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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/10/women-avoid-transgender-debate-fear-reaction-jo-brand-germaine-greer-feminism
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| Women avoid transgender debate for fear of reaction, says Jo Brand | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Many women are wary of entering feminist debates over transgender issues because they are frightened of the reaction, the comedian and writer Jo Brand has said. | Many women are wary of entering feminist debates over transgender issues because they are frightened of the reaction, the comedian and writer Jo Brand has said. |
| Brand was addressing a debate that has led to feminists such as Germaine Greer and Julie Bindel being “no-platformed” at some universities. | Brand was addressing a debate that has led to feminists such as Germaine Greer and Julie Bindel being “no-platformed” at some universities. |
| She said that reaction was “pathetic” and the two sides needed to see there was common ground. The big danger was that women avoided the debate. | She said that reaction was “pathetic” and the two sides needed to see there was common ground. The big danger was that women avoided the debate. |
| “A lot of people feel very wary about talking about the topic,” Brand said. “A lot of women feel if they say anything at all there is a kind of knee-jerk reaction of anger which has nothing to do with the content of what they said … and because they feel frightened of being threatened. I mean, who wouldn’t be?” | “A lot of people feel very wary about talking about the topic,” Brand said. “A lot of women feel if they say anything at all there is a kind of knee-jerk reaction of anger which has nothing to do with the content of what they said … and because they feel frightened of being threatened. I mean, who wouldn’t be?” |
| Brand was at the Cheltenham literature festival discussing her new book, Born Lippy, which is in part a “guide to being female”. | Brand was at the Cheltenham literature festival discussing her new book, Born Lippy, which is in part a “guide to being female”. |
| She said reading The Female Eunuch changed her life and she lamented the vilification of Greer. | She said reading The Female Eunuch changed her life and she lamented the vilification of Greer. |
| “I understand the feelings that Germaine Greer is trying to express. I understand the reason why trans activists have responded to it in that way, but I kind of feel if both sides just stopped shouting at each other and talked about it they would actually find a way of expressing their feelings without all this kind of hatred for each other.” | “I understand the feelings that Germaine Greer is trying to express. I understand the reason why trans activists have responded to it in that way, but I kind of feel if both sides just stopped shouting at each other and talked about it they would actually find a way of expressing their feelings without all this kind of hatred for each other.” |
| She said people on both sides of the debate were being aggressive and they should sit down and talk in a more mature way. “People are picking up opinions that aren’t necessarily being expressed and the whole thing has blown up into a massive great wall of argument that now can’t be torn down. | She said people on both sides of the debate were being aggressive and they should sit down and talk in a more mature way. “People are picking up opinions that aren’t necessarily being expressed and the whole thing has blown up into a massive great wall of argument that now can’t be torn down. |
| “I think there’s a lot of infighting with feminism and feminists being quite nasty to each other depending on which camp they’re in. I would rather it was a broad church. We should be able to be adult.” | “I think there’s a lot of infighting with feminism and feminists being quite nasty to each other depending on which camp they’re in. I would rather it was a broad church. We should be able to be adult.” |
| Brand said some of the things Greer said were “slightly bonkers or off the wall”. But she added: “The fact is Germaine Greer is virtually the mother of modern feminism and it is disrespectful, it is a phasing out of history, to treat her in the way that people do.” | Brand said some of the things Greer said were “slightly bonkers or off the wall”. But she added: “The fact is Germaine Greer is virtually the mother of modern feminism and it is disrespectful, it is a phasing out of history, to treat her in the way that people do.” |
| The comedian has two daughters in their late teens and she praised their strength. “Women are much more confident. I look at young women of my daughters’ age – they just won’t take any crap any more in a way we did and I feel very proud of that.” | The comedian has two daughters in their late teens and she praised their strength. “Women are much more confident. I look at young women of my daughters’ age – they just won’t take any crap any more in a way we did and I feel very proud of that.” |
| Brand’s career has ranged from performing under the name the Sea Monster on the comedy circuit in the 1980s to presenting The Great British Bake-Off: An Extra Slice. She said she was never the militant, man-hating feminist of tabloid imagination. But she also rejected the idea that she was moving towards “national treasure” status. She hoped there was still an element of danger about her. | Brand’s career has ranged from performing under the name the Sea Monster on the comedy circuit in the 1980s to presenting The Great British Bake-Off: An Extra Slice. She said she was never the militant, man-hating feminist of tabloid imagination. But she also rejected the idea that she was moving towards “national treasure” status. She hoped there was still an element of danger about her. |
| Her appearance presenting Have I Got News for You late last year, at the early stages of the #MeToo movement, was memorable, as she explained the effects of sexism on women to a panel of four men. | Her appearance presenting Have I Got News for You late last year, at the early stages of the #MeToo movement, was memorable, as she explained the effects of sexism on women to a panel of four men. |
| Brand said it was not planned. “I don’t really know why I did it like that because I much prefer to say, ‘Shut the fuck up!’ For some reason I didn’t do that. Maybe I thought I’d get the point across better if I didn’t shout in their faces.” | Brand said it was not planned. “I don’t really know why I did it like that because I much prefer to say, ‘Shut the fuck up!’ For some reason I didn’t do that. Maybe I thought I’d get the point across better if I didn’t shout in their faces.” |
| Feminism | Feminism |
| Transgender | Transgender |
| Jo Brand | Jo Brand |
| Germaine Greer | Germaine Greer |
| #MeToo movement | #MeToo movement |
| Gender | Gender |
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