Open Letter to Larry Krasnoff (Philosophy, College of Charleston), John Gordon (Director, how to: Academy), and Little, Brown and Company concerning Dr Rachel McKinnon’s Social Media Conduct
*OVER 500 SIGNATURES AND STILL COUNTING*
Edited (05/09/2019) to include Dr McKinnon’s tweets in which she states that Vancouver Rape Relief — which provides essential support to women who are victims of male violence — is likely responsible for vandalizing its own shelter in an attempt to motivate transphobia.
Edited: (01/10/2019) to include Dr McKinnon’s tweets in which she states that any sexual orientation other than “pansexual” is “transphobic” since both heterosexual and homosexual people leave trans people “out in the cold.”
Dear Larry Krasnoff, John Gordon, and Little, Brown and Co,
We are a group of diverse individuals from around the world who are writing to strongly object to Dr Rachel McKinnon’s recent on-line conduct in which she posted a series of tweets — on the 25th and 27th August — concerning Magdalen Berns, an influential young, feminist activist, who is tragically terminally ill with glioblastoma (edited: Magdalen passed away on Friday 13th Sept and Dr McKinnon posted a GIF of a skeleton dancing on a grave).
More recently (04/09/19) Dr McKinnon posted the following tweets concerning the vandalism of Vancouver Rape Relief shelter.
It is our position that, no matter whether or not one believes that trans women are — as a matter of objective fact — women, it is completely unacceptable for an Associate Professor of Philosophy with a prominent academic, media, and sporting profile (or indeed, anyone) to publicly celebrate the impending death of someone whose views they disagree with; assert that Vancouver Rape Relief has probably vandalized its own shelter (thus exacerbating the trauma of women who, unfortunately, have a need for its services) in order to create transphobia; and to imply that she does not, at a minimum, object to the desire for ‘Terfs’ to die.
It is worth noting that Dr McKinnon’s recent behaviour is not unusual as evidenced by her wishing that “Cis People” would “literally die in a grease fire”.
Somebody who derives pleasure from such a situation is, without a doubt, contravening the College of Charleston’s Mission, Vision and Values to “become productive members of society”; at odds with How to Academy’s mission to “inspire” people through reasoned, intelligent, and productive debate; and seriously undermines Little Brown’s mission to “become a respected publisher.”
As such, we call upon Dr McKinnon to publicly apologise for her behaviour, and for the College of Charleston, how to: Academy and Little, Brown and Company to consider donating to The Brain Tumour Charity in honour of Magdalen Berns.
Update 1/10/2019:
Dr McKinnon has now (30/09/2019) posted that anyone who is attracted to a particular biological sex is ‘transphobic’ and that trans people are “entitled” to sexual relationships. We take this to be, at a minimum, psychologically co-ercive and both homophobic and heterophobic (indeed, Dr McKinnon has claimed that “pansexuality” is the only “morally acceptable” sexuality.). One should not have to “learn to have fun” with a certain biological sex simply to defuse false accusations of ‘transphobia.’
Addendum: Dr McKinnon has tweeted that some names are not “substantiated” and that some are “just screen names.” This is because many women are afraid of professional and/or personal recriminations from transgender rights activists and their allies who, amongst other things, have vandalized a women’s only rape shelter, verbally harassed lesbians at Pride events, been restrained from physically assaulting Julie Bindel after an event discussing the future of women’s sex-based rights, attempted to sue women for on-line “misgendering”, and doxxed women who desire to preserve their anonymity. Given this hostile climate, I have respected the wishes of some women not to specify their location, profession, and in some cases, to simply use their on-line username.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr Louise Moody, Philosopher, Leeds Resisters
Janey Barber
P. McCann
Rebecca O’Donnell
Jessica M, Canada
Ann Sinnot
Emma Mcleod
Emma Flynn
Kari Muller
Jackie Bourke
Rachel Edney
Corinna Cohn
Lois Owen
Rachel Ford
Amy Stoodley
Claire Williams
Helen Montgomery
Sarah Hodgson
Melanie Hewitt
Elizabeth Newton
Barbara McDonald
Kate Taylor
Patricia Atkinson
Penny Wilson
Christy Lawrence
Elena Mishevska, Republic of North Macedonia
Nadia Fenn
Gillian Philip
Diane Benoît
Cheryl McKenzie
Bec Fawcett-Howitt
Seani Hansen
Jennifer Garnett
Brenda Jones
Rowan Quinn Leigh, Philosophy Student and Counsellor
C. M. Williams
A. Slavidou, M. Slavidou
Michael Herbert, MA (Historian)
Alice Bondi
Trish Oliver
Dr Lesley Semmens
Lily Munroe, REAL for Women, Australia
Stacey O’Brien
Mick Allan
Charly Angle
Alessandra Asteriti
Isabelle Tracy, U.K
Dr Alicia Hendley
Carina Compagnia
Libby Edwards
Jane Loe
Sajber Vanderlast
Anita Rothon
Hennie Ingliss
Faye Gear, Canada
Dale Turner
Diane van Klaveren
Lauren Bryce
Helen Adams
Maureen Deacon
Courtney Walker
Claire Graham, Intersex Rights Advocate, U.K
Raine McLeod
Chris Burgess
Louise Morrison
Heidi Zagori
Danni Barker
Jacky Holyoake
Carol Bayliss
Grace Hawthorn
Anne Bevan
