Documentary review: Heightened Scrutiny

Beginning with portentous music and court scenes, Heightened Scrutiny follows the story of pip-squeak lawyer, Chase Strangio, a trans-identified female working for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), as she attempts to persuade the courts – and us – that GnRH agonists are, in fact, life saving healthcare for pre- and -pubescent children. A vast array of talking heads are employed throughout, who are mostly media persons, all onside the trans activist narrative. The main message: Bodily autonomy, first. Of course, the nebulous-sounding ‘trans bodies’ are under attack and the threat of violence and suicide ever present.

In conversation: Petra Lord and Juno Dawson

When Dawson wrote Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, he was looking for a new magical world, because he felt one particular magical world was no longer accessible to him as a trans person (that’s right, a full grown man crying about an author’s personal views outside of her fantasy series). This tragedy lead to him thinking about magical schools which had had a massive influence on his life prior to Hogwart’s, and has realised that The Worst Witch books by Jill Murphy were actually a lot more influential on him. So nurr.

Are you kink curious?

Kink play is an ’emotionally rich’ but ‘confusing terrain’ to be in. This was due to ‘social taboo’, of course, rather than normal psychological responses we experience in response to danger. For example, when engaging in ‘blood play’ and other types of dangerous BDSM, we needed to think ‘about our triggers’ and ‘how to keep things grounded’ (which is a contradiction in terms and surely laying the foundation for making yourself vulnerable to coercion).

Trans book fest

Pechey introduced himself as a they/them, describing himself as having ‘strawberry blonde hair,’ when we could all see he’s bleached blonde. Despite being an ‘award winning author, presenter, educator,’ the hand wringing began immediately. Things were so awful right now, Pechey was so very thankful that the other panel members had managed to roll out of bed that morning to sit alongside him. Brave and stunning.

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