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The Spearhead celebrates Mothers Day by attacking trans* mothers

Vintage Mothers Day copy

I apologize for returning so quickly to the cesspool that is The Spearhood, but I felt the need to note how head Spearheader WF Price celebrated Mothers’ Day this year: with an attack on trans* women that probably deserves a TRIGGER WARNING for its nastiness and ignorance.

Responding to an Op-Ed in the New York Times by author Jennifer Finley Boylan reflecting on her experience as a mother who also happens to be a trans* woman, Price lashes out at what he describes as

men who reject everything about masculinity. Men who reject it so much that they chop off their genitalia and take female hormones in order to eradicate everything male about them.

You may recall A Voice for Men’s Paul Elam making a similarly transphobic “argument” about the alleged motivations of trans* women a couple of years back.

After this general attack on trans* women, Price narrows his aim a bit, attacking those trans* women who have the chutzpah to declare themselves mothers, focusing his wrath on Boylan in particular:

One of these stalwart, self-mutilating individuals – a “former” male who goes by the name Jennifer Finley Boylan – has declared that he’s every bit the mother as any woman. … If we don’t accept that he’s a mother, we’re bigots.

Well, yes, Mr. Price, not accepting that she’s a mother does make you a bigot.

After setting forth this rather garden-variety transphobia, WF Price spells out the broad outlines of what you might call an MRA Theory of Trans* Womanhood:

I understand why some of the most selfish, depraved men among us would want to relinquish their masculinity. In our society, women are free to pursue their heart’s desire without fear of sanction. Judging women for putting their own needs first is condemned in every mainstream outlet, from Dr. Phil to The Atlantic.

Some men are bound to be envious of this. Some of them go so far as to try to try to become a woman. And what kind of woman do they emulate? The worst parody of one. Gaudy, self-righteous, exhibitionist, attention-seeking, demanding, selfish and all too willing to place their burdens on others.

Ironically, with the possible exception of the word “gaudy,” all those adjectives in that last sentence apply perfectly to Price himself, and more than a few of the other Men’s Rights Activists I’ve had the displeasure of encountering while writing this blog.

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The First Joe
The First Joe
11 years ago

“Seriously, if you’re cleaning up puke at 3 AM, comforting a kid that didn’t make the varsity team, selling raffle tickets for the PTO, worrying about whether your toddler’s cold has become a sinus infection, and all the other challenges of parenthood, then you are a mother.”

Or maybe you’re a father, or a brother, or a sister, or a grandparent, or an uncle or aunt? Or anyone else who finds themselves (helping) to raise a child?

Deoridhe
11 years ago

Awww, thanks kittenserf; he is totally my baby. One thing I like about his getting older is that he now really likes to snuggle, so I’ll often wake up with a snuggle of soft, warm fur every day.

itsabeast
itsabeast
11 years ago

I’ve been reading this blog a long time. I don’t know why I still find this shocking. MRA’s are scum.

cloudiah
11 years ago

Or maybe you’re a father, or a brother, or a sister, or a grandparent, or an uncle or aunt? Or anyone else who finds themselves (helping) to raise a child?

Joe, did you even read the context, you nincompoop? That is in response to someone saying that a trans* woman with a kid isn’t a mother.

Stop being such a fucking idiot, for once.

Fade
11 years ago

Joe’s MRA’s rule of thumb: any sentence defending a woman can be improved by trying to make it about men

M Dubz
M Dubz
11 years ago

@LBT- I am torn between wanting to weep and laugh uncontrollably at Sexual Hybrid Hummers.

Aaliyah
11 years ago

RE: Aaliyah

Aw, bummer. I’m sorry the D is biting you. I’m feeling a bit myself too; I had to go to the local homeless coalition today, and I had to give them a gender. Joy of joys: go to a men’s shelter, where I worry I’ll get attacked, or go to a women’s shelter, where I shouldn’t be.

I finally said female, since that’s what all my paperwork is in. But I still felt shitty about it.

Yuck, I’m sorry to hear that. I can relate; I hate that “He’s [sic] one of the guys!” shit I deal with so often. And I’ve asked my brother to start gendering me properly, but he’s all like “It feels strange.” He is an ally, fortunately, but I really wish he would try harder.

Falconer
Falconer
11 years ago

CIA!
CIA!
THIS IS MY INCANTATION OF ADJURATION AGAINST THE FIRST JOE!

TERRORISTS!
TERRORISTS!
YOU BETTER RUN BEFORE THEY GET HERE JOE!

marinerachel
11 years ago

Lemme guess – Joe is also scared of moooslems? (I write it that way because I see it written that way almost exclusively by racist Islamophobes.)

