Ok Joly, what does it mean?

Written by

July 14, 2026

This is a good one.

Well, that was short lived! pic.twitter.com/xKZMuh9OnX
— For Women Scotland (@ForWomenScot) July 14, 2026

“what it means to oppose trans joy”

Now is that fair??? I’m not aware of opposing any “trans joy” – what I oppose is trans dogma, trans dogma-enforcement, trans bullying, trans catastrophizing, trans intrusion, trans war on women, trans misogyny.

I mean, suppose people break into your living space and destroy all your books, paint graffiti on your walls, eat everything in the fridge, piss on all your clothes. It’s not their vandal joy that you object to, it’s their vandalism. A subtle distinction perhaps, but real.

Comments

12 responses to “Ok Joly, what does it mean?”

Papito

Jul 14, 2026 11:46 AM

Note that Joly wants “to apologize for how the ‘Monster’ campaign has been received by the trans community.” He doesn’t want to apologize to the people he compared to monsters. Women, gays, other gender atheists, he’s fine comparing them to monsters and doesn’t want to apologize to them.
Ophelia Benson

Jul 14, 2026 11:58 AM

That’s Joly for ya.
twiliter

Jul 14, 2026 12:45 PM

I don’t oppose trans people (themselves), rights (whatever those are, you mean basic human rights?), spaces (where?), or joy (whatever that means, pursuit of happiness?). What I oppose is the erosion of women’s hard won victories. I oppose biological males in women only spaces and endeavors. We who champion biological facts and distinctions are not the “opposition” or the enemy. A ‘live and let live’ attitude evaporates when others’ rights are violated, namely women’s. And don’t call me “cis.”
Omar

Jul 14, 2026 1:35 PM

‘TransJolymonstering.’ There’s a new term for you.

Fits, IMHO.

Or, maybe just ‘transmonstering’ – re womens’ spaces, sporting teams, etc.

They want above all to be taken seriously, and at face value, while they perpetrate their outrages. But the most powerful political weapon of all, and in all contexts, is ridicule. It should be pulled out of the locker and used asap after the first outrageous word or action by the transmolester, transinvader, or whatever you might choose to call him. And it is always to my knowledge up to this point in time, a ‘him.’

It is far harder for a biological female who wants to be accepted as a biological male to make the real McCoy there uneasy by invading their spaces, etc.
guest

Jul 14, 2026 1:45 PM

Prime comment:

Nigel J Walley

@WalleyVision

“Of course Maughan was the name of the lawyer NOT the monster!”
Holms

Jul 15, 2026 7:49 AM

“The ‘Monster’ campaign was commissioned […] to speak specifically to cis people about what it means to oppose trans people, rights, spaces, and joy.”

I understand they like to say we oppose trans people despite the obvious, but how on Earth do we oppose “rights, spaces and joy”?? Jolyon has a writing instinct that leans towards pomposity at the expense of literacy. I suppose what he meant to say was “…oppose trans people’s rights, spaces and joy” but proof reading is for terfs or something, I don’t know.
Papito

Jul 15, 2026 9:08 AM

Perhaps depicting other people as monsters is an integral part of “trans joy.”
Francis Boyle

Jul 15, 2026 3:34 PM

“Trans joy” = “gender euphoria” = getting erections in women’s toilets. Yeah, I have no problem opposing that.
Rob

Jul 16, 2026 3:14 AM

What exactly is a co-artistic director? I mean, having artistic co-directors sure. Even co-artistic-directors. But are their directors only capable of being artistic when together?
Ophelia Benson

Jul 16, 2026 9:29 AM

Rob! I’ve been wondering where you’d got to – to the point of getting very close to emailing you to ask if all is well. V happy to see your name again.
Rob

Jul 16, 2026 3:01 PM

Thank you Ophelia, I’m genuinely touched. You’re welcome to email me any time! Life the last few months has been busy and complex – especially work. On top of that there’s just so much awful stuff going on that I’m tending to do some things (B&W included) in batches for the sake of what’s left of my marbles. That does mean for better or worse I’m commenting less as by the time I read everyone has moved on.

This is still my favourite group of people to read though.
Ophelia Benson

Jul 16, 2026 7:34 PM

Ain’t it the truth about so much awful going on. I think that’s part of why I’m so determined to get outside and explore the landscape in the afternoons. Thank you for the carte blanche; accepted!