Jeffrey Marsh Is Wrong: Transgender Rights, Parental Concerns Are Both Important

British Muslim Tiktok comedian and mother of young children Shumirun Nessa receive death threats Online harassment after she criticized American TikToker Jeffrey Marshwho identify as non-binary.

Marsh, who has 680,000 followers on the platform, has addressed children in several videos. She also speaks with the child’s parents. In one particular video where Marsh doesn’t specifically mention children, they say: It’s okay to say so. ”

In that video Marsh also said: ” Patreon is a platform where people can watch content for a monthly fee.

Nessa responded to Marsh in her video, demanding, “Stop telling kids to go to your Patreon and chat privately with you without their parents knowing.” He revealed his concerns about the particular style and content of Marsh’s videos, pointing out tactics groomers often use to “isolate” children from their parents and make them dependent on predatory individuals.

In at least half a dozen other videos, Marsh encourages people to “keep out of contact” with their families, though it doesn’t say who they’re talking to specifically. One says that people who do “like it”.of anotherthey say: “If you don’t have a family to love you, I will be your family.”

yet another especially offensive video We see Marsh against protecting women and girls. Just to be clear; Marsh talks about women trying to protect them from biological men who identify themselves as transwomen.

“The phrase ‘women and children must be protected’ has been applied to the marginalized for most of human history,” they say. Of course, these comments are anti-transgender, so it upsets me, but I’m also amazed that it’s against your own daughter. He says we should tell people who are sick that they don’t need protection.

In her video, Nessa didn’t mention Marsh’s transgender identity and used the “they/them” pronouns favored by TikTok influencers. While pointing out that Marsh’s videos are troubling, he didn’t accuse him of being a groomer in the traditional sense.

Still, she was bullied by transgender rights activists and deleted the video.

“I just got the email…they know where I live. My biggest fear is they are getting my daughters details via email.” Corrupted . Some of those attacking her online found an old photo of Nessa not wearing a hijab and shared it on TikTok, Nessa said through tears.

Feminists, human rights activists, Muslims, and other empathetic people from other communities quickly rose to support Nessa online, and #IStandWithShumirunNessa soon trended.

But our response to supporting Nessa has also been amazing.

Women who are concerned about women’s vulnerability to male violence have been accused of being transphobic. why? Because we raised the question of how to isolate potentially confused and vulnerable children from their parents and encourage them to start a potentially harmful transition process is all dangerous. And this behavior may suggest some form of grooming.

I know how it feels to be targeted in this way. In 2004, I article I criticized transgender activists for trying to shut down rape crisis centers that didn’t include transwomen in male bodies as counselors, and have since been harassed by so-called progressives who see me as “transphobic.”

As a result, some college students publicly protest Whenever I am scheduled to give a talk on feminism or aspects of male violence against women. Never mind that I have been helping female victims of male violence for decades.

Even after 19 years bullying Continuedespite the fact that, for the most part, I do not address transgender issues at all. increase. one of my areas of interestand, as if the whole thing had to do with trans women, I said, “I unequivocally hate transgender sex workers.”

This issue has come to dominate the cultural landscape of the last decade. was persuaded Left-wing feminists like myself who oppose extreme transgender ideologies are bigoted and “transphobic” in contrast to women’s rights advocates.

Nessa seems frightened by the mob.In fact, bullying and harassment Common function Or this vicious line. In recent years, it’s not uncommon to see hordes of young men in black balaclavas shouting misogynistic rants at women in opposition to extreme transgender ideologies and in favor of women-only spaces. .

in follow up video, Nessa pleaded: “Guys, please stop threatening each other. I don’t want to talk about this topic any further. I hope you will respect it.” It’s a chilling indictment of planted fear and how effective transgender rights activists’ silence tactics are.

This is not an argument being played on a level playing field that many feminists have lost jobs, college courses, reputations and their status. right to freedom of speech. I have never heard of transgender rights activists getting the same treatment.

Nevertheless, this discussion requires clear nuances. This is a classic example of two wrongs not being right.

It is unacceptable for a transgender rights activist to dock women with young children or any other woman because she pointed out the issue of protection. It’s also wrong to call them “persons.” Bullying and intimidation are never the solution.

have genuine concerns about vulnerabilities child When it comes to certain aspects of transgender ideology, it is perfectly reasonable for these concerns to be raised publicly. , is a highly controversial issue. brawled There is little public opposition.

While I am a strong advocate for everyone’s right to live outside the gender stereotypes imposed on them, I am a strong advocate of women raised as girls under patriarchy and men who choose to live as women. Claiming there is no difference between people is highly problematic. Gender discrimination has consequences ranging from domestic abuse and sexual assault to unequal pay and discrimination in the workplace.

The rights of transgender people must be upheld, but the answer, whether it concerns transgender individuals, is that more children are being seen in gender clinics for puberty blockers and sex hormones. It is not about silencing or silencing a parent’s genuine concerns, whether they are

Let me be clear, trans people don’t matter.

The problem is the extreme activist brand that claims to represent transgender rights. In reality, this is a men’s rights movement that grew out of a backlash against feminism, specifically male violence against women and girls. , feminists who seek only to preserve our hard-won gender-based rights are censored and dismissed as bigots.

Nessa had no objection to trans ideology or Marsh being non-binary. Instead, she was issuing a warning about the inadequacy that adults might persuade children to separate from their parents. A successful attempt to silence a person by doing so serves as a warning to others. But those of us who are concerned about the danger to our children must resist calls to surrender.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial attitude of Al Jazeera.