Month: April 2022

‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ and the privilege of free speech

Piers Morgan premiers his new show, 'Piers Morgan Uncensored' with screen behind him featuring Donald Trump and the US flag.
Piers Morgan premiers around the world on Piers Morgan Uncensored

Last Tuesday, Piers Morgan Uncensored debuted on Sky News Australia.

In the intro, British commentator, Piers Morgan railed against censorship.

…I’m going to be constantly celebrating the one thing you can’t abide; free speech. And that’s real free speech, not your kind of free speech where you’re opinions are allowed. Anyone with a different opinion has to be shamed, abused and cancelled; their careers and reputations destroyed. No, free speech is supposed to be the bedrock of any real democratic society. The kind where it’s OK to disagree. It’s alright to respect and tolerate each other’s views. It’s even OK to go for a beer with someone you’ve just spent a whole hour arguing with about the burning issues of the day.

Piers Morgan Uncensored, from 26 April 2022, Sky News Australia

Former US President, Donald Trump was Morgan’s first guest.

Topics centred around the culture wars

So, what ‘hot topics’ did Donald Trump and Piers Morgan talk about? As Secular Talk’s Kyle Kulinski said, it was largely culture war topics.

The main topics Trump and Morgan covered included:

  • Trump’s ban from Twitter and Elon Musk wanting to buy the company
  • ‘What’s a woman and swimmer Lia Thomas (yawn!)
  • The British Royal family (mainly Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
  • Golf
  • Trump’s claims that the US 2020 election was rigged (again)
  • Russia and Ukraine
  • Trump starting his own platform (Again?)

Trump gushed about Queen Elizabeth II, saying she was ‘incredible’ and comparing her to Mother Teresa.

Of course, Trump and Morgan bashed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Trump said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should lose their royal titles. He also crudely suggested Prince Harry’s and Markle’s marriage wouldn’t last.

In talking about Olympic swimmer and transwoman, Lia Thomas, Trump fumed saying “people, won’t stand for it” and that it was “ridiculous”.

What does Piers Morgan Uncensored say about freedom of speech and privilege?

Riveting stuff, eh? Trump and Morgan was talking about stuff people have been talking about ad nauseum for years.

Of course, there was no mention of hormone therapy transwomen go through or the guidelines that sports bodies have. There never are. But I digress.

Like Kyle Kulinski said in his video, the topics Trump and Morgan discussed were surface level topics. They didn’t challenge the status quo. In fact, it was the opposite. They maintained the status quo. Heck they ARE the status quo!

If anything, Piers Morgan Uncensored proves free speech is in tact for the privileged. Piers Morgan is not a victim. Neither is Trump. According to Wealthy Gorilla, Piers Morgan’s net worth this year is around US$20million.

Piers Morgan was always going to be able to continue working in the media after he stormed off stage on Good Morning Britain in March last year.

Overall, I don’t think Piers Morgan Uncensored is a bad show. Actually, Piers Morgan is a good interviewer. However, I sense he’s going to become a broken record very quickly. I could be wrong.

Did you see Piers Morgan Uncensored? What did you think? Feel free to put your thoughts in the comments below.

Categories
Gender/ sexuality

Katherine Deves proves that anti – trans activist have no legitimate argument

Image: iStock

Last week, Warringah Liberal candidate, Katherine Deves caused outrage over past anti – trans comments.

In tweets that are now deleted, Deves compared trans activists to Nazis and the opponents of ‘trans ideology’ as being opponents of the Holocaust.

She also spread fears of parents of transgender children being at risk of creating a ‘Stolen Generation’. I think she might’ve been alluding to Vancouver father, Rob Hoogland.

And then there was allegedly this tweet:

…half of all males with trans identities are sex offenders

From an allegedly deleted tweet from Katherine Deves

Since these revelations, Deves apologised and claimed she received death and rape threats. This is reprehensible and shame on anyone who takes part in that behaviour.

Was the tweet about prisoners? Liberal senator, Matt Kean argued with 2GB’s Ben Fordham on whether or not Deves specifically was alluding to prisoners or transwomen in general. I think Kean took a step too far accusing Deves of comparing transgender children to sex offenders.

Despite pressure, Prime Minister, Scott Morrison refused to ban Deves and has defended her right to free speech. However, Mr Morrison has also backpedaled any plans to ban transwomen competing against cis – gender women.

Deves’ comments not a surprise

It was only a matter of time that someone made comments like Deves.

Since same – sex marriage was acheived in 2017, trans and non – binary people have been the new bogey people.

