Terf Wars. Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty
The last thing I would want to do, as a journalist, is to sue a publication for libel. But after enduring years of distress and provocation from PinkNews, I finally changed my mind. The final straw came in May 2020, I had gone to bed early in preparation for a 5am start the next day. But then my phone started beeping as several WhatsApp messages came through. I flicked through them quickly. Four women, all of whom I knew through feminist campaigning, were alerting me to the fact that there was, as one put it, “yet another ‘horrible’ article” about me on PinkNews. “You are not named but I think it’s blatantly obvious it’s about you.” I turned off my phone and went to sleep.
The next day, I read the article. It referred to high-profile lesbian journalists and was based on an interview with an American woman called Amy Dyess (now known as Beau Dyess), with whom I had briefly spoken a few months earlier when she was planning to come over to the UK to speak at the same event as me. I had cut off all contact with Dyess after I grew tired of her constant slating of a number of feminists I respected — I had heard she was not pleased at being rejected.
“The ‘gender critical’ feminist movement is a cult that grooms, controls and abuses, according to a lesbian who managed to escape,” was the headline of the article. “Looking back on her time in the ‘gender critical’ feminist movement, she is unequivocal: it’s a cult,” the story read. “A cult that groomed her when she was vulnerable and sleeping in her car; a cult that sought to control her, keeping tabs on her movements and dictating what she could and couldn’t say; a cult that was emotionally and sexually abusive towards her.”
“One British lesbian even promised to find Amy a wife, so she could stay in the UK and galvanise the struggling gender-critical movement here,” the article continued. As well as the fact that there are no other high profile lesbian journalists in the UK who had been regularly targeted by PinkNews, this was enough to lead several individuals to identify me. I had come to be associated with the so-called Terf movement and a hate figure — mainly as a result of all that PinkNews coverage. I also learned that weeks earlier, Dyess had made allegations about me on Twitter, including that I had “promised to find her a wife” when she visited the UK.
The next morning I searched my name on Twitter and found that within a very short time of the article being published, I had been identified as the person referred to in the article. Speculation was rife as to exactly what level of criminal behaviour I had been involved in. I was horrified. Even my fiercest enemies recognise that I have been at the forefront of campaigning to end exploitation, coercive control, and all other forms of violence and abuse towards women and girls — for decades — and yet the implication was that I was involved in the abuse of a vulnerable lesbian.
My partner — a human rights lawyer — read the article and was aghast. Neither of us quite knew what to do. I considered my options: ignore it and thereby invite accusations of guilt; deny the allegations, which would be absolutely outrageous and bring about further suspicion; or try to tear it apart in a humorous way. I took the third option. I felt I had no choice because there was so much Twitter chatter identifying me as the subject of the article.
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SubscribeIts like some Narnia thing where you see through some door into another reality. All the time you know society and the world is reality stacked upon realities, that one’s life can be so different to another’s as to be unfathomable, and then you read an excerpt of Julies times and wow – it is really like that, and all the wile we exist in our own reality right next to, and interacting with, so many other ones existing in the same space time; ones that we could never imagine if not read about. I guess mine would be as alien to her, and that others BTL here would be equally alien to both of us – although Julie’s would take some competition to beat.
I just got back from being out in the marsh working my nets, I love the solitary night outside, as the sky was getting dark I baited up a stretch of water for the coming night, and to the East the full moon came up, vast and lurid red as they do rising – the low atmosphere they are seen through take the blue wavelengths so red remains – the light bending to make it a dozen diameters larger than when above…Last night was the full Moon Lunar eclipse and I walked in the woods 3 a.m with the dogs watching it over clearings and looking at the constellations I once knew so well, but I am forgetting….The previous full moon in October was the proper ‘Hunters Moon’, similar, light enough to see to walk in the night forest by moonlight as the trees lose their leaves, or in the marsh.
My catch was small, so bright out it was not a real night, and suddenly cold, and the creatures stayed off deeper. I got wet as always netting, and one did feel very alive out there in the bright, cool air and chilly water….
Your delightful experience is so much more enjoyable reading than Julie’s. I’m sorry to hear of her travails but the details are tedious in the extreme.