Lorie Martin
Claire Walker
Dr R Murphy
Gayna Taylor
Tania Alessandrini
Madelyn Lampark
Liz Regan
Alison Joseph
Graham Linehan, Comedy Writer
Lorraine Miller
Sherri Ingrey, B.A., LL.B, Dip. Ed., Canada
Angela Barth
Julie Heathcote
Julie Foster
Karen Goode
Elenor Hill
Eleanor Wright
Jo Campbell
Helen Roberts
Audra M Rourk
Andreia Nobre
Carol Fraser
Jo Hayes
Kathleen Anne, U.K
Andrea Stirk
Dr EM ( https://twitter.com/PankhurstEM)
Kate Scottow
Suzanne Weaver
Lewis, Lord Moonie
Jamie Hunter, Scotland, U.K
Rose Grant
Denise Prideaux BA (hons), Open. Dip. L, IP., Wales
G J Roberts
Dr Victoria Whitworth
Kate Whittingham
Alison Weir, Scotland, U.K
Ria Chapman
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Michelle Thomson
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Anne James
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Enzo Grimaldi
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Emma Johnson
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Lauren Hamstead, Leeds Resisters
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Vicky Miller
Paul Tracy
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Stacy Kennedy
Dr Deborah Hayton
Alison McCormack
Victoria Jones
Posie Parker (Women’s Rights Campaigner, (Standing For Women)
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Rebecca Heath
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Sheena Best
C. Turner
Katrin Maxwell
Katherine Ross
Laurel Wilson
Rachel King
Claire Pritchett
Kimberly Everett, Nova Scotia Canada
Frances Davidson
Mariel Frost-Kelly
Julie Furlong, Leeds Resisters
Judith Wright
Riven Elizabeth
Emmeline Wyndham
Ruth, Leeds Resisters
Claire Jones, Leeds Resisters
Kimmy Sabrosky
Sam Hutchinson
Judith Berridge
Karey McGlynn, Montana USA
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Jennifer Chavez
M. K Fain, Co-Founder of Spinster (@mk_fain)
Dawn Furness, Filmmaker and Green Party PPC
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Emma Salmon, Educational Facilitator
Jane Roper, Guernsey
Celia Nord, Archaeologist
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Annie Ramsey
Winter C. Randall
Janisis Goocher
Susan Green, Birmingham, U.K
Naomi Dannenberg-Terrence, Leeds Resisters
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Sandra Easton-Lawrence
Alex Marson, Canada
Katie Alcock
Helen Watts, Former @girlguiding leader (expelled for opposing self-identification)
Jan Williams
Bill Ellson
Anna Davies, U.K
Rose H
Steve Ellwood
Inge Wood, Canada
Carole Sharp, Glasgow, Scotland
Paul Joseph McDonough
Breanna Sullivan
Ms L Gray
Lisa Singh
Tim Williamson, Brighton, U.K
Carrie Peterson
Vaishnavi Sundar
Leslie Ambedian, Toronto, Canada
Memoree Joelle, Editor in chief of Afterellen
Shereen Benjamin, Edinburgh, U.K
Fionne Orlander, Transgender Commentator
Iain Brassington, U.K
Finn Raven, Sheffield, U.K
Darina Roche-Kiang, Ireland
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Kim Stanley
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Angela Styles
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Sarah Honeychurch
Carlota Arias, Sydney, Australia
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Anna N, U.K
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Jeanette Harteveld
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Pauline McGuigan, Spain
Elizabeth Miller, USA
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Kate Tagseth, Canada
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Sharon Jenkins, U.K
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Sarah McGurk, Norway
Valeria JB Minerva
Patricia Hardman
Miranda Yardley, Transexual Rights Activist
Karen Kennedy
Katherine Milne
Helen Chandler
Diane Reece , CSA & DV Survivor/Campaigner
Helen E Jones, U.K
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Amy Vegan, California
Fiona Hall, U.K
Corinne Kielty, U.K
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Dr Catherine Coleman, U.K
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Lee Kear, U.K
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Yvonne Buck, U.K
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Anne Greagsby, Environmental and Women’s Rights Campaigner, U.K
Lynne Shone, U.K
Helen Morley, U.K
Suzi Sevgi, Leeds Resisters
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Kathleen Schendt
Elaine Miller
Pippa Booth
Sara G-M, Volunteer at Women’s Declaration
Claire Couson, Australia
Rosa Shaw
Bea Jaspert
Emily Ward, U.K
Catherine Allen, U.K
Gillian Burston, Northumberland, U.K
Sarah J Smith, U.K
Sarah Field, U.K
Erin French, U.K
Tara Hubbard, U.K
Debbie Martin, U.K
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Sara Morrison, U.K
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Elizabeth Peterson
Joy Vann
Mary Gordon
Patricia Garside, U.K
Silvia Castro Rodriguez, Spain
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Emma Dolan, Leeds Resisters
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Kate Whaley
J Davidson
Dr David Sturm, MA, USA
Lesley Sullivan, U.K
Katherine Deves, Student-at-Law, Sydney
Julia Royce, U.K
Kim Harmon, MS, teacher
Annie Murphy
Jeanne Smith, Iowa, USA
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Kat Dawson, Canada
Elizabeth Belsten, U.K
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