Are preferred pronouns ever acceptable?
Are preferred pronouns ever acceptable?
A discussion with Kara Dansky and Sarah Phillimore.
On yesterday’s episode of Free Speech Nation on GB News, I spoke to family law barrister Sarah Phillimore and author and campaigner Kara Dansky about the ongoing dispute over “preferred pronouns”, an issue that has generated some conflict within the gender-critical movement.
Sarah recently wrote an article for The Critic, in which she referred to trans-identified judge Victoria McCloud by female pronouns, explaining that she did so “out of courtesy, not because I believe Victoria McCloud is a woman”. You can read Sarah’s article here.
Rather than simply criticise her decision, some feminist campaigners resorted to slurs and accusations that she was “lying”.
While Kara Dansky disapproves of such responses, she argues that it is nevertheless important to use pronouns only ever to refer to biological sex rather than “gender identity”. Kara’s most recent book - The Reckoning: How the Democrats and the Left Betrayed Women and Girls - can be ordered here.
Apologies for the occasional sound issues!
I think this is a question that cannot have a yes/no answer. Like Andrew, I too have used preferred pronouns in private situations because I happened to like the respective person. I think this whole tension is the result of the fact that we are being *compelled* to use this type of language--hence the polarized reactions. I would have no problem with using a preferred pronoun if this whole ideology didn't exist and if no one insisted on its usage. But what is important is to have clarity in the public space and to force public officials to stop pretending that this fiction is real. What we do in private is one thing--what we say in public is what is at stake.
I have a pronoun rule. I call it the "Catchphrase Rule". The TV quiz show which had the catchphrase "say what you see". I would have great difficulty calling someone like Buck Angel she and Blair White he and no difficulty calling Debbie Hayton he. So I say what I see. If the person looks female I will say she and if the person looks male I will say he. This applies to all people no matter their "identity".