Thank you, Julie, for posting this. Please tell Mr. Jensen from me, as he says in his article: "“I think like you do, and it’s nice to know that I’m not alone.” This is also true about you, Julie, whose writings and interviews I've followed and admired. I've been educated and inspired by Robert Jensen and Julie, and now add to them Kathleen Stock and numerous others for many years. Keep up the good work, and many thanks for being brave, intelligent and compassionate!
Dear Bob, I noticed a sharp drop off after writing about feminist approached to ecology when I was invited to speak at writers festivals and sometimes even had reviews. Once I started putting a lesbian analysis at the centre, the interest dropped off. My latest book Lesbian: Politics, Culture, Existence (out in about two weeks) should just about terminate me with everyone except lesbians. I am also critical of the trans ideology, so maybe I’ll pick up some of your friends. Susan
Julie, thanks so much for making this available. I went to the author's website and read the chapter on gender ideology that his publisher dropped and am passing it around to others who would enjoy it. As the mom of an ROGD child and a lifelong feminist who finds the position of much of the left (my former tribe) on gender ideology incoherent, reactionary, and harmful, I really appreciate his courage and clarity in handling this topic.
Professor Jensen, I stumbled across your book "The End of Patriarchy: Radical Feminism for Men" on Goodreads in 2021, at a time when I really needed to know I was not alone in my thinking. When I found it I didn't know that there was a word for the kind of feminist I had been my whole life, let alone a whole branch of feminism that not only agreed with me on pornography, prostitution, etc. but could see all of the connections and patterns of oppression and abuse that I could see, including the links to the exploitation of animals and the planet. The discovery has been life changing for me. I already trusted my reason and moral sense enough to live my own life by them, even when it meant losing everything or standing alone. But now I trust the way I see the world enough to speak up, to work toward publishing my own writing—and you can count anyone I eventually influence as someone you influenced too.
I can certainly relate to this whole piece! As I have published gender critical songs or essays over the past few years, I lost many friends. The loss of each one of them has been painful, even worse than losing fans of my music (which has also happened, especially lesbian fans, which for me is particularly painful.) But like you, I don't regret it. I have not only had some friends say, "I agree with you, but can't say anything," I have had a few friends on the left side of the spectrum make public comments of support. Those few friends are like nuggets of gold and give me hope that we are slowly (too slowly, but still) changing the default landscape of these conversations. It's become slightly less controversial to simply say, "I agree, gay kids should not be sterilized." Julie, thanks for sharing this and for all you do. I know the left/right thing is different in the UK and much worse here in the states, but you have had to face such violent pushback as a feminist doing what feminists are supposed to do: stand up for women and child safe guarding. You were one of the first people teaching me to see through this bullshit. You have given courage to so many to take their own risks, and every risk changes the culture.
Thank you for posting Robert’s piece, Julie. It’s so rare these days to have different perspectives given that aren’t laced with snarking moral superiority.
I am centre-conservative/libertarian but love your work. I really believe in the first two Rs of Reduce, Re-use, Recycle environmentalism and get very frustrated with environmental vegans buying ‘cheese’ with 3000 food miles.
Jensen’s position that everyone has to reduce consumption and population is right, despite the current discussion over a population implosion. We will have to be satisfied going back to standards of living that are far less than they are now, what is the realist alternative?
However, the developing world also has to curb their population growth. For the developed nation’s populations to accept the loss in standard of living, the developing world couldn’t get special exemptions.
Lower population growth is linked with increased levels of female education. And better child health leads to fewer babies as parents can be more confident of their child’s survival. Which is better than telling people how many children they ought to have.
“Except for the world’s poorest people”? When it’s mostly African and a few Middle-Eastern countries that dominate population growth charts today, what does it mean to not expect them to also bring down their populations? many Western countries have been struggling with population decline for years while some of the poorest countries are growing exponentially in population, in no small part due to foreign aid. so i ask you, how can this conversation be more balanced, fair, and constructive? shouldn’t we all take responsibility here?
And population in developed areas have a much greater impact. Which is why moving populations from underdeveloped areas to more developed ones, via immigration, makes more sense than increasing populations across the board.
Yes Nona ; And davos know that certain cultural groups have big families with certain compliant, readily indentured women ; note that it is mostly young males accomodated by the neo lib
Immigration is a natural way of redistributing population. It's happening all of its own accord. We could accept it and deal with it gratefully as a natural solution to our population decline.
Count me in as one of the few. Long ago I concluded, after much reading and talking and pondering, that the economic model of endless growth was essentially a model based on cancer, and we all know what cancer does to its host if left untreated. It seemed so obvious to me at the time, it made no sense to me that an entire class of people--economists--had pulled the wool over the entire country's eyes in such blatant and irresponsible way. I didn't fully understand the power of money and media back then. I don't understand it fully now either, but more fully than I did then. I appreciate your writing.
Here you go: “I think like you do, and it’s nice to know that I’m not alone.” It’s so refreshing to see voices like yours and Julie’s stand up and speak out. Most days, that is all that holds me together - the knowledge I am not alone and that there are others who are strong enough to take a moral stand and will keep pushing. Fantastic article. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this insightful post @Julie. Very much appreciate Robert Jensen's stance - it is challenging to discuss, and dive deeply, into issues that are polarizing us. Significantly less popular, I too started a Substack to discuss tricky topics that few want to engage with, and even warn people to avoid it if they prefer platitudes. Let's consider ourselves in good company - it is brave to step up and standout.
Thank you, Julie, for posting this. Please tell Mr. Jensen from me, as he says in his article: "“I think like you do, and it’s nice to know that I’m not alone.” This is also true about you, Julie, whose writings and interviews I've followed and admired. I've been educated and inspired by Robert Jensen and Julie, and now add to them Kathleen Stock and numerous others for many years. Keep up the good work, and many thanks for being brave, intelligent and compassionate!
