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The Age and me: a late divorce

The inevitable tell-all piece

Julie Szego

Jun 22, 2023

Follow this link to my new Substack post:

Szego Unplugged

The Age and me: a late divorce

Dear subscribers, First, a huge apology. I’d promised to publish a newsletter at least once a week, and have already reneged. As you’re about to read, within days of launching this Substack, with the suppressed story on youth gender transition, I became the focus of media attention for all the wrong reasons. At times I had the sensation of witnessing my …

6 months ago · Julie Szego

2 Comments

Viviane Morrigan

Writes not a wasted word

Jun 23

Hi Julie

Good to hear from you and I do hope you enjoy your holiday with your family. Your journalistic career is developing in exciting new ways, all thanks to your sticking to your principles. Here's a copy of a letter I sent to the Age (twice!).

Dear Mr Elligett

On 5 June 2023 I submitted the letter shown below to your newspaper but soon after was told you were on holiday. As you may not have received my email, I am taking the liberty to re-send it, this time directly to your email address in the hope you will become aware of my concerns.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely

______________________

I am appalled to learn that an article written by Julie Szego was refused publication. I have read her article (https://szegounplugged.substack.com/p/a-question-of-transition) and, as a retired academic in the field of cultural studies of science and technology, find it a piece of quality in-depth journalism that provides a broad range of views and stories of personal experience on this medical and social controversy.

It is extremely disappointing to, yet again, encounter an example of poor editorial decision-making that increases a public perception of media bias in your publication. There are many like me who have genuine concerns about the global push to abolish sex (and replace it with an indefinable concept of ‘gender’) and thereby women’s sex-based rights. The media have become the tool of, as well as the victim to, these forces. This is despite mounting evidence on the dangers of ‘trans medicine’ practised on children and youth, which has seized on the all-encompassing idea of ‘gender identity’ that masks the complexities of their emotional turbulence intertwined with their varied experiences, such as dysfunctional home life, neurodiversity, and/or difficulties in accepting their lesbian/gay sexuality due to homophobia (internalised and/or environmental).

Julie’s article, supported by extensive evidence both scientific and individual interview, covers these complexities fearlessly. She and your readers deserve your support.

Viviane Morrigan PhD MA (Hons) BSc (Hons) CELTA

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