Observation of a "Press to avoid Stagnation".
By Sophia Siedlberg
6 November 2008
If there is one thing I have learned recently from the Bindel-Stonewall controversy, it is that there are generation gaps when it comes to activism. I think it was when Christine Burns of Press for Change did her "Just Plain Sense" podcast with Julie Bindel that I became aware of this. It seems to have transpired that it is most probable that Christine Burns and Stephen Whittle had a lot to do with Julie Bindel's nomination for the "Journalist of the year" award. It is public knowledge that they were very supportive of Julie Bindel. I just don't know if they actually had any part in actually nominating her.
But either way, they were very clearly out of touch with their grass roots. One complaint on the part of many transsexual folks that came up during the debate about the nominations was that Press for Change were "Old and venerable but out of touch with trans youth". In many ways this parallels our experiences of ISNA when we started OII. ISNA were simply out of touch, spouting old ideologies with very prominent individuals at the top of ISNA telling us all what we must think and say. OII which is a grass roots organization (accommodating all ages, equally) gained prominence partly because ISNA had ended up as a talking shop between the "venerable activists" and the very people they were opposed to, thus alienating their grass roots.
I think the same applies here. Press for Change have probably lost it. They achieved a half measure of their original objective and then rested on their laurels. The sight of Christine Burns talking to a radical "Second wave feminist" lesbian who most have called a "Transphobe" over tea and cucumber sandwiches asking "Am I a woman?" must have been the straw that broke the camel's back to some people. I admit that as an outsider I found it very odd.
I don't have a problem with Christine's intentions, but I think she so misjudged the mood among many people she may have lost her mandate with the transsexual community with that podcast. I will be honest here because, while I am intersexed and am an activist for two intersex organizations (but mainly OII), we took the decision a long time ago to be "Trans Friendly". The reasons for this were quite simple. ISNA were blatantly transphobic, using the support of transsexual people when it suited, but as soon as they outlived their usefulness they turned on transsexual folks. We were never going to repeat this mistake and never will. Secondly (and more importantly), in the real world there are many intersex folks who reject their initial "sex" assignment and end up going through the "gender identity" meat grinder along with transsexual folks, they are subjected to the same abuse by society and have often ended up feeling a high degree of solidarity with transsexual folks. Some even define themselves as "Intersex-Trans" as a sort of expression of that solidarity.
We had to take an honest approach here, even though it is clear that the motivations of many intersex people who "Transition" differed from that of transsexual folks in many ways. However, we had to face the same overall social issues.
Press for Change, like ISNA, but representing transsexual folks, failed to adapt to changing times and attitudes. I have to admit I saw it coming. I did not see the difference as the generational difference I now see, but I did see that if Christine Burns and Stephen Whittle were seen to be running a talking shop with Julie Bindel in it, there would inevitably be a backlash. And I believe this may well have started. No one is to blame. I think Christine and Stephen made an error in judgment, well intentioned, but an error all the same, failing to see the general mood more than anything else. They failed to adapt to a changing climate and now they look a little alienated.
So where do people go from here? Well I think in the UK there will be a new kind of transsexual activism. In many ways I look forward to it, because Press for Change on many occasions decided to "Speak for" intersex people and we were never going to have any of it. The new movement of activists will more probably ask us before speaking about us. They may form a mutually equal coalition with us. You may see links of websites to each other's groups (Something that is at present quite rare in some quarters).
They may not extend any invitation to talk to us, but I know they will never try to "speak on our behalf" unlike PfC. I also know that if they do invite us to talk, it would involve mutual respect. For me that is a good thing, either way, because it means we can all deal with the issues that affect us rather than end up in conflict with each other.
I will be truthful here. As an Intersex activist, I would certainly welcome a fresh and new organization set up by transsexual folks for transsexual folks that will be making every effort to not repeat the mistakes of their predecessors. (This is what the intersex community with OII have done already, avoided the mistakes made by ISNA). In all
honesty I have found the interference in our affairs by Press for Change too hard to swallow at times. I have noticed also that they ended up being a transsexual "ISNA" being for transsexual folks what ISNA was to us.
I suspect a new movement would talk with us rather than at us. If we do form alliances, they will be based on mutual respect, rather than any conflict with some prominent individuals who "know it all" but do not understand.
If and when they do appear, many of us will be waiting to say "Hello" and extend a hand of mutual friendship.
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