In response to a letter writer addressing my recent column [“Unwelcome gift in mailbox — A flag that won’t be flying,” Recorder, May 17]: I believe I was clear in delineating what my problems are with transgender identity, yet the first sentence of the letter [“My Pride flag: A different perspective, May 22] states simply that I was offended by the flag in my mailbox, as though it were just a personal affront.
To be perfectly clear, my problem is that, first and foremost, it conflates sex and gender, sex representing biological reality while gender is strictly a social construct with no basis in biology. It is completely regressive therapeutically, and especially regarding the aggressive marketing toward children.
It is also undoing the work many women have undertaken in past decades regarding the fundamentally oppressive nature of gender in the first place. In that same vein, it is extremely patriarchal despite any window dressing of personal freedom.
And to answer another letter writer’s question in “Questions claim of violence” [May 22]: The discrepancies in facts amounts to increasing difficulty in finding any such information online, due to the mainstream news media suppression and disinformation mentioned in my original column. JK Rowling’s ordeal is online, largely due to her popularity and financial clout. But for others, the information is rarely so visible. One report from Turkish Radio and Television Corp. states:
“Reem Alsalem, a U.N. investigator, has voiced concerns about the intimidation and harassment faced by women who speak up for women-only spaces, sports, and prisons. She highlights instances where women have been ambushed, physically attacked, or subjected to online harassment by shouting trans activists, emphasizing the need to protect freedom of speech and thought on matters related to sex and gender identity.”
In closing, for anyone interested I urge you to read “Female Erasure: What You Need to Know About Gender Politics’ War on Women, The Female Sex and Human Rights.” It is a collection of essays written exclusively by women and incorporating a diverse demographic therein.
Kevin J. Smith
Greenfield