Thank you so much for this excellent article. I know we always like to have our bias confirmed but I'm genuinely struggling with this. My friends wanted to start up a debate club and trans rights came up. They were shocked when I suggested it would be more acceptable for me to be a racist than a transphobe.

It's not about the issue, it's the window of acceptability and a line has been drawn that no one dare cross. It effectively gives those on the acceptible side of the debate immunity from criticism and that is very unhealthy.

There are red lines which need to be drawn with a broad Sharpie and are being scratched out systematically by those in power while we are cancelling each other over debates that need to be aired if only to allay the concerns of those who are genuinely ignorant.

I am not transphobic but the effective censorship around the debate scares me at a time when our very existence hangs in the balance.