It really bothers me that when an LGB or LGBT organization honors someone who speaks against the interest of the broader LGBT community’s T’s.

So, with a little frustration, let me express some disappointment in the UK’s Stonewall organization’s plan to honor journalist Julie Bindel.

Let me be frank at the beginning though. The UK’s Stonewallhas a lucid description of its mission scope on its page logo and subheader. The subheader states “Equality & Justice for Lesbians, Gay Men & Bisexuals.” Note that it doesn’t mention T’s. The organization; however, must have some recognition that they function within a broader LGBT community as they have a Trans Resources webpage (as well as another 135 webpages that mention trans people or trans issues if one uses their site search with trans OR transgender OR transsexual OR “gender identity”) on their website.

In fact, in Stonewall’s booklet Transgender, they have a definition of Transphobia:

Transphobia is the unrealistic or irrational fear and hatred of transgender people. Like all prejudices, it is based on negative stereotypes and misconceptions that are then used to justify and support hatred, discrimination, harassment, and violence toward people who are transgender. Transphobic attitudes and beliefs include:

• the belief that trans women are not “real women” because they have been raised and socialised as men

• the belief that trans men are not “real men” because they do not have, or were not born with a penis

• the belief that transsexual people are actually gay people in denial

• the assumption that transgender people are “sick” or that they are psychologically unstable

• when a transgender person is excluded from services, activities, discussions or decisions because it is felt that that person doesn’t “fit in”

• the refusal to recognise or acknowledge the true gender of a trans person and the continual insistence to refer to them by their former name

The booklet also identifies issues for transgender folk, which include denial of medical treatment and healthcare providers having no information about available treatments or surgeries and no understanding of trans issues.

So in my opinion, a declared LGB-only civil rights organization that has policy positions on trans issues in their Discrimination Law Review, and defines transphobia for its organization, shouldn’t be honoring someone who’s made transphobic statements in arguing against full medical treatment access for trans people. Yet, Stonewall has decided to honor Julie Bindel as their 2008 “Journalist of the Year.”

In 2004, Julie Bindel — a journalist who identifies as a lesbian feminist — wrote a column for The Guardian entitled Gender benders, beware where she used quotation marks around the female pronouns and terms to describe a male-to-female transsexual (examples: “she”; “woman”), and referred to the post-operative transsexual as “a man in a dress.” Some of what Bindel wrote:

[Below the fold: Quotes of Bindel where she uses transphobic language, and her aguing against genital reconstruction surgery for transsexuals. Multiple audio file links of her arguing against surgery for transsexuals provided.]

Twenty years ago, when I worked on an advice line for lesbians, I would take call after call from self-hating, suicidal women who had experienced horrific homophobia. Thanks to feminism and gay liberation, that situation has altered radically. What a disgrace, therefore, that our legacy amounts to this: if you are unhappy with the constraints of your gender, don’t challenge them. If you are tired of being stared at for snogging your same-sex partner in the street, have a sex change. Where are those who go berserk about the ethics of genetic engineering yet seem not to worry about major, irreversible surgery on healthy bodies? Also, those who “transition” seem to become stereotypical in their appearance - fuck-me shoes and birds’-nest hair for the boys; beards, muscles and tattoos for the girls. Think about a world inhabited just by transsexuals. It would look like the set of Grease.

…I don’t have a problem with men disposing of their genitals, but it does not make them women, in the same way that shoving a bit of vacuum hose down your 501s does not make you a man.

She has since apologized for the tone of her piece, but not for her conclusions. By the definition of transphobia on Stonewall’s own website, Julie Bindel would be transphobic.

In 2007, Bindel wrote another column for The Guardian entitled My trans mission; Sex-change surgery is the modern equivalent of aversion therapy for homosexuals. Her mission against trans interest changed her position from “I don’t have a problem with men disposing of their genitals” to one where she stated she wants to outlaw genital reassignment surgery. The article in The Guardian references the August 1st, 2007 episode of Hecklers. In the article she states:

During the debate I argued that sex change surgery is modern-day aversion therapy treatment for homosexuals. The highest number of sex change operations take place in Iran, where homosexuality is punishable by death. Sex change surgery, therefore, renders gays and lesbians “heterosexual”.

In other words, it’s a variant on the tired argument that female-to-male transsexuals are really just super-lesbians, and male-to-female transsexuals are really just super-gays.

An excerpt from the Hecklers episode where she lays out her initial proposition:

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/upload/Autumn/Hecklers2_excerpt.mp3

The full audio file of the Hecklers debate is here.

She again spells out her beliefs in another audio with female-to-male transsexual Steve Whittle. In the write up by Press For Change for that second audio, that organization states:

Do make sure you listen to the whole programme — and don’t jump to conclusions from the first five minutes in which Julie sets out her beliefs. What emerges is something that comes a lot closer to bridging a seemingly impossible divide. The irony is that trans campaigners tend to share the essence of some of Julie’s views about gender — just maybe from a slightly different angle. However the dialogue has to happen, and the tone of the voices needs to be heard, in order for that commonality to be appreciated.

I did listen to it. I believe the opinions of Julie Bindel are dead wrong. Bindel’s solution of denying transsexuals access to genital reconstruction surgery is the wrong solution to very real issues she brings up. Better healthcare services by the healthcare providers is the better solution.

So, I can’t help but feel that Stonewall’s nomination of journalist Julie Bindel for an civil rights organization “Journalist Of The Year” award is wrongheaded. Even leaving out the horrible language she used in 2004 (and later apologised for), she’s not recognizing the gender identity of transsexuals, she’s arguing that transsexuals are psychologically disturbed, and she is arguing for inadequate medical options of transseuxals. Those things all fit within Stonewall’s own definition of transphobia.

So, let me sum this up briefly: Bindel advocates a non-academic, non-scientific position regarding the surgical options for all transsexuals. Her position appears to be contrary Stonewall’s stated beliefs about appropriate healthcare for transsexuals. Bindal has used highly transphobic language to put forward her beliefs about transsexuals’ surgical options. To this day she still doesn’t recognize or respect the gender identities of transsexual people. Given all this, it’s just beyond the pale that the UK’s Stonewall plans to honor Julie Bindel with a journalism award.

My opinion is that Stonewall should immediately rescind their scheduled honoring of Julie Bindel. That’s because Bindel’s behavior clearly fits Stonewall’s own definition of transphobia. For an organization that defines transphobia — and clearly sees behavior relating to transphobia as being wrong — to honor someone who has in recent years has engaged in transphobic speech is inappropriate and wrong.