Gender fluidity in a brave new world

Actor Ezra Miller poses at the world premiere of the film "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" in Paris earlier this month. Picture AP

Worse than Jeremy Corbyn. Henry Martin, Daily Mail, November 24:

(Democratic Unionist Party) leader Arlene Foster blasts (UK Prime Minister Theresa) May’s Brexit deal as “worse than a Corbyn government” as she warns her MPs might not back it in Commons vote.

Really? One of Corbyn’s spokesmen wants to replace capitalism with socialism. Andrew MacAskill, Reuters, Nov­ember 23:

The British Labour Party’s would-be finance minister, John McDonnell, is deadly serious about overthrowing capitalism and building a socialist society. McDonnell, 67 … describes Karl Marx as one of his main influences. (He) has promised sweeping nationalisation, higher public spending and an overhaul of the banking system. Asked about his entry in Who’s Who, which lists his passion for “generally fermenting the overthrow of capitalism”, McDonnell said it was a joke about beer-making, but … “I believe it. I am serious in my intent. I want to transform this economy.”

Socialist paradise? The Independent, November 24:

Millions of Chinese nationals have been blocked from booking flights or (travel on high-speed) trains as Beijing ... (implements its) “social credit” system, which allows the government to closely monitor and judge each of its 1.3 billion citizens based on their behaviour and activity. ... (People are rewarded or punished for a range of activities including giving blood, traffic infringements, posting fake news and buying too many video games.) ... Punishments are not clearly detailed ... but, beyond making travel difficult, are also believed to include slowing internet speeds, reducing access to good schools ... banning people from certain jobs, preventing booking at certain hotels and losing the right to own pets.

Non-binary Playboy bunny a modern hero. Elle Hunt, The Guardian, November 20:

Queer actor Ezra Miller is the hero we need right now. Even Playboy gets it. The choice of a non-binary cover star for this former bastion of straight-male fantasy shows the world is really changing.

"I’m trying to find queer beings who understand me as a queer being off the bat, and I feel like I’m married to them 25 lifetimes ago.” #FantasticBeasts star Ezra Miller dons Bunny ears and sits down with Playboy to talk polyamory, pain, pleasure, & more. https://t.co/scsbU4iRW2 pic.twitter.com/aHtyveY9Xb

— Playboy (@Playboy) November 15, 2018

Non-binary hero or is that misgendering? Elizabeth Boskery, VeryWellMind.com, August 3:

People who are non-binary may use gender-neutral pronouns. ... The most commonly used one is the singular they. ... It’s not that much harder to use the singular they to refer to people whose gender identity is not well described by male or female. It is, however, far more polite than mis­gendering them because it’s easier than respecting their identity.

Aunty’s non-binary columnist not happy with bunny. Jonno Revanche, ABC News online, November 26:

Everyone loves Ezra Miller, the “genderfluid” new Playboy bunny! ... Ezra squats in front of a camera ... while wearing fishnets. Oh, and bunny ears. ... Yet I’m suspicious. ... We might ­assume the patriarchal Playboy is shifting towards accepting gender nonconforming identities. ... (But history) shows us Playboy has expertly used the veneer of progressive causes to tidily wash clean its blood money. (It) has a history of treating its black “bunnies” more disposably than their white counterparts and repeatedly snuffing out former playmates’ allegations of abuse. I’m also interested in Playboy’s claim that Ezra’s photoshoot is ... dismantling “toxic masculinity”. What does toxic masculinity ... mean, anyway? ... (Is it) a less abrasive term for rape culture? If so, I’m not so sure Ezra is dismantling it ... working alongside alleged abuser Johnny Depp.