It’s only some women’s issues and not part of the millions of faithful wives and mothers out there. It’s just that these people a minority, including LGBT and Transgender constantly harp on about their world.
I agree. I follow too many sub stacks like UnHerd and they all repeat the same depressing story. I would love a site called Other Peoples Lives where pieces are done describing the daily lives of people from all over the world in some detail.
Great comment. I just have no idea what she’s talking about any more.
I second your comments. UnHerd should not provide a platform for the personal–though boring and tedious–grievances of JB. Enough already with the trans and terfs!
And let’s not forget that these are, in the main, terrible people, i.e. JB, Bari Weiss, Kathleen Stockton, Asra Nomani, only slightly better than the mob that cancelled them. There are more important topics for UnHerd–more important for the world, than the on-going drama of JB.
Can we move on?
What do you think it’s unimportant that working people are being forced to declare preferred pronouns, being sacked if they say something offensive, being hounded out of academia if they don’t show support for biological nonsense? And changing the sex of children without proper review?
Oh yes that’s trivial. Society is being changed fundamentally beneath our feet, but let’s ignore that.
I believe you completely missed the point of James Joyce.
Spot on, mate!
You’re kidding, right? I’m on side–totally!
We know it’s being changed because of the force of campaigning and narrative from these people. They have managed to get the ear of government and so government makes laws detrimental to our society and against the better interests of our families and children.
“The point” is that JB is walking in irony, given her own track record of aggression based on identity activism.
Some of the commentators above are, I assume, in now way supporters of pink news and/or OJ. Definitely not.
Most people, yes, including working people (a vague term rapidly losing currency in these febrile times) aren’t confronted by this lunacy in their daily lives. Those that are, are faced with a choice: succumb or stand up to the tormentors. If more would courageously choose the latter, sanity would be restored and society could get on with tackling its real problems. Easy to say, I know, but it does boil down to having the courage to face down these bullies.
Calling Owen Jones “Talcum X” is hilarious, though.
Though not original, I fear.
Indeed, I’ve just googled it and discovered it to be the nickname of a … er … transblack man called Shaun King. Thanks for putting me right. All the same, I think I will be culturally appropriating it for my heroic couplet satire The Wokeiad, in which OJ takes the central role.
You will feel differently when your teenage daughter or granddaughter is forced to share a changing room or a tent at Guide camp with an entire adult male who says that he’s a woman, and when both you and she are accused of ‘hate crimes’ for objecting.
I’m on side. I agree with you. I think there has been too much fuss about this and I personally would like to move on, especially from JB and her endless personal drama/s. Just not that interesting anymore–actually it never was.
I want to be tolerant of individuals (though not in your hypothesis), treat everyone with respect, and have them leave me alone.
To those who would like to cancel me including TERFs, give it a go…. Game on!
Most on here agree with you Caroline. James is with you although he hasn’t been clear about it. Guides is finished if they allow that. That’s despicable.
I’ll try to be clearer. I just don’t like JB. I don’t think top spots on UnHerd should continually go to her. If this topic needs to be covered–I’m on side, but also exhausted–let’s bring in a fresh perspective. Am I the only one who thinks that this is too personal to JB? Am I the only one who thinks her writing is terrible?
“As I said at the beginning of this piece, the last thing I wanted to do was to sue a publication.”
“I felt I had no choice because there was so much Twitter chatter identifying me as the subject of the article.”
In my opinion, this is extremely poor quality writing–just two example, the whole piece is rubbish.
Enough–or rather too much– with JB!
But aren’t we using cancel culture in reverse? I think Unherd prides themselves in handling different views. If we cannot discuss openly, even JB’s views, then most people who might learn something will ignore this site.
Methinks your pettiness is driven by jealousy ……feel the quality of the argument, not the width! No vitriolic reply necessary
What’s so terrible about Bari Weiss? I find her delightful.
She’s just annoying and hard left. Only “desirable” because of being cancelled. I grew up with people exactly like her. HONESTLY (podcast) is actually good, worth listening to, and my review was something like Dumb host, interesting guests…..
I don’t like that she injects her own life far, far into every topic she covers. My wife and I were talking about this…. I was at a cocktail party in DC, NYC, or LA and Famous Person X said….. I have a black friend…. (street cred). She’s just annoying. Does Steven Sackur do anything remotely like this on HARD TALK? She also has a tendency to over-identify with her guests, weakening the show.
