Columnist mocks blind transgender people again, after watchdog complaint
A columnist who was rebuked by the press watchdog for mocking a blind transgender politician, has again joked about blind transgender people.
Rod LiddleĀ had a complaint upheld against him by the IPSO earlier this yearĀ after he joked aboutĀ Labour’s first transgender parliamentary candidate,Ā Emily Brothers, questioning how a blind person could be transgender.
Despite the IPSO complaint,Ā Liddle has penned anotherĀ Spectator article this week mocking the idea of “a transgendered guide dog”.
The article was mainlyĀ aĀ reaction to theĀ Great British Bake Off winner, Nadiya Hussain, linking her victory toĀ the topic of “unlimited immigration”.
However, elsewhere in the article Liddle again jokes about blind trans people – joking thatĀ all that was missing from The Great British Bake Off “was a blind amputee, beating up his batter with a specially adapted hand whisk, transgendered guide dog wagging its tail close by”.
Elsewhere in the article Liddle appears to call for the end of humanity because of trans people, saying: “There was an interesting news item on the television the other day.
“A transgendered chap was hoping to become the worldās first dual-purpose father and mother to a baby. He had frozen his semen before the surgeons came along with their secateurs and staple gun.
“I turned to my wife and said: āOne day the chill wind of Odin will blow down from the icy north and cleanse our nation of all purulence and disease’.”
Speaking to PinkNews, Ms Brothers spoke out at the columnist’s latest jibe – having already previously had a complaint upheld against him.
She said: “I’ve not come across the ridiculous notion of a ātransgendered guide dogā before Mr Liddleās preposterous piece; not even the colloquial āblind dogā to which some mistakenly refer.
“I suspect this ātransgendered guide dogā hasnāt simply been neutered, but has gone through a transition because how it feels. I can only hope the ādogmaticā columnist might just understand this, having a better rapport with dogs than people.
“Iāve been thinking about getting another guide dog. That involves matching the owner with traits of the dog.
“I hadn’t thought of asking for a ‘transgendered guide dog’ no more than a āblind dogā or one that had triple heart bypass surgery, as I had earlier this year. I’m not sure it would get me very far, not even to the right.”
She added: “Matching Mr Liddle for a guide dog would be a challenge. In fact, it would probably come within the definition of the Dangerous Dogs Act ā āout of controlā.
“Thatās why we need effective press regulation, so we see good behaviour rather than nastiness.
“In dealing with the deed, if not the breed, newspapers need to stop promoting intolerance. Surely freedom of speech is better than that?”