All of a sudden, trans and gender non – binary people are predators, brainwashing children, etc.

Trans debate: just history repeating itself

Does this sound familiar? It should to LGBTQ+ Australians. During the same – sex marriage debate, LGB+ people were frequently accused of brainwashing children.

The Safe Schools curriculum was falsely portrayed as teaching young children about sex toys and masturbation.

Same – sex parents were often seen as detrimental to children’s welfare, despite the lack of peer reviewed studies that supported the claim.

I believe that this debate is largely another attempt to demonise a minority. And, just with the same – sex marriage debate, opponents of trans and non – binary acceptance prove that they lack a strong argument. This is proven by Deves’ hyperbole.

The language in the debate

From WordPress Free Images

Is it just me? Has anyone else noticed the language used in the gender debate? Notice that the term ‘transwomen’ is rarely used by critics? It’s always ‘biological men’ or that someone was ‘born male’.

No discussion about transition. I wrote about Royal Children’s Hospital’s stance on children and transitioning and steps often taken in my last post.

There has been a lack of discussion on the effect of hormone therapy on trans people. Why have these factors been largely ignored in the debate?

Look, I could meet Deves half way if she said that transwomen athletes should have a certain amount of transition before competing against cis – gender women. I also think everyone should be protected from predators, regardless of the gender identities of perpetrators or victims.

However, I don’t think this is what this debate is about. This is about looking for another pariah. Another minority group to spread fear and lies about.

The cat’s out of the bag now. It just took Deves to go one step too far to expose it.

What do you think about Katherine Deves’ comments? What do you think about transwomen sport? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Categories
Gender/ sexuality

The fear – mongerimg about trans and non – binary people has no basis

Image: iStock

The Trans Day of Visibility was on the 31 March. The day aims to acknowledge the achievements of trans and non – binary people. It also highlights the discrimination trans and non – binary people still face.

Transgender and gender diverse people are the hot topic of the day. Unfortunately, ‘issues’ like Lia Thompson winning in swimming take up a lot of time on social media, media and for policy makers.

So does children transitioning. This is despite Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital stating that gender affirming treatment is done in two stages.

Stage one takes part under the age of sixteen. This includes social transitioning, affirmation and, yes, puberty blockers. These parts of transition are usually reversible.

Stage two of gender affirming treatment only takes place when is a child is sixteen or older. This stage includes hormone treatments and surgery. At this stage, treatment is largely irreversible.

No one is ‘turned’ trans

Commissioner for LGBTQ communities, Todd Fernando, emphatically denies that anyone is ‘turned trans’ due to affirmation of trans and gender diverse identities.

He wrote in The Age that the existence and bodily autonomy is “not up for debate”.

Gender affirmation can save lives

Let’s cut to the chase. Affirming trans people’s identities can save lives. Fernando linked a number of studies that suggested that gender affirmation, including puberty blockers are life saving to many trans and gender diverse youth.

Young trans and gender diverse people who undergo gender affirming hormone therapy and puberty blockers are less likely to experience depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.

Psychology magazine, Psychology Today reinforced this belief. After reviewing sixteen studies Jack Tarbi MD concluded:

…the body of research indicates that these interventions result in favourable mental health outcomes.

Jack Tarbin MD MHS, Psychology Today, January 24 2022

In contrast, non – affirming actions can end in disaster. This is why there has been such a strong push to ban so – called ‘conversion therapy’, including against trans and gender – diverse people in Australia.

Fear mongering about trans and gender non – binary people is (recent) history repeating itself

LGBT rainbow Pride flag
Image: iStock

I’m not trying to be disrespectful. And I’m not trying to play the No True Scotsman card.

However, I’m sceptical of the stances of some LGBTQ+ people. It’s strange to me, for example, that a transwoman would want to ‘debate’ people like Ben Shapiro or Steven Crowder on whether they should be referred by their preferred pronouns.

I mean YouTuber and transwoman Blaire White debated what people should refer to her as ‘she’.

Remember the fear – mongering over Safe Schools teaching young children about sex – toys? How gays and lesbians were accused of ‘indoctrinating’ children? And don’t get me started on the slippery – slope arguments against same – sex marriage.

My point is, the fear – mongering over trans and gender non – binary people is history repeating itself. Children are being used as pawns (again) and it seems most arguments are just misinformation. Again.

I think the evidence is clear. Falsely demonising trans and gender non – binary people does harm. If we really care about children, we have to accept them for who they are. Including if their trans or non – binary.