Hello! Welcome to my substack. If you’re reading this, you’re presumably wondering what this newsletter is all about. Bear with me - first I want to take a moment to tell you what, emphatically, it will not be about. For the past few years, as some of you probably know, I’ve been a vocal participant in what is, quite frankly, one of the stupidest public discussions out there. The matter at issue is whether inner feelings of gender identity - that is, whether you feel “inside” like a man, woman, or neither, irrespective of the actual facts of the matter - should be an official determinant of how you are treated in every social context: from sport, to public services, to education, to the bedroom, and beyond.
Hello, nice to see this here. I wouldn't want to be so presumptuous as to offer any opinions before you have advanced any thesis, so I'll leave it at that! Looking forward to it.
I’m so thrilled that you’re doing this! I stumbled across you around the time you received your OBE and Biden signed the executive order to allow male bodied athletes to compete in women’s sports. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and have followed closely ever since. X
I'm absolutely delighted to find your substack, Kathleen. I enjoy your writing very much. Thank you for everything you are doing for women and for promoting thought, discussion, sanity, and intelligence.
Mar 2, 2022·edited Mar 2, 2022Liked by Kathleen Stock
Look forward to your views esp on how formerly solid academic methodologies failed. Is ‘standpoint theory’ (‘standpoint epistemology’) an explicitly ‘feminist’ theory? It appears to draw on post-structuralism. I’m not aware that it influenced (or was influenced by) Judith But*er. But it, or something like it, seems to have taken hold in many ppl & places that were once more or less ‘Liberal-enlightenment’ (and coping with post-enlightenment) and turned them into self-appointed arbiters and agents of ‘social justice’, with apparent consequences for their exercise of judgement (and everyone else’s judgement). I understand Prof Sandra Harding is one of the movers of Standpoint Theory. In one of Harding’s talks / lectures on YouTube she self-describes as a ‘recovering logical positivist’. If mid-20th century furore over Positivism (‘Methodenstreit’ etc) had such energy because science had such prestige, then I think there is a ‘prestige’ issue going on. Science doesn’t confer prestige as it did, but there is the prestige of ‘being just’ and ‘progressive’ (which apparently is equated now with ‘advancing human rights’ with some notion of ‘human’ and some notion of ‘right’).
Hooray! I'm very excited to read more of your writing, and thrilled that you've started a substack.
As a distant-future endeavor, I'd love to see some investigation into how other Stupid Stories (and there are several in circulation in the US at the moment) wriggled their way into academia, primary schooling, and public policy, and perhaps what underlying themes they share.
I'm absolutely here for the questions you'll be asking in this substack about the rise of the stupid story and how it has infected feminism and our institutions. It's the question I keep asking myself too. Understanding and unravelling it is vital for the future. I want to do some proper academic research on this area too, at PhD level - so any tips from Kathleen or anyone else here about how to pin it down would be welcome. First thoughts are to conduct oral histories of feminist leaders in a particular small city and try to draw out the factors that led them down either the TRA or GC route. Age obviously, so perhaps more interesting to focus on second wave feminists. Alternative suggestions / directions that I could focus on to contribute to those questions are very welcome.
I just discovered this, via UnHerd. I'm sure I'll comment again when I've read everything you've written here, but for now I just want to say: I think your book was one of the most interesting things I read last year - thank you for writing and publishing it. I'm happy that you have a substack. Your writing is refreshingly clear and forthright.
Also, I think Substack is the best thing to happen to the internet since YouTube. I used to be a Twitter addict, but I quit last year. I'm proud of myself, but I have now developed a Substack addiction instead (which is a lot more expensive!).
I see the Kindle version of Material Girls is currently 99p. I hope a lot of people read it, buy it and think about it. Your other book, Only Imagine: Fiction, Interpretation and Imagination looks interesting too (it's not 99p though . . .).
Can I post some links I think you might find interesting?
are both by young women who detransitioned. They have uncannily similar theories about how social media attracts young women with certain personality traits towards identifying as transgender.
