Canon Media Award winner of Opinion Writer of the Year 2016, Rachel Stewart, has quit the NZ Herald tonight after the NZ Herald opted for woke censorship of her column (read here).
We have allowed woke social media lynch mobs to curtail free speech and the frank debate a society needs to remain vibrant and intelligent. That the NZ Herald so gutlessly folded makes a mockery of their status as the largest daily newspaper in the country.
Our forefathers bled on foreign shores for our hard won social freedoms, to watch Massey University choke off free speech by cancelling a feminism conference and the largest Newspaper in the country self censoring itself for fear of a woke social media lynch mob is an affront to the liberal progressive democracy we hold dear.
How cowardly.
Everyone boycott the NZ Herald , stuff them. (That wasn’t intended but feel free to stick that pun rite up them aswell. ‘stuff.co.nz’)
Hemi – with you 200% on this one. I can’t believe the Herald rejected this column – are they so socially isolated that they don’t know that Rachel’s actually writing of issues that people are talking about ? If they’re trying to protect NZ’s crappiest university, then I guess that using NZ’s crappiest newspaper to do it sort of makes sense.
If they’re trying to protect us, the reading public, then the best way to do that is (a) redacting everything that they ever print and then (b) tossing the whole lot in the harbour – or using it as landfill.
The Auckland Herald are an ethically suspect bunch anyway.
One of their dirtiest tricks was revictimising that poor little waitress who John Key tormented so many times by pulling her ponytail; Rachel Glucina, NZ Herald, interviewed the lass under trickily misleading circumstances, was found to have done so, and then quit her job. From one woman to a younger woman, I thought it quite abhorrent.
Dita di Boni, one of the Herald’s best women columnists wrote critising guess who ? Yep, bovver boy PM Key, who seemed to get his jollies pulling girls’ hair, and di Boni lost her job with Shane’s crowd.
(Having said that, I’m not sure my mama would have allowed a male with a dopey cowboy name like Shane
through our front door – heaven knows what his reading skills are like, but his comprehension looks totally hopeless.)
Malcolm Evans, cartoonist -and boy do we need them – was fired for cartooning criticising Israel, contentious homeland of John Key’s kin. Key’s shadow seems all over the place, come to think of it.
But if John Key were to declare, legally or otherwise, that he was now a woman, and he wanted to invade my womanly spaces, then I’d be telling him to sod off. I’d like him to sod off whatever gender he was actually, so that may be an unfair example – Jonas Kaufmann would be OK, but that’s about it.
The barren landscape of Auckland’s collective brain is becoming a menace to freedom of speech and freedom of thought.
First Auckland Univ staff censoring freedom of speech on campus, and now this impudence from a newspaper which expects people to read it, and pay for it too.
I’m not surprised that Auckland’s waste water is the most contaminated in New Zealand when their brains appear so clearly addled, and I suggest that the Herald editorial staff always say no to drugs, just as I would say to all children.
Censor ship, No. No. No. Censoring the country’s best woman columnist, is really incredibly peculiar.
Martyn,
I admire your voice for freee speech. Though, an edge is taken off my admiration when you seem to have acted like the NZ Herald by censoring my speech yet publishing Mr Minto’s from the same event.
David
Dr Cumin, Martyn here. I have no idea what you are talking about.
Massey University is now a safe haven for misogynist abuse and harrassment. They have chosen to side with the bullies and bullshit artists.
Misogynist? How?
While the Herald and Massey Uni have folded in front of the “no-platform’ crowd, North & South’s latest issue has an interview with Jill Abigail, who was de-platformed from the Greens website for her views on the trans debate. It’s a good read… worth buying the mag.
I think the NZ Herald was wrong not to publish. It did it because it was afraid of the response by the Woke Left.
But I think that just shows the severe threat to organisations that social media bullying and co-ordinated blockading (such as sit-ins and window hand-glueing) pose.
The woke a threat to people who are no threat at all. Perhaps the woken greatest scalp was social media influencers Lauren Southern and Stefan Molynuex. Those two couldn’t even get a million subscribers together. The woke may think they’re doing important work but they’re really not.
in the end – you have to ask if police are unwilling to maintain order at public meetings. Clearly activists want media coverage – and mostly it is unquestionng – but the willingness of venues to cancel based on threats – is taking a position with the bullies.
