Daily Mail Hate Machine

[Guest AshleyK]

Recently there have been a lot of transgender-related news in the Daily Mail. Whether it's a non-story about a trans WPC or bringing up an old story because they have nothing else to write about, so they can have a pot shot at transsexuals, intersex and bisexuals, they have been turning up quite often, normally accompanied with some predictably vile comments from the Mail's readers. These people make the likes of Richard Littlejohn and Peter Hitchens seem quite tame in comparrison. Today's story is of a transwoman who was fired for being trans, and is now suing her old company. It's not a pleasant story - after turning up to work in a dress, she was forced to apologise to bigoted members of staff who found her appearance offensive, then a few days later she was fired. I thought this kind of ignorance was left behind with the last century, but apparently not.

This whole story angers me for so many reasons. But if we were to change the reasons for her being sacked to something the Mail's readerbase could relate to we'd have a whole different story. Let's say that she was fired for being a Christian; that she wore a cross to work and the workers found the cross offensive. Then we'd be seeing comments on how it's discriminating against Christians, and it's 'PC Gone Mad!!!'. But it's not. And because it's something the Mail percieves as inhuman, we are left with comments like the following:

why does this article refer to him as a she?? if a man puts on a dress and calls himself rachel, he's still a man.

These people really are becoming tiresome now.

ugly as man or woman

HAVING BEEN BROUGHT UP, WHEN MEN WERE MEN, & WOMEN WERE WOMEN; I GET VERY CONFUSED WITH THESE SORT OF PEOPLE.

NHS OPERATION, NOT GOOD WHEN SERIOUSLY ILL PATIENTS ARE DENIED VITAL TREATMENT, DUE TO LACK OF FINANCIAL FUNDS.

'I was mortified. A week later, they gave me an appraisal, and said that although my work was good, I had made other members of staff feel uncomfortable, and ordered me to apologise to them.

'I had never felt so embarrassed.'

Oh how terrible. So YOU felt embarrassed then? Pot, kettle?

Another " I know my rights!!"

What about my rights not to have to 'understand'

When a mna suddenly turns up for work one day dressed as awoman of course its going to cause trouble! Of course he should get saked.

Transsexuals always seem to 'know their rights', and think only of themselves.

Why do they never see it from the perspective of others who may be embarrassed and uncomfortable.

There are far too many vile quotes to pick from (including a number going on about how they should be able to be donkeys or dinosaurs if they want), but it just goes to show what the pretentious middle class thinks of others not like them. Tolerance still needs to go a long way.

[Guest AshleyK]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1305971/Transsexual-sacked-forced-apologise-colleagues-wearing-dress-work.html

Whoops forgot to post the link

[Guest Donna Jean]

.

Sick......

They print this kind of stuff to get just the kind of reactions that you posted...

It sells....

It's not about people....it's about money...

Sad!

Donna Jean

[Carolyn Marie]

Dang, that is infuriating! The article, the company, the whole thing, is just wrong, wrong,

wrong.

Tell me, does the Daily Mail start out every story about a GG woman with her height, weight, and other measurements? Hmmmmm? I doubt it.

She tried her best to do things the right way, informing her bosses, trying to get support. But nope,

no support from anyone. Well, I hope she wins her suit, and gets enough money to live on for a while and finds a company that isn't run by knuckle dragging buffoons.

Carolyn Marie

[JJ]

Actually I don't believe that people who write comments on articles online are middle-class, pretentious or otherwise. I think it takes a Jerry Springer mentality for these people to write what they do and there are pathetic souls who troll around making it their life's work to be as hurtful and obnoxious as possible to give themselves a voice and power they otherwise lack.

I only read comments on articles briefly in the past and I was struck by two things-the language doesn't vary much from venue to venue and most of the commenters are woefully uneducated in proper English usage.

I wouldn't bother to listen to them in person and I am definitely not going to do so when they have a mask of anonymity to hide behind.

They don't represent the majority. They don't represent anything but a vitriolic group of otherwise disenfranchised people with no lives beyond attempying to spread their own misery as far as posible.

JohnJ

[Sally]

These people are scared - they are mostly unsure of themselves and are afraid that if we get our rights and are allowed to be treated as humans that it will somehow lessen them.

I have no ill will toward them because they are ignorant but I do get a bit angry that they are so unwilling to be informed.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Elizabeth K]

MY GOODNESS

My advice is to not bother with the Daily Mail - nor the articles - and especially not those who post comments. I am not sticking my head in the sand - and I am painfully aware such trans-trashing sites, such slanted articles, and such terrible people exist. I know in my heart that anti-transsexual position is wrong and morally corrupt.

Reponding? Why bother to try to fix something that is beyond repair?

(1) IGNORANCE -The those terrible people cannot be approached by a person of logic and education. They won't accept rationality. So anyone with a brain in their skull pan is going to be ignored, whether the person responding is in the trans community or not.

(2) A TRAP - The entire set-up is intended to promote controversy of the worst kind, essentially male WASP bigotry against the ‘deviant’ world - a world filled with the manipulative opposite sex, unsavory racial mixtures, and sickning gender diversity.

(3) CERTAINLY - Anything said is gasoline on the fire.

So this is what I do, I see such as this, think ‘oh my’ - and pray for GOD to show them the error of their ways. Only HE can judge them - but most certainly, only GOD can save them, those poor lost souls…

The reality of the situation?

It’s rather sad.