If you like her, great. She is on side now, but I can envision a time when her hard left views are once again enemy territory. Dream Big!
Just wanted to answer your question.
I subscribe to her Substack and listen to “Honestly” and have always found her to be a centrist and not at all “hard left.” I say this as an American who is very familiar with the nuances of our political.spectrum.
Seems we disagree. She is hardly a Centrist, though she may appear as one next to even worse crazies. I’m a Yank, too, and not to blow my own trumpet, but I think I get the nuances. As noted, I grew up surrounded by people like Bari…..
What characteristics do “people like Bari” share? I don’t follow what you mean.
Bari Weiss is certainly not hard left. She was employed by NYT to present a different narrative before her debacle there. She is probably a centrist, but was treated as far right by NYT.
Not sure what you have against Bari Weiss and Kathleen Stockton, they seem intelligent, rational and reasonable.
That wasn’t clear? They are intelligent, rational and reasonable only in the context of the extreme woke. I’m on side with them–for now.
Yeah I also don’t get the comments about Bari Weiss. Anyone that goes out in public with an opinion is bound to annoy someone and voicing an opinion is her job. But hard left? I don’t think so.
Same as with the stuff about Mary Gaitskill yesterday. Another tacky world that seems to exist alongside mine.
Truly a parallel universe. Mine’s not quite as wonderful as yours, but it’s in a different solar system to the roiling cesspit of bitterness, half truth and obsession that seems to be planet activist
I know the feeling.
yep right on, and i am just looking forward to the football this afternoon , a beer and a good old shout with grandsons seated beside me . Back home to the wife ( a female) and a nice supper as I look out over the stormy Bristol channel !
Please boo loudly if/when the morons “take the knee” to the racist hate group BLM.
Football shouldn’t be political like that. I don’t know if it is safe to boo in a crowded stadium but the anti BLM’s might just join you. I am almost glad England lost the European final the way they took the knee. Total ignorance.
What extraordinary projection from Pink News: gender critical feminists are the ‘cult’, not the #nodebate trans movement.
Can you?
That’s the thing though. They are all a bit cult like. Even their demonising of opposing groups as cults is cult like.
Yes, it can be when overdone. With modern media we tend to retreat to our silos from which every disliked individual is seen as a narcissist and every disliked movement a cult.
Thirty-three people seem to understand my point.
I apologise. I am a bit ignorant of the words used .
What I find interesting here is the way PinkNews backed down when there was some real push-back, certainly no actual apology just blame someone else. It does mean that it is possible to “fight” this nonsense.
By the by, it does get rather tedious on here when every time Ms Bindel posts, what she is seems to be more important than what she says. From what I have read by Ms Bindel, I would probably take issue with many things that she believes, however, I am with her on this and offer my whole-hearted support on this issue. Sometimes, though, when I read the vitriol aimed at her I find I have to stop myself taking her side just to avoid being associated with that kind of talk.
Couldn’t agree more. ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’
You’re mostly right, but only mostly. I’m more in the “wish that they could both lose” camp. Maybe I am getting to the age where my limited time left on this earth is best spent on more important concerns than terfs v loonies.
PS: I gave you an uptick for the”mostly”
Thank you Terry! Sorry I came to this late – without reply notifications I forget to check my comments (so hate this commenting system).
That’s okay – If you ever read this!
I have noticed a strange thing: If you are “live” here and you get a reply, a box pops up alerting you (sometimes!) If you click on the box you are directed to that response. Unfortunately you get the same alert to the same response time after time. All a bit eccentric.
I sort of agree. Julie’s writing is always good and, as Brendan says, she might be doing all of us a favour by fighting this stuff on the front line.
I remember reading her articles back in the 90’s (I think) and wondering how any body could be so angry …all the time …about everything. She seems to have only one setting- all out frontal assault.
Quite helpful when you don’t like the people she’s assaulting but a bit wearing generally and particularly when, as a man, you’re often the target.
Except, of course, in her view, her target is still men. Just men in frocks.
Men in frocks. How demeaning when you think of it. Sacrificing their manhood for that?
Quite right.