Ada – I suppose there’s a first time for everything, and this would have to be the first time that the Herald has been proclaimed “afraid of the Woke Left” – a term so bandied-about as to be almost meaningless now. Thanks for my morning laugh.
I would never dispute any claim which you may have to papal infallibility, but the Herald’s record of diminishing tracks, suggests that it’s ownership may be prioritised over it’s readership. It is not an organisation, it is a business, impure and simple, and a business which does not necessarily make decisions in it’s own best interests, but must please its money masters.
Imagine, if you can, an editorial staff meeting deciding, “No, we cannot publish this, or hands may be glued to our windows.” Or an editorial staff meeting saying,”No, we cannot publish this, or we will be bullied on social media”. I don’t think so.
I try to avoid using misogyny, it’s a hard word to spell, but a very talented columnist has been squeezed out of her job here for writing approx. 90% fact and 10% about Massey’s hopeless bucolic throwbacks, and the boys at the Herald are trying to shut Rachel down because this is about women, by a woman and they are stuck in the 1950’s.
Don’t know why you feel compelled to defend them Ada. Would they do that for you ? I doubt it.
Women and men need to start protesting outside parliament. Women’s and their supporters, free speech, and right of assembly and association is now being severely impeded
Delia – You have a beautiful name ! If you’re saying this is a freedom of speech issue, I agree. Someone over the last 24 hours suggested that Massey could lose its accreditation if it did or didn’t do something. It does seem to be behaving like the gay parade people in Auckland did, and blaming the left or woke is pointless and unfair.
When a newspaper becomes partisan to the extent of refusing to publish facts about an issue, then it is a free speech issue, and the reason may be because the whole notion of blokes having their penises removed upsets other blokes, they can’t relate to it. It used to be called ‘castration complex’, and it is quite fascinating – but causing far too much trouble now. Trying to shut women down for it is too ironic for words.
Hi Snow White, many thanks, it is my grandmother’s name, so means a lot to me. I believe the university has discriminated against Speak Up for Women, because it is convenient and they believe this is more palatable than the opposition from the transactivists and their supporters. I do think many on the left and woke, to use that term, only believe in free speech for themselves and are shutting people down.
These are the issues concerning Speak Up for Women:
Transgender men have an advantage in sport and women are now losing at sports they have trained for all their lives and were highly ranked in against other biological females
Schools in the UK have in many schools removed male and female toilets and left unisex for everyone..both boys and girls have expressed they do not like this. Both have different biological needs. Girls especially due to periods. All over the kids just find it stressful. (Daily Mail UK)
Biological women feel that they should be able to meet as a group without interference.We live in a free world, or so I am told.
Lesbian women have overseas been harassed for not sleeping with transactivist men, these men have not fully transitioned. It is a human right to have sex with whoever
you wish.
Women through history fought hard for our autonomy and we will continue to maintain the gains made.
New Zealand has a massive problem with domestic violence mainly against women, and it is ironic to watch a University remove a women’s conference due to security fears.
An issue that concerns me as an individual is the early hormonal treatment been given to many girls some who are tomboys and some who are autistic..they have been persuaded they may be in the wrong sex. I consider these are decisions that only adults should make for themselves.
Delia – “Schools in the UK have in many schools removed male and female toilets and left unisex for everyone..both boys and girls have expressed they do not like this. Both have different biological needs. Girls especially due to periods. All over the kids just find it stressful. (Daily Mail UK)”
Yep. I don’t like unisex loos either, but I accept that they are now a modern reality, and my coping skills are likely much better than a school girl’s. For a menstruating girl, it could be hugely difficult, as many will be pre-tampon.
An Indonesian Muslim student described to me Muslim menstruation hygiene requirements, which differ from ours, and can be distressing trying to manage in conventional uni-sex toilets.
“An issue that concerns me as an individual is the early hormonal treatment been given to many girls some who are tomboys and some who are autistic..they have been persuaded they may be in the wrong sex. I consider these are decisions that only adults should make for themselves.”