LIZZY

[Guest ChloëC]

ok, I think we're talking around one of the issues here. There are still and will always be bigoted, intolerant people around. There were when any group migrated to a new area. For example, all the migrations into the US from Europe and Asia, each new group was looked at disdainfully at best and as low life criminals trying to subvert the women and children through any means at worst.

Well, over the years these groups all merged into the mainstream, and not surprisingly, most of them felt, let well enough alone, I've got my own problems to deal with, while others as there always is in any group picked up the bigoted mantel and jumped all over the next group.

The last major group to become assimilated in many (caucasian based) countries were blacks. Now days, if you attack people of color by acting or verbalizing as a racist, you will be taken to task, if not sued,(or the venue you're spouting these messages of hatred will be sued!) so you either have to couch your insults in language apart from race, or you pick on another group. Gays and Lesbians are much further along than us and laws are slowly being made or changed to include them. The groups you can 'legally' and morally still attack on a purely basic level are getting less and less.

Transgendered people are still pretty much at the bottom of the heap, so we are easy pickings. It's a shame, but considering where we were 50 years ago, we have made huge strides. More will come, I have no doubt.

Then, I wonder, who will the bigots, the racists, the intolerant people try to attack next, and what code words will they use to do so.

Hugs

Chloë

ps as for the news media, I think that editor in the Spiderman movies is a lot closer to reality than we would hope.

[Guest LottieZero]

I'm surprised the Daily Mail hasn't been mentioned before on here! It really is a despicable paper, edited by a right **** of a man, Paul Dacre. The commenters aren't any better, either, as Ashley showed. However, it's worth mentioning that the comments are heavily moderated to make it look like the tripe that the paper churns out is the opinion of the majority, and there are plenty of folk that disagree with the horrible, embittered commenters on there.

And don't get me started on Richard Littlejohn, that... that... oh, I can't describe him while there's this word filter here. Eh, well...

[Guest LottieZero]

BTW: it might be worth noting that the Daily Mail, as well as the Daily Express and The Sun, also carry anti-Scottish stories (implying that we're all benefit cheats, alcoholics, drug addicts etc.). Naturally these are cut from the Scottish editions of those paper, but it's still a pretty horrid thing to do!

[gennee]

If I stood there and told them about themselves there would be a problem. It works both ways, something that they never considered I'm sure.

Gennee

[Guest NadineB]

I am speechless!!!!!

But we are strong and we will survive and take over the world and force anyone who doesn't like it to be put to death in town square. We will form a dictatorship. We will run and own everything in this world!!!!!!

Like seriously just leave us alone!!!!

Nadine

[Guest childofwinter]

The Daily FAIL has to be the worst excuse for a newspaper in existence, and the very fact that that excretion is printed and read is an indictment of just how far society has to be go before it can truly call itself fair and free.

[Guest Sam_P]

I was just looking over this article and its comments a few minutes before seeing this thread!

The one thing that cheered me up was the sheer number of 'dislikes'/red down arrows these stupid comments got! I think it's pretty usual for the idiots to be the ones posting comments, and hopefully this shows that they're not representative.

[Guest CalvinFTM]

Augh... *smacks self in forehead*

I'm sorry, my sisters, that you were publicly subjected to such vitriolic ridicule. I'm standing by you and daring anyone to say something like that to your face. Also, hugs for all of you.

[Guest Shiratori]

I feel I must speak up in defence of the Daily Mail. I think it's an absolutely fantastic paper.

When put through the shredder it makes excellent bedding for my rats.

(had you worried there, didn't I?)

[Guest Donna Jean]

I feel I must speak up in defence of the Daily Mail. I think it's an absolutely fantastic paper.

When put through the shredder it makes excellent bedding for my rats.

(had you worried there, didn't I?)

Only for as long as it took to scroll my mouse down...*whew*

Donna Jean

[Guest jrm]

Rachel, I just want you to know that not everyone who reads the DM is a small minded bigot. I admire your courage. Good luck with the rest of your life.

- Annette, Guildford, UK, 25/8/2010 7:30

i found the good comment

[Guest Ruairi]

I feel I must speak up in defence of the Daily Mail. I think it's an absolutely fantastic paper.

When put through the shredder it makes excellent bedding for my rats.

(had you worried there, didn't I?)

I don't think I would even bed my rats on the toxic Daily Mail.

[Guest Selene Lavelle]

ps as for the news media, I think that editor in the Spiderman movies is a lot closer to reality than we would hope.

I don't get this reference. Please explain it to me someone!! lol

[Guest jrm]

the editor in the spiderman movies was the worlds biggest a-hole

[Guest Selene Lavelle]

Ohhhhhhh lol. Whoops.

[Guest ohhlaala]

Just recently Ive come across some really horrible comments on the internet about some of the stories and headlines in recent newspapers. some people online are just ignorant and some are wilfully nasty.

[Guest Ruairi]

Just recently Ive come across some really horrible comments on the internet about some of the stories and headlines in recent newspapers. some people online are just ignorant and some are wilfully nasty.

It's my opinion that most of the people who make these kind of comments need to find what they regard as a minority group to pick on so that they can feel better about themselves. Doesn't matter if the group in question is transexual, gay, immigrants, or a different race/religion/culture, just so long as they have someone they can pretend to be superior to.

Let's face it, if these people had such wonderful, fulfilling and well-adjusted lives, why would they waste so much of their time on hate? And if someone's first instinct, when faced with something unfamiliar, is to go on the attack, then they will be ignorant all their lives and I kind of pity them. Or I would, except that ignorance breeds fear and fear breeds hate and then they make life hell for others.

Hmmm, I seem to be in rant mode today. Maybe I should switch off the computer and back away slowly.