Meghan Murphy

[[File:Meghan Murphy.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Meghan Murphy]]
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'''Meghan Emily Murphy''' {{lived|1978}} is a [[Canadian]] [[trans-exclusionary radical feminism|trans-exclusionary radical feminist]] (TERF) who founded and operates the TERF [[webshite]] ''Feminist Current''. Among other things, she is notorious for her opposition to [[third-wave feminism]]. She was permanently banned from [[Twitter]] for hate speech in 2018 and lost a lawsuit over her ban.<ref>[https://www.them.us/story/megan-murphy-terf-twitter-lawsuit TERFs Don’t Have a Right to Be Transphobic on Twitter, Court Rules]</ref>

==Background==
She graduated from Simon Fraser University with a master's degree in Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies in 2012.<ref>Graduate Alumni. [https://www.sfu.ca/gsws/people/Alumni/Graduate_Alumni.html MA – Course Based]. ''Simon Fraser University''.</ref> She was a writer for the online magazine ''rabble.ca'' until 2016.

==Career==
===Misgendering of trans women=== 

Murphy groups [[trans women]] together with [[Cisgender|cis men]] by analysing [[sex]] instead of gender as a class,<ref>Burns, Katelyn. [https://medium.com/@katelynburns/the-issue-with-meghan-murphys-gender-class-analysis-52c2f0a0fdcc The Issue with Meghan Murphy’s Gender Class Analysis]. ''Medium''.</ref> arguing that trans women were socialized as male,<ref name=spaces>Murphy, Meghan. [https://www.feministcurrent.com/2017/11/23/trans-activists-truly-cared-feminism-respect-womens-spaces/ If trans activists truly cared about feminism, they would respect women’s spaces]. ''Feminist Current''.</ref> while apparently ignoring the fact that many transgender women have spent a good part (perhaps even most) of their lives living as women and thus being perceived and "socialized" as female. She regards trans women merely as "gender non-conforming male(s)"<ref name=spaces/> and denies that they are treated in any manner comparable to (or in some cases, worse than) cisgender women, despite evidence that trans women do indeed suffer from such phenomena as the [[wage gap]],<ref>Rampell, Catherine. [https://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/before-that-sex-change-think-about-your-next-paycheck/ Before That Sex Change, Think About Your Next Paycheck]</ref> high levels of sexual violence,<ref>Stotzer, Rebecca L. (2009). [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178909000202 Violence against transgender people: A review of United States data.] ''Aggression and Violent Behavior'', 14, pp. 170-179.</ref><ref>Cursed E. [https://medium.com/@notCursedE/a-response-to-feminist-current-eeef01197b0a A response to Feminist Current]. ''Medium''.</ref> and the [[gay panic|trans panic "defense"]].<ref>Foresta, Matthew. [https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xw8w54/being-freaked-out-by-gay-and-trans-people-is-still-a-legal-murder-defense-in-48-states Being Freaked Out by Gay and Trans People Is Still a Legal Murder Defense in 48 States]. ''Vice.com''.</ref> 

Worse still, Murphy repeatedly and quite deliberately misgenders trans women by referring to them as "he" and "him"<ref name=spaces/> and has characterized the use of the pronoun "she" to refer to trans women as "[[gaslighting]] of women".<ref>Gallagher, Annie. [https://guardianacorn.com/2017/11/26/response-to-meghan-murphy-if-gender-critical-feminists-truly-cared-about-empathy-theyd-show-the-same-to-trans-people/ Response to Meghan Murphy: If Gender Critical Feminists Truly Cared About Empathy, They’d Show the Same to Trans People]. ''guardianacorn.com''.</ref> In 2018, this continued behaviour resulted in the permanent suspension of her Twitter account;<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-48366184 Twitter-ban feminist defends transgender views ahead of Holyrood meeting]. ''[[BBC]] News''.</ref> she contested this with a lawsuit which was dismissed in June 2019.<ref>Fry, Madeline. [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/this-journalist-lost-her-lawsuit-against-twitter-for-banning-her-account-but-shes-not-giving-up This journalist lost her lawsuit against Twitter for banning her account, but she's not giving up]. ''[[Washington Examiner]]'', July 10, 2019.</ref>

