Who’s the most famous AGP, celebrated by Gender Critical feminists the world over as ‘one of the good ones’ even as he impersonates women for sexual gratification and parades his sexual fetish in front of children every day? Despite this egregious behavior, he’s celebrated by women who consider themselves to be feminists for making the bold statement ‘I’m a man’. This is the ‘Hayton Phemonenon,’
I’m referring, of course, to that infamous impersonator of women, Mr. D. Hayton, also known as ‘Debbie’, who has a media profile the height of which, in certain circles, rivals that of major world politicians. Why do so many otherwise clear-thinking women who understand feminism is view Hayton as, if not some kind of hero, then as a feminist ally?
To be truly committed to freeing women from patriarchal oppression, we have to understand who women are, the various forms our oppression takes, as well as who our allies are or are not. The dictionary definition of woman (the real one, not the ‘I’ll blow up the building if you don’t validate me!’ version) is ‘adult human female’. ‘Ally’ is defined, according to Google, as ‘a state formally cooperating with another for a military or other purpose’. If one seeks to co-operate with adult human females in order to assist them in freeing themselves from patriarchal oppression, doesn’t one militate against that purpose by equating womanhood with the superficial stereotypes of performative femininity? I could be wrong, but I think the liberation of women begins with recognizing women as actual human beings with distinct needs arising from our biology, rather than as dresses, long hair, make-up, high voices and head-tilt. It also follows, please correct me if I’m mistaken, that women who are about the business of securing and maintaining women’s rights would be very clear that a man aping women by adopting these superficial stereotypes, regardless of his assertions to the contrary, is reinforcing the antiquated notion of woman-as-performance, thus participating in the dehumanization of women. On what planet is the dehumanization of women synonymous with liberation from patriarchy? It’s definitely not the planet I live on.
Doesn’t writing, supporting and helping to enact measures that rob women and girls of our safety in public and school restrooms work against the goal of freeing women from oppression? Certainly, feminists can agree that any measure making women more insecure in public or private accommodation increases the burden of oppression so anyone advocating for the revocation of women’s rights to single-sex services cannot be an ally.
I would also speculate that feminists would understand that, as a man who teaches in woman-face, Hayton is selling the idea of ‘woman-as-fetish-object’ to his female students. Since he publishes and appears on televison frequently, at least some of them would be aware of Hayton’s admission of being an autogynephile - a man who is sexually aroused by the fantasy of himself as a woman. He teaches these girls, day in and day out, that a man imitating their biological reality because it arouses him sexually is someone they must share space with. The school officials are not only complicit in delivering Hayton an audience to act out his compulsion in front of. They’re telling these impressionable young girls, by allowing this man to perform ‘woman’ each day, that men of this type are to be accorded the privilege of acting out their fetish without censure. Such grooming makes them less likely to raise a fuss if they find themselves in a women-only space with an AGP; it makes them more likely to support politicians and other public figures who see women’s safety not as an irrevocable right but as a political bargaining chip. Now, these girls will have just that much more difficultly accepting their own femaleness as real, valuable, inimitable and worthy of protection. Am I wrong to think that feminists would support neither the ideology that leads to these actions nor the individual who commits them?
I’m sure this isn’t an activity that only British feminists take part in. It’s entirely likely that there’s an American ‘Hayton’ under the radar that women are all too ready to fawn over because he ‘understands’ and ‘admits that he’s male’. I wonder if Bruce Jenner will assume Hayton’s role in the US. He’s been added to the roster of ‘contributors’ at Fox News, so we’ll be hearing more from him in the coming months. I also wonder if an American contingent of tru-trans feminists will emerge to publicly venerate Jenner, to feature him at feminist events, laud him as an ally for women’s rights as he LARPs about in woman-face. He’s already taken the first step by saying that men shouldn’t be allowed to compete against women in sports. Certain individuals hail this as a mighty insight when he says it, but yawn loudly when women make the same statement. How very feminist.