Good for you Kathleen! It has at this point become important to have a sociological focus on how all this happened apparently so swiftly and devastatingly that most of us hardly even saw it coming before it was suddenly almost too late to stop it or even question it. Most of us who respond to blogs such as these are already long past the "This is a pile of BS" stage and don't really need one another's confirmation on that matter. We need strategy and action to prevent the BS becoming ever more entrenched policy, and to reverse the harms it is doing in our society. Understanding how it all happened will be vital to the effort to put a stop to it.
One of the oft cited elements is the piggy-backing phenomenon, which enabled the transgender ideology to conveniently latch on to the gay rights crusade in true cuckoo style, so that the unsuspecting public in seeing the legitimacy of gay rights automatically extended the welcome to trans "rights" failing to scrutinize these effictively enough to be able to see how essentially different a program it was which was being peddled. The consequent and treacherous back-stabbing the gay and especially lesbian movement has suffered now the transgender ideology has established itself, cannot fail to give politically critical thinking persons food for thought along the lines of a coup d'état.
However this must have been quite consciously and carefully planned - it didn't "just happen" coincidentally, and we know now of the Denton's Law firm's 'secret' document which instructed pressure groups on deployment of this kind of strategy. Still, that wouldn't be enough in itself without some pretty solid financial backing. We need to follow the money in the last analysis if we're going to get to the bottom of "how this all happened so quickly" behind our backs.
When I read you describe yourself as a recovering philosopher I knew yours would be essays I would enjoy. Many years agp when I was an addictions counselor a speaker at a conference introduced himself as a recovering social worker. Not being in addiction recovery myself I had felt a little insecure in the field. His self-introduction helped me understand that most of us, if we are lucky, are recovering from sometning.
I think the "stupid story" is a natural extension of Identity Politics as a whole. The idea that equality and equity can be achieved by universal inclusion based on a person's perceived identity. The dangerous implications of this are easily seen in the Democratic Party in the U.S., the members of which speak in a "feel your pain" language, and "embrace diversity" as evidence that they care about actual equality and equity. In this way, Identity politics obscures the reality of economic inequality and equity. I think Trans Theory is an extension of this obfuscation. At first glance it appears that if we just embrace it all will be well. But just as broader identity politics hides the reality of the economic reality of the working class and the poor, trans theory hides the lived reality of women and girls.
This makes me so happy. Thank you for doing this. Looking forward to your posts and being able to communicate freely x
Hello, nice to see this here. I wouldn't want to be so presumptuous as to offer any opinions before you have advanced any thesis, so I'll leave it at that! Looking forward to it.
I’m so thrilled that you’re doing this! I stumbled across you around the time you received your OBE and Biden signed the executive order to allow male bodied athletes to compete in women’s sports. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and have followed closely ever since. X
I'm absolutely delighted to find your substack, Kathleen. I enjoy your writing very much. Thank you for everything you are doing for women and for promoting thought, discussion, sanity, and intelligence.
Thank you so much for everything you've done and continue to do Kathleen. You are an something else. Delighted to subscribe!
Look forward to your views esp on how formerly solid academic methodologies failed. Is ‘standpoint theory’ (‘standpoint epistemology’) an explicitly ‘feminist’ theory? It appears to draw on post-structuralism. I’m not aware that it influenced (or was influenced by) Judith But*er. But it, or something like it, seems to have taken hold in many ppl & places that were once more or less ‘Liberal-enlightenment’ (and coping with post-enlightenment) and turned them into self-appointed arbiters and agents of ‘social justice’, with apparent consequences for their exercise of judgement (and everyone else’s judgement). I understand Prof Sandra Harding is one of the movers of Standpoint Theory. In one of Harding’s talks / lectures on YouTube she self-describes as a ‘recovering logical positivist’. If mid-20th century furore over Positivism (‘Methodenstreit’ etc) had such energy because science had such prestige, then I think there is a ‘prestige’ issue going on. Science doesn’t confer prestige as it did, but there is the prestige of ‘being just’ and ‘progressive’ (which apparently is equated now with ‘advancing human rights’ with some notion of ‘human’ and some notion of ‘right’).
Loved your book. Love your Substack. More please!
Hooray! I'm very excited to read more of your writing, and thrilled that you've started a substack.
