Andrea James

Honi Soit: The ethics debate

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The ethics debate

Grace Franki and Andrea Zephyr question the purpose of using suffering to fuel controversy

The debate started with a moving speech from Peter Hyndal, an advocate for trans recognition in government legislation. Cleverly, he began by speaking about trans identities in the third person, linguistically implying that he was cis. He influenced those few in the audience who assumed his identity, and finishing his speech about trans experiences in the first person.

American activist Andrea James followed, subverting language that assumed a worldly order that transgender fit outside of, whether it be religious, legal or natural order. She also critiqued the Ethics Centre’s premise, by acknowledging that acceptance comes from community not society: “nature loves diversity, society hates it.”

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http://honisoit.com/2016/03/the-ethics-debate/