The Hayton Phenomenon, women falling all over themselves to praise a dreadful AGP for his moments of being slightly less-dreadful, is a re-tread of the same old misogyny. A woman stating basic biological facts, having a grasp of history, etc. - nothing to see here, keep it moving or a reason to call the militia. A man making the same statement - cue the angel choir, everything stops, let’s have a party. Hayton’s running around in woman-face isn’t nearly as important as his maleness, which, for certain women, validates their feminist ideas.
I could be wrong, but…..is a woman really a feminist if she needs to be validated by an AGP? I’m thinking ‘no’ but….I could be wrong.
Hayton isn't the only one; there's another in Britain, dressed like a granny, all pearls and twin-set, but with uterine implants for men as his day-dream. The more sheepish the sheep's clothing, the deadlier the wolf. Manipulators use the good cop, bad cop formula; or the Jekyll and Hyde personalities, to confuse us and thus get their own way. It's gaslighting with a sugared coat, and I won't fall for it; nothing new under the sun.
These men are all megalomaniacs, but some have elevated themselves even higher above us mere mortals than the rest, by proclaiming themselves to be a voice of sanity amid the madness. and these are the worst of the lot, oozing hypocrisy. The BBC's Radio 4 interviewed three people a while back on the subject of men invading women's sports, and all three were men, one of whom was Hayton, condemning it as a woman would do, had they bothered to ask one, yet whilst wearing woman-face. There are plenty of us here in Britain who find him insufferable.
Heya Karen,
I tried to copy something that I found on my travels this evening to your Community tab/page to no avail, but I'd really like to share it so I hope you don't mind me trying here. Thanks! 🙏🤞
1984
“Do you remember,” [O'Brien] went on, “writing in your diary, ‘Freedom is the freedom to say that penises are male sexual organs?”
“Yes,” said Winston.
O’Brien held up his left hand towards Winston, and pointed at his crotch.
“What are penises, Winston?”
“Male.”
“And if trans activists say that penises aren’t male but female — what are they?”
“Male.”
The word ended in a gasp of pain. The needle of the dial had shot up to fifty-five. The sweat had sprung out all over Winston’s body. The air tore into his lungs and issued again in deep groans which even by clenching his teeth he could not stop. O’Brien watched him. He drew back the lever. This time the pain was only slightly eased.
“What are penises, Winston?”
“Male.”
The needle went up to sixty.
“What are penises, Winston?”
“Male! Male! What else can I say? Male!”
The needle must have risen again, but he did not look at it. The heavy, stern face and hallucinations of biology books filled his vision. A male sexual organ appeared before his inner eye like an urechis unicinctus, weird, blurry, and seeming to vibrate, but unmistakably male.
“What are penises, Winston?”
“Male! Stop it, stop it! How can you go on? Male! Male!”
“What are penises, Winston?”
“Female! Female! Female!”
“No, Winston, that is no use. You are lying. You still think they are male organs. What are penises, please?”
“Male! Female! Male! Anything you like. Only stop it, stop harassing me!”
Abruptly he was sitting up with O’Brien’s arm round his shoulders. He had perhaps lost consciousness for a few seconds. The bonds that had held his body down were loosened. He felt very cold, he was shaking uncontrollably, his teeth were chattering, the tears were rolling down his cheeks. For a moment he clung to O’Brien like a baby, curiously comforted by the heavy arm round his shoulders. He had the feeling that the trans activist was his protector, that the pain was something that came from outside, from some other source, and that it was O’Brien who would save him from it.
“You are a slow learner, Winston,” said O’Brien gently.
“How can I help it?” he blubbered. “How can I help seeing what is in front of my eyes? Penises are male.”
“Sometimes, Winston, sometimes they are female. Sometimes sexual dimorphism doesn’t exist. Sometimes they are just a feeling. You must try harder. It is not easy to become a submissive supporter of identity politics.”