As a distant-future endeavor, I'd love to see some investigation into how other Stupid Stories (and there are several in circulation in the US at the moment) wriggled their way into academia, primary schooling, and public policy, and perhaps what underlying themes they share.
I'm absolutely here for the questions you'll be asking in this substack about the rise of the stupid story and how it has infected feminism and our institutions. It's the question I keep asking myself too. Understanding and unravelling it is vital for the future. I want to do some proper academic research on this area too, at PhD level - so any tips from Kathleen or anyone else here about how to pin it down would be welcome. First thoughts are to conduct oral histories of feminist leaders in a particular small city and try to draw out the factors that led them down either the TRA or GC route. Age obviously, so perhaps more interesting to focus on second wave feminists. Alternative suggestions / directions that I could focus on to contribute to those questions are very welcome.
I just discovered this, via UnHerd. I'm sure I'll comment again when I've read everything you've written here, but for now I just want to say: I think your book was one of the most interesting things I read last year - thank you for writing and publishing it. I'm happy that you have a substack. Your writing is refreshingly clear and forthright.
Also, I think Substack is the best thing to happen to the internet since YouTube. I used to be a Twitter addict, but I quit last year. I'm proud of myself, but I have now developed a Substack addiction instead (which is a lot more expensive!).
Your old personal website - https://kathleenstock.com/ - has a LOT of good stuff.
I see the Kindle version of Material Girls is currently 99p. I hope a lot of people read it, buy it and think about it. Your other book, Only Imagine: Fiction, Interpretation and Imagination looks interesting too (it's not 99p though . . .).
Can I post some links I think you might find interesting?
I get a similar feeling from your writing as from this pseudonymous blogger's writing: http://unremediatedgender.space/about/
This substack: https://lacroicsz.substack.com/
and this substack: https://funklife.substack.com/
are both by young women who detransitioned. They have uncannily similar theories about how social media attracts young women with certain personality traits towards identifying as transgender.
Good for you Kathleen! It has at this point become important to have a sociological focus on how all this happened apparently so swiftly and devastatingly that most of us hardly even saw it coming before it was suddenly almost too late to stop it or even question it. Most of us who respond to blogs such as these are already long past the "This is a pile of BS" stage and don't really need one another's confirmation on that matter. We need strategy and action to prevent the BS becoming ever more entrenched policy, and to reverse the harms it is doing in our society. Understanding how it all happened will be vital to the effort to put a stop to it.
One of the oft cited elements is the piggy-backing phenomenon, which enabled the transgender ideology to conveniently latch on to the gay rights crusade in true cuckoo style, so that the unsuspecting public in seeing the legitimacy of gay rights automatically extended the welcome to trans "rights" failing to scrutinize these effictively enough to be able to see how essentially different a program it was which was being peddled. The consequent and treacherous back-stabbing the gay and especially lesbian movement has suffered now the transgender ideology has established itself, cannot fail to give politically critical thinking persons food for thought along the lines of a coup d'état.
However this must have been quite consciously and carefully planned - it didn't "just happen" coincidentally, and we know now of the Denton's Law firm's 'secret' document which instructed pressure groups on deployment of this kind of strategy. Still, that wouldn't be enough in itself without some pretty solid financial backing. We need to follow the money in the last analysis if we're going to get to the bottom of "how this all happened so quickly" behind our backs.
When I read you describe yourself as a recovering philosopher I knew yours would be essays I would enjoy. Many years agp when I was an addictions counselor a speaker at a conference introduced himself as a recovering social worker. Not being in addiction recovery myself I had felt a little insecure in the field. His self-introduction helped me understand that most of us, if we are lucky, are recovering from sometning.
I think the "stupid story" is a natural extension of Identity Politics as a whole. The idea that equality and equity can be achieved by universal inclusion based on a person's perceived identity. The dangerous implications of this are easily seen in the Democratic Party in the U.S., the members of which speak in a "feel your pain" language, and "embrace diversity" as evidence that they care about actual equality and equity. In this way, Identity politics obscures the reality of economic inequality and equity. I think Trans Theory is an extension of this obfuscation. At first glance it appears that if we just embrace it all will be well. But just as broader identity politics hides the reality of the economic reality of the working class and the poor, trans theory hides the lived reality of women and girls.