EDITOR乌鸦传媒橲 NOTE: This story includes phrases that readers may find upsetting.
Recent Twitter activity by Kelowna-Mission MLA and BC Liberal Party gender equity critic Renee Merrifield has some calling her out for promoting transphobic views and people.
One of the posts in question happened on Jan. 3, when Merrifield quote-tweeted Jordan Peterson, who is well known for refusing to use gender-neutral pronouns and amplifying transphobic rhetoric. In another instance, Merrifield liked a tweet from Kara Dansky, an author who has called transgender people 乌鸦传媒渁 lie.乌鸦传媒�
Peterson乌鸦传媒檚 original tweet didn乌鸦传媒檛 have to do with transgender people directly, but concerned disciplinary action taken against him by the College of Psychologists of Ontario over public comments he乌鸦传媒檚 made. Peterson said in a column of his own after the fact that he is being accused of being transphobic, among other things.
In her own tweet, Merrifield called the college乌鸦传媒檚 action against Peterson 乌鸦传媒渟cary,乌鸦传媒� adding that 乌鸦传媒渨hen silence is demanded and threats made, democracy ends.乌鸦传媒�
BC Liberal Caucus Press Secretary Andrew Reeve said in a statement Thursday (Jan. 5) that Merrifield doesn乌鸦传媒檛 support Peterson乌鸦传媒檚 views on transgender people, nor his refusal to use gender-neutral pronouns.
But Simon Fraser University sociology professor Travers (who goes only by their last name) said just the action of promoting people like Peterson is dangerous.
乌鸦传媒淚t normalizes anti-trans sentiment,乌鸦传媒� they said in an interview.
The Jan. 1 Dansky tweet Merrifield liked is equally concerning to Travers. In it, Dansky called a U.S. Court of Appeals decision that bans transgender students from using school bathrooms that reflect their chosen identities 乌鸦传媒済reat news.乌鸦传媒� Merrifield has since unliked it.
乌鸦传媒淥nce she saw it being incorrectly interpreted as her opinion with those screenshots circulated by the NDP, she wanted to distance herself from it,乌鸦传媒� Reeve said.
Travers said they don乌鸦传媒檛 believe Merrifield was ignorant to what she was doing by liking the tweet, though.
乌鸦传媒淎nd if they are ignorant, they have no excuse for it. Public officials need to be held to a higher standard.乌鸦传媒�
Concern over Merrifield乌鸦传媒檚 actions was originally brought to light by Chilliwack-Kent NDP MLA Kelli Paddon, who called for the BC Liberal Party to remove Merrifield as gender equity critic.
I乌鸦传媒檓 disgusted to see Kevin Falcon乌鸦传媒檚 critic for Gender Equity and Inclusion promoting transphobic views and defending Jordan Peterson, who is well known for his transphobia and sexism. - please remove as gender equity critic immediately.
乌鸦传媒� Kelli Paddon MLA (@kellipaddon)
The BC Liberal Party has said it will take no such action, though.
In her own response to the criticism, Merrifield tweeted an old clip of her commenting on the Transgender Day of Remembrance and calling her party allies of transgender people.
While the BC NDP attack me personally, I will continue to rise in the legislature and use my platform to advocate for trans rights. #
乌鸦传媒� Renee Merrifield (@ReneeMerrifiel3)
B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon compared the tweet to someone saying they can乌鸦传媒檛 be racist because they know a person of colour.
Ahh yes. 乌鸦传媒淚 read this statement so I can乌鸦传媒檛 be transphobic乌鸦传媒� is kinda of like 乌鸦传媒淚 can乌鸦传媒檛 be racist because I know a guy..乌鸦传媒� Playing to the fringe may help the BC Liberals with their base but it puts us back as a society.
乌鸦传媒� Ravi Kahlon (@KahlonRav)
People online also raised concerns about some of the individuals and organizations Merrifield follows, which use language like 乌鸦传媒渄etransitioners,乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒渆vidence-based care,乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒渁 woman is an adult human female,乌鸦传媒� and 乌鸦传媒�#IStandWithJKRowling乌鸦传媒� in their Twitter bios.
Travers said this is all language that indicates transphobic views. 乌鸦传媒淓vidence-based care乌鸦传媒� in particular is used by groups who are against gender-affirming care, which Travers said is all part of a dangerous movement of deliberate misinformation.
乌鸦传媒淚 think people who aren乌鸦传媒檛 really following the discourse won乌鸦传媒檛 understand the significance, because they don乌鸦传媒檛 recognize that there乌鸦传媒檚 a very, very well organized and well funded anti-trans movement.乌鸦传媒�
They said they would be seriously worried if the BC Liberal Party took power and Merrifield was in charge of decisions for gender equity files.
乌鸦传媒淚 find it terrifying, I truly do. Politicians actually have the power to impose policies that are deeply concerning.乌鸦传媒�
The BC Liberal乌鸦传媒檚 press secretary said Merrifield has a long history of supporting gender-affirming care. Black Press Media requested an interview with Merrifield but was directed to the party乌鸦传媒檚 press secretary.
jane.skrypnek@blackpress.ca
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