Patrons Only: Let's Talk About Graham Linehan And Aimee Challenor/Knight And Reddit And Pedophilia
HOO BOY. Jesse and Katie discuss their critique of Graham Linehan's approach to gender-critical online activism, but then talk about a deeply disturbing story of Reddit censorship in which his newsletter played an undeniably important journalistic role. (Two quick corrections/clarifications: Mumsnet is a lot more than just the message board that has been accused of hosting transphobia -- AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD ARE WE NOT OPINING ON THE FAIRNESS OF THAT CHARGE -- and we should have made it clear that the controversy only has to do with that one facet of the site. Also, our own subreddit did, in fact, briefly go private as part of the broader action to try to force action on Reddit's part. Solidarity!)
Show notes/Links:
The Independent on Aimee Challenor: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/aimee-challenor-father-rape-election-agent-green-party-investigation-a8725701.html
Green Party investigation: https://www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/images/national-site/Final%20report%20-%20Executive%20summary-%20cover.pdf
Graham Linehan's newsletter, The Glinner Update (not 'Report,' as Jesse says a few times), on Knight's hiring by Reddit: https://grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/something-rotten-at-the-heart-of
Nathaniel Dean Knight's discussion of his sexual interest in children: https://archive.is/zHQFu
Mumsnet: https://www.mumsnet.com/
Coventry Observer on Knight's ouster from the Liberal Democrats: https://coventryobserver.co.uk/news/front-page-exclusive-lgbtq-activist-no-longer-in-liberal-democrats-post-amid-probe-into-sick-tweets/
The Verge on the giant Reddit protest sparked once it was revealed Knight had been hired: https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/24/22348255/reddit-moderator-blackout-protest-aimee-knight-uk-green-party
This American Life on pedophilia: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/522/tarred-and-feathered/act-two-0
Jesse on pedophilia: https://www.thecut.com/2017/02/salon-shouldnt-have-unpublished-its-pedophilia-article.html
Katie on pedophilia: https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/07/20/29453977/online-support-groups-can-keep-pedophiles-from-offending-but-they-keep-getting-shut-down
WE DO NOT RECOMMEND CLICKING THIS LINK but it backs up the claim of Knight's connections to creepy internet communities: https://grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/aimee-challenor-and-nathaniel-knight
Katie's dad on furries!: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animals-and-us/201707/what-s-the-deal-furries
StupidPol's summary: https://www.reddit.com/r/stupidpol/comments/mbe4xk/it_sure_is_fun_watching_all_the_threads_on_reddit/
Reddit cofounder Steve Huffman (sorta) explains what happened: https://www.reddit.com/r/announcements/comments/mcisdf/an_update_on_the_recent_issues_surrounding_a/
The Ronson thing Katie mentioned: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/314/its-never-over/act-one-0
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