===Persecution complex===
Murphy maintains a [[persecution complex]] by conflating her trans-exclusionary strain of "feminism" with feminism in general, thus claiming that those who oppose the former are [[Motte and bailey|opposing feminism itself]],<ref>Murphy, Meghan. [http://www.feministcurrent.com/2016/11/06/glamour-columnist-attacks-feminists-guise-feminism/ GLAMOUR columnist Juno Dawson attacks feminists under the guise of ‘feminism’]. ''Feminist Current''.</ref> and similarly, framing [[cherry-picking|cherry-picked]] instances of backlash against certain women who express [[transphobic]] talking points as an attack on women in general.<ref name=spaces/> Accordingly, she maintains that the term "TERF" is not merely a slur, but actual [[hate speech]], citing an example of violence and instances of people calling for violence against TERFs.<ref>Murphy, Meghan. [http://www.feministcurrent.com/2017/09/21/terf-isnt-slur-hate-speech/ ‘TERF’ isn’t just a slur, it’s hate speech]. ''Feminist Current''.</ref> These claims are comparable to those from the [[far-right]] declaring "[[homophobe]]" or "[[misogynist]]" [[Reverse discrimination|to be slurs or hate speech]], which are similarly accompanied by [[anecdotal evidence]].<ref>Williams, Cristan. [https://www.transadvocate.com/are-misogynist-homophobe-terf-slurs_n_20729.htm Into the nexus of the ‘gay alt-right feminist’ movement]. ''TransAdvocate''.</ref> In addition, Murphy skips over examples of violence threatened, abetted, or committed by TERFs against transgender people.<ref>Williams, Cristan. [https://www.transadvocate.com/terf-violence-and-sandy-stone_n_14360.htm TERF hate and Sandy Stone]. ''TransAdvocate''.</ref><ref>Williams, Cristan. [https://www.transadvocate.com/that-time-terfs-beat-radfems-for-protecting-a-trans-woman-from-assault_n_14382.htm That time TERFs beat RadFems for protecting a trans woman from their assault]. ''TransAdvocate''.</ref><ref>Williams, Cristan. [http://theterfs.com/2014/09/02/the-michigan-womyns-music-festival-the-historic-radfem-vs-terf-vs-trans-fight/The Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival: The historic RadFem vs TERF vs Trans fight]. ''The TERFs''.</ref><ref>Williams, Cristan. [https://www.transadvocate.com/how-terf-violence-inspired-camp-trans_n_14413.htm How TERF violence inspired Camp Trans]. ''TransAdvocate''.</ref><ref>Natacha. [http://uncommon-scents.blogspot.com/2017/10/reports-of-rad-fem-violently-attacking.html http://uncommon-scents.blogspot.com/2017/10/reports-of-rad-fem-violently-attacking.html Reports of a rad fem violently attacking non-trans woman in vendetta against trans people]. ''UnCommon Sense''.</ref>

To be clear, we at [[RationalWiki]] do not condone violence (or calls to violence) against anyone, whether TERF, homophobe, or misogynist.

===Other positions===
Murphy also holds [[Sex worker-exclusionary radical feminism|sex worker-exclusionary]] (SWERF) positions,<ref>Murphy, Meghan. [https://www.feministcurrent.com/2016/12/09/7-bad-arguments-defense-sex-trade/ ‘Everybody’s doing it!’ and other bad arguments in defense of prostitution]. ''Feminist Current'', December 9, 2016.</ref><ref>Murphy, Meghan. [https://www.feministcurrent.com/2011/11/07/why-does-the-left-want-prostitution-to-be-a-job-like-any-other/ Why does the left want prostitution to be 'a job like any other'?] ''Feminist Current'', November 7, 2011.</ref> as do several of her fellow ''Feminist Current'' writers,<ref>Ditum, Sarah. [https://www.feministcurrent.com/2014/02/25/who-do-you-listen-to-on-listening-to-sex-workers/ Who do you listen to? On 'listening to sex workers']. ''Feminist Current'', February 25, 2014.</ref><ref>Berg, Samantha. [https://www.feministcurrent.com/2018/12/17/prostitution-not-work-crib-sheet/ Prostitution is not work: The crib sheet]. ''Feminist Current'', December 17, 2018.</ref> seeing prostitutes and other sex workers invariably as both exploited victims and enablers of the patriarchy. 