Argenti Aertheri
11 years ago

Now now guys, we already determined that context was misandry, back in the days of Steele even (I think)

Argenti Aertheri
11 years ago

marinerachel — nope, it’s totally justified since some of them endorse violence (this is not sarcasm, this is a thing he seriously said)

Falconer
Falconer
11 years ago

@marinerachel: I’m sure he’d say he wasn’t afraid of Muslins (my favorite misspelling). He’s fast to claim that he’s only HALF white, and that makes him immune to charges of racism no takebacks infinity. And then he goes on rants about how immigrants are destroying his beloved Britain that would make the Daily Mail wipe a proud tear.

He doesn’t want to draw internet attention to himself, so he cunningly types them out C1A and t3rr0r1sm, like some paranoid hacker.

marinerachel
11 years ago

That’s why I’m prejudice against Christians – some of them shoot doctors, you know.

Aaliyah
11 years ago

“Seriously, if you’re cleaning up puke at 3 AM, comforting a kid that didn’t make the varsity team, selling raffle tickets for the PTO, worrying about whether your toddler’s cold has become a sinus infection, and all the other challenges of parenthood, then you are a mother.”

Or maybe you’re a father, or a brother, or a sister, or a grandparent, or an uncle or aunt? Or anyone else who finds themselves (helping) to raise a child?

Oh wow.

My mind is fucking blown.

Falconer
Falconer
11 years ago

@Argenti: I’m sure there are some Baptists out there who Support The Troops. Sure and I’ve seen plenty of those yellow Support the Troops stickers turned sideways to make a Jesus Fish on the back of SUVs which had acres and acres of tailgate, and plenty of room for an upright ribbon.

OTOH, the other day I saw a decal row of four Daleks and a K9 on the back of a car, so that tickled me.

marinerachel
11 years ago

I’ll give Joe credit – you have to keep the feds off your back.

Falconer
Falconer
11 years ago

Wait, my point got lost. Soldiers shoot people — they are often called upon to be violent.

People who Support the Troops are therefore guilty by association with people who are violent.

Therefore I’m totally justified in sticking my fist in the eye of the next Jehovah’s Witness to come knocking on my door. Because violence just can’t be tolerated, youse guise. But I’m totally not prejudiced! I can’t be! I have it on good information that there is a strong possibility that one of my great-great-grandparents might have been Cherokee. And only white people can be prejudiced.

/sarcasm and bad logic

Falconer
Falconer
11 years ago

I’ll give Joe credit – you have to keep the feds off your back.

Eh, Big Brother’s been watching us for years. ‘Swhy I randomly stick my middle finger out the window, in case their spy satellites are passing my house. I just gotta stick it to the Man, man.

Falconer
Falconer
11 years ago

Okay, my baby girl is snoring. I better get to bed while I can.

Night, all.

Fuck off, Joe, he said, preemptively.

Shaenon
11 years ago

Are trans* parents doing any of these?

http://www.danoah.com/2013/05/the-24-best-worst-parenting-fails.html

No? Then they’re good.

Argenti Aertheri
11 years ago

Falconer — I got it.

“I’m sure there are some Baptists out there who Support The Troops” — my parents (well, my mother, my father is Christmas Easter and guilt trips)…until I say we need to end our pointless “war on terror”…that’s not supporting our troops, that’s being a commie

“I have it on good information that there is a strong possibility that one of my great-great-grandparents might have been Cherokee”

Blackfoot here, but my genealogy is either disproving it or that’s one of my dead ends (1800~ is no good records on who was “assimilated” so idfk)

Argenti Aertheri
11 years ago

“OTOH, the other day I saw a decal row of four Daleks and a K9 on the back of a car, so that tickled me.”

Awesome sauce

G’night to you and the little ones!

Argenti Aertheri
11 years ago

Worst parenting fails:

The baby with the boa constrictor…there’s a photo of me hugging one about that size when I was 3 or 4. But that was totally my choice because it was awesome and snakes are cool. My mother still insists she never should’ve let me do it. Parenting win?

M Dubz
M Dubz
11 years ago

@Argenti- If the troops don’t go get the terrorists, then they WIN! And then Jesus and the Bald Eagles cry together. Or something.

Argenti Aertheri
11 years ago

Quadruple post! Go me! >.<

17 isn’t a fail, those leash things are designed for toddlers and give them a safe amount of freedom (not stuck in a stroller, can go look at that thing over there, but only if over there is close to the adult holding the leash)

Certainly better than letting a kid that small just run around. Roads! Less friendly dogs! Creepy people! (Giant snakes!)