It was predictable...

I've already been obliged to write a couple of posts about Kellie-Jay Keen a.k.a. Posie Parker standing on a Party Of Women ticket in the Bristol Central constituency in the general election due to be held on Thursday 4.7. Here they are with a selected quote from each piece that point out the grey areas in the controversies Keen attracts and generates:

It's all so f***ing predictable, isn't it? 21.6.24

The problem is that in a situation like this, there's no room for grey areas and nuance. So, even though I'm critical of some of Kelly-Jay Keen's tactics and associations, given my gender critical sympathies, the TRAs (Trans Rights Activists) in Bristol will not hesitate for a second to lump me in with her and brand me as being some kind of 'fascist'. The TRAs cannot acknowledge grey areas and nuance because if they did, it would seriously undermine their already precarious position.

Oh FFS! 9.6.24

It would be nice to think that in the coverage of Kellie-Jay Keen standing in Bristol Central, there would be some nuanced comment acknowledging that she does not speak for all gender critical and radical feminists. It would be nice to think that the coverage of Keen's candidacy would include perspectives from those gender critical and radical feminists who have some serious concerns about her strategy and tactics. However, I will not be holding my breath waiting for that.

In It's all so f***ing predictable, isn't it? I wrote about a rally that Kellie-Jay Keen was proposing to hold today (Tuesday 2.7) on College Green in the centre of Bristol. One that I foolishly said I'd attend with the aim of covering what Keen and her supporters would be saying as well as the inevitable counter protest from an array of Trans Rights Activists (TRAs) and their allies. It turns out that the rally has been cancelled. My guess is that this is probably on police advice. The basis for the advice being that they were unable and/or unwilling to provide the number of cops needed to allow Keen's rally to proceed without disruption and intimidation from the TRAs. Needless to say, the TRAs are claiming the cancellation as a 'victory'. They will still be at College Green this evening to hold a 'victory' party. As you can imagine, given previous history with some of those attending, I will not be covering this event!

It was a hollow victory because Kellie-Jay Keen did get her say last night at a hustings event hosted by local media outfit, B24/7 at the Bristol Beacon. While B24/7 is a long way from being my cup of tea, credit should be given to them for risking the wrath of a number of their readers and subscribers by inviting Keen to attend. This is how they covered the hustings they hosted: From Gaza to culture funding - Bristol Central candidates take part in Bristol24/7 hustings - Betty Woolerton | B24/7 | 2.7.24. It's worth reading B24/7's write up to note the issues that didn't get fully discussed and covered such as the chronic housing crisis in the city, the colonisation of the central area of the city by the university and abysmal public transport amongst others.

Early on in Kellie-Jay Keen's candidacy, there was some doubt as to whether she would manage to get a slot at a hustings event. Well, she did, which may also have been a factor in the rally on College Green being cancelled. As soon as the word got out that Keen would be attending the hustings, it was inevitable that the TRAs would organise a protest outside the venue. They did and this is how it was reported: Trans rights activists protest against Kellie-Jay Keen outside hustings - Hannah Massoudi | B24/7 | 2.7.24.

On the admission of the TRAs in Bristol, Keen's attendance and the call out for the protest was at very short notice. Nevertheless, they still managed to muster fifty people. Had there been more notice, the numbers could have stretched to three figures. I mention this not to praise the TRAs for their mobilisation, but to point out what those of us of a gender critical persuasion are up against while operating in Bristol.

Has Kellie-Jay Keen's appearance at the hustings and the protest by the TRAs outside the venue fundamentally changed anything? The short answer to that is no, it hasn't. It's still an ongoing dialogue of rage with the TRAs refusing to debate the genuine concerns of gender critical and radical feminists and also, those of de-transitioners. As for Keen, she obviously has ambitions to be a leading voice for those questioning gender ideology. Which, as I've previously written, is causing problems for gender critical feminists as the TRAs will ignore their concerns about Keen's questionable associations and lump them and Keen all together as 'fascists'. It's demonstrably clear that TRAs on the one hand, and on the other, nuanced thinking and acknowledgement of grey areas, are two mutually exclusive concepts.

Will Kellie-Jay Keen's candidacy boost the turnout? That's a tough one to answer because, as I've previously written, if Keen was after votes, it would have made more sense for her to pick a constituency such as Bristol South which covers areas such as Hartcliffe, and Hengrove amongst others. The kind of places where people are by and large not obsessed about pronouns because they have many more important issues affecting their daily lives to worry about. Standing in Bristol Central was a calculated decision to provoke what many see as a 'woke' constituency. Once the results are in come the day after the election, we'll have our answer...