The problems and impacts brought upon the new equality movement - Writing Wednesday

Hello everybody and welcome back to another blog post,

I remember watching the film, Doctor Zhivago, a few months ago with my family, after being recommended it by my grandmother. The film was released in 1965 and it was based on the events that took place before, during, and after the Russian Revolution. Despite it not being my favourite film to watch, there's one scene that I remember well and that has struck a chord with me because it seemed to reflect everything that I'm experiencing and seeing today. On one scene, Zhivago boards the train to Yuriatin to join a group of people who will be assisting the Russian military committee on the front. When the train stops at a station, the Russian communist commandant, who had just informed everyone on board of their duties, leaves the train chanting something like "long live the revolution" whilst another man on board shouts "long live anarchy! Lickspittle! Bureaucrat!...I am the only free man on this train! The rest of you are cattle." It's sad to admit this, considering that I'm living in the country that birthed freedom of speech, but over the past few years I have grown increasingly aware of all the things I can and cannot say in front of some people. In the past, I have sometimes said things because I truly believed that it was something really thought-provoking and worth saying. However, my words were actually sometimes twisted and interpreted by other people as pretty radical and not important enough to be accepted. I'm in no way saying that Britain is somehow the next communist Russia but I think that my newfound cautiousness to say how I really feel about something, speaks volumes for the new society that we seem to be creating. I now have more of a desire than ever to have the confidence to speak out unapologetically like that man on the train to Yuriatin did, so for once I'm going to attempt to say how I really feel.

Recently, I saw something on Emma Corrin's Instagram account that found a way of making me feel genuinely uncomfortable. The actress who, might I add, plays Princess Diana in season 4 of The Crown tremendously well, posted a series of black and white photographs on her Instagram showing herself wearing a boxing wrap chest binder. She captioned the photos with "Some time before I bought my first proper binder...It's all a journey right. Lots of twists and turns and change and that's ok! Embrace it!" Most of her followers viewed these images as something to be celebrated, whilst I viewed these images with a certain level of discomfort because to me, this was an abuse of power. Emma clearly communicated to her audience, through her portrayal of herself in a binder, that there is a "safe" way for women to bind their chests when the very act has always been approached with a high level of caution and uncertainty. I was not aware myself of all the health risks associated with binding but through synthesising the main arguments that many scientists seem to have said online, chest binding can cause muscle and tissue damage, overheating because the binder is too tight, and can restrict a person's breathing. Even for the scientists who support "correct" chest binding, they have to outline the precautions like not using duct tape binding or reminding people to take off their binder frequently throughout the day. As well as this, you cannot guarantee that people are going to bind, whilst applying all those safety measures correctly. I understand that Emma is doing this because binding is a way for her to physically look how she feels and make her chest look less feminine, thus aiding her to become who she is as a non-binary individual, but it's not safe and I see this as a serious abuse of consent. Her younger demographic and parents with LGBTQ+ children, who are not informed of the health risks, can easily fall into the trap of thinking that this is acceptable, without understanding the risks of what it is that they're doing or inflicting upon their child. It's similar to the risks that come with undergoing plastic surgery. Anything that is going to modify the aesthetics of your body might have permanent repercussions and in the case of binding it's really prolonged torture. I know many people out there who are advocates for women's health but it seems like not enough people are talking about this. I strongly believe that whether you're a woman, transgender, gender fluid, or non-binary, doctors shouldn't be allowing people who are biologically female, to physically harm themselves and potentially deform their bodies because this isn't treatment. If we frown upon women in China binding their feet to make them look smaller, why are we supporting people binding their chests to make them look flatter? As a result, if Emma is aware of the consequences of what she I promoting in her photographs, I question whether she truly believes in what she is saying and whether she is doing it for the right reasons. Is she doing this to help people or to just gain attention? Emma Corrin, whilst she is a talented actress, if anything, has shown me that if this is the direction that the new gender equality movement is going in, then I can't humbly say that I support it.

Emma Corrin's Instagram post was not the only thing that made me feel uncomfortable. Jonathan Saccone-Joly, a family vlogger on YouTube who I've been watching for a while now, recently posted a coming out video on his channel which became very controversial. If you are not aware of the context, in his video, Jonathan came out to his audience as a girl and took the time to promote his book about his childhood experiences. In the synopsis of his new book (All My Friends Are Invinsible) that explained his story, he claimed that growing up in "conservative 1980s Dublin," he never truly felt that he was able to express who he was and that he was subject to "years of tyrannical bullying and abuse." He claims that he was inspired by his eldest son Eduardo's bravery to reject societal norms, and wear dresses to school. Hence why Jonathan has now found the confidence to speak out about his own story. However, whilst there isn't really an issue with anyone coming out at any time in their life, I feel as though Jonathan did it all for the wrong reasons and was just using his children as a prop to increase viewership. On his Instagram, Jonathan was hyping up his coming out video and prolonging it's release for over a month, which made his video seem far too commercialised and fake. When I eventually watched his video, I could tell that it became more about him attempting to get people to buy his book, rather than him sincerely trying to open up about his identity. I know that long-time subscribers of Jonathan's channel, who have been following the Saccone-Joly journey since Jonathan first met his wife Anna, were also particularly annoyed that the couple were using their children to get views. Most of their videos and posts recently on YouTube and on Instagram have been about Eduardo and him expressing himself like a girl. To me, this is also an abuse of consent because Eduardo is a 7 year old child who is still becoming himself and probably doesn't understand the context of gender. Why do Anna and Jonathan feel the need to boast about something that is also so private and intimate, to the rest of the world? To me, it feels like Jonathan is using the attention that gets from coming out to claim the righteous victim's standpoint and gain views. Again, if this is the direction that the new gender movement is going in, then I cannot humbly say that I support it.

To some people, everything that I just said, may have sounded like I exaggerated or imagined it all. Well, I don't think that any aspect of what I just wrote was exaggerated or imagined, when it seems to be affecting everything that I still see around me. As a result of some celebrity actions doing what they are doing for the wrong reasons, I've found that young people nowadays, my peers, are finding it increasingly difficult to hold their own. They seem to have no integrity and have become dependent on the people and the infrastructure around them, to accept them into society. They are no longer independently or open minded and they lack self-confidence. This promotion of a new gender movement has created a generation of victims who get offended by the most insignificant things that are either said by teachers or by classmates. No one listens to each other anymore because people have become too entranced by the tunnel vision of the supposed victims in this case. These celebrities, amongst other people of influence, are giving the younger generation validation for not taking responsibility because people are always attracted to what seems right rather than what is actually right. People forget that the new gender movement that is supported and endorsed by celebrities like Emma Corrin and Jonathan Saccone-Joly, is not the same as fighting against homosexuality being a crime, is not the same as fighting for the right for gay people to get married, is not the same as women fighting for the right to vote, is not the same as women fighting for abortion rights, is not the same as fighting against the exclusion of transgender people in society. When people are using gender inequality as a means of claiming emotional benefits from people, it simply cannot compare to the movements fought by the people who have actually witnessed and bared the brunt of oppression. Young people, who are told constants at school to support gender equality, will end up supporting this jaded viewpoint which is just wrong. We are in a privileged position to even be able to think of these issues as being a problem. I think people need to come back into touch with reality instead of disseminating misinformation. 

What do you think of the new gender equality movement? Do you think it's progressive or regressive? Let me know in the comments below and I'll be sure to reply to them. I would love to give you a chance to voice what you think! ♡♡ If you have any further questions because you need clarification, I would be happy to answer them as well so feel free to leave them below. 

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Bye,

XOX, Juliette 

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