Y’know, when the truth is told — of how a powerful corner of white British feminism built itself a circular system of falsehoods to punch down on trans people from their power pulpits — I worry about the integrity of that most sacred of principles built up by feminists since the

..beginning of the second wave: The principle that women should always be believed when describing abuse and discrimination. The hatred of trans women has abused the strength of that principle, making it impossible for anyone to challenge wild claims about the threat posed by..

..trans people even when the claims required people to deny the evidence of their own eyes. I, for one, don’t want the world to pause over whether to believe any woman speaking of her abuse or discrimination. The power of MeToo depends on it. Our safety depends on it..

..Our progress depends on it. But in the last 3+ years the sanctity of that principle has been cynically exploited to grow a movement against a vulnerable minority without too much push back from people who would usually ask for proof, or at least to debate. To challenge a ..

..woman’s account is treated necessarily as a taboo. I don’t want to see that put into question. Believe Her, because unless we are prepared to believe women describing abuse then abuse wins. There will always be some who cry wolf. That’s sad and yet the principle usually copes

..with it, understanding that there are complex reasons when one person does it. But when a group of powerful women in a position of trust get together and green light a system of untruths about a minority using the power of their pulpits and mutual support then that’s a much..

..bigger existential threat to the ability of all women to describe their abuse and have a hope of being believed.

Oh what a tangled web they weave when first they practice to deceive.