Dear Bob, I noticed a sharp drop off after writing about feminist approached to ecology when I was invited to speak at writers festivals and sometimes even had reviews. Once I started putting a lesbian analysis at the centre, the interest dropped off. My latest book Lesbian: Politics, Culture, Existence (out in about two weeks) should just about terminate me with everyone except lesbians. I am also critical of the trans ideology, so maybe I’ll pick up some of your friends. Susan
I bought and read your book Vortex (if you're the same Susan Hawthorne). Thank you so much for writing it!!
yes I am, Mildred.
Okay! I'm not a lesbian, but plan to definitely continue being a reader and fan! Best wishes!❤️
Thank God there are still people who can think for themselves and see through crap.
Julie, thanks so much for making this available. I went to the author's website and read the chapter on gender ideology that his publisher dropped and am passing it around to others who would enjoy it. As the mom of an ROGD child and a lifelong feminist who finds the position of much of the left (my former tribe) on gender ideology incoherent, reactionary, and harmful, I really appreciate his courage and clarity in handling this topic.
Professor Jensen, I stumbled across your book "The End of Patriarchy: Radical Feminism for Men" on Goodreads in 2021, at a time when I really needed to know I was not alone in my thinking. When I found it I didn't know that there was a word for the kind of feminist I had been my whole life, let alone a whole branch of feminism that not only agreed with me on pornography, prostitution, etc. but could see all of the connections and patterns of oppression and abuse that I could see, including the links to the exploitation of animals and the planet. The discovery has been life changing for me. I already trusted my reason and moral sense enough to live my own life by them, even when it meant losing everything or standing alone. But now I trust the way I see the world enough to speak up, to work toward publishing my own writing—and you can count anyone I eventually influence as someone you influenced too.
I can certainly relate to this whole piece! As I have published gender critical songs or essays over the past few years, I lost many friends. The loss of each one of them has been painful, even worse than losing fans of my music (which has also happened, especially lesbian fans, which for me is particularly painful.) But like you, I don't regret it. I have not only had some friends say, "I agree with you, but can't say anything," I have had a few friends on the left side of the spectrum make public comments of support. Those few friends are like nuggets of gold and give me hope that we are slowly (too slowly, but still) changing the default landscape of these conversations. It's become slightly less controversial to simply say, "I agree, gay kids should not be sterilized." Julie, thanks for sharing this and for all you do. I know the left/right thing is different in the UK and much worse here in the states, but you have had to face such violent pushback as a feminist doing what feminists are supposed to do: stand up for women and child safe guarding. You were one of the first people teaching me to see through this bullshit. You have given courage to so many to take their own risks, and every risk changes the culture.
Thank you for posting Robert’s piece, Julie. It’s so rare these days to have different perspectives given that aren’t laced with snarking moral superiority.
I am centre-conservative/libertarian but love your work. I really believe in the first two Rs of Reduce, Re-use, Recycle environmentalism and get very frustrated with environmental vegans buying ‘cheese’ with 3000 food miles.
Jensen’s position that everyone has to reduce consumption and population is right, despite the current discussion over a population implosion. We will have to be satisfied going back to standards of living that are far less than they are now, what is the realist alternative?
However, the developing world also has to curb their population growth. For the developed nation’s populations to accept the loss in standard of living, the developing world couldn’t get special exemptions.
Lower population growth is linked with increased levels of female education. And better child health leads to fewer babies as parents can be more confident of their child’s survival. Which is better than telling people how many children they ought to have.
“Except for the world’s poorest people”? When it’s mostly African and a few Middle-Eastern countries that dominate population growth charts today, what does it mean to not expect them to also bring down their populations? many Western countries have been struggling with population decline for years while some of the poorest countries are growing exponentially in population, in no small part due to foreign aid. so i ask you, how can this conversation be more balanced, fair, and constructive? shouldn’t we all take responsibility here?
That comment was not about population. It was about consumption:
"Except for the world’s poorest people, that means everyone—including a majority of people in the United States—would live with less."
Sure, but the elephant in the room remains, don't you think?
population impacts resources directly
And population in developed areas have a much greater impact. Which is why moving populations from underdeveloped areas to more developed ones, via immigration, makes more sense than increasing populations across the board.
Yes Nona ; And davos know that certain cultural groups have big families with certain compliant, readily indentured women ; note that it is mostly young males accomodated by the neo lib
Immigration is a natural way of redistributing population. It's happening all of its own accord. We could accept it and deal with it gratefully as a natural solution to our population decline.
Absolutely disagree, but to each his own.
Very well expressed
Count me in as one of the few. Long ago I concluded, after much reading and talking and pondering, that the economic model of endless growth was essentially a model based on cancer, and we all know what cancer does to its host if left untreated. It seemed so obvious to me at the time, it made no sense to me that an entire class of people--economists--had pulled the wool over the entire country's eyes in such blatant and irresponsible way. I didn't fully understand the power of money and media back then. I don't understand it fully now either, but more fully than I did then. I appreciate your writing.
Here you go: “I think like you do, and it’s nice to know that I’m not alone.” It’s so refreshing to see voices like yours and Julie’s stand up and speak out. Most days, that is all that holds me together - the knowledge I am not alone and that there are others who are strong enough to take a moral stand and will keep pushing. Fantastic article. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing this insightful post @Julie. Very much appreciate Robert Jensen's stance - it is challenging to discuss, and dive deeply, into issues that are polarizing us. Significantly less popular, I too started a Substack to discuss tricky topics that few want to engage with, and even warn people to avoid it if they prefer platitudes. Let's consider ourselves in good company - it is brave to step up and standout.