Yeah. One can agree on one point but do not agree in the main.
Bullies always back down when confronted. If more did that, we would rapidly rid ourselves of these pests.
That hasn’t been my experience or observation. All the bullies I have met have felt able to be bullies because they were strong and well supported by the necessary allies, and their targets were not. That seems to be the case here too.
The bullies mostly infest Twitter and other platforms and hide behind anonymity. They aren’t “strong”, just loud and obnoxious and are given far too much attention by those who should know better and have more guts. I get the feeling though that the pendulum has started to swing back from the lunatic fringe. There have been promising results, achieved by the Free Speech Union and brave individuals.
And the same men Comment on every article published by JB, complaining about the same things, the same repeated accusations and most astonishingly now complaining about being bored by having to read her writing again. Have none of these blokes heard of free will? Or is someone forcing them to read her stuff?
Like the BBC, you pay for it whether you read it or not. So paying readers are entitled to comment on the quality of what they’re paying for.
Agreed. I have no problem with Bindel and her defence of those currently under attack by bullies. I’m glad she’s being afforded a platform by UnHerd.
Yeah we have to back the right thing when we see it even if we do not generally believe in someone’s views.
I recently heard Bindel speak on Feminism at the Battle of Ideas festival. She ended by saying, “My message to all you men out there is: Stop raping us and killing us!” Her view of the world seems to be that all men are oppressors and all women are victims. Obviously that’s neither true nor helpful. What is really needed, and I would say largely exists, is a common front across all segments of society against violence, sexual or otherwise, by anybody against anybody.
Not in the middle east and other cultures though. The west is caned for it by these feminists when it is a lot of the other cultures which do it.
Many here object to my dislike of JB–fair play–but your experience accurately summarises why. “All you men out there…” Seems a bit broad, doesn’t it!
How can people say that JB is a reasonable, rational person–let alone a good writer? I’m all in favour of vicious personal attacks as needed, not gratuitiously–a minority opinion here, it seems–but let’s remember that she is, at her core, an extreme radical feminist whose mission in life is to hector ALL men incessantly for the crimes of a few. I’m sick of it, and I’m sick of her. If you eliminate this absolutely idiotic TERF stuff, she’s not on side and never will be.
James, they rail not against men, but against nature and that never ends well. Equality does not exist in nature and is a construct of humanity and of course it will cause the destruction of the species.
I for one am glad to see her harassed by loonies; it gives her a taste of her own medicine. She gets to experience what it’s like being hated and having abused hurled at her for no acceptable reason.
She appears every bit as deranged to normal people as trans loonies appear to her. She should take note and learn. She won’t of course but that’s her choice and her fault.
In South Africa official police report numbers 9500 rapes July to September 2021 which is up 600 on the same period last year. Given the general opinion that such crimes are under-reported even in better-run more ‘sympathetic’ jurisdictions, the true figure remains unknown. Not all the world is South Africa and not all South African men are rapists of course but it’s not so egregiously untypical either…
Black men are beyond reproach though. They get a free pass because victims innit.
Not from South African women they don’t.
Glad to hear it.
Sounds like she really knows how to attract allies. Alienating half the population is always a smart move.
What a miserable existence all these people have created for themselves.
Never a truer word spoken!
Managed to get the reference to “male violence” in there.
Yeah we are all very violent and shouldn’t be allowed out. Not taking away the violence they have experienced but the vast majority are not.
One is tempted to say these people deserve each other, and leave them to their fates. But, maybe, just maybe, they are frontline culture warriors whose battles will poison our lives too.
Anyway, for what it’s worth , I use WhatsApp frequently to communicate across many time zones, both work and personal – but have all message notifications on mute. And if that’s still not enough to get a good sleep, I switch my phone off. And never search for my own name on Google, Twitter or anything.
Thanks to the cancer of social media these people’s battles already have poisoned our lives! Hot tip: don’t use WhatsApp, Google, Facebook, Instagram. And switch off your phone at night.
https://signal.org/ better – esp. as WhatsApp owned by Facebook –
It may well be better but friends, family and colleagues all use WhatsApp , since long before Facebook took it over and I find it an invaluable tool .There is nothing driving me towards any alternative.
Already done.
