Hiatus

(These were my thoughts on a temporary recess from gender politics. I’m back and, I think, producing better work, although I’d already started producing more analytical pieces like this on how modern feminism foregoes liberation in favour of the mirage of equality, and this deconstruction of something written by transgender male Juno Roche about the invisibility of older women, which demonstrated so clearly how oblivious transgender males are to the lives of women).

I shared a post on my Facebook wall on 1 March that signified my intention to remove myself from the sphere of gender politics. I am almost two weeks on from that, and after a process of evading Twitter and culling my Facebook notifications I realised this morning that my world is a better place without this being in my life. 
My departure has been a long time coming, I’d been considering it for some months before the end of last year and with the completion of a fairly significant project I’d agreed to assist with, I was presented with an opportunity to find a natural indefinite break from this world. 

The effect of being in a debate that is unrelentingly negative, vicious, rhetorically violent and presents arguments in black and white polarised terms, with a false dichotomy resulting in disagreement framed as hate, has had a deleterious effect on many of the things I care most about, and the associated personal cost is unacceptable. 

Throughout my involvement in this, I have tried to motivate understanding, free and open discussion, and compassion; there is always another human being at the end of a computer screen and it seems to me this fact is too often lost from sight. The result is an undignified mess. As anyone who has ever met me will attest, my personal disposition is on the sunny side, and I like to live a full life that is fun and enjoyable. Involving myself in this debate has turned out to be incompatible with these simple values. 

I don’t know how to ‘fix’ the problems that lie at the heart of the conflict that makes gender politics so toxic. I suspect wherever there is gender politics (or even gender), there will be toxicity. One thing I’m fairly certain of though is that this current vector of identity politics is part of a much larger vector of the regressive left, and ultimately I think that the regressive left will end up eating itself, there are so many reactionary and conflicting ideas which are foundational on something other than material reality, implosion is inevitable. I live for that day. 

Being gender non-conforming is tough, society punishes us for this. It leads directly to the oppression and persecution of lesbians and other women and gay men, and promotes a culture that devalues the words, acts and lives of these in favour of men who perform whatever today’s concept of masculinity is. It is always about control. The concept of gender identity, or at least what we now call gender identity (which itself now seems a far cry from Stoller’s original conceptualisation) perhaps unintentionally underpins this hierarchy; it puts us all into an inescapable box. It seems folly to me for any progressive, liberationist or liberal to seek to legislate to protect gender identity when we could achieve a fairer, more tolerant and compassionate society by protecting gender non-conformity and do away with all the boxes. This would strike at the heart of so many structural problems and likely give both sides in this debate much of what they want. 

I like to think I have done some good work and I’m proud of many of the things I have written and done, I certainly don’t regret anything other than the singular failure of the audience that I believe would most benefit from my words to engage with the ideas I tried to present. I don’t think this situation will remain so forever, and one day I think my work will find it’s intended audience, as sense and compassion triumphs over anger and rage. I have made, lost, and made and lost many generous, interesting and compassionate friends during my travels through this world. I wish you all the best, and I wish those of you who disagreed with and derided me to find your own peace. 

As a final note, I’d like to recognise that it is my being male which allows me to be able to move away from this, and that it will remain mostly with women to argue and defend the views I support. Again, I don’t think this will be the case forever, and we will end up with a better world because of it. 

Miranda Yardley

13 March 2017

Postscript:

To see how utterly ridiculous the left has become, you only need to look at the adoration lavished by liberals/leftists and LGBT advocacy groups like Stonewall on men such as Danielle Muscato and Alex Drummond. In any political framework that acknowledges material reality, this level of outright stupidity is completely unsustainable. 

18 Replies to “Hiatus”

  1. Miranda, I’m sorry to see you go. But I understand.
    I want to press the eject button multiple times a day but when I look it isn’t there.
    Thanks for making your case, thanks for standing with women.

    I hope you find happiness away from social media.
    Don’t forget us.

  2. Miranda

    I don’t think we have ever interacted directly but I have read a great deal of your work. And, as a (hopefully) compassionate gender-conforming woman with no fixed ideology on the issue other than a desire to see equality, justice and fulfilment for every human being along every inequality fault line, including gender, I have learned a great deal from it.

    Thank you for your contributions.

  3. Miranda, I just want to let you know how much I have enjoyed your writing on gender issues – you shine a beacon of sanity in a world that gets crazier by the week. As a biological woman, I’d like to thank you for speaking out for us. I share your hope for a world free of gender boxes, where everyone will be allowed to be who they are, and have no need to deny material reality.

  4. We’ve not spoken but I follow you on Twitter; can’t remember how I first came across you, somewhere in the Gender Critical world. Thank you for all you’ve done and I wish you the best.

  5. Miranda, this makes me very sad to hear. Although completely understandable given the level of hostility, aggression, violent threats, non stop negative toxic irrational rabid torrents you are subject to, it is probably surprising you didn’t leave this topic earlier. However, I am sad because this is a civil war now.. and you are one of the most valuable brightest boldest voices especially as a transgender individual. I would be dishonest if I said this was not a huge loss for our struggle. If I may make a suggestion, since you are such a powerful, capable, brilliant writer, perhaps you should not abandon your writing as it is your gift. It is also a huge contribution to this struggle for reason against fundamentalism or the current “progressive” Left’s version of it. I would also suggest you not interact with, engage with or reply to any negative comments, people, etc. but just stick to writing/blogging (when possible for you) on this issue. That is to say, of course you must do what is best for your health and well being. That must come first. But it would be a shame to lose a voice like yours completely when it is so badly needed. To lose your voice in this tide of irrational woman hating erasure is to see another light go out in an increasing darkness. May the truth prevail.

  6. Thank you, Miranda. I learned so much from your writing and I shared it with many others. Your intelligence, analysis and ability to express yourself clearly are rare gifts. I wondered many times how you were managing to cope with the level of vitriol being thrown at you. (Some of your responses were hysterically funny.) When I started following you on Twitter, I was bombarded by trans pornographic images by trolls who were targeting your followers. After that I unfollowed and just looked you up manually every time. I get not wanting to deal with this abusive crap.

    Anyway, just wanted to say how much I appreciate you. Thanks 🙂

  7. Sometimes gender politics just seems like a freakin’ monkey trap, and there’s nothing to do but just let go of the banana.

    I hope you keep feeling better. This, too, will pass.

  8. I will miss your voice on this subject, but wish you well and more happiness in your life. Sometimes we all need a break from the fight against the status quo especially when it still seems so un-moveable after a lot of our efforts and is dragging us down. Take care.

  9. I just started reading this blog two days ago.

    This post is like discovering super heroes are real and then watching them fly away because Earth is beyond saving.

          1. Well I’m glad you came back.

            You have a very interesting perspective on things.

            Great knack for writing.

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