On a related note, in 2015, Murphy described transgender actress Laverne Cox's [[nude]] photo shot for the magazine ''Allure'' as a "sexualized object" and "defined by [[patriarchal]]/[[porn]] culture",<ref>Murphy, Meghan. [https://www.feministcurrent.com/2015/04/22/laverne-coxs-objectified-body-empowers-no-one/ Laverne Cox’s objectified body ’empowers’ no one]. ''Feminist Current''.</ref> prompting a ''Change.org'' petition by a sex workers' lobby group which accused her of both transphobia and [[racism]] and called for rabble.ca to cut ties with her, although the petition was ultimately rejected.<ref name=rabblepetition>[http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/rabble-staff/2015/05/statement-on-review-meghan-murphy-petitions Statement on review of Meghan Murphy petitions]. ''rabble.ca''.</ref> 

She's also engaged in apologia for the mass graves at Canadian [[residential school]]s.<ref>[https://unherd.com/2021/07/the-ignorance-of-the-canadian-left/ Why the Canadian Left is burning down churches], Meghan Murphy, ''[[UnHerd]]'' 21 July 2021</ref> She has also denied the existence of mass graves at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, whining that "the world is beginning to see Canada as an example of 'woke' gone wild" for addressing the allegations of [[genocide]] and mass murder.<ref>[https://thespectator.com/topic/lack-indigenous-mass-graves-canada/ The lack of Indigenous mass graves in Canada], Meghan Murphy, ''The Spectator'' 5 September 2023</ref>

===Public libraries===
Vancouver Public Library held a talk by Murphy, which led to them being banned from Vancouver Pride,<ref>[https://www.vancourier.com/news/vancouver-public-library-banned-from-pride-parade-1.23894132 Vancouver Public Library banned from Pride Parade]. Vancouver Courier, July 23, 2019.</ref> with the Vancouver Pride Society's statement explaining that "...this is due to their decision to provide a platform for discriminatory, transphobic speech."<ref>[http://www.vancouverpride.ca/index.php?id=279299 VPS Statement On VPLs Entry In The 2019 Pride Parade]. Vancouver Pride Society, July 23, 2019.</ref>

Toronto Public Library also garnered huge controversy for allowing Murphy to rent space from them, in view of the following excerpt from their rental policy: 

{{quotebox|The Library reserves the right to deny or cancel a booking when it reasonably believes:<br>i. use by any individual or group will be for a purpose that is likely to promote, or would have the effect of promoting discrimination, contempt or hatred for any group or person on the basis of race, ethnic origin, place of origin, citizenship, colour, ancestry, language, creed (religion), age, sex, <b>gender identity</b>...<ref>[https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/terms-of-use/library-policies/community-and-event-space.jsp Community and Event Space Rental]. Toronto Public Library.</ref>}} 

The librarian defended the decision to support Murphy under the justifications of free speech and Murphy's never having been convicted of hate speech in a court of law.<ref>[https://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/news_releases/2019/10/city-librarian-statement-on-upcoming-third-party-room-rental-event-.html City Librarian Statement on Upcoming Third-Party Room Rental Event]. Toronto Public Library, October 15, 2019.</ref> The decision drew widespread condemnation from Canada's LGBT community. The talk was widely protested and Toronto Pride said that they may ban the library from future Pride events.<ref>[https://nowtoronto.com/culture/books/pride-toronto-ban-toronto-public-library-meghan-murphy/ Toronto Public Library facing Pride ban over Meghan Murphy event]. Now Toronto, October 18, 2019.</ref>

==See also==
*[[Cathy Brennan]]
*[[Sheila Jeffreys]]
*[[Trans-exclusionary radical feminism]]

==External links==
*''[https://feministcurrent.com Feminist Current]''
*[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq-04S1vzWPy3G8omi0wVvA/ Meghan Murphy] on [[YouTube]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Meghan}}

[[Category:Canadians]]
[[Category:Denialists]]
[[Category:Gender]]
[[Category:Internet hate sites]]
[[Category:Journalists]]
[[Category:Leftists who turned right with age]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:TERFs]]
[[Category:Transphobes]]

Categories: Canadians, Denialists, Gender, Internet hate sites, Journalists, Leftists who turned right with age, Living people, Racists, TERFs, Transphobes