women to wear high heels to work, arguing it is “necessary and appropriate” after a petition was filed against the practice.

Necessary and appropriate for what, exactly? Knowing who is which sex without having to raise one’s gaze from the floor?

The remark came when Takumi Nemoto was asked to comment on a petition by a group of women who want the government to ban workplaces from requiring female jobseekers and employees to wear high heels.

“It is socially accepted as something that falls within the realm of being occupationally necessary and appropriate,” Nemoto told a legislative committee on

Trump’s off to Ireland now, to visit his impecunious (aka stone cold loser) golf course.

Trump’s visit to Ireland is not an official one, although he will meet with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar briefly at Shannon Airport. The visit is primarily for the president to stop off at his own golf resort at Doonbeg, in County Clare, where his ideological war on the environment takes something of a physical form.

A sprawling, luxury property, Doonbeg sits on the west coast of Ireland, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Trump opposed the construction of a wind farm near the site in 2014, and sent a celebratory tweet when the local council denied planning permission. There was a mild controversy in 2018 when it

Din-dins at the pally was the first time Donald “The Pig” Trump and Kate Middleton met, but he had a history. What kind of history? The usual kind, of course: his history of insulting her on Twitter.

Back in 2012, French magazine Closer published photos of Middleton sunbathing topless.

That is, she and William were staying at a private house owned by relatives, and a photographer took stealth photos of her, which is an absolute shit thing to do. She wasn’t walking down Oxford Street with her tits out.

But Trump saw fit to scold her on Twitter – Trump, the guy who brags about grabbing women by the pussy, and does in fact grab women by the pussy. … Read the rest

Originally a comment by iknklast on They would do well to repudiate this embarrassment from the UK chapter.

The right to promote hateful ideas is not covered under the right to free speech.

Actually, it is. Otherwise, speech is anything but free. When Eugene Debs was jailed for speaking against the war, he was promoting “hateful” ideas. When Baruch Spinoza was excommunicated, he was promoting “hateful” ideas. When Giordano Bruno was burned, he was promoting “hateful” ideas. When the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence, they were promoting “hateful” ideas. When the abolitionists spoke out against slavery, they were promoting “hateful” ideas. When the NAACP spoke out in favor of civil rights, they were promoting “hateful” ideas. When women … Read the rest

Trump expands on his low opinion of Sadiq Khan. “He should be positive, not negative; he’s a negative force, not a positive force.” Trump’s calling Khan a stone cold loser is of course very positive and not negative at all.

Here’s the moment British Prime Minister Theresa May was asked if she agrees with President Donald Trump that London Mayor Sadiq Khan is a “stone cold loser.” May did not answer the question. pic.twitter.com/mtUjXRcSRs

— John Haltiwanger (@jchaltiwanger) June 4, 2019

… Read the rest

Yes, why are they there? It’s not a trip to Disneyland.

The White House hasn't really offered an explanation for why the president's adult children who don't work in the administration are on this state visit. https://t.co/U3goSqUQy3

— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) June 4, 2019

Why did Trump bring his whole damn family apart from Barron along? That’s not normal. If it’s not normal it’s not appropriate. Were they even invited?

Are we paying for it? Of course we are.

Trump’s four adult children and their spouses have joined him on his state visit to the United Kingdom this week. And US taxpayers are picking up the hefty bills for their hotels, transportation, and security.

Ivanka Trump and her husband

Yet another lying bullying “statement,” this one from Minorities and Philosophy UK. Brian Leiter flags it up:

I don’t want to make more of this disgraceful statement than it deserves; many MAP chapters are doing constructive work, and they would do well to repudiate this embarrassment from the UK chapter.  One can support equal opportunity for and dignified treatment of trans philosophers, as Professor Stock explicitly does, and still disagree with how some trans philosophers understand gender.

Note that this statement is the work of a handful of individuals, including the already notorious Keyvan Shafei and the equally benighted spouse of Nathan Oseroff, among others.  It was apparently prompted by the fact that the Aristotelian Society, much to

Why doe anyone think Trump is a billionaire when all his suits look like they came off the rack?

I'm not the president but if I met the Queen, I wouldn't settle for the Men's Wearhouse spring clearance sale. I'd get measured for a real suit. pic.twitter.com/SEGCUnZznA

— Stephen Robinson (@SER1897) June 3, 2019

Well, I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen.
Better stay away from him:
He'll rip your lungs out, Jim.
I'd like to meet his tailor. pic.twitter.com/mnQMRv6zfK

— Francis Wheen (@FrancisWheen) June 3, 2019

That awkward moment when the Queen invites you to dinner but you just ate Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/WEu5gB2a8H

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) June 3, 2019

Updating to add: I had to hit the … Read the rest