Member-only story
The only way is down
Anti-trans campaigners claimed “victory” in the most recent Maya Forstater hearing. But it’s not much of a victory, and the next step is the crucial one. A lot of legal folks are betting it will be far harder than the first. As for the court of public opinion, campaigning for the right to harass one’s work colleagues is not a great look.
Last week was, on the surface, a bad week for trans people. Various media stepped up to report that a woman who had lost her job for saying trans women were not women had won her appeal, thereby implying it was now open season on trans folk. The only problem is: that’s not true. She did not “lose” her job and, as far as i am aware, it wasn’t her tweets that did for her. Still, why let facts get in the way of a good outrage?
I am not going to rehash the case here. Plenty of folks have done that over the last few days, as did i for Diva. Toddle off there if you want some background (but please remember to come back!). No. This is about what comes next, and how a court ruling widely touted as a great victory is nothing of the kind. Worse, for the victory-claimers, said victory contains within it the seeds of its own ultimate defeat.
