A Letter to Ms Divine

I've been a fan of Miranda Divine, the "Token Conservative" at the Sydney Morning Herald, for some time. I've agreed with her on nearly everything, and she pulls no punches. She's honest, and like me, has little time for "Political Correctness" in matters great or small.

Dear Ms Devine

Over the years, I've read your columns, and found myself in complete agreement with all but a few.

Your recent column "Society’s not ready for this" is one of those few.

My reasons (at length - sorry, I could do with a good editor) are on my blog.

May I ask you to reconsider your view. Think about it - if someone says

"THERE is no polite way of saying this ... the sight of the alleged "pregnant man" who hit the news last week is enough to turn anyone's stomach. It is simply repulsive to see a person with a beard and a man's flat chest sporting a swollen pregnant belly. It is wrong in the most visceral way."

Then maybe they are likely to think with their viscera than with their formidable intellect.

I don't find it repulsive: I do find it frightening, disquieting, very uncomfortable. And I should be "hardened" to it, after all, I'm Intersexed in a spectacular way. One that many would think is even more "wrong in the most visceral way", even more stomach-turning and repulsive. Can't say I'm real thrilled with the situation myself, but "them's the breaks".

In closing, you're right when you say that this is a political statement, and so should be open to criticism. There's a reason for that though, and for why the dozens of other similar cases weren't publicised before (for this is by no means the first, as some reports suggest). It's because people like this guy, people like me, have been caught in the crossfire of the backlash against Gay Marriage. We used to "fly under the radar" and "not rock the boat". But long-held rights, such as the right of transsexual people to hold a passport corresponding to their presentation when going overseas for surgery, rights quietly granted without making waves after some unfortunate incidents, are being summarily withdrawn. It's not that we're not going forwards fast enough, it's that we're going backwards. We can no longer hide and not cause nausea.

All the best,
Zoe E Brain

Will she reconsider? I think so. She may not change her mind, but if I read her right - or Right - then she'll give it some thought. That's all I can reasonably ask, really.