“Dyess soon changed their name to Beau and began to identify as non-binary.”
*Dyess soon changed her name to Beau and began to identify as non-binary.
Sexless in other words.
I don’t think that follows.
Isn’t non binary sexless?
I think it could be construed as having a foot in both camps.
Well done Julie. I trust you had a drink to celebrate.
Another victory marking the turning tide against the gender totalitarians.
What victory exactly?
An apology-non-apology.
The writing is like another world which speaks a different language. I have no interest in becoming part of it. They reason in a different way as if we know what it is all about and are part of it.
oldthinkers unbellyfeel ingsoc
Who would have thought that women are desperate to control what other people think and say.
I follow PinkNews on Facebook and over the last couple of years it appears to have almost abandoned anything to do with gay rights and seems exclusively obsessed with transgender activism, so really the TQIA+ part of the equation. Personal and entirely unjournalistic hit pieces on the TERF du jour are pumped out.. JK Rowling is practically Hitler in their eyes. Any gay person in the comments who questions the new orthodoxy gets piled on, it’s really quite vile and bordering on deranged.
Here’s the joint statement: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/10/25/joint-statement-pinknews-and-julie-bindel/
I do not make this comment about any particular person or publication but I’m glad that I am not a journalist or activist as there appears to be a lot of pressure to sail close to the legal limits to make a newsworthy article.
Rather disappointing statement.
No compensation?
And anyway, who on earth reads “Pink news”? I didn’t even know it existed until pretty much the other day.
You need to get up to speed – it has an unholy alliance with Stonewall to ensure we all have to identify our preferred pronouns at work and get people sacked if they say anything that could cause offence to trans people – and they get to decide what’s offensive too!
Stonewall are now losing their power and many companies and government department are now seeing through it all.
They have caused anough damage in our society. How long can it go on? The young people are now confused and some do not know what their gender is. I know first hand by speaking to hundreds. Remember, many now teenagers have had this influence growing up as children for probably most of their lives.
This is the true crime. Most of us on this site are probably not confused about our sexuality, but those just entering puberty, with all its confusing changes, can be adversely affected. Those who find that they have homosexual tendencies may be especially confused as now there are those telling them that they should transition instead of accepting who and what they are, I so pity them.
Totally agree Linda. My son is 11 and at secondary school. Stonewall are advising the school on diversity and he had to fill in a diversity questionnaire asking him his sexuality and gender. At 11!
Further confusing teenagers whose state is often to be confused as part of a normal developmental.transition to adulthood, is extremely unhelpful.
I also strongly agree that confusion around sexuality is at risk of being conflated with gender issues.
Pinknews’ statement is an apology non-apology. Why did Bindel threaten to sue the publication if she believes that women always tell the truth?
Women can be bitchy and men can be liars.
Trans-Marxism anyone:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/trans-activism-isnt-just-about-pronouns-and-bathrooms-its-about-class-struggle/
It’s the most terrible rubbish, of course, though no more than the feminist-Marxism from which it claims descent. Significant that it actually exists though.
Terrible rubbish of course, but nothing to do with Marxism, which is a redundant and discredited economic policy containing some social aspects like state control of public services education etc. Nothing at all to do with human sexuality or family life.
In summary, most comments on here represent the overwhelming majority in the UK. Scoffed at by the woke but actually highly tolerant about people’s own private lives. The keyword is private though. Most Brits like privacy. Imagine a ‘norm pride’ march. Hilarious idea. These people seem to live in a constant state of nervous exhaustion. Imagine waking up each day to question your identity. It’s a form of collective narcissism in my view and the audience are themselves.
Is there anything else in Julie’s life besides a feud between 2 or 3 excruciatingly small segments of the population? I would much rather read articles about the travails of left handed, vegan Norwegian carpenters who live north of the Arctic Circle.
Revolutions always end up eating their own. To quote Robespierre as he mounted the “Stairway to Heaven”, “WTF?”.
Interesting article but I might just skip the next one from JB..
Yet another exemplary piece from Julie Bindel. Proper, fact-based journalism mixed with personal elements that illustrate it properly.
This is in direct contrast to the type of ‘journalistic standards’ that seems to pervade PinkNews whenever I have looked at it [which admittedly is not much]. Certain factors may be in play here.
For instance, a long time ago, I as a then member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) was called by another member who knew of my activity in founding the NUJ Lesbian and Gay group in the early 1980s and asked to come along to a meeting. This was organised by members of the Gay and Lesbian press who were concerned about lack of union recognition amongst the proprietors of this part of the media. PinkNews was one of them.
There may well be NUJ members at PinkNews, but I do not think there is an NUJ chapel. This is important as it may be a means of improving standards of journalism on the publication – quite apart from enhancing employment terms and conditions for the journalists there.
Perhaps that is why the proprietor is so keen to avoid union representation.
Can anyone enlighten me? I have no idea what the abbreviations stand for, so unfortunately I cannot follow the article.
However,I salute anyone who stands up to bullies.
Yeah I came unstuck on here asking someone if they can speak English. It wasn’t a wise question but I meant it in a lighthearted way.
Good Heavens,you used humour?! Heaven forfend, anyone should try to inject humour into anything these days.
I genuinely do not know what (or whom) a TERF is, and would like to know.
Well,I think I do,perhaps ignorance is bliss on this occasion?
Who cares what Pink News has to say? I can’t imagine it has that wide a readership.
A real clash of intellectual titans here
Look, I’m scunnered! They’re all effin’ mad, the lot of them. Mr Bell is 100% correct Teedelum rules, have we nothing better to do than try to empathise with crackpots?
If we ignore all the gender nonsense it will evaporate, people will return to sanity, there will be secure accommodation made available for those who are unable to deal with real life.
All will be well….I promise.
The thing is with JB that she says what she thinks. I don’t think she’s deceitful and suspect that she’s worth listening to even when she grates.
Having read some of the unsupportive comments by Unherd readers, I’d like to express my support and sympathy for Julie Bindel for having the courage to sue. Sadly it seems to be the only option sometimes.
Apologies, I only read the first paragraph and I don’t like getting involved in feminist or gender issues since they’re so loaded with complexes and blinkered viewpoints, but some advice for Julie if I’m allowed to be so forward. First, don’t have your phone in your bedroom at night, then if you do, put it on flight mode. Then, I know this is provocative, but having the friends you do, do you have to listen to them all the time? It honestly sounds like cyber gossip. Is that how you want to live your life?
JB taking offense for a perceived slight and making a meal out of it.
Why are we supposed to care about her bitter, pathetic spats ?
Whilst there is a certain piquant pleasure to be derived from reading about the miserable lives of these morally bankrupt lunatics, I can’t help but wonder how this article was thought to be worthy of this great publication.
ah yes – the catholic priest defence.
… and very similar to the one used recently by Jeremy Corbyn…
This just all seems like a fight that has blown up because certain people have WAY too much time on their hands.
Why don’t you go away, far far away, all of you.
Why do you think that? Can you explain?
Why do the editors of Unheard find JB’s endless polemics from within the ranks of feminist warriors of such great interest?
Do so many people feel threatened by the “bigotry” of the “TERF’s” that readers must be reminded of that menace on a regular basis? Or that the very existence of the female gender is at risk from the trans-activist onslaught?
Do the theoretical and doctrinal disputes between trans-activists and gender critical women really have such great import on British society at large?
And will their resolution be awaited breathlessly by the billions of people inhabiting the planet whose realities require their attention on other more pressing matters?
Could we have a break please?
All the comments miss the most important issue in the article. A question begging to be asked; What did Owen Jones think of the author calling him Talcom X? Its a disgrace, what has Owen done to be vilified and drawn into this tawdry mud slinging in this way. Unherd should allow him a right of reply, now! Come on Owen, dust yourself off, clip that microphone back on and respond. Where is Peter Simple when you need him?
Of course. now that we have read this article by Julie Bindel, many more people are aware that she has been, allegedly, libelled by Pink News than would have otherwise known. Perhaps she would do better not to bring such tiresome playground squabbles to public attention.
PS: I pity the poor jurors who will be expected to spend their time wading through this one.
Mostly the cases are imperfect people suing other imperfect people but all are entitled to justice even if we do not agree with their lifestyles.
Good reply.
I wasn’t reacting to lifestyle, just to self-indulgence.
Even those are entitled to justice when they are right.