Yes, overseas reports of pre-pubertal children starting sex-change hormonal therapy are quite worrying, as some do change their minds along the track. There are reports where it looks as if children are being pro-actively
manipulated into this, and I am now wondering if the proponents are the sort of misguided nutters who grab an idea and then become obsessed by it – like the women in ChCh who destroyed Peter Ellis, and the horror stories of UK children being picked up and put into care because of some inadequate social worker. (I once found my young son trying on my bra, and told him to take it off. God only knows where that could lead to now.)
Another aspect is that the NHS is as cash-strapped as our health dept here, but funding is available for something which may need to be subject to much more serious consideration than it may always be; I don’t know how they prioritise funding, but here in NZ, too much of that sort of decision making may be in the hands of bean counters, rather than with the medical professionals.
I don’t agree that the left or woke are necessarily worse at shutting people down. In my whanau I have witnessed righteous right-wing bullying destroy the kindest woman I have ever known; people with a bit of dosh can do things differently, with more cunning, and more choices, and I – rightly or wrongly –
think that all extremes are bad news. (But that may be just me – I don’t believe in absolutes.)
“New Zealand has a massive problem with domestic violence mainly against women, and it is ironic to watch a University remove a women’s conference due to security fears.” Oh yes. And, NZ Herald, by shutting down Rachel Stewart, places itself right in the middle of the continuum of violence against NZ women. Even if it is merely a display of ignorant male chauvinism, it is not good enough for the 21stC, and a major error of judgment. But they’re only men, and given the woeful standard of NZ columnists, Rachel Stewart’s more intelligent bent may be beyond their intellectual grasp.
Not for one moment do I believe that Massey University thought there would be a significant element of disorder with a women’s meeting – a walk in the park for the police who can be called in for all these events – they could have got a platoon of copettes with pearl earrings… and if university security are intimidated by women, then that is what some women learn to live with on a daily basis, but somehow, I doubt that it’s that simple.
“Schools in the UK have in many schools removed male and female toilets and left unisex for everyone..both boys and girls have expressed they do not like this. Both have different biological needs. Girls especially due to periods. All over the kids just find it stressful. (Daily Mail UK)”
Unisex toilets are commonplace. Why is this suddenly an issue? I would have thought this is the best solution.
“Transgender men have an advantage in sport and women are now losing at sports they have trained for all their lives and were highly ranked in against other biological females”
Yet, according to a recent blogpost (Martyn? Frank?) I read, there are only a small number of transgender sportspeople ion the world. So in what way is this a threat? How many trans sportspeople are there? How many have won in their field?
“Biological women feel that they should be able to meet as a group without interference.We live in a free world, or so I am told.”
How are you being “interfered with”? Who by? Can you give instances?
“New Zealand has a massive problem with domestic violence mainly against women, and it is ironic to watch a University remove a women’s conference due to security fears.”
Which poses the question why you are focused on trans women when the majority of domestic violence acts are caused by the cis male partners of women. Trans women would have nothing to do with this, though they are often the victim,s of violence as well.
Interesting. Men have had no voice for a long time now. And all of a sudden women want us to stand beside them and protest because Thier rights to free speech is starting to erode also.
This is a Men’s Rights Movement. Just in drag.
In what way is this a “mens right movement in drag”?
Didnt always agree but will miss the most intelligent reporter they had.
I consider my self to be somewhat of a classical liberal (of the libertarian/ACT variety) and I am nearly completely disillusioned by the political culture in NZ. It is really refreshing to see that there are people from the otherside of the political spectrum on here that are prepared to speak up against the fascistic nature of the growing authoritarian left. Don’t let these free speech hating, intolerant people co-opt the words liberal or even left-wing. You guys are the liberal left, the woke intersectionals are not liberals and not left in the traditional sense either.
The woke identitarians are todays nazis\fascists\marxists; consider the threats of violence and the actual riots they use to shut down businesses and speakers.
They are the book burners eg, the reaction to michael jackson, Jordan Peterson’s book etc
They are the lynch mobs – cancel culture on social media.
And the corporations that bow to these hate mobs are no better than those that supported the extremists in the 1920’s\30’s. Consider Apple refusing (and rightly so in my mind) to give phone records of a mass shooter to the fbi but block access to protestors in hong kong at the behest of the chinese government. Or the NBA which will cancel contracts with Israeli companies but once again will bend over backwards for China.
If you are concerned about this then consider giving a donation to the Free Speech Coalition, I’ve donated to them several times, the first organisation i’ve supported financially. They have a diverse range of people from across the political spectrum that are taking action in this fight (legally).
So what is this all about????
Marc – Uncharacteristically, I am agreeing with Karl du Fresne in today’s Dom-Post. He writes,”….. Massey University Vice-Chancellor Jan Thomas… deservedly copped a backlash for assuming powers of political censorship on campus. What right did an Australian veterinary scientist have to dictate what opinions New Zealanders should be exposed to?”
Said Massey VC cancelled a talk by a women’s group on health and safety grounds. Rachel Stewart wrote a column about it – available here somewhere – for the NZ Herald. The NZ Herald refused to publish it. (censorship is spreading like measles all over Auckland). Rachel Stewart then resigned from NZ Herald, a great shame.
Since then all sorts of people have been blamed for what has not happened or may happen in the future to people with various gender alignments, apparently at the hands of people with various gender alignments,
and people dubbed left, woke, and ruder words, are to blame for dastardly opaque matters – which may in fact boil down to ordinary old misogyny, but who knows ? I don’t.
Hope this helps…
Massey – teaches veterinary science and nursing. Believes humans can change sex. Not cows. Not animals. Just human men into women and human women into men. What a pile of cat shit wrapped in dog shit.
It is not hateful to say ‘no woman has a penis’. The gaslighting, fear and bullying tactics used by the handmaids/Aunt Lydias of the MRA in drag movement is horrific. http://www.terfisaslur.com shows me where the REAL hatred lies.
I want women’s spaces to be women’s spaces, without reference to men in dresses simply bc they say they’re a woman. If I self-ID’ed as a neurosurgeon, would you let me operate? LoL course not. This movement relies on gaslighting, lies and intimidation. If you don’t validate the man in a dress as a woman, you’re hateful. I call it truth-speaking. No woman has a penis.
My Toyota self-IDs as a Bentley – want a ride in a luxury car? #SameLogic
A man can medically transition into a woman and vis versa. This surgical procedure on non-reversible. So arguable medically certified trans people are of the opposite sex.
@Grace – Human hermaphrodites have both male and female sexual organs, or have sex organs containing both ovarian and testicular tissue. In the olden days, brutal and arbitrary things were sometimes done to babies born of indeterminate sex. Now that we are further evolved, it looks as if we may not have progressed greatly since then.
There’s a well known contemporary English socialite commentator and author, Lady Colin Campbell, who was brought up as a boy, I think she had a penis, and then at some stage it was realised that she was really female.
So it’s not much fun for people caught inbetween, or who, feel that they are trapped in the wrong body.I worked alongside one for a year – coffeed, lunched together – not knowing she was transgender; she was simply a tall, always elegantly dressed, Maori woman who everyone liked; another transgender woman talked to me about her change a lot, as it was a fairly recent one; we went shopping together. Her personal history as a Catholic school boy is very sobering. Tear territory.
And in spite of that, I have an unease, about blokes in frocks, but know that we’re being a bit precious, because the variations among people are so enormous, that it would be impossible to restrict spaces only to people who are like us – I’d exclude people who talk loudly on their cell phones for a whole bus trip first, and people who pick their noses or ears, and examine the contents, second. Men drivers who persistently tail-gate women I think are pathologically bigger menaces and more dangerous than others.
“It is not hateful to say ‘no woman has a penis’. The gaslighting, fear and bullying tactics used by the handmaids/Aunt Lydias of the MRA in drag movement is horrific. http://www.terfisaslur.com shows me where the REAL hatred lies.”
So, any woman who disagrees or questions SU4W is a “handmaids/Aunt Lydias of the MRA in drag movement”? Anyone who is an inclusive feminist? Anyone who opposes transphobia?
How do you think that advances serious discussion on this issue? Not well, I think.
Wow! Rachel Stewart said what many others thought about Massey Uni censorship. But New Zealanders need to be worried because Justice Minister Andrew Little is very much likely to introduce legislation next year that will curtail free speech on the basis that it